GA Airport Noise

[Fleetmon]

We live relatively close to a regional airport. Aircraft coming and going is to be expected and air traffic is generally light to medium heavy. Of course, my property is in line with the two runways.

Last year it started and this year ramped up considerably.....flight schools. We have noticed, and is pretty apparent our property, specifically our house, is used as a marker to turn. In other words, we get the noise coming at us, noise directly overhead, and the noise going away. I regularly record levels of 70db to 85db for 30 - 45 second duration. It appears each instruction session is about one hour which translates to about 15 - 20 passes, minimum, over our house. I assume they are practicing landings/take-offs.

I have many readings of sound levels recorded and I have videos of aircraft making their approach and turns directly overhead (the videos also record the sound). I previously contacted the owner of the airport but was told they only manage the airport and cannot and will not address any issues with any aircraft or aircraft owners....pretty much said the sky is free territory and there was nothing that could be done. My interpretation is that Part 150 does not apply to GA airports.

Has anyone ever experienced a similar situation and/or does anyone have any suggestions as to what can be done? The airport itself is not a good environment to attempt a discussion.....way too many aircraft owners and would probably escalate into an unpleasant situation. I want to say I don't have any issues with airports (I work at one), and have no issues with aircraft....it's just these flight schools are disrupting our peace and quiet and they are very obnoxious.

 

[earlyre]

This is why properties next to airports should be marketed to the deaf.

 

[spasm3]

You bought property next to an airport and YOU want to complain about the noise?

 

[AandPDan]

Move.

The airport was there first, busy or not. You should have checked it out ahead of time.

 

[andyd]

I am about a a mile and a half across the marsh from our local airport. In the last few yrs they are landing small jets and that is noisy.

 

[jorton]

What type aircraft do the flight schools operate? Most GA are piston engine and they're not as loud as airliners or f-16's. Do you have jet traffic over your home?

 

[fdcg27]

Most piston singles are pretty quiet throttled back on approach.
Unless the flight instruction is being conducted with either radial engined aircraft or turbines, which I'd doubt, it shouldn't be all that noisy.
Also, 70 db isn't anything I'd call loud.
Still, living near an airport and you can expect to see and hear airplanes.

 

[Corvette Owner]

I wanted to quiet noise at my Ocean City, MD condo, so I had my contractor research what windows they use near airports. I put in windows rated for 100 mph winds and I can't hear any noise. Normally windows are rated for 35-45 mph constant winds.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
You bought property next to an airport and YOU want to complain about the noise?
im not being a jerk but i agree. same thing as moving next to a cattle farm then complainig about the smell.

 

[Barkleymut]

The airport serving my town is 30 miles away, anytime I am over there I wonder how people live near the airport because of all the jet noise. And it is a small one even though it has International in the name.

 

[tom slick]

I understand what you are trying to say. In general you don't mind living next to the airport but lately they have been making more noise specifically in your area.
You should talk to whomever manages the airport. It sounds like it could be as simple as changing their flight path.

 

[Fleetmon]

Apparently some of you didn't comprehend what I was saying...yes, we purchased this house near an airport and realized there would be some noise. There were no or very minimal flight schools operating when we purchased this house. This house was here before the airport.

I have no issues whatsoever with the small jet traffic....I have no issues with the helicopters....I have no issues with general aviation coming and going...I do have issues with flight instructors apparently using our property/house as a landmark to turn.

To some, do everyone a favor....read and comprehend what is written before pouncing on your keyboard. I stated clearly I didn't have an issue with the airport or aircraft in general....I was merely asking for advice/suggestions on what to do or how to go about dealing with this particular situation. Stating I should have thought about the airfield before buying (we did) and/or stating we should move is ridiculous in replying to my thread.

I will repeat, our house was here first and we've never even noticed the airport until last year when the flight schools began.

The subject at hand is what is the best approach to maybe get the instructors to fly out a bit further before beginning their approach or veering further north before their turn? Piston engines are every bit as obnoxious when only 200 or 300 feet above your house!

 

[The_Eric]

Talking to the airport manager about it is probably barking up the wrong tree- as you found out. I'm guessing that he has no authority on where the instructors fly?

Your question- what is the best approach to get the instructors to change their flight plans? The best way is to ask a simple, professional question. Tell them what you've noticed and recorded and ask them if there are alternative flight paths they could take while on training runs. Maybe even find them one and suggest that?

 

[DuckRyder]

So it sounds like the issue is with one aircraft or one group of aircraft, the one or ones operated by or rented to the flight school or students...?

Sounds simple on the surface, find out who is operating the flight school (the aircraft) and try to have a reasonable discussion about alternate markers for the turn... I'd probably stay away from the mention of "many readings of sound levels recorded and I have videos of aircraft making their approach and turns directly overhead (the videos also record the sound)".

This is a more flies with honey than vinegar situation...

 

[whip]

I don't think there is a viable solution unless you want to go the way of California and limit noise levels and ban certain aircraft or limit hours of flight. If they change the flight path, it just makes it loud for someone else. The "problem" isn't fixed, just moved.

 

[AandPDan]

Originally Posted By: Fleetmon
This house was here before the airport.


What airport? Very few "regional" airports have been built in the past few years. Never mind the house being there, when did YOU buy the house?

Originally Posted By: Fleetmon
To some, do everyone a favor....read and comprehend what is written before pouncing on your keyboard. I stated clearly I didn't have an issue with the airport or aircraft in general....I was merely asking for advice/suggestions on what to do or how to go about dealing with this particular situation. Stating I should have thought about the airfield before buying (we did) and/or stating we should move is ridiculous in replying to my thread.


It may be your only REAL option. Think about that. I'm not being a jerk just realistic. You can talk to the flight schools but I guarantee that transient pilots are also using the airfield.

Originally Posted By: Fleetmon
The subject at hand is what is the best approach to maybe get the instructors to fly out a bit further before beginning their approach or veering further north before their turn? Piston engines are every bit as obnoxious when only 200 or 300 feet above your house!


Pilots fly a stabilized approach, especially when on instruments. They aren't going to stay high and dive for the runway. Nor should they really be doing turns 200 to 300 feet above the ground. Correcting for the runway sure but not a 90 degree pattern leg.

This is a noisy world. I can appreciate that you may not like hearing airplanes every day but it is no different than the guy that bought a house on a quiet street and then a few years later it is now a business district and he can't get out of his driveway.

 

[DuckRyder]

Perhaps suggest some sort of rotating schedule so that the marker isn't always the same spot... reduces the traffic across all of the markers...

Each session =1 hour + 15-20 times a day = up to 20 hrs a day instruction?

I was thinking there was a 500 foot minimum but not sure how that plays into an airport, obviously there must be an allowance for getting the last 500 feet down...

 

[AandPDan]

By the OP's own statement he lies in line with the runways.

You don't maneuver on approach.

Maybe he should take a lesson or two to understand what is going on from the pilot's perspective.

 

[Kuato]

New pilots need a marker on the ground to line up for landing, it's pretty much a requirement to develop the necessary skills to land the plane; apparently your house is perfectly positioned for that. Landing direction is wind dependent, so when the wind.changes the guy on the other side of the airport will be on the flight path.

My solution would be to get the windows mentioned above. Although instructors might be asked to change their turning point, the physics involvedfor the airplanes can't be changed. Airplanes are turned to the runway at a distance that will leave them low enough to land at the proper airspeed, while allowing a glide to the runway if the engine fails. I am sure you can see the danger in changing that turning point - not only for.the student pilot but for houses near the airport.

 

[tom slick]

I need to correct my previous post to say "manages the airport's flight school" . If they don't know there is a problem they aren't going to fix it.