Air Carrier Cargo (Freighter) Approaches
Log for May 8 - May 14, 2008


Summary of all air carrier cargo approach activity for this week
Type Count % of Total Average approaches per day Typical approaches on an active day
All approaches: 51 100% 7.29 11
ILS approaches over EDH: 32 63% 4.57 6
ILS over EDH in early a.m.: 13 25% 1.86 3

Date Time Flight Approach IAF
Altitude		 EDH
Ridge
Altitude		 EDH
Noise
Potential		 Notes
May 8
Thursday 		03:54:41 ABX1927 south -- -- none ("south" and "north" approaches do not overfly EDH or Folsom)
03:59:14 UPS956 ILS 6,453 3,799 low
04:01:10
 UPS954 south -- -- none
05:10:20
 UPS958 ILS 6,486 4,216 low
06:14:03ABX806ILS6,2703,816low
16:11:58
 UPS2960 ILS 5,588 3,123 low The freighter arrested its descent rate inbound to the IAF, nearly leveling, to assure clearance from conflicting traffic by means of altitude separation. A VFR General Aviation aircraft heading south/southeast had a track that crossed the ILS near the IAF in both position over the ground and in altitude. After horizontal clearance was assured the freighter Increased its descent rate. Descent rate was consistent with operation at flight idle, as well as deploying spoilers in about the first half minute of the steeper descent. The freighter crossed the IAF about 900 feet below the glide slope and continued at the descent rate of a normal approach for a 3-degree glideslope.  It throttled up as it reached the west ridge of EDH, about 800 feet below the glide slope. It flew level over Folsom until intercepting the glide slope when crossing to the south side of US 50.

Noise exposure would have been low across all of El Dorado Hills until UPS2960  throttled up at the west ridge. Noise exposure probably was either moderate or low to moderate at the ridge and over Folsom. A point of comparison is past B-52 overflights at 2,000 feet agl, which were louder than modern air carrier cargo aircraft in the same circumstances.
Moderate
17:09:35
 UPS2958 ILS 5,912 3,770 low
18:00:24
 ABX406 ILS 5,994 3,740 low
18:40:09
 ABX1755 ILS 6,801 4,364 low ABX1755 deviated about 2 miles south of the ILS approach to clear a VFR flight, a  northwest-bound General Avialion Aircraft. Without the deviation both would have passed through the area of the IAF at approximately the same time, same location over the ground, and the same altitude.

ABX1755 turned off the ILS while passing south of Coloma and immediately arrested its descent, staying approximately level while still high (over 7,000 feet).The freighter approach passed directly over the Cameron Park Airport and resumed its descent at that point. It rejoined the ILS localizer course over the west ridge of El Dorado Hills, passing the ridge about 450 feet above the glide slope.
19:38:34
 UPS2984 north
to ILS		 5,988
 4,157 low Arrival from north joined the ILS localizer course over Folsom after overflying the northwestern portion of El Dorado Hills. (Altitude cited in this table entry for the IAF is the altitude for an approximately equivalent location near the northeast arm of Folsom Lake.)
19:53:42
 ABX1802 north -- -- none Unusual approach from the north: Flow south over west part of Folsom Lake, continued south over western Folsom, turned onto final approach after crossing to south side of US 50. Altitude range over City of Folsom was from ~ 5,200 feet at south shore of lake to 3,200 feet passing US 50.
May 9
Friday		03:51:43ABX1927south----none
04:43:29UPS954south----none
04:47:33UPS956ILS6,0733,862low
05:27:52UPS958ILS6,1484,331low
06:29:22ABX806ILS4,5243,510low to moderate
Nearly 2,000 feet low at IAF. Shallowed descent at Green Valley Road, throttled up for level flight at ~ 3,500 feet MSL over EDHCSD (nearly at EDH Blvd.). Stayed level until intercepting the glide slope over the Empire Ranch area of Folsom.

Noise under the flight path in most of EDH would have been low to moderate. Noise could have reached the "moderate" level over the EDH west ridge. This would be similar to past B-52H overflights, except that the freighters are quieter than the B-52s.
moderate
18:03:20ABX406ILS5,3944,747low to moderate~ 1,000 feet low at IAF. Shallowed descent when passing north of Bass Lake Golf Course. Went level at ~ 4,900 feet MSL over Serrano. Overshot point to recapture glide slope, throttled back over EDH west ridge while passing the ridge ~ 900 feet higher than usual. Recaptured glide slope just after passing US 50, would have been at flight idle over Folsom.
18:03:43UPS9206south----none
19:56:15UPS2958ILS6,0404,144low
20:05:50ABX1802north----none
May 10
Saturday 		04:09:13
 UPS954
 south
 --
 --
 none
04:20:41
 ABX1927
 south -- -- none
06:27:31
 UPS958
 ILS 6,562 3,927 low
06:44:25
 ABX806 ILS 6,588 3,776 low
May 11
Sunday 		18:25:48
 ABX1755
 ILS
 6,047
 3,786
 low
May 12
Monday 		18:03:52
 ABX406 ILS 6,834 3,806 low
19:29:26
 UPS2984 ILS 6,627 3,793 low
20:00:35
 ABX1802 north -- -- none
May 13
Tuesday 		03:46:49
 UPS956
 ILS 5,981 3,839 low
03:48:06
 ABX1907
 south -- -- none
04:26:09
 UPS954 south -- -- none
04:54:51 UPS958
 R4 east
 -- -- none Approach to runway 4R for arrival from east.  End of enroute course and downwind leg were entirely south of US 50, turned base over Elk Grove.
05:58:03ABX806ILS6,5033,898low
16:12:30UPS2960ILS5,0263,793low to moderate~ 1,500 feet below glide slope at IAF. Used shallowed glide until intercepting the ILS glide slope over the west ridge of EDH.
16:41:14UPS2958east----noneArrival from east flew south of US 50. WebTrak data has gaps, does not show all of approach, but enough is present to extrapolate that the flight would have turned onto final approach approximately at US 50 and East Bidwell.
17:55:17ABX406ILS7,1624,984low~ 650 feet above glideslope at IAF, 1,100 above at EDH west ridge
18:19:54ABX1755ILS6,1913,527low
19:41:37UPS2984ILS6,5294,068low
19:56:31ABX1802north----none
May 14
Wednesday 		03:30:15
 ABX1927
 south
 -- -- none
03:44:24UPS956ILS5,8733,750low~650 feet below glide slope at IAF, ~ 150 below at EDH west ridge
03:50:33UPS954south----noneLower than usual over southern part of Sacramento County, level at 3,000 ft.
05:17:01UPS958ILS6,0894,390low
05:55:54ABX806ILS7,9565,981low~ 1,500 feet above glide slope at IAF, ~ 2,000 feet above at EDH west ridge. Probably at flight idle until at most 2 miles from runway, descent rates suggest heavy use of spoilers after crossing US 50 in Folsom.
08:07:42ABX16southwest----none
15:49:04UPS2960ILS*5,5843,720low*Enroute arrival was south of ILS approach course, north of US 50. The approach bypassed the IAF and the first ~12 statute miles of the ILS approach, joined it when crossing US 50 over Folsom. EDH ridge crossing was at south end, just north of US 50.
17:00:51UPS2958ILS5,7914,505low
17:51:32ABX406ILS7,9634,301low~ 1,400 feet above glide slope at IAF, ~ 400 feet above at EDH ridge crossing. Image shows what looks like a WebTrak software glitch, with 2 images for same aircraft. It looks like they represent the same flight path but sampled it at slightly different times.
18:41:44ABX1755ILS6,1063,684low
19:40:55UPS2984ILS5,7783,980low to moderate~ 700 feet below glide slope at IAF. Arrested descent, flew level at 4,000 feet over EDH until capturing ILS glide slope directly over EDH western ridge.
20:14:46ABX1802north----none

For each approach a captured image of the overall approach track is linked to contents of the Approach column. For approaches over EDH a captured image of the approach track at the point of maximum noise exposure is linked to values in the Crossing Altitude column. In almost all cases this is the point of crossing the western ridge of El Dorado Hills, whose at a point whose elevation is approximately 1,100 feet. Crossing altitudes are MSL (relative to mean sea level), as reported in the WebTrak traces of flight paths. The approach of greatest interest for EDH noise issues is the ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach. For ILS approaches the flight track image linked to the Approach column shows the aircraft at the IAF (Initial Approach Fix).

In this specific table crossing altitudes at the Initial Approach Fix (CAMRR) are reported lower than their actual values. This was identified only after the data sample and corresponding WebTrak images had been captured.

This is the first comprehensive sample captured after the WebTrak application changed to new map background imagery. This writer incorrectly identified the IAF location to be about 2 to 3 miles closer to Mather than its actual location. Consequently the potential for noise over El Dorado Hills is overstated for a few approaches.

Color code for highlighting in the log table:          Early morning approach
(between 3:30 a.m. and about 6 a.m.)
        Noise potential for EDH at ridge was "none":
This approach did not overfly EDH.
Noise potential for EDH at ridge was "low":
Estimated Lmax around 70 dB or less, usually 65 to 70
          Noise potential for EDH at ridge was "low to moderate":
Estimated Lmax around 75 dB plus or minus 5 dB
        Noise potential for EDH at ridge was "moderate":
Estimated Lmax around 80 dB plus or minus 5 dB
        Noise potential for EDH at ridge was "high":
Estimated Lmax around 85 dB or more

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