Educational Forums
Held Monday, March 8, 2027
Noise 101
Designed as an accessible introduction to aviation noise, this educational forum takes participants through the science, regulations, aircraft operations, and analytical tools that shape how airport noise is understood and evaluated. Topics begin with the fundamentals of sound propagation, measurement, and noise metrics, then explore the evolution of aviation noise regulation and the roles of ANCA, Part 150, and 161. Participants will learn how aircraft performance and environmental conditions affect noise, how air traffic control and flight procedures influence aircraft operations, and how the FAA’s Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) is used to develop and interpret noise contours. The forum concludes by connecting these concepts to real-world aviation noise studies, including the different purposes and requirements of NEPA and Part 150, providing participants with a well-rounded foundation for understanding airport noise issues.
Supersonic 101
This forum provides a practical, plain-language orientation to supersonic aviation including topics related to past, current and future policy. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the relevant technical, operational, regulatory, and community lived experience concepts that shape supersonic aviation. Attendees will also hear audio examples of supersonic noise to connect these concepts with what people may hear on the ground.
General Sessions
Held Tuesday, March 9, 2027 and Wednesday, March 10, 2027
Keynote:
Dr. Mathias Basner, Perelman School of Medicine
Session Chair: Eric Lu
Denver Airport Land Use Planning - A Case Study in Collaboration
Session Chairs: Greg Maxwell, Mike McKee, and Alex Gertsen
The City and County of Denver, along with Adams County, have developed a new approach to land use planning that reflects a shared commitment to balancing airport growth with responsible community development. This session will explore recent changes to the airport-area land use framework, including how the updated policies provide greater flexibility while maintaining a focus on compatible development around one of the nation's busiest airports. Attendees will learn how both parties moved from a more prescriptive model toward a collaborative strategy that emphasizes coordination, transparency, and long-term planning. The discussion will highlight lessons learned, stakeholder engagement efforts, and how the new framework supports economic development while protecting the airport's ability to operate and grow into the future.
Supersonic Over Land: Promise, Proof, and Policy
Session Chairs: Tim Middleton, Jonathan Rathsam, and Darlene Yaplee
Executive Order 14304, Leading the World in Supersonic Flight, directs the FAA to replace the prohibition on civil supersonic flight over land with a noise-based regulatory framework. This lightning-talk session brings together stakeholder perspectives on what has been demonstrated, what the available evidence shows, and what remains to be addressed before routine commercial operations.
Advanced Air Mobility: Early Developments and Operational Experience
Session Chairs: Tony Cangey, Tara Finnigan, and Chris Nottoli
With initial Advanced Air Mobility projects underway, this session will examine recent developments, early experience, and future plans. The session will include activities under the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program and recent operational experience. The discussion will consider what these efforts are revealing about potential uses, infrastructure and airspace needs, and the practical challenges of implementation.
Community Focused Flight Procedure Development
Session Chairs: Justin Cook, Kyle Gorney, and Greg Maxwell
This session highlights a unique, community-first approach to developing aviation noise mitigation procedures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Washington Dulles Airport (IAD). Facing long-standing concerns about concentrated flight tracks over residential neighborhoods, communities in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties engaged Vianair to provide independent technical expertise and facilitate a collaborative solution-development process.
Rather than beginning with a predefined technical solution, the effort started by bringing community representatives directly into the procedure design process. Through a series of structured design workshops stakeholders worked together to establish clear objectives, identify operational constraints, and develop a shared Design Philosophy. The resulting framework prioritized equitable distribution of aircraft noise, increased overflight of compatible land uses, greater track variability and dispersion, and the preservation of safety and operational efficiency and has resulted in measurable changes in the noise environment for communities under the flight paths.
Opportunity to Action: A Framework for Evaluating Airport Noise-Reduction Actions
Session Chairs: Bert Ganoung, Kyle Gorney, and Darlene Yaplee
Potential noise-reduction actions vary in who controls them, the evidence supporting their effectiveness, and how they can be implemented. Using a SFO case study, this session will examine how an evaluation framework applied three practical questions: Who has control? Is the action likely to reduce noise? Who benefits? Speakers will show how the answers can help direct opportunities toward one of three paths: voluntary Fly Quiet Program, Noise Abatement Procedures or Airport Rules and Regulations, and future work plan items requiring additional evaluation or development. The discussion will explore what the SFO case study reveals about the opportunities and challenges of translating potential noise reductions into practical actions.
Airport Stories - News from the Forefront
Session Chairs: Gabe Andino, Justin Cook, Greg Maxwell, and Tim Middleton
Airport noise management programs are facing increasing expectations from communities, elected officials, regulators, and airport operators alike. As aviation activity grows and public engagement evolves, airports are exploring new ways to address noise concerns, improve transparency, and build stronger relationships with the communities they serve.
This interactive panel will bring together airport noise program leaders from across the country to discuss current best practices, innovative strategies, and emerging ideas for community engagement and noise management. Topics will include the use of noise monitoring and flight tracking technologies, performance-based metrics, community advisory committees, data transparency initiatives, targeted outreach programs, and collaborative approaches to noise mitigation planning.
Layover Sessions:
Layover sessions will be short, focused talks highlighting new developments shaping the aviation environment. Topics include FAA Community Engagement for AAM, and Electric Hybrid Aircraft for Flight Training, offering timely perspectives on aviation noise and emissions.