On this site I will probably not be too popular posting this, but please note, I am also using the site for amusement and education.
I am sitting outside on my deck, about six miles east of Dulles (IAD). I’ve been here from 7:30 PM to now 8:50 PM, and am thinking, what happened to noise abatement? It is really noisy and I live in an area that supposedly was to be outside the jet noise.
Landing planes are, of course, not the problem (I guess)
but there is a constant stream of commercial jets, with loud engines, taking off at this hour.
Sooner later some group is going to start a campaign to lower the noise level, although I wonder how that would work.
There are plenty of housing developments built around the airport where the builders, and, I hope, buyers knew very well what they were getting into.
Me? We moved out here in 1977 and for years afterwards would drive out to the airport to go into the terminal and watch the planes land and takeoff. Most of the time, not a single plane came in or left.
And, being well outside the perimeter of the airport, it was many, many years until the traffic at IAD caught up to us and made sitting in our backyard not so pleasant.
Dulles was designed to be far from DC , with huge acreage to keep houses at a distance, but traffic has been increasing and is expected to continue to grow.
Obviously, this is more of an observation than anything, but I do wonder why nothing is being done about the noise.
Worse yet, there is no way in H that I can make heads or tails of the traffic compared to the maps on Flightaware. Once, a long time ago, I did match up a plane with its noise. It was about 3 AM and the only one around was a plane from some medical lab.
Move. If you don’t like the noise then move. The airport was there first. Even if it was a smaller airport 22 years, you should have known that there would be noise. In fact, you should have even thought that the airport might even grow in size.
Again, move if you don’ like the noise. People moving near an airport and then complaining about the noise, no matter whether the noise has grown over the years or not, are a pet peeve of mine. If you don’t want the noise then don’t move into the house to being with.
If you are offended by what I’ve said then tough toenails. I would love to be in your place living where I can see the planes land and takeoff.
Betcha you like the airport being close when you have to fly somewhere, don’t you?
Although I’m partial, aircraft noise is one of the more subtle noises at that, especially in the days of stage III hushkits blah blah. It’s basically amplified white noise, lessen you’re talking about a taxing MU-2 or something! J31 comes to mind, F-27!
You wanna talk noise abatement, lets get rid of these turds who drive around with their bass looking like morons hanging out the window like a steam engineer! Abate that!
I think if you look back, since 77, there has been alot fone to combat noise as I mentioned before, the hush kits. Look at an old Gulfstream and one that has been modified. UPS had the 72Q. Also the technology there has been continued in modern engine design, the Canadair Challenger family with it’s Pratts, is wicked quiet on takeoff!
I think those of us here that are pilots should really be considerate of the op’s question and concern.
So now, (when ATC allows)
I personally will use max power for every take off and leave it there until reaching cruise. That way I’m not hanging around very long making all that noise.
I can appreciate the direction that the other thread, and its OP took… But this one just has a completely different tone and feel by this OP’s approach. I guess we’ll see.
No question! But at least in the other thread the OP tried to understand, and in part by several of your informative and practical contributions. This one is headed down the road to nowhere right off the line.
I will not flame as much as I might if you had not started your posting as you have. That said, I grew up in Reston. The noise has always been there. Maybe not as constant but it has. Once Presidential Airways made IAD its home, that touched off some growth. Not to mention the Concorde (Rest her memories). Ihave worked and lived in the shadow of that airport for a ton of years. My Dad worked there for 35 years, I worked there a combined 15. I have to disagree that there will be no chance in hell at winning a fight to reduce noise. That area isn’t as affected by noise as say Crystal City, Alexandria and areas surrounding DCA. Those people managed to buy big $$ homes back in the day and lobby hard enough and get clamps put on. That will not happen at IAD. It is to big an airport, it is a diversion spot for Andrews first, second it is used to accept diversions from BWI, PHL,EWR,LGA, JFK to name a few. The fact the the noise drags later into the evening should come as no shock. Drive around Reston today or tomorrow. Remember the landscape from '77 to today RADICAL diff. A TON of BIG buisness has made a home in Reston, Herndon and the need for growth at IAD was recognized…bottom line is PLEASE just chill, enjoy the jet noise…we all do
This is gloriously off-topic, but only in the sense that it would have been on-topic had the conversation continued down it’s predicted course (which it has not).
My wife and I were looking into maybe moving when our lease was up at the end of May, and we accidentally came across this 2 Br. house for rent; $500/mo.
We decided to stay put for the sake of our kids and the good schools here, but I tried to talk my brother into renting in just so I could come over and sit outside and watch the traffic.
Most of the time, not a single plane came in or left.
