Airplane noise concerns overblown?

[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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting how they talk about successes of similar changes north of the airport. The only neighborhood that benefitted from any changes north of the airport is Potomac. The noise actually increased for the majority of the neighborhoods including Northern Virginia and Bethesda but no post implementation studies were ever done.

All the changes north of the airport were pushed thought without any participation from the affected communities.

There were no community meetings in Montgomery County. In fact the Working Group never notified Montgomery County residents about a public comment period that the FAA had opened for residents of Montgomery County to provide feedback on the changes in north flow departures.

Now they all call it a success. Based on what?

I can confirm it was the same with changes to approaches. A small group of Potomac residents who hold all the seats from Montgomery county on the working group worked with the FAA on shifting the flights to other neighborhoods. When the new procedure went into effect hundreds of complaints immediately poured in. The consultant summarized it as just part of the process. Nobody from the newly overflown communities was even consulted.

There was only one time when residents north of the airport were able to have their voices heard and they OVERWHELMINGLY rejected the efforts by the Working Group to shift the easterly flight towards the center of the river in 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BQbxKd536E

This. If you live in Mount Vernon or PG County make sure you download all the information right now from this site:
https://www.vianair.com/soa/

If your local govts and the FAA approve the proposed changes, you will not see anything for at least a year because it takes that long to develop new flight procedures. By the time you wake up one morning with airplanes roaring over your house from the new procedures, this information will be long gone....You will not get any answers from anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

The OP of the worst backfired thread ever. So glad you started it, even if it went sideways on you. Truth will out and living under a flight path is a disaster: economic, health, although it might take you decades to notice. At least 10s of thousands of people are now wiser thanks to you.

[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.

Misophonia?! Nice try.

[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.

+1

No longer an option until we come to our senses and protect Gtown. Can always drive more traffic over nondescript neighborhoods like the Palisades

[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.

+1

No longer an option until we come to our senses and protect Gtown. Can always drive more traffic over nondescript neighborhoods like the Palisades

Yeah it really is horrible, especially on the western side of Wisconsin. I don’t remember it being so loud years ago. Same with old town. Whose idea was it to turn two of our most prized, historic neighborhoods into a super highway for air traffic.