Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise (FICAN)
About FICAN
Background
In 1992, the Federal Interagency Committee on Noise (FICON) published its findings in a report entitled Federal Agency Review of Selected Airport Noise Analysis Issues (FICON, 1992). FICON recommended that “a standing federal interagency committee should be established to assist agencies in providing adequate forums for discussion of public and private sector proposals, identifying needed research, and in encouraging the conduct of research and development in these areas”. The Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise (FICAN) was formed in 1993 to fulfill this recommendation. The FAA hosts this FICAN website but is not the lead agency. FICAN has rotating chairs and is currently chaired by the U.S. DOT.
FICAN Member Agencies
Each of the federal agencies conducting significant research on aviation noise is represented on FICAN. In addition, other agencies that are not currently conducting research but have broad policy roles with respect to aviation noise issues (such as HUD and EPA) are represented on the committee. The FICAN membership list is presented below. Participating member agencies have signed a Letter of Understanding, which defines the purpose, scope, membership, process, and products of FICAN.
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Department of Defense: U.S. Air Force U.S. Army U.S. Navy |
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Department of Interior: National Park Service |
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Department of Transportation: Office of the Secretary of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration |
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
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Department of Housing and Urban Development |
Aviation Noise Issues & Findings
Effects of Noise on People
Noise affects people in a number of ways, which can be broken down into two general categories: auditory effects (hearing loss) and non-auditory effects (activity interference and physiological effects). Research has been conducted in the following specific areas:
- Hearing loss
- Physiological effects
- Annoyance
- Speech Interference
- Sleep Interference and Awakenings
- Effects on Learning
- Impacts to visitors of public lands
Aircraft Noise Modeling Tools
Federal agencies have developed a number of prediction models to evaluate aircraft noise, including:
- The Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) was developed by the FAA. AEDT provides a common, transparent, integrated capability for computing and identifying interrelationships between noise and emissions and among various emissions at the aircraft, local, regional, and global levels.
- NOISEMAP is the primary noise model used by the Department of Defense to predict cumulative noise around airports.
- The Noise Model Simulation (NMSim) is a noise simulation model that evolved from a NATO-CCMS study on the effects of topography on sound propagation around airfields. It was developed by the USAF and NASA for use in simulating noise for single events.
Land Use Compatibility
Federal agencies have developed land use compatibility guidelines and recommendations for land use planning around airports and sound insulation.
- Land Use Compatibility and Airports
- Guidelines for Sound Insulation of Residences Exposed to Aircraft Operations
Other Research Groups
FICAN coordinates with a number of other federal groups pursuing aviation noise research, including:
- Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)
- The Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) Center of Excellence for Aircraft Noise and Aviations Emissions Mitigation
- Transportation Research Board (TRB) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)
- Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on Aviation and the Environment (AV030)
- Transportation Research Board (TRB) Transportation Noise Committee (ADC40)
FICAN has published the following findings and reports, listed below (selected reports are available for downloading):
Findings
- FICAN Recommendation for use of ANSI Standard to Predict Awakenings from Aircraft Noise (2008)
- Findings of the FICAN Pilot Study on the Relationship between Aircraft Noise Reduction and Changes in Standardized Test Scores (2007)
- FICAN on the Findings of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Low-Frequency Noise (LFN) Expert Panel (2002)
- Effects of Aircraft Noise on Classroom Learning (2000)
- Research on Natural Quiet (2000)
- Effects of Aviation Noise on Awakenings from Sleep (1997)
FICAN Reports
- FICAN Research Review of Selected Aviation Noise Issues (2018)
- FICAN Report on Assessment of Tools for Modeling Aircraft Noise in the National Parks, Fleming et al., March 2005
- FICAN Report on Relationship between Aircraft Noise Reduction in Schools and Standardized Test Scores (presentation)(handout), Eagan et al., March 2004
Other Reports
- Human Response to Low-Intensity Sonic Booms Heard Indoors and Outdoors. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, April 2010
- FICON, Federal Agency Review of Selected Airport Noise Analysis Issues. Federal Interagency Committee on Noise, August 1992
- Information on Levels of Environmental Noise Requisite to Protect Public Health and Welfare with an Adequate Margin of Safety, US Environmental Protection Agency, 1974