One of the main noise abatement procedures that the OAK Noise Management Program focuses on is encouraging all corporate pilots to depart from Runway 30. But why? Why, when a runway sits right outside the corporate hangars, do pilots need to taxi over to Runway 30?
Departing the North Field (Runways 28R/L and 33) puts aircraft directly over the Alameda community just as they are at full throttle during takeoff — the noisiest portion of their flight. With regular jet traffic departing overhead, the neighborhood would have noise impacts that are both disruptive in volume and nearly constant in regularity.
Fortunately, most corporate pilots departing OAK understand the issue and courteously use Runway 30 to depart the airport — a flight path that greatly reduces the impact to the airport’s neighbors.
The airport cannot mandate that corporate jets use Runway 30 for departures but working in tandem with our corporate pilots and their clients, we have made significant progress being a good neighbor to the nearby Alameda community.
Nighttime aircraft departures from the North Field can be particularly disruptive as the lower ambient noise at night makes the aircraft noise even more distinct.
We’ve been on a multi-year campaign to convince pilots to use Runway 30 for all departures. The effort is working thanks to pilots who understand that this short taxi makes a huge difference for our neighbors.
But if you have any doubts about why Runway 30 is the courteous approach, we’re here to answer any more questions you have.