Definition
Operational procedures and flight techniques used to reduce aircraft noise heard on the ground, particularly near airports and over noise-sensitive areas. Noise abatement procedures may specify preferred runways, departure and arrival routes, climb profiles, power settings, altitudes, and time-of-day restrictions, and are typically published for individual airports.
Plain English
Steps pilots take when flying near airports to keep aircraft noise away from homes and other quiet areas. Each airport may have its own published rules about which runways to use, which paths to fly, and how to climb or descend to keep things as quiet as possible.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter noise abatement in airport information, preflight planning, takeoff and landing briefings, and local procedures for airports near homes, schools, or other noise-sensitive areas.
Derivation
From the verb 'abate,' meaning to lessen or reduce. So 'noise abatement' simply means 'reducing the noise.' The word comes from Old French 'abattre,' meaning to beat down — here, beating down the noise level.
Why Pilots Care
Following these procedures maintains community goodwill, prevents operating restrictions or fines, and fulfills regulatory expectations at noise-sensitive airports.
Grounding Statement
A noise abatement procedure might ask a pilot to climb, turn, or use power in a certain safe way so less sound reaches nearby people.
Intuition Check
Noise abatement does not mean the airplane becomes quiet, and it does not mean accepting an unsafe flight path. It means reducing unnecessary noise while still flying the airplane safely.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot reviewed the noise abatement procedure and planned to maintain runway heading until reaching 1,000 feet AGL before turning on course.
Example Sentence 2
The departure briefing covered the noise abatement turn to 120 degrees at 800 feet to avoid overflying the school south of the runway.