Air Carrier Cargo (Freighter) Approaches
Log for June 8 - June 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: 50 100% 7.14 11
ILS approaches over EDH: 32 64% 4.57 6
ILS over EDH in early a.m.: 15 30% 2.14 3

Date Time Flight Approach IAF
Altitude
EDH
Ridge
Altitude
EDH
Noise
Potential
Notes
June 8
Sunday
18:45:19 ABX1755 converging on ILS
7,254 3,596 low Unusual approach from the east, converging gradually on US 50 from the south side. Crossed US 50 at EDH Blvd, joined ILS approach over Folsom at Broadstone & East Bidwell. IAF and EDH Ridge altitudes listed here refer to points roughly equivalent to the ILS approach locations in terms of distance from Runway 22L. Ground level at this point of crossing the ridge probably is between 800 and 900 feet msl.
June 9
Monday
18:00:04ABX406converging on ILS10,1287,441very lowArrived from a point crossing Lake Tahoe about haflway between the two usual routes via Squaw Valley and via South Lake Tahoe. Converged slowly on ILS before maneuvering between EDH's east and west ridges to join the locator course.
About 3,500 feet above glide slope at both key points:  Passing just south of IAF and crossing EDH west ridge. Flew about a 6-degree descent from county line until reaching glide slope south of east end of Gold River.
19:55:46UPS2984converging on ILS6,0933,714lowArrived from northeast, north of the ILS course. Passed directly over my home, sound level from inside the house was insufficient for me to notice it. Crossed the north end of the EDH west ridge at the northwest corner of The Promontory, barely southeast of the intersection of Green Valley Rd and Sophia Parkway. Reached ILS localizer course after crossing US 50 at Prairie City Rd.
20:11:23ABX1802north----none
June 10
Tuesday
03:40:17ABX1927south----none
03:42:37UPS954south----none
04:38:27UPS956ILS6,5223,750lowInitial descent reached IAF altitude slightly early: Descent was arrested near Garden Valley, flew level at 6,500 feet until capturing the glide slope at the IAF. Approach was on glide slope from IAF to landing.
05:20:22UPS958ILS6,4993,852lowArrived from the east, turned onto localizer course at IAF.
06:22:53ABX806ILS6,3783,796low
16:49:04UPS2960ILS6,1883,632low
17:02:39UPS2958Short ILS5,8833,425lowArrived from east/southeast, well south of US 50. Barely crossed north of 50 in Folsom while turning onto final approach between East Bidwell and Prairie City. Western crossing point in EDH is Four Seasons instead of the western ridge.
17:50:56UPS2836ILS4,7873,031low to moderateAbout 1,500 feet below glide slope at IAF, near 900 feet low at EDH western ridge.
18:04:12ABX406ILS6,5423,796low
18:53:05ABX1755ILS6,2473,747lowArrived parallel to ILS locator course but offset about 1 mile south. Turned to converge with ILS course, joined it at Green Valley Road.
19:58:53ABX1802north----none
June 11
Wednesday
03:45:45UPS954south----noneDescended early, leveled at 1,800 feet msl, ~ 1,650 feet agl, just north of  Jackson Highway. This may have been a high noise event directly under the aircraft's track while it was level at 1,800, but still no noise in EDH because the approach was entirely over rural Sacramento County, south of US 50 and a few miles west of the county line..
03:48:14ABX1927south----noneIn contrast to the preceding approach, this one was descending through about 5,200 feet where the UPS954 arrival reached 1,800.
04:42:13UPS956ILS6,4763,835low
05:42:32UPS958ILS6,4143,898low
06:14:06ABX806ILS6,4573 ,825low
16:46:42UPS2960ILS5,9483,740low
17:12:39UPS2958east
south of EDH
----noneArrived over Amador County, turned about 15 to 20 degrees to north to cut across southwest corner of El Dorado County before joining ILS course south of Gold River.
17:25:33UPS2836ILS6,2963,816lowArrived from northeas slightly south of ILS locator course, converged and joined final approach course south of Lake Natoma, about 2 miles south of US 50.
17:56:45ABX406ILS6,3853,648low
18:26:29ABX1755ILS8,1993,976low~ 1,700 feet above glide slope at IAF. Used slightly higher descent rate than usual to capture glide slope approximately when crossing from EDH to Folsom.
19:59:39ABX1802north----noneArrival from north crossed Citrus Heights and Fair Oaks, crossed US 50 near Sunrise.
June 12
Thursday
03:56:09ABX1927south----none
04:15:36UPS956ILS6,1223,737low
04:19:54UPS954ILS
from south
6,3453,727lowUnusual initial approach for this flight, normally it does not overfly EDH. This time ATC turned it directly toward Placerville for sequencing behind UPS956. It looped around Shingle Springs and Rescue before joining the ILS localizer course over Green Valley Road (LDORR).
05:26:56UPS958ILS6,4903,737low
06:29:51ABX806ILS7,1193,976low
16:33:37UPS2960ILS5,2953,707lowArrived at IAF ~ 2,200 feet low (~ 2,000 feet above local ground level). Flew level until intercepting the glide slope just before reaching Green Valley Road. On the glide slope when crossing EDH and Folsom.
17:29:45UPS2798southeast----noneWebTrak shows this as UPS2798, a separate spreadsheet shows it as UPS2978.
17:40:49UPS2958east----none
17:52:20ABX406converging on ILS9,2785,433very lowArrived from east, overflew Diamond Springs, passed just north of Cameron Park Airport. Joined ILS localizer course approximately over EDH west ridge. ~ 3,000 feet above glide slope at closest point to IAF, ~ 1,600 feet above glide slope at EDH west ridge.
18:18:51ABX1755ILS5,9843,665low~  500 feet low at IAF, ~ 250 feet low at EDH western ridge
20:10:07ABX1802north----none
June 13
Friday
03:28:31ABX1927south----noneArrived low, arrested descent at about 2,300 ft over southeast cornecr of Sacramento County.  Used extremely shallow descent until intercepting the glide slope at the Final Approach Fix (GADBE, at 1,800 ft, msl)
04:09:13UPS954south----none
04:43:14UPS956ILS6,3553,724low
05:28:56UPS958ILS6,5493,698low
06:06:34ABX806ILS5,5743,117low to moderate~ 900 feet low at IAF, continued approach at normal descent rate until passing EDH western ridge ~ 800 feet low. Leveled out at that point until nearing the glide slope around western edge of the Empire Ranch area.
17:49:44UPS2958east----noneDescent rate was slightly too low on approach, had to go around due to being too high on short final. Extended goaround pattern to resequence behind ABX406.
17:54:20ABX406ILS6,3813,701low
20:07:38UPS897ILS6,2113,796low
20:10:59ABX1802north----none
June 14
Saturday
04:10:12ABX1927south----none
04:20:01UPS954south----none
06:18:05ABX806ILS6,6043,917low
06:23:07UPS958ILS6,8243,904low

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).

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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