Virtual air traffic system simulation — Aiding the communication of air traffic effects

A key aspect of air traffic infrastructure projects is the communication between stakeholders during the approval process regarding their environmental impact. Yet, established means of communication have been found to be rather incomprehensible. In this paper we present an application that addresses these communication issues by enabling the exploration of airplane noise emissions in the vicinity of airports in a virtual environment (VE). The VE is composed of a model of the airport area and flight movement data. We combine a real-time 3D auralization approach with visualization techniques to allow for an intuitive access to noise emissions. Specifically designed interaction techniques help users to easily explore and compare air traffic scenarios.