Simple Flying - Joe Kunzler
With the simple reality that demand for airports is high, plus the cost of building new airports is prohibitive, political leaders are turning to zoning policies as a means of mitigating aircraft noise impacts. However, most homeowners do not want government action to reduce their property values. Nor are most homeowners aware of the complexities of aviation.
According to the report shared by WTOP News, Loudoun county plans to hire an aviation consultant to develop suggestions for noise reduction at the airport. The new zones adopted in January 2023 have been proven to be ineffective in noise studies, and residents say aircraft are taking off from the east-west Runway 30 at full power creating an unpleasant environment. The county hopes their aviation consultant will be able to help lobby for changed flightpaths.
In the Washington Post, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Mike Jeck, manager of MWAA’s airport noise information office, considers the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granting the noise agitation group’s request for higher altitude as “impossible.” A review of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors action item about an airport impact overlay showed the above tensions coming to the county’s planning commission. Efforts are also underway to help with soundproofing homes to muffle the sounds of Dulles International Airport.
