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User is subject to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's: |
DCA WebTrak allows users to view flight activity and noise levels in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region:
- Data Availabiltiy: Flight track and noise data are available as ‘Current’ or ‘Historical’. Current data is delayed approximately 1 hour due to system processing and security protocol requirements. Historical data may be viewed in the replay mode.
- Flight Track Data:
- Colors: Red (departures), Blue (arrivals), Green (aircraft not operating at DCA)
- Info Tags: Aircraft type, Flight ID, Origin/Dest, Speed, Altitude (departures/arrivals referenced to DCA elevation)
- Noise Data:
- Displayed Levels: Noise levels are updated every second and shown as an A-weighted decibel level (dBA), which models sound pressure changes as perceived by the human ear. Displayed noise levels indicate all aircraft and community noise contributions including aircraft, vehicles, lawnmowers etc.
- Icon Shape & Color: 'Current' levels are shown as a circle. 'Historical' levels correlated to an aircraft noise event are shown as a square. Icon colors provide a visual illustration of changing noise levels. Noise monitor locations with connectivity issues are denoted as grey circles.
WebTrack Quick Start Guide:
Tabs help users access flight track and noise data, as well as submit a Complaint.
Start Here: Aircraft, Map, Controls, Flight Tags and Flight Information Panel
Investigate: About, Where, When, What, How, Complaint Form
Legend: Aircraft Icons, Aircraft Colors, Noise Icon Colors
Help: About, Map, Flights, Noise, Other (Complaint Form, Point of Closest Approach)
Flights: Current or Historical
Display: Smoother Aircraft Movement, Info Tags, Noise Monitors, Message, Weather
Prefs: Text Size (Normal or Large)
Data Sources and Dependability:
| Noise: | Displayed Noise Levels: Noise levels at monitor locations are updated every second and shown as an A-weighted decibel level (dBA). It is the standard metric used for assessing noise exposure. It adjusts (weights) frequency ranges to model the response perceived by the human ear. Displayed noise levels indicate all aircraft and community noise contributions including aircraft overflights, vehicles, lawnmowers etc. Noise monitors with connectivity issues are denoted as grey circles. |
| Calculated Noise Events: The Airports Authority is the first airport system in the United States to implement a technologically advanced methodology, via Bruel & Kjaer's ANOMS software, to detect noise events by adjusting threshold parameters to capture aircraft and community noise events. The advanced methodology does not rely on a set threshold to trigger a noise event and will compensate for lower background levels experienced during the nighttime hours and in suburban neighborhoods. Although, the overall noise energy experienced at the noise monitor does not change, the advanced methodology allows the Airports Authority to better identify aircraft and community noise contributions at those monitor locations. | |
| Flight: | Flight track identification and position data is commercially purchased and processed as part of the Airports Authority’s new Noise and Flight Track Monitoring System (ANOMS and DCA WebTrak*). DCA departures and arrivals are displayed relative to airport elevation which may be different than an observer’s actual location. |
| Disclaimer: | ALL flight track and noise information provided on this site is intended for general use as a public resource tool. Flight track information is intended to display the general location of air traffic in the metropolitan Washington region and should not be used for navigational purposes or airline schedule information. Data anomalies will occur due to the occasional loss of commercial resources, geographic radar reflections, weather conditions etc. |
DCA WebTrak* Visit Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Public Portal.