Learn about flight paths and aircraft movements in your area
Welcome to the Aircraft in Your Neighborhood Portal
Our goal is that you will learn more about the flight paths and aircraft movements in your area and be able to access the information and resources that explain how air traffic is managed.
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Every major airport has Noise Abatement Procedures (NAPs), which are procedures designed to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on the community. There are some limitations to the use of NAPs and they may not be used if they generate delay and congestion, as this can cause noise and emission impacts. Air traffic control or pilots may not be able to use them in certain situations, for example weather conditions or operational requirements.
At Hobart, during tower hours (between 5:50am and 10:10pm) NAPs preference instrument approaches and departures for large aircraft (e.g. jets).
The VHF omnidirectional radio (VOR) is the least preferred instrument option and may only be used for flight training for small aircraft (under 5700 kilograms) or for operational reasons when no alternative approach exists.
An airport curfew is a legislated restriction on aircraft operations at a federally-leased airport during a specified time period.
A curfew limits the types of aircraft that are permitted to use Sydney Airport between 11.00pm and 6.00am each day.
While most aircraft operations are prohibited during this period, emergency aircraft, some small jets, propeller-driven aircraft and freight movements are allowed, and, in exceptional circumstances, other aircraft that have been granted a dispensation to land by the Minister. The curfew limits what aircraft can land and take-off and, in some cases, the runways that can be used.
An aircraft may take off after the start of curfew if it received taxi clearance before the curfew began. Under the curfew regulations, a limited number of passenger flights may be permitted to land between 5.00am and 6.00am during non-daylight-saving periods. These flights arrive after the curfew ends at 6.00am when daylight saving is in place, but arrive an hour earlier when clocks are turned back at the end of daylight saving. These flights generally originate from ports where curfews prevent them leaving later.
During the curfew aircraft must take off and land over Botany Bay. The only exception to this is for emergency services. When an aircraft landing at or taking off from Sydney Airport flies over residential suburbs during the curfew it is usually the Royal Flying Doctor Service or another emergency medical flight. This is because these flights are always given the most direct route between the airport and the emergency due to the nature of their missions. You can use WebTrak to identify these flights by their flight number which will begin with:
AM (NSW Air Amubulance),
FD (Royal Flying Doctor Service) or
RSCU (NSW Rescue Helicopter).
This curfew applies only to movements that originate from, or end at, Sydney Airport. This means that an aircraft may travel over Sydney during the curfew if it is coming and going from destinations other than Sydney Airport such as, for example, Bankstown or Camden Airports or other aerodromes or helipads.
Training during both day and night is important for developing pilot competencies, as is experience with using different types of navigational aids.
Circuit training times are set out in the Noise Abatement Procedures for Camden Airport. These are:
Monday to Friday, non-daylight saving periods: 7:00am – 10:00pm
Monday to Friday, daylight saving periods: 7:00am – 10:30pm
Weekends: 7:00am to 8:00pm
Due to flying training courses running on different schedules, some nights will have multiple aircraft operating and other nights none at all.
These times above apply only to circuit training, and not to arriving and departing aircraft which may operate 24 hours a day. When aircraft are arriving outside control tower hours they are required to fly a circuit before landing for safety reasons. Therefore it may seem like aircraft are flying circuits outside hours when this is not the case.
Altitudes
Aircraft aim to fly at 1,000 feet on the downwind leg. This is because aircraft are ascending on the take-off and crosswind legs and descending on the base and final legs.
While attaining 1,000 feet on the downwind leg is the aim, in reality the altitudes of aircraft that are conducting circuit training will always vary. Part of the reason for this is that the trainees are new to flying and factors such as their level of experience and even their degree of nervousness will affect the altitudes they can achieve. Unfortunately the nature of circuit training is to teach new pilots and therefore this variation cannot be avoided.
It is a common misconception that noise sharing means that flight paths are varied. This is not the case. Using the same standard flight paths is vital for safety, particularly at very busy airports like Sydney, because they reduce complexity for pilots and air traffic controllers. If a different flight path was used for every flight it would be very complex to ensure aircraft remained safely separated, and there would be a high possibility of confusion and error.
While flight paths themselves are not varied, there are different flight paths for each runway, each of which will affect a different part of the community. Because aircraft need to land and take off into the wind, the runway used generally will be the one that best suits the wind direction at the time. As the wind and other conditions change, the runway configuration or “mode” may also change, bringing a different set of standard flight paths into use. This has the effect of sharing the noise.
Peak period modes
Mode 9
Mode 10
Modes 9 and 10 utilise both parallel runways at the same time. Mode 9 is a flow towards the north and Mode 10 is a flow towards the south.
During peak periods one of these parallel runway modes will always be used whenever the wind permits because using two runways at once enables the most traffic to be moved through the airport. The peak periods are generally from 7:00 – 11:00am and 3:00 – 8:00pm but may extend beyond these hours.
Noise sharing modes
During non-peak times for the airport air traffic controllers must implement a “noise sharing mode” whenever it is possible to do so according to the wind conditions and other factors. Non-peak times for the Airport are generally 6:00 – 7:00am, 11:00am – 3:00pm, 8:00pm – curfew.
Noise sharing modes generally use the east-west runway and the parallel runways. The modes that utilise the east-west runway can only be used when traffic volumes are low. This is because the east-west runway crosses both the parallel runways; the need for aircraft to cross active runways slows down operations significantly and in busy periods this would result in delays and holding in the air.
For all the noise sharing modes there is an option for pilots of heavy jets to request use of the longer westernmost parallel runway. In the images below this option is represented by dotted lines.
Mode 5
Mode 5
In Mode 5 the east-west runway is used for arrivals from the east and the parallel runways are used for departures towards the south.
Due to seasonal wind conditions, use of Mode 5 tends to rise as the weather cools.
Mode 7
Mode 7
In Mode 7 the parallel runways are used for arrivals from the south and the east-west runway is used for departures towards the west.
Wind conditions in the cooler months tend to favour the use of Mode 7 and it is generally used more frequently at that time of year.
Mode 14a
In Mode 14a the east-west runway is used for arrivals from the west and the parallel runways are used for departures towards the south, over the bay.
Mode 14a tends to be used more frequently in the warmer months due to favourable wind conditions.
SODPROPS
Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations
In Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations, (SODPROPS), aircraft arrive and depart over the bay. Arrivals use the westernmost parallel runway and departures use the easternmost parallel runway. This mode is the preferred noise sharing mode, however it can only be used when the wind and weather conditions are exactly right with maximum visibility for pilots and air traffic controllers in the Tower.
East-west runway only modes
Mode 12
Mode 13
Modes 12 and 13 are used when the wind conditions preclude use of the parallel runways because the crosswind exceeds safety limits. If there is a very strong westerly wind, Mode 13 is used. If there is a very strong easterly wind, Mode 12 is used.
When one of these modes has to be used for extended periods it limits the amount of aircraft that can be moved through the airport. This results in delays which can have a cascading effect around the country.
Curfew mode
Curfew mode
During the curfew, aircraft permitted to use the airport must arrive and depart from the westernmost runway. Emergency medical flights are exempt from this requirement and may use whichever runway will expedite their flight.
There is no legislation or regulation that restricts the number of flights that can fly over an area.
Sydney Airport has a legislated cap on movements that restricts the number of flights to a maximum of eighty per hour. This includes both arrivals and departures.
Airservices is charged with implementing this cap by counting movements per hour on a rolling 15-minute basis. If the cap is at risk of being exceeded air traffic controllers will take actions such as holding aircraft in the air or on the ground, to arrive or depart in the next hour.
The movement cap applies only to Sydney Airport. There is no limitation on the number of flights that can use other airports around Australia.
In Australia, aircraft noise standards apply before an aircraft is allowed to operate here, rather than in the course of its day-to-day flying activities.
Before an aircraft begins operating in Australia it is required to meet international noise standards that specify the amount of noise that may be emitted by that type or model of aircraft. If an aircraft does not pass the certification process, it may not fly in Australia. However once an aircraft passes this certification process, there is no legislation or regulation that enables any agency, including Airservices, to police its noise levels.
There is no regulated maximum noise level for aircraft flying over residential areas. Without any maximum level set out in legislation or regulation, there is no objective measure to determine whether any aircraft flying in Australia is “too noisy”, or whether the combined load of aircraft experienced by a community is “too much” noise.
While helicopter routes exist, helicopters are not restricted to these routes. Inside controlled airspace helicopters must comply with directions from air traffic control whether flying on or off established routes. Outside controlled airspace aircraft, including helicopters, are not under the direction of air traffic control but they must comply with aviation regulations set down by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Altitudes
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority have regulations for how low aircraft, including helicopters, can fly. These regulations require helicopter pilots fly no lower than 1,000 feet (ft) over built-up areas, or 500 ft over any other areas, unless they are landing or taking off.
Helicopters can fly below these heights in certain situations – for example, police, rescue, fire fighting and military helicopters may fly at any height required.
More information is available on the CASA website.
Hovering
There are no regulations or legislation that prevent helicopters from hovering over an area. For example, media helicopters are permitted to hover while covering a story or sporting event.
If a helicopter pilot wants to cross a ‘controlled’ zone around an airport, it is sometimes necessary for air traffic control to hold the helicopter in one place until it is safe to cross. This sometimes means helicopters have to hover over built up areas.
Responsibility for aviation operations is shared between a range of parties including Airservices, other federal government agencies, airlines and operators, pilots, airports and state and local governments.
AIRSERVICES AUSTRALIA (AIRSERVICES)
Airservices is Australia’s civil Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) to the aviation industry and provides aviation rescue firefighting services at 27 of Australia’s busiest airports. Airservices is a corporate Commonwealth entity established and governed by the Air Services Act 1995. Airservices publishes aeronautical data, maintains aviation telecommunication infrastructure and radio navigation aids, updates flight procedures and provides a national aircraft Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS).
AIRPORT OPERATORS
Airport operators are the decision-makers for all on-airport activities, including developing infrastructure to support aircraft operations, such as new runways, and safeguarding aviation operations. Airport operators may also develop noise management plans, limit aircraft movements, encourage quieter fleets, prepare long-term forecasting of aircraft noise around the airport, such as the Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF), and manage local community engagement.
AIRCRAFT OPERATORS
Aircraft operators are responsible for what is referred to as “noise at source”. They make decisions about what type of aircraft they operate, what engines they equip aircraft with, and which airports they fly those aircraft to. Aircraft operators can also modify aircraft to reduce noise impacts and invest in newer fleets. All these factors can impact the noise experienced on the ground.
CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY (CASA)
The Civil Aviation Authority (CASA) is a government body that regulates Australian aviation safety. It sets rules that pilots, aircraft operators, air traffic controllers and airports must comply with. CASA validates the instrument flight procedures Airservices produces and is the ultimate approver of Airspace Change Proposals.
DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the Department) is responsible for administering Minister approval of airport infrastructure projects for federally leased airports, generally submitted through a Major Development Plan (MDP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and for providing policy advice to the Minister on the efficient management of Australian airspace and aircraft noise and emissions. The Department can make recommendations to the Government on regulatory measures to manage aircraft noise. This department is also responsible for setting the requirement for federally leased airports to produce an ANEF.
DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
The Department of Defence is responsible for aircraft operations by military aircraft at military-controlled airports. They provide information, undertake community engagement and are responsible for managing complaints about military aircraft noise.
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
State, Territory and Local Governments are responsible for land use planning around airports through zoning, subdivision control, and comprehensive planning actions. Local Governments may also be airport owners.
AIRCRAFT NOISE OMBUDSMAN
The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman conducts independent administrative reviews of Airservices and Department of Defence management of aircraft noise-related activities.
The term ‘flight path’ is used to refer to the mapped three-dimensional corridor where aircraft fly most of the time. Flight paths can be a number of kilometres wide, rather than the single lines depicted on flight charts (maps). Aircraft may fly differently within these corridors for a range of reasons, including aircraft performance (including type, speed and weight), and navigation systems.
Aircraft may deviate from flight paths for a range of reasons, including weather and operational requirements. In controlled airspace, this will be at the approval of air traffic control (ATC).
Weather diversions
During periods of bad weather aircraft may need to be diverted off the normal flight paths to avoid storm cells, heavy rain and dangerous cloud formations. Sometimes this bad weather is not in your local area but it can be detected many nautical miles away by sophisticated weather radar systems that are installed in modern aircraft. If a pilot requests a diversion to avoid bad weather this will be facilitated by air traffic control. This can result in aircraft flying outside the published flight paths.
Traffic management
Sometimes air traffic controllers need to take aircraft off the published flight path in order to ensure that safe separation is maintained between aircraft. For example, this might occur when the volume of traffic in the airspace is high, such as during peak periods, or it might occur when a jet is flying behind a slower turbo-prop aircraft. The slower plane may need to be turned off the flight path so as not to delay the faster jet. This can result in aircraft flying outside the expected paths.
Missed approaches
A go-around, or missed approach (also sometimes referred to as an aborted landing), is a safe and well-practiced manoeuvre that sees an aircraft discontinue its approach to the runway when landing. This standard manoeuvre does not constitute any sort of emergency or threat to safety. It will however result in the aircraft flying an unusual flight path as it climbs and circles around for another approach.
The most common cause of go-arounds is adverse weather conditions, including strong winds, experienced by the aircraft on final approach. Debris on the runway, an aircraft (or vehicle) that has not yet cleared the runway or an aircraft that has been slow to take-off may also prompt go-arounds.
Emergency services operations
The published flight paths may be varied to avoid disruption to high priority emergency aircraft including aircraft involved in fighting bush fires, search and rescue, medical or police operations.
Light aircraft and helicopters
Generally, published flight paths are for aircraft flying according to Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), which is where the pilot uses instruments to fly.
Helicopters and light aircraft often fly Visual Flight Rules (VFR) where the pilot uses visual references to the ground or water and does not fly on a set flight path.
The altitudes of aircraft over your area can vary according to:
the airport the flight is coming from or going to
whether the aircraft is coming in to land, taking off or in level flight
the specific requirements of the flight path
the need for air traffic control to maintain vertical separation between aircraft.
There are no regulations setting out minimum altitudes for aircraft in the course of taking off or landing at an airport.
Variation in departure altitudes
You may observe differences in the altitudes of departing aircraft. Aircraft have different climbing abilities depending on factors such as the type of aircraft and its weight, how heavily laden it is, and even the meteorological conditions at the time.
Large jets such as Airbus A380s will climb more slowly than smaller, lighter aircraft because they are so much heavier. A380s are frequently used for long-haul non-stop flights and in these circumstances will be fully laden with fuel. This adds to the weight and further compromises climb performance. When two aircraft of the same type are observed to have different climb rates this is usually because one is heading for a closer destination than the other, and is therefore carrying less fuel weight.
Atmospheric conditions can affect climb rates. For example, when it is hot and humid the air is less dense. This affects the “lift” of an aircraft and it will take longer to climb in these conditions.
Minimum altitude for level flight
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority have regulations for how low aircraft can fly. These regulations require pilots fly no lower than 1,000 feet (ft) over built-up areas, or 500 feet over any other areas, unless they are landing or taking off.
Aircraft may be able to fly below these heights in certain situations. More information is available on the CASA website.
