Airplane noise concerns overblown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a zoom meeting tonight about sending departures further south to mount. Vernon and accokeek.

I did not see anything in the news about these important meetings. I wonder about thoughts of those who attended.

Click on Meetings & Events
https://www.vianair.com/soa/

Videos from all three meetings are now available. Click on Meetings and Events.
https://www.vianair.com/soa/

[Anonymous]

All the changes north of the airport that the working group is responsible for intensified the noise for several communities in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. Those communities were not consulted about the changes.

Also communities that never experienced airplane noise before suddenly found themselves directly under the flight path for jets flying to DCA .

[Anonymous]

I remember that I noticed a lot more noise in Palisades sometime in the middle of covid when everyone was still working from home. Suddenly some of the airplanes to the north and west started flying closer to Sibley Hospital. It was not a problem at the time because of the reduced number of flights but it is a problem now. They are so much louder.

[Anonymous]

If you want to find out what these people are planning for PG County and Mount Vernon in terms of flight path changes, watch the meeting this Thursday at 6 pm.

https://www.flyreagan.com/about-airport/aircraft-noise-information/dca-reagan-national-community-working-group

agenda:
https://www.flyreagan.com/sites/flyreagan.com/files/2025-07/Final%20Agenda%20DCA%20WG%20Reg%20Meeting%20%2861%29_July%2024%202025_0.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to find out what these people are planning for PG County and Mount Vernon in terms of flight path changes, watch the meeting this Thursday at 6 pm.

https://www.flyreagan.com/about-airport/aircraft-noise-information/dca-reagan-national-community-working-group

agenda:
https://www.flyreagan.com/sites/flyreagan.com/files/2025-07/Final%20Agenda%20DCA%20WG%20Reg%20Meeting%20%2861%29_July%2024%202025_0.pdf

It is my understanding that the three jurisdictions south of the airport have not completed their review of the proposals yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the changes north of the airport that the working group is responsible for intensified the noise for several communities in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. Those communities were not consulted about the changes.

Also communities that never experienced airplane noise before suddenly found themselves directly under the flight path for jets flying to DCA .

Whether or not anyone in these communities is or was consulted, I don't think anything will change. I'm not sure why not. Do the decision-makers just not live in our communities? Or do they not care?

I'm listening right now to the flights tonight after being in a mid-size, quiet city this last week. It's driving me nuts.

My wish is that that 50% of DCA flights would be pushed out to Baltimore and Dulles, and let the biggest concentration of the DMV population have some peace at 11 PM on a Wednesday night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the changes north of the airport that the working group is responsible for intensified the noise for several communities in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. Those communities were not consulted about the changes.

Also communities that never experienced airplane noise before suddenly found themselves directly under the flight path for jets flying to DCA .

Whether or not anyone in these communities is or was consulted, I don't think anything will change. I'm not sure why not. Do the decision-makers just not live in our communities? Or do they not care?

I'm listening right now to the flights tonight after being in a mid-size, quiet city this last week. It's driving me nuts.

My wish is that that 50% of DCA flights would be pushed out to Baltimore and Dulles, and let the biggest concentration of the DMV population have some peace at 11 PM on a Wednesday night.

You are correct. Changes have already been implemented so it is too late to reverse them. But the Working Group at DCA keeps saying that the change was a "success" and keeps pushing for similar changes south of the airport. So they are doing it under false pretenses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the changes north of the airport that the working group is responsible for intensified the noise for several communities in Fairfax and Montgomery counties. Those communities were not consulted about the changes.

Also communities that never experienced airplane noise before suddenly found themselves directly under the flight path for jets flying to DCA .

Whether or not anyone in these communities is or was consulted, I don't think anything will change. I'm not sure why not. Do the decision-makers just not live in our communities? Or do they not care?

I'm listening right now to the flights tonight after being in a mid-size, quiet city this last week. It's driving me nuts.

My wish is that that 50% of DCA flights would be pushed out to Baltimore and Dulles, and let the biggest concentration of the DMV population have some peace at 11 PM on a Wednesday night.

The only initiative north of the airport that had any public involvement was when they wanted to shift the easterly flight path towards the river. The feedback from everyone was so overwhelmingly negative that any references to that proposal were eventually removed from all the websites. The only place where you can still find it is the website for Arlington County.

That initiative originated with Montgomery Co. Nobody was foolish enough to believe that somehow shifting the planes over the river would lessen the noise. It would shift the noise from one area to another.

[Anonymous]

We were hoping to downsize to a townhome in Georgetown in a couple of years when our last child goes off the college. Often when I'm in that neighborhood in the daytime, I'm busy and don't notice then noise. But every time I'm there in the evening for dinner and the street noise is quieter, the sound of air traffic is REALLY noticeable. We're rethinking our retirement plan.

[Anonymous]

No matter which way they go, they will be pissing someone off with the noise in such a densly populated area.

Given what happened earlier this year, I would rather they choose the safest flight paths that are easiest to navigate for pilots. The rest of us can deal with it.

I know what it's like, I live near Dulles and knew what I was getting into. If one has a misophonia condition, the best choice may be to move.

[Anonymous]

OP (the original OP here). Just to report that we are still living near the canal and very happy with it, and I go run or bike on the towpath multiple times a week thanks to the easy access. Living close to mass for commuting into the city + the CC / C&O trails has been worth it ime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No matter which way they go, they will be pissing someone off with the noise in such a densly populated area.

Given what happened earlier this year, I would rather they choose the safest flight paths that are easiest to navigate for pilots. The rest of us can deal with it.

I know what it's like, I live near Dulles and knew what I was getting into. If one has a misophonia condition, the best choice may be to move.

That's the point. You knew what you were getting into. People who had purchased homes away from the major airports and didn't experience noise and suddenly find themselves having jets fly overhead every minute for hours on end are obviously going to be incredibly frustrated. So would you if your street was rezoned and suddenly an autorepair shop or a club was plopped near you.

[Anonymous]

I went to an outdoor party and someone’s backyard in the Foxhall Palisades area this summer and was shocked by how loud and constant the plane noise was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were hoping to downsize to a townhome in Georgetown in a couple of years when our last child goes off the college. Often when I'm in that neighborhood in the daytime, I'm busy and don't notice then noise. But every time I'm there in the evening for dinner and the street noise is quieter, the sound of air traffic is REALLY noticeable. We're rethinking our retirement plan.

I doubt you can find a Georgetown townhouse that would be easy to retrofit for aging in place. You’re better off buying a single level condo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were hoping to downsize to a townhome in Georgetown in a couple of years when our last child goes off the college. Often when I'm in that neighborhood in the daytime, I'm busy and don't notice then noise. But every time I'm there in the evening for dinner and the street noise is quieter, the sound of air traffic is REALLY noticeable. We're rethinking our retirement plan.

I doubt you can find a Georgetown townhouse that would be easy to retrofit for aging in place. You’re better off buying a single level condo.

Why do DCUMers so often feel compelled to offer advice that isn't relevant (or wanted) to the poster's question or comment? You don't know our age, fitness, or an eventual plan for when we're elderly. We're going to be young enough to climb stairs for another 25 years.