Variable thrust nozzle for quiet turbofan engine and method of operating same

An improved method of operating a gas turbine engine is presented wherein engine-generated noise is maintained at a reduced level during reduced thrust operation. Fan speed was maintained at a constant level while fan nozzle area was increased. This maintained high inlet Mach numbers for reduced forward noise propagation and also permited reduced nozzle exhaust velocity for reduced shear noise. In another embodiment, airflow was increased by means of a fan blade pitch change or speed increase while the fan nozzle area was increased, yielding both a net reduction in engine thrust and noise.