Validation Protocol for Digital Audio Recorders Used in Aircraft-Noise-Certification Testing

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Environmental Measurement and Modeling Division (Volpe), is supporting the aircraft noise certification initiatives of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Office of Environment and Energy (AEE) by preparing the “Validation Protocol for Digital Audio Recorders Used in Air-craft-Noise-Certification Testing” (Validation Protocol). As analog and digital tape-based recording devices are becoming obsolete, this Validation Protocol has been developed for applicants requesting permission from FAA/AEE to conduct aircraft noise certification testing using non-tape-based recorders. Because of the significant differences between non-tape-based recording devices and all preceding technologies, this Protocol establishes a set of procedures for testing and evaluating the performance of non-tape-based digital audio recorders proposed for aircraft noise certification use. If using any of the digital audio recording devices covered by the scope of this document, it is recommended that an applicant perform tests to evaluate the characteristics of the re-cording device in accordance with the guidance in the Validation Protocol to demonstrate compliance with part 36 Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (Part 36) and Inter-national Civil Aviation Organization Annex 16 Volume I (ICAO Annex 16).