Naples Airport might be a little noisier Friday, May 2, as new arrival flight procedures are tested. The flights will begin at 6 a.m. “to avoid conflicts with regular air traffic.”
The flight tests were announced the day before — May 1 — by the Naples Airport Authority (NAA), which manages the public airport in the heart of Naples. The tests, by Hughes Aerospace are expected to last about 90 minutes and involve multiple take-offs and landings at low altitudes from all runways, according to a press release.
Hughes is conducting the flight tests as part of its development of new arrival flight procedures. The Texas-based company also is working to develop new departure procedures to help reduce noise at the airport, but those aren’t ready yet. Hughes Aerospace is an FAA-approved air navigation services provider that designs, maintains, and validates instrument flight procedures.
What are the new procedures?
Under the revised procedures, some arriving aircraft will be almost 1,000 feet higher before beginning their final descent. Approaches from the southwest over downtown Naples are expected to be 100 feet higher as they cross the shoreline near 17th Avenue South. “This adjustment is expected to provide relief to residents living in the downtown area,” NAA said in the press release…