I live relatively close to three major airports (BWI, Dulles, and Reagan National) and since 9/11 I’ve noticed that planes flying overhead seem to be flying at a lower altitude than before. Is there a reason for this, or is it just my imagination? And would this have anything to do with the “scattershot” approach now required for planes to follow when flying into National?
You must live relatively close to me, then. I live in Tysons Corner and it seems like I hear a lot more planes than I used to–which could be explained by lower altitudes. I dunno either, though.
I lived in Chicago and I’ve noticed the same thing. When I’m down at the local airport this weekend I’ll ask. Maybe I’ll get lucky and one of the airline guys will be hanging around so I can ask them.
I believe they have modified the arrival procedures due to the terrorist attacks. Could very well have resulted in different routes and altitudes.
Yeah but if they did then why have the planes fly at a lower altitude? The changed routes I can understand.
Could be you are noticing the aircraft more now than you use to, given recent events. Could also be that the new routes provide a more direct path from where you are to the destination airport which would result in lower altitudes close to you.
How close are you to these airports?
ie, are they actually cruising (30,000’+) or are they on approach or departure?
I have thought about whether or not I am noticing them more and I don’t think so. I’m the sort of person who always wonders about mundane things (how the hell does something as complex as the human body evolve, and then how does the brain retrain itself to manage such incredibly complex things as make the hands type words without even having to use eyes to figure out the details? as an example). So I’ve always been fascinated with planes (how in God’s good name do they fly and how the hell did someone figure out heavier than air flight, much less jet propulsion?) and look at them flying overhead often so I am almost positive that the planes are flying lower than before. Also BWI (the closest airport, less than ten miles away) is north of me, and National is south, but most of the low flying planes are routinely flying east or west. Now they could be flying in and out of Dulles (to my west) but that’s forty plus miles away. I really think that they are flying lower. But, I could be wrong.
Airplanes on approach/departure to/from Chicago Midway typically pass over my home airport at around 10,000 feet. Except recently I’ve seen them at 5,000 feet - that altitude confirmed by the altimeter in the airplane I am flying. We’ve seen some ever lower than that. Yes, something has changed, but why I don’t know.
Although I recall that fighterjets are now flying cover over large cities like Chicago and DC and so forth, at about 20,000 feet. It could be the commercial traffic is lower to accomodate the military traffic
Outside of DCA (Washington National) none of the published SIDs (Standard Instrument Departures) or STARs (Standard Terminal Arrival Route) to the major airports have been changed since 9/11. DCA has had some minor variations, most notably the elimination of the river visual approach. The river visual, which was a favorite of pilots, did a lot for eliminating noise, but since the aircraft were pointed directly at the White House for a time, the secret service really wanted to nix that one. So if you’re noticing more noise in the DC area, that’s probably why.
As far as lower altitudes are concerned I can assure you it isn’t a matter of general practice. Once the patterns are set up, especially into crowded airspace like Chicago, it isn’t an easy matter to just muck them all up. The military traffic is limited and doesn’t take up that much airspace, so that really isn’t a factor. There may have been isolated tactical issues, where approach control or the tower is doing something specific to avoid a traffic conflict, but I think the majority of what you are seeing can be attributed to a heightened awareness on your part.
-YFNAE
(Your friendly neighborhodd airline employee)
D’oh, make that neighborhood.
Well… maybe so… except altering the Chicago air routes after 9/11 wouldn’t be as difficult as usual, given that when they started back up there was no one in the air and traffic is still not back to what it was on 9/10.
And now we have to avoid all those nuclear plants now - I couldn’t five of 'em in the Chicago area when looking over the NOTAMs. That could alter traffic a bit.
Anyhow, it’s NOT just “heightened awareness”. I’ll grant you that a lot of people are noticing airplanes more, but in my case I’ve been noticing them all along. When I’m up in my (figuratively speaking) backyard flying I do have to watch out for these guys, not wanting to bugsplat the Cessna on a 747 windshield. Been doing this since 1995 and I tell you that, yes, traffic patterns have changed. Probably not as much as the ground-pounders think, but there are some differences and it has been commented upon by other local pilots.
I don’t have any concrete info to share - just another datum. Having lived for many years in the approach to Houston’s Hobby Airport I can offer that they are definitely coming in lower now.