Horologium

July 09, 2003
Monthly Snivel Drivel

During my last year in San Diego, I lived directly under the final approach to Lindbergh Field (San Diego International Airport). I grew used to airliners flying less than 150 feet above the top of my building.

I now live about 1000 feet from the runway of a Naval Air Station. It's much louder. VERY MUCH louder.

While it is occasionally annoying to stop a movie during the day because of the noise, it doesn't begin to compare to the irritation of pilots performing touch and gos at 11:30 PM, hooking around so that their engine roar reverberates inside the courtyard of the building in which I live. If I didn't have to wake at 5 AM, or if my window faced away from the runway, it would not be so bad. But NOOOOOO, we can't have that.

This concludes the snivel for the month. Thanks for listening.

posted on July 09, 2003 09:48 PM

Comments:

In the words of The Great Santini, "Sound of Freedom." Having both lived with the noise from Naval Air Stations as well as having created some of it, I can feel your pain... but I feel pretty certain they are not doing touch and goes at night after 10... still thos mulitple instrument approaches down to minimum descent altitude produce almost as much noise...

posted by oceanguy on July 10, 2003 11:30 AM

If you live in an apartment building, that's one things. If it is your own house, that's another. If renting, you should be paying a lower rent for being on the air base side of the building, one would hope!

There is one thing you can do to help ameliorate the problem; there are curtains and drapes that are quite effective at blocking noise.

posted by MommaBear on July 12, 2003 10:29 AM

MommaBear, I live *on* the base, in one of our barracks. I don't pay rent, but I also don't get the housing allowance that would accompany living off-base.

Due to the weak air-conditioning units in the barracks, the windows need to be open 24/7 unless I want to live in a sauna (even with the windows open, and a fan going, I am sweating in my room, despite the fact that I am not wearing a whole lot of clothes). Sound-absorbing curtains would eliminate the cooling effects of the open window, and I'd rather be awakened by late-night ops than not be able to fall asleep due to being locked in a sweatbox. (grin)

Oceanguy—if it was anywhere else, it wouldn't be so bad. Unfortunately, this is the EA-6B base, and the EA-6B is by a wide margin the noisiest aircraft in the inventory.

I will take your word on the "no touch and gos", but when I watch the aircraft descend below the roofs of the buildings surrounding the runway, and then do a 45 degree climb right outside my window, it certainly *looks* like a touch and go. But you flew the birds; you'd know better than me. (smile)

posted by Timekeeper on July 12, 2003 01:52 PM