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Community Response to Noise FAA Web site information


Noise comes from many sources, not just aviation. As a result, the level of noise someone experiences day to day can depend on many different factors. Noise in small suburban areas compared with busy urban centers may be very different and result in different types of challenges when looking to address aircraft noise.
Average DNL values for residential areas at five DNL noise levels.
There are also many different factors that determine how much aircraft noise is experienced on the ground:
  • What model aircraft and what type of engines are being used for each flight?
  • Are the aircraft taking off or landing?
  • What is the flight path of the flights going overhead?
  • How quickly does each plane ascend and descend?
  • Is the aircraft operating at full power or partial power?
Noise experienced on the ground also depends on flight schedules, which can vary depending on the time of day, season of the year, or other operational factors. Weather also plays a large role, since sound attenuates (dissipates) differently depending on weather conditions (wind speed and direction, temperature, etc.).

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