Noise Myth: Jets aren't quieter than Pistons

A warning to Eden Prairie airport neighbors, Santa Monica Airport neighbors, like so many others, have been ripped off regarding noise impact measurements. Aside from the Db difference, do to the distance differential from noise monitors, there are noise impacts from jet-specific operations that go unmeasured. Ignored is the noise from reverse thrusters, often much louder than the approach. We hear reverse thrusters ½ mile to the east of the airport when they are applying the reverse thrusters to stop their aircraft far down the runway to the west. This same noise is perceived much louder by the Santa Monica residents on the west side of the airport. All this very loud noise is not part of any measurements. Also, there is the ongoing noise of jets holding and idling sometimes more than 30 minutes at a time and often backed up. It sounds like having a commercial vacuum cleaner running across the street many hours, each day, seven days a week. Again, this jet-related noise is not measured. Another very important consideration that goes to the heart of the difference is that jet-blasts noise, on take offs especially and carry very much farther than even loud piston aircraft noise. I do not know of any studies to measure and quantify what the differences are, but there should be. A jet take-off is always heard, loud and clear, for two or more miles from the aircraft’s location. I do not ever hear a piston plane when it's taking off. This is clear, simple science using anecdotal evidence, of a tremendous difference in how jet aircraft impacts a much, much larger area with relation to noise than piston aircraft.

-- Martin Rubin, Director of jetairpollution.com, a group fighting against the public health dangers at Santa Monica Airport www.jetairpollution.com