Aircraft noise in Northern Virginia? (Chantilly, Manassas: live, flight path, moving)

[TPPJ]

They fly quite low over Brambleton. It's actually somewhat entertaining, sitting on your porch, watching planes come and go from all over the world (yes, I can read the logos on the planes, they are that low). Noise isn't so bad I'd not live here...but you do hear it from time to time.

[DCguy03]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Very rarely do I ever hear the planes indoors, and judging from when I was gazing upwards at the sky the other night watching the planes a flight-path seems to go right over my neighbohood.

Same here -- I live in Arlington, just a few miles from Reagan Airport, and I look out my living room window and see planes flying close-by on a daily basis.

Remember that if you live along a flight path, the type of building you live in has a huge impact on whether or not you hear noise. For instance...

• I used to live in an older low-rise brick Apt that wasn't very noise-insulated and I heard planes all the time.
• I currently live in a high-rise brick Apt (only 1/2 mi. away from my prev apt), and hear almost zero flight noise. That shouldn't be interpreted as all high-rises are quieter...as they tend to vary depending upon build quality. In some really new buildings, they cut corners by using cheaper materials, resulting in noise carrying easily from outside.

So when you are apartment or house-hunting, try to judge how sound-proof (or not so) each place is. In the past I've always tried viewing a place at rush-hour time (5:30/6:00pm) to get a good idea of how well the dwelling suppresses outside noise.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by anonymous703

Airplanes have gotten rather quiet in the last several years... I think airport noise is mostly a straw man argument these days. My office is *next* to Dulles airport, under an approach path to the east runway, and I hardly hear the planes. Most of the time I forget that I work next to an airport.

I'll second that. My office is right next to Dulles and house in Mount Vernon is on the National flight path. I don't even notice them.

[BristowFFL]

I live in Bristow, VA and there is a constant loud thunderous noise. It is so loud that it shakes the homes. What can this be? Well I called the fire department and they said that a home builder in Gainesville was doing some blasting today. There should be a law. I'm sure our home foundations take a hit every time they blast.

[Qasim75]

As previously posted, Reston is fine with regards to Airplane noise. You hear them, but they are not that loud. When I am in Chantilly, especially south of IAD, it is a different issue. Yes, at points you can identify the markings on each plane.

-Q

[HEATHER72]

Originally Posted by BristowFFL

I live in Bristow, VA and there is a constant loud thunderous noise. It is so loud that it shakes the homes. What can this be? Well I called the fire department and they said that a home builder in Gainesville was doing some blasting today. There should be a law. I'm sure our home foundations take a hit every time they blast.

I live on the Bristow/Gainesville border. It's not "constant". The blasting is just when a builder is blasting through stone for a new neighborhood. I don't remember hearing it today or in the past several days. Drees Homes was blasting along Rollins Ford in recent weeks. Even then it was maybe once a day in the late afternoon around 2 or 3 pm.

A law for what? No builder is allowed to blast through stone? How do you think the homes were built in your neighborhood? Are they all on slab with no sewer system below ground?

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

Sometimes there are very loud planes going over us in Dunn Loring (eastern edge of Vienna), but it's rare. I'd be happier to get all the infernal dogs to stop their barking. People are otherwise so nice around here, I just wish there were more consideration about barking, barking, barking. It does fall under "public nuisance laws" though.

This area is also going thru a lot of construction right now and it's not uncommon to hear banging thru the night. The late hour for that here is supposed to be 10pm but I've heard it during the night. I've just learned today that if it's later than 10pm (or earlier than 7am) on M-Sat, we can call the police and they'll shut the construction down.

The idea upthread about visiting potential places at rush hour is a good one.

[vermonter16]

We live in Manassas off Rt. 28, we get more noise there than when we lived off 234. We know the planes coming in on their regular schedule in the evenings....and also know when they are running a little late or the flight paths have changed. Sometimes we get A LOT of noise....and sometimes the planes are coming in from a different approach. Occasionally we'll get that middle of the night flight fly over that is THUNDEROUS! But, none of it has ever been bothersome. It is entertaining. When I lived in Chantilly in the late 80s off Lee's Corner Rd. in Armfield Farms the noise was very loud as I recall....planes were a bit lower.... Not sure if that is still the case today because it's been over 20 years.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by vermonter16

But, none of it has ever been bothersome. It is entertaining.

LOL that's how I feel about it. I have a friend who lives near Willard Road in Chantilly and we have parties at his house where everyone sits on the deck, drinks margaritas, and watches the planes fly in. We find it amusing.

[dansuz1]

What has always surprised me since moving to Manassas Park from Indianapolis is how low the planes fly over our house considering that we are ~16 miles from the airport. In Indy, we were about 5 miles from the airport and the inbound planes flying overhead were always much higher.

Last weekend I saw a Qatari Airlines plane fly over so low I could read the tail numbers.

The noise isn't so bad, but I remember when just after 9/11 and all flights were grounded how much quieter it was outside. Airplanes certainly contribute to noise pollution.

My question to people with some aviation knowledge is why do the planes here fly so low so far from the runway? Is it to save fuel?

Dan