Flight Path Control of Helicopter Blade-Vortex-Interaction Noise in the Presence of Wind

The effect of steady “headwinds” and “tailwinds” on helicopter ground-noise exposure levels is analytically investigated using a Quasi-Static Acoustic Mapping (Q-SAM) method. The analysis combines a quasi-static point performance model of an AH-1 helicopter with dipole acoustic modeling of Blade-Vortex Interaction (BVI) noise radiation to develop ground noise exposure trends during landing approaches. Two distinct approach procedures have been formulated and their impact on ground noise exposure assessed. The pros and cons of these landing procedures are discussed in the context of reducing noise exposure, safety, and piloting procedures.