Noise certificate Europe / Germany

[Wahlhamburger]

Is there anyone with a RV 9(A) with O320 and Hartzell constant speed prop who has received a noise certificate ?

Background: while some European countries seem to require a noise certificate to operate, many German airports simply charge a higher landing fee if you don’t have a noise certificate.

 

[MacCool]

I don't know about Europe, but now I'm curious to know if there are states in the US that have noise policies regarding individual airplanes. I've never heard of such an issue in this country.

 

[jrs14855]

I don't know about Europe, but now I'm curious to know if there are states in the US that have noise policies regarding individual airplanes. I've never heard of such an issue in this country.

In the US it is required for type certificated airplanes for initial certification. Older models that may be similar are "grandfathered in". In the case of the Pitts aircraft the noise issue was complied with by reducing the maximum r/m on the C/S prop.
Extra has complied with noise regs for decades. Smaller diameter four blade props and perhaps reduced r/m.
So sad. I love the sound of a Pitts with a fixed pitch prop turning 3600 r/m.

 

[MacCool]

Interesting. Not something that affects individual pilots or airplane owners in this country, I gather. No certificates or other paperwork US pilots might someday need to present?

 

[JoopSJ]

Yes, many European countries require noise certification for the issue of a CoFA. Some of those also require a noise certificate for visiting aircrafts.

According ICAO regulation, aerobatic aircrafts (RV7, RV8..) does not require a noise cert so those arr exempted and will receive a no-noise-certificate-required certificate

This is all requlated by ICAO Annex 16.
Since EAB aircraft fall under national regulatuons , it is up to the States (countries) to require compliance with those ICAO rules.

GB for example has chosen not to implement ICAO annex 16 for their AEB aircrafts. So you need no cert there.

 

[penguin]

And it is very difficult to get a noise certificate in the UK for a homebuilt. There is no standard to meet so no one is prepared to issue a certificate. Some UK owners have arranged a noise test in Switzerland (I think) but for most the additional landing fee is the easiest solution for the occasional landing in Germany.

 

[Wahlhamburger]

Yes, many European countries require noise certification for the issue of a CoFA. Some of those also require a noise certificate for visiting aircrafts.

According ICAO regulation, aerobatic aircrafts (RV7, RV8..) does not require a noise cert so those arr exempted and will receive a no-noise-certificate-required certificate

This is all requlated by ICAO Annex 16.
Since EAB aircraft fall under national regulatuons , it is up to the States (countries) to require compliance with those ICAO rules.

GB for example has chosen not to implement ICAO annex 16 for their AEB aircrafts. So you need no cert there.

Didn’t know about the aerobatic… doesn’t help me with my RV9

 

[Wahlhamburger]

And it is very difficult to get a noise certificate in the UK for a homebuilt. There is no standard to meet so no one is prepared to issue a certificate. Some UK owners have arranged a noise test in Switzerland (I think) but for most the additional landing fee is the easiest solution for the occasional landing in Germany.

And it is very difficult to get a noise certificate in the UK for a homebuilt. There is no standard to meet so no one is prepared to issue a certificate. Some UK owners have arranged a noise test in Switzerland (I think) but for most the additional landing fee is the easiest solution for the occasional landing in Germany.

If it’s hard to get a noise certificate in the UK then it can’t be easy in Germany, I guess. But keen to get more info about other EU countries.

 

[JoopSJ]

And it is very difficult to get a noise certificate in the UK for a homebuilt. There is no standard to meet so no one is prepared to issue a certificate. Some UK owners have arranged a noise test in Switzerland (I think) but for most the additional landing fee is the easiest solution for the occasional landing in Germany.

The standard to meet is well defined in ICAO Annex 16 chapter 6 and 10. It tells you how much noise the aircraft is allowed to make and how to measure it.

I am the chairman of the Dutch Noise Measurement team and we we have been talking to a group of RV owners in the UK to perform the noise measurement for them. The problem is/was that our team can perform the noise measurement and provide a noise report. Basically this is a document stating the amount of noise your aircraft makes in dB(A). But we can not issue a noise *certificate* as those can only be provided by the Authority that issued the CofA. LAA is not prepared to issue the certificate because it is not required. Besides that, there a more legal requirements, like LAA authorizing the Dutch team to perform the measurements or officially recognizing their reports.

So, if your state of registration does not require a noise certificate, doing a noise test elsewhere does not always solve the problem.
My recommendation to the UK RV pilots for an easy solution, at least for the aerobatic fleet:
I have attached my No-certificate required document. You can persuade LAA to provide such a document. It is 100% compliant with ICAO and is easy to produce.

Having said that, doing a noise test in Germany is very easy. They have two locations where measurements are performed and for non-members of OUV (German EAA)

A big opportunity was lost when EASA Basic Regulation was introduced many years ago. We had a chance to harmonize EAB into one central European rule base. But the Big Three wanted to keep everything in own hands. Now we are stuck with all those regulations that differ from country to country. But that is very off-topic and I don't want to open a can of worms.

Edit: removed price for noise measurement as not accurate.

 

[Daida]

As i suppose, your forum-name indicates that you‘re or will reside in the north of germany.

As mentioned above, the OUV (ouv.de) can issue noise certificates. The price for members is half of that mentioned above. Annual membership fee is 85€ -ish……..so depending on how long you plan to stay, it‘s a no brainer.

The certification is done several times throughout the year, with at least once a year in Rothenburg Wümme, which is 20 minutes south of hamburg. (Other locations are also planned)

The how-to will be briefed by the certification team engineer. Dead simple and plain forward.
I did it in 2023 with my -8 and passed!

Good luck and feel free to contact me if you need more info.

 

[Wahlhamburger]

The standard to meet is well defined in ICAO Annex 16 chapter 6 and 10. It tells you how much noise the aircraft is allowed to make and how to measure it.

I am the chairman of the Dutch Noise Measurement team and we we have been talking to a group of RV owners in the UK to perform the noise measurement for them. The problem is/was that our team can perform the noise measurement and provide a noise report. Basically this is a document stating the amount of noise your aircraft makes in dB(A). But we can not issue a noise *certificate* as those can only be provided by the Authority that issued the CofA. LAA is not prepared to issue the certificate because it is not required. Besides that, there a more legal requirements, like LAA authorizing the Dutch team to perform the measurements or officially recognizing their reports.

So, if your state of registration does not require a noise certificate, doing a noise test elsewhere does not always solve the problem.
My recommendation to the UK RV pilots for an easy solution, at least for the aerobatic fleet:
I have attached my No-certificate required document. You can persuade LAA to provide such a document. It is 100% compliant with ICAO and is easy to produce.

Having said that, doing a noise test in Germany is very easy. They have two locations where measurements are performed and for non-members of OUV (German EAA) the costs are around €1200.

A big opportunity was lost when EASA Basic Regulation was introduced many years ago. We had a chance to harmonize EAB into one central European rule base. But the Big Three wanted to keep everything in own hands. Now we are stuck with all those regulations that differ from country to country. But that is very off-topic and I don't want to open a can of worms.

Thank you for the detailed answer. And sad that the opportunity for harmonisation was missed

 

[Wahlhamburger]

As i suppose, your forum-name indicates that you‘re or will reside in the north of germany.

As mentioned above, the OUV (ouv.de) can issue noise certificates. The price for members is half of that mentioned above. Annual membership fee is 85€ -ish……..so depending on how long you plan to stay, it‘s a no brainer.

The certification is done several times throughout the year, with at least once a year in Rothenburg Wümme, which is 20 minutes south of hamburg. (Other locations are also planned)

The how-to will be briefed by the certification team engineer. Dead simple and plain forward.
I did it in 2023 with my -8 and passed!

Good luck and feel free to contact me if you need more info.

Wow, that seems very straightforward - depending on if I can use the German certificate with my Spain registered airplane.

 

[Dan 57]

As mentioned above, the OUV (ouv.de) can issue noise certificates

... and so can the Swiss homebuilder's branch... we are holding twice a year (spring and fall) noise (music?) measurement tests, with the latest acquired telemetry equipment, for certified, and uncertified, flying crafts. Dates of such tests are usually published here, next one on August 23. rd 2025.

 

[Daida]

Wow, that seems very straightforward - depending on if I can use the German certificate with my Spain registered airplane.

Since both countries are within EASA and the noise measurement from OUV is EASA certified…….there must not be a problem.
Otherwise the entire idea of common rules would have failed.

 

[RemyA]

EASA noise database does not pertain to Van's aircrafts, so there in no noise certificate

 

[JoopSJ]

Since both countries are within EASA and the noise measurement from OUV is EASA certified…….there must not be a problem.
Otherwise the entire idea of common rules would have failed.

That is not correct and that's the whole point.
EAB (and also antique aircraft) are not regulated by EASA. They are called Annex 1 aircrafts. They are exempted from EASA (by Annex1) and regulated by local regulation in each country. See my remark about the "missed opportunity" in post #9. And I will tell you: Those local rules differ night and day from country to country.
(By the way --- even for certified aviation, EASA is not always the certifying authority. EASA may certify an aircraft, but is not the certifying authority for a pilot license. For the latter EASA only sets the rules but the country authority does the certification. )

*AFAIK* noise measurement institute from OUV is not EASA certified. They are certified by LBA (German CAA). Like us, their scope is limited as set by their CAA (LBA). I am reading that OUV does issue a certificate. I assume they do that on behalf of LBA, which is fine.
But the thing is... It is up to the Spanish CAA to accept that document as part of the aircraft legal documentation.
Some CAA's don't care, some do. And it depends how serious the state of registration is about noise regulation and whether or not it is a required document.

Many Dutch aircraft have received a noise measurement from OUV. That certificate is always converted to a Dutch one as only then it has legal status. *(In the Netherlands)*

 

[Daida]

Annex 1…..exempted from EASA…….you are absolutely right.

Here‘s the point.
Aircraft makes noise measured in dB, noise measuring from OUV is transferred into noise certificate from LBA (NAA), noise certificate from LBA will make you pay less landing fee and the document (as it is issued in accordance with ICAO Annex 16 Vol.1) will most likely be accepted throughout ICAO countries.

I know of one italian and one lithuanian registered homebuilt who did exactly what the OP asked for and it is working out fine.
Foreign registration + german noise certificate = less landing fee

In my case, even before i got the certificate from LBA, all airports i‘ve been to accepted the document issued by the OUV, the one with the measurement results on.


So EABs are excluded from EASA and the measurement from OUV is probably not explicitly EASA certified, but the whole process still works out fine.

 

[Wahlhamburger]

Annex 1…..exempted from EASA…….you are absolutely right.

Here‘s the point.
Aircraft makes noise measured in dB, noise measuring from OUV is transferred into noise certificate from LBA (NAA), noise certificate from LBA will make you pay less landing fee and the document (as it is issued in accordance with ICAO Annex 16 Vol.1) will most likely be accepted throughout ICAO countries.

I know of one italian and one lithuanian registered homebuilt who did exactly what the OP asked for and it is working out fine.
Foreign registration + german noise certificate = less landing fee

In my case, even before i got the certificate from LBA, all airports i‘ve been to accepted the document issued by the OUV, the one with the measurement results on.


So EABs are excluded from EASA and the measurement from OUV is probably not explicitly EASA certified, but the whole process still works out fine.

This is exactly the answer I needed!