Enclosure to Cut Down on Oakland County International Airport Noise

December 26, 2003

Enclosure to Cut Down on Airport Noise
Oakland County Press, MI

WATERFORD TWP. - It wasn't just the 277,616 landings and takeoffs at Oakland 
County International Airport in 2002 that made it a noisy place. 
The many corporate jets based at Michigan's second busiest airport also have to 
be repaired and then tested at full power.
Construction is expected to be completed at the Waterford Township airport in 
the spring on what county officials believe is the first ground run-up 
enclosure to be constructed at a general aviation airport in the United States.
"This facility is one of the big-ticket items that came out (of) the airport 
noise study that was conducted here several years ago," said David Vanderveen, 
director of central services of Oakland County, who oversees operation of the 
county-owned airport.
The $3.5 million facility will be used for testing jet engines, which must be 
operated at full power after routine maintenance or repairs. 
It will be similar to facilities already operating at passenger airports in 
Chicago; Milwaukee; Tampa, Fla.; San Antonio; Oakland, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; 
and at other airports in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Ninety percent of the project's cost is being covered by Federal Aviation 
Administration grants and the remainder by airport revenue.
"We (are) hoping that this facility will reduce the noise at the airport caused 
by testing engines by up to 70 to 75 percent," Vanderveen said. "It will be 
large enough to accommodate any jet aircraft, up to and including a Boeing 727."
The noise problem caused by engine testing was described by Mark Bow, vice 
president of engineering for Reno, Nev.-based Blast Deflectors Inc., which is 
constructing the ground run-up enclosure for the county.
"After certain maintenance on engines and fuel systems, it is required that jet 
engines be run at high power on the ground as a test," Bow said. "It is just 
like a takeoff, but it can last 10 to 15 minutes."
These tests now occur outside on a runway or taxiway but will be conducted 
inside the ground run-up enclosure in the future.
Constructed of steel, the three-sided structure - which is lined with 
acoustical absorbent panels - will muffle the noise from such engine tests.
The ground run-up enclosure was among $26.6 million in airport improvements 
that were recommended as a result of an 18-month airport noise study completed 
in 1998.
Airport officials expect to receive the first federal funding that will allow 
them to begin insulating 700 homes near Oakland County International against 
noise in 2004. 
"We figure that process could take as long as eight years," Vanderveen said. 
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