Many aircraft owners are concerned about noise inside the cabin, but the people you are flying over are more concerned about the noise outside your aircraft. The FAA has imposed Stage 3 noise limits on all aircraft weighing 75,000 pounds or less and operating in the lower 48 states, and aircraft must comply with those limits by the end of 2015. What are your options if your aircraft does not comply with the FAA’s limits?
Don’t panic — an older jet isn’t necessarily destined for the scrap heap. Operators are turning to noise-abatement procedures or hush kits to make their aircraft compliant with the FAA’s ruling.
Noise-abatement procedures are standard steps aircraft operators can take to reduce aircraft noise. They include actions such as raising or redirecting approach paths, climbing quickly upon takeoff, or reducing power near airports.
Hush kits produce a similar effect to modern high-bypass turbofan engines, which have a large fan mounted afore the jet engine’s core. The larger the fan, the more effective the bypass air is at containing the jet exhaust at the engine’s rear, thereby reducing noise.
There are a variety of hush kits available from manufacturers such as QTA, Hubbard Aviation Technologies, and MP Aero:
- The QTA Hush Kit offers a unique design that integrates its acoustic system with an aircraft’s existing thrust reverser system to provide advanced noise suppression without affecting the plane’s handling or range.
- The QS3 Hushkit system from Hubbard Aviation Technologies consists of three major components — an alternating-lobe exhaust nozzle, a fuselage-mounted acoustically lined ejector, and a cascade-style thrust reverser — that absorb noise without compromising engine performance.
- MP Aero provides customized hush kits. For one client, the aircraft component manufacturer developed a hush kit system that reduced reverse thrust noise in the cabin and outside the plane and reduced temperatures, stresses, and vibration loads on the engine.
Your older jet might be noisy, but the good news is you do have options for complying with FAA noise mandates that will keep your aircraft flying — quietly.
Contact L & L International if you need assistance in purchasing or selling a private jet. You can reach our sales specialists today at sales@L-Lint.com, call us any time at 877-453-8276 (+1.305.754.3313), or visit us online.