Centennial Airport Touch and Go Flight Tracks

The Touch and Go flight tracks and cross wind flight tracks map for Centennial Airport overlaid in Google Earth.

Here is what I found out while doing research when I was planning on buying a house in this area: The western most runway is the one that is used by most of the trainer aircraft. The “race-track” configuration shown above, I believe is what is used by trainee pilots to practice take-offs and landings. (DISCLAIMER: I am not a pilot and nor do I remotely claim I understand anything airborne – so do your own research and verify the above information for yourself)

The KMZ file below can be opened in Google Earth to get a better understanding of the flight tracks shown in the FAR Part 150 study and their relationship with the different areas around the airport. (Its what I used to create the screen shot above)

Also, the FAR Part 150 study page of the Centennial Airport has a ton of useful information that you can use to get a better feel for the noise associated with the area around the airport.

Centennial Airport Part 150 Noise Study

Disclaimer 2: Noise is a very subjective and relative issue – not everyone is similarly sensitive to noise – So again – do your own research – and figure it out for your-self.

Disclaimer 3: Because the image was overlaid manually – it is not perfect and some locations there might be a slight distortion of the exact area (eg: road or neighborhood is shifted a little to the north-west, etc).

[Update 09-05-2009] – Noise Level Map

Here is a noise level map that I got from the Part 150 study (page 4 from 09 CEN IssuesActions.pdf). This map is a lot more useful as it displays the noise levels based on abatement procedures as predicted for 2005 when the study was done. It attempts to predict what the noise levels will be. (Read the document to see what the abatement procedures were. Also check for yourself if the abatement procedures were implemented or not – as the noise contours could change based on that information).

The contours shown starting from the one closest to the run-ways are: 75DNL, 70DNL, 65DNL, 60DNL and 55DNL.

Download and view in Google Earth using the following link:

If there is another map overlay that you would like to see for this area – leave a comment with information about where I can get a copy of the map and I will try and create one and post it here. (Or create it your self – here is a video on how to do just that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9LcwbwQgzk)

[Update 02-08-2010]

I bought a house inside the 4th ring from the airport. After living in that area for about a month and a half here is what I can say about the noise level: the planes are noisy - some more so then others. But for the most part you just get used to it and you begin ignoring them. I lived in downtown Denver (Capitol Hill) and to compare the noise level, I must say that it is easier living here - as the airplane noise is not constant - as opposed to the constant noise of traffic and emergency vehicle sirens downtown. So it definitely is not too bad. But there are some propeller planes that are really NOISY. I wish there were a way to identity these and report them to the noise mitigation department at the airport. The jets are surprisingly quite - must be the newer technology and the speed with which they depart the airport's vicinity. Most propeller planes (seem to be students) arent noisy. So I think it is probably the real old ones or badly maintained ones that make the most noise.

Will continue updating as I continue living in this area.