Ok, so how loud is it near an airforce base? (San Antonio: rent, new home)

[ksk11]

And why are there so many of them in San Antonio? lol
So, we are looking at homes to buy or rent when we move next month and many of the ones I come across and have everything I'm looking for...state they are near Lackland Airforce Base....
I'm thinking this means you will hear planes take off and land constantly?
Any advice? We are going out there to take a peek around in 2 weeks but if this is an extremely noisy area, i'm sure we will be able to hear for ourselves, just helpful to know if we should even waste our little time we have there looking in these areas.

[BamaSailor]

Originally Posted by ksk11

And why are there so many of them in San Antonio? lol
So, we are looking at homes to buy or rent when we move next month and many of the ones I come across and have everything I'm looking for...state they are near Lackland Airforce Base....
I'm thinking this means you will hear planes take off and land constantly?
Any advice? We are going out there to take a peek around in 2 weeks but if this is an extremely noisy area, i'm sure we will be able to hear for ourselves, just helpful to know if we should even waste our little time we have there looking in these areas.

WHAT?!!??!? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!

It really isn't too bad. There are some loud planes but you'll hear them just about anywhere in town. "Near" the base is very subjective. You may not want to be within about a mile from the end of the runway but other than that, don't sweat it.

[Sharpydove]

I lived around the C5 "noise" my whole adult life. You become so used to it that you won't even notice the planes after awhile.

[ksk11]

Ha! Thanks! Its hard for me to tell by looking at the maps on the site i'm using to look up homes... but it appears to be 5-10 miles away...maybe more?? I dunno. I know the AFB near/in Schertz where I was looking at some homes, my father's company has an office there and when he has to go there for business he said he cannot hear a thing and hates it there and told me to stay away from it. So i started looking at the other side of San Antonio only to find there is another AFB there, lol.

The 2 Subdivisions I"m looking at are Amhurst and Laurel Mountain Ranch...anyone reading this live there, drive by there, know anything about them, please let me know!

Thanks

[majormadmax]

Since they were built quite some time ago, the bases were originally quite a distance from the populated areas of SA.

Kelly Field is the oldest having been started in 1916, Randolph in 1926, and Lackland in 1941. Back then, there weren't many houses around them.

Urban sprawl has engulfed all of the bases, but that's not their fault is it? And it's not like you can pick them up and move them elsewhere.

We live 20 miles from Kelly and still get the C-5s over our house a couple times a week. It's not too bad, and doesn't bother me having spent nearly 25 years in uniform. It is, as they say, the "sounds of freedom."

But a little research will put you at a safe distance from the really noisy areas.

By the way, the area surround Camp Bullis has recently been declared a military sound attenuation overlay (MSAO) district, meaning any new home, business or school has to adhere to tougher standards for soundproofing. Here is the area affected:

http://media.mysanantonio.com/images/Camp-Bullis-sound-district-062310.jpg (broken link)

The graphic says "proposed" but the city council approved it.

And of course there are the areas along the approach to San Antonio International Airport.

So it isn't just the Air Force bases that you have to be aware of!

Cheers! M2

[skeet09]

I live about less than a mile away from the base and I work 8 to 5 so I'm not sure of the noise level at this time. At 9 pm sharp, I can hear the taps played. If its quiet enough, I can hear the loudspeaker paging someone I suppose but its rare.

[Mom2Feebs]

We live 10 miles north of Lackland AFB and we hear the C-5 Galaxy and the F-16s from the Air National Guard. I absolutely LOVE it! I am fascinated by them. It's not like they are flying over at 6AM or 9PM at night. Well, occasionally, the C-5 will go over kinda late because they have to train in the dark too--but it's not low at all at that time.

[Willsson]

I was born at Lackland but grew up near Dyess AFB. I realized early that there's nothing quite so reassuring as the distant rumble of a B1 bomber at day break.

[ksk11]

Thanks all....my parents used to live 1 town over from an AFB in another area of TX and and my mom loved seeing them go over the house every once in awhile and it was not noisey otherwise. Just was wondering about the noise level there.

[BamaSailor]

Just think of it as the "sound of freedom"!