2.1: Arrivals General Procedures

• Aircraft will be routed away from populated areas until they are either over the ocean, or lined up with their final approach path – reporting options currently under review.
• Pilots should delay using flaps as long as safely possible to reduce noise during landing – data not available.

2.1.a: Arrivals to Runway 15

When weather is good (VMC), aircraft will:

• Follow STAR procedures (Standard Arrival Routes).
• May be directed to do a Runway 33 LOC approach.
• May also visually manoeuvre from BENJI waypoint to cross the coast at Richter’s Creek.

2.1.b: Arrivals to Runway 33

• Track via LOC approach or
• If suitable weather join a visual right circuit seaward of the coastline.

2.2: Departures

• Aircraft to follow SID procedures and then be routed clear of populous areas.

The Preferred Flight Paths Report below shows a low adherence of departures from Runway 33 following the preferred flight paths. This means that aircraft that are departing the runway towards the north are not following the preferred departure flight path.

Our investigation of this low adherence shows that while departing aircraft are following the departure path over land, many of the aircraft that are headed to southern destinations will turn right and cross the coastline, after which point they often deviate from the departure flight path when over water, due to air traffic operational requirements.

Noise abatement focuses on methods to minimise aircraft impacts over land. As this deviation from the departure flight path is occurring over open water, the operation remains consistent with the intent of the preferred flight paths NAP, being to avoid populous areas.

We are working to modify the collation and reporting of this data to better reflect the on-ground experience of noise abatement.