Definition
Published or locally established flight procedures designed to minimize aircraft noise impact on communities surrounding an airport. They typically specify preferred runways, departure and arrival routes, climb profiles, power settings, and altitude restrictions intended to keep aircraft higher, quieter, or further from noise-sensitive areas during takeoff, approach, and landing.
Plain English
Special flying procedures pilots use near certain airports to keep aircraft noise away from homes, schools, and hospitals. They tell you things like which runway to use, which route to fly after takeoff, and when to reduce power or climb steeper to be less disruptive to people on the ground.
Context Anchor
Pilots encounter noise abatement procedures during preflight planning, airport briefings, takeoff and landing planning, and in some airport notes or local guidance.
Derivation
Abatement' comes from the Old French abatre, meaning 'to beat down' or 'to reduce.' In aviation, the procedures literally aim to beat down the amount of noise reaching people on the ground.
Why Pilots Care
Following these procedures keeps the pilot in compliance with local regulations, avoids possible enforcement action, and helps preserve airport access for the aviation community.
Intuition Check
Noise abatement does not mean making the airplane as quiet as possible at any cost. It means using approved, safe flying practices to reduce noise where practical.
Example Sentence 1
Before departing the small coastal airport, the pilot reviewed the noise abatement procedures and planned an early left turn to avoid overflying the residential neighborhood off the end of the runway.
Example Sentence 2
On the ILS approach the crew maintained a slightly steeper descent to stay inside the noise abatement procedures published for the runway.