The project was a QinetiQ applied research programme 3G23, funded by Ministry of Defence (MOD). The project duration was from April 2004 to March 2007. Field experiment in May 2006 was to investigate noise modelling of helicopters with regard to long range sound propagation. The trial sought to understand more fully the meteorological effects on sound propagation over a land sea interface.

QinetiQ ran a two week field trial in May 2006 at Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea, Essex which involved the use of the Universities Facility for Atmospheric Measurement (UFAM) 10.6 μm Doppler lidar system, UFAM microwave radiometer and the 2 m automatic weather station. The field trial was the third trial in a series of validation trials to look at progressively more complicated cases of long range sound propagation.

The aim of the project was to investigate the meteorological effects on sound propagation over a land sea interface. The field trial consisted of meteorological and acoustic measurements along the flight path of a helicopter at an altitude, tens of meters above ground level, across the land-sea boundary along the lidar line of sight path. The UFAM Doppler lidar system was used to obtain profiles of the radial velocity to determine turbulence measurements at points along the aircraft flight path. The microwave radiometer was used to provide complimentary temperature profile measurements for input into the models and observe sea-land breeze effects. The automatic weather station was used to gather standard meteorological measurements. The 10.6 μm Doppler lidar and automatic weather station data were archived at the BADC in February 2007 in the appropriate format along with documentation. Unfortunately, there were problems with the microwave radiometer and the data were not valid. The field campaign was funded by the MOD, Applied Research Programme 3G23.