Washington Post: FAA study finds noise from airplanes, helicopters far more annoying than other sources

"Nearly two-thirds of people reported being “highly annoyed” by aircraft noise — about five times higher than the 12.4 percent who reported the same level of annoyance during a 1992 review."

The Washington Post story, “FAA study finds noise from airplanes, helicopters far more annoying than other sources,” is must reading. Click the link to see it on the Washington Post website. (It is not behind a pay wall).

“‘The FAA’s Neighborhood Environmental Survey tells us what we already knew loud and clear: Our communities are ravaged by aircraft noise,’ said Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.), a vice chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus.” The article includes remarks from several members of Congress and from the DC attorney general urging greater FAA efforts to reduce aircraft noise and criticizing its failures. No member of Vermont’s Congressional delegation was among them!

Noteworthy is that the FAA only regulates the operation of civilian aircraft. The FAA website states, “The FAA does not have the authority to regulate the operations of military aircraft.”

The ravaging of five Vermont cities and towns by the Vermont National Guard’s F-35 training flights at BTV is not under the authority of the FAA; those flights are entirely under the authority of Vermont state officials, as specified in the US constitution. However, as the military relies on the FAA to fund “mitigation” of its military jet noise, the experience of civilians exposed to aircraft noise at the extreme level of the F-35 is of vital interest to the development of policy at the FAA.

At the end of the Washington Post article is a link to submit your comment about aircraft noise to the FAA. After you click that link you will see a blue button at the top left corner of the page. Instead, here is the direct link to the actual FAA online comment page: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FAA-2021-0037-0001

In your public comment describe your experience from your exposures to the F-35. If you experienced severe annoyance, say so. If your experience was worse than severe annoyance, say that, too. Particularly let the FAA know if F-35 noise caused pain, hearing damage, ringing ears, or internal vibration of bodily organs. Let the FAA know of shaking walls or windows. Tell the FAA if you experienced fear, anxiety, or distress. If your heart raced or your breathing changed, say so. Let the FAA know if the F-35 is causing you suffering. Use the words that come to you. Describe in detail whatever you experienced. If something hurt, tell the FAA what hurt and for how long it hurt. And whether you are still feeling pain or any other ill effect. Tell the FAA if your child cried or your pet cringed. Tell the FAA about your worries from repeated exposure to aircraft noise at that level.

Then tell the FAA what you want them to do. Eight ideas for what the FAA can do were included in this article: “The FAA released a bombshell study: Five times as many people suffer from high aircraft noise.”

Here is one more point of vital importance: tell the FAA to require that airports use a noise measurement that does not filter out the low frequency noise—the part of the F-35 noise that is responsible for the vibration of internal bodily organs and the shaking walls but that is lower than the lowest pitch the human ear can hear. The “A-weighting” the FAA uses does not count any of that low frequency sound. The FAA should also require airports to measure, report, and disclose unfiltered noise measurements.

Copy your submission before clicking the “submit comment” button at the bottom of the FAA public comment page. Please share your comment using the comment feature below.

Note: the FAA public comment period ends on April 14.