Noise in Waddell & Proximity to Luke AFB (Phoenix, Glendale: 2015, new home)

[AZWonderin]

Hi All,

I was hoping to get some opinions from people who live in or near Waddell, anyone who lives west of the 303 and east of the white tanks, or anyone who lives in close proximity to Luke Air Force base.

What I’m most curious about is how noisy the jets from the base get on a typical week? Is it a constant barrage of jet noises throughout most the day? Do jets fly overhead constantly? How is the sound when you’re inside your home with all windows and doors closed? How annoying do you personally find the jets? Would the noise ever stop you from buying in the area? I’m looking for any and all opinions on how distracting (or not distracting) you personally find the sounds of the jets.

To give a little background, I’ve lived in the Phoenix area since 2008, but have always lived in the east valley. Due to COVID my company has transitioned completely to remote working and will not be going back to the office ever. This has opened up possibilities on where to live since I won’t need to be commuting day after day.

After scoping out different places throughout the valley, I found Waddell and really liked the country vibe out there and being ‘out of the city’ while still being close to the 303 to make it easier to get around relatively quickly.

I’m thinking of buying out there at a new build community near the existing Cortessa community, but the one aspect that has me concerned is the proximity to Luke Air Force base and the noise involved with that. I’ve read that they do most of their flying M-F and most of my visits had been on the weekend (always was quiet on the weekends).

I decided to take a day off work so I could go out there to hear them for myself. I went out to the house location and just listened for a few hours. It didn’t sound THAT bad to me. I definitely heard them, but they weren’t constantly flying overhead or being ridiculously loud, but this was just one day for a few hours. I also didn’t have a house which I could go into to gauge what it would sound like inside. Its hard to know what’s typical. It’s also difficult for me to get out there to scope it out in person too often because I work the times they like to fly most often.

So, would anyone be willing to share their thoughts on the noise from those who have actually lived in the area? I figure the people who live it everyday may know best.

Thanks!

[DAXhound]

The new homes I looked at years ago had a statement about Defense Aviation on the Deed. So you could check the Recorders website for a specific property. If it is mentioned, it is pretty loud.. like much louder than commercial jets.. it can rattle your fillings. I worked near DMAFB and it was incredibly loud at times. When and how often will require more research.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Use the search feature on this site. Type in the words F35 Luke. You will find plenty to read about.

Realize a 3-hour window is a flawed way of listening for jet noise. That's because budgets play into when they fly. Other variables enter in like if it is cloudy. My perception is they come out way more often when there was cloud cover. Also realize that the facility has a lunch hour when they barely fly. Supposedly, some people "don't even notice" 90+Db of noise overhead off in the distance?! I sure in the Hell did. It was a major factor why I left Surprise. But 130,000 people in Surprise took the trade-off. In other words, YMMV!

Back in 2011 when I bought, I came out to the neighborhood to listened for several hours a day. I concluded it wasn't a big deal at all! Little did I know that there were a small number of flights because they were phasing out the F16's and preparing for a ramp-up of the F35's. So unbeknownst to me, I was experiencing/hearing an artificially small amount of flights. Then the F35's came into Luke while they were phasing out the F16's. Soon, it got louder and more frequent year, after year.

Currently, there are about 100 planes. If you are reading posts from say, 2015, there were even less F35's. And expect more to come to the rumbling tune of 144: so more jets and even more flights. Read https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ws/2778033002/ So whatever you hear in 2021, expect it to get worse.

In summary, you are going to hear some people in denial or others some might be semi-deaf. You will get opinions from people who leave their house to an office miles away from Luke, etc saying they don't notice them. Well duh! In fact, you will even find people that love to live over an airport!? So a portion of people are all convinced (and busy convincing you) that "the sound of freedom" is no big deal. Well, I heard the jets LOUD and clear! If you decide to buy, do it with open ears. So forget MY opinion, make darn sure you pick a time that has a good sample of flights and assume 30%+ more flights to come.

Finally, realize LOW-frequency wavelengths are measured in FEET. That means the deep frequency of the F35 jet noise will easily come through your home. Again, some people say "I don't hear them in my home". No. What they should say is I've tuned them out. Because the laws of physics are at play. The low frequencies have longer wavelength which will resonance/vibrate in your walls. That will help the sound propagate the passage of sound. I digress..... Good luck with your pending move.

[JasonS]

I live in surprise and hardly hear them. I might notice them 1 or 2 times a month. I work from home. Maybe the area i live in surprise is not that bad. North of Greenway and west of 303

I just asked my wife and she said she hears them a lot more often then i do, but I honestly hardly notice them..

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by JasonS

I live in surprise and hardly hear them. I might notice them 1 or 2 times a month. I work from home. Maybe the area i live in surprise is not that bad. North of Greenway and west of 303

No. You just don't notice them any longer. The "sound of freedom" can easily be heard where you live.

[DAXhound]

www.howloud.com

[WK91]

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried to sleep in a tent 100 yards off an active flight line that launches dozens of sorties throughout the night. That’s the sound of freedom right there! Get you some!

Seriously though, I don’t find F-35s to be all that loud. It could be worse, much worse. Imagine Luke as a bomber base with B-1’s or B-52s launching at night due to their worldwide commitments as opposed to a training base where all they are doing is training mostly during the day.

I think the only way to know for sure is to spend some time down there and see if it bothers you. Like I said, it doesn’t bother me in the least, and when I see and hear F-35s flying, it brightens my day big time.

But 30 years of USAF will do that to a guy I guess.

[MGS4EVER]

I used to live in Waddell not far from the city homes of Contessa. The F-35s are very loud. Their flight patterns will vary. In addition, their take offs and landing directions will sometimes change. THAT makes a lot of difference as well. Usually they take off and land heading south. When they change directions, I could really hear them. It would rattle the windows and things in my house.

I moved for many reasons but specifically:

The PV303 project-there will be warehouses on either side of the 303. I lived off Cotton lane. There were warehouses built up to Camelback. Now they are even on the other side up near the zoo. Bethany Home up to Glendale is now fenced off and an out of state group owns the land. Who knows whats going in there. The rural vibe there is gone. Farmland is slowly going away.

Luke AFB- I will never live near an AFB again.

When I lived in Waddell there was a great divide between the rural folks and the city folks moving in. The city folks always complained about how there were no services near Contessa..."we need a gas station!" or "we need a fast food place". So if you buy way out there, know that there isn't anything close other than the Waddell general store, or drive up to Surprise. I'm sure the squeaky wheel will get what they want and services will move closer eventually.

The AFB isn't going anywhere.

[AZWonderin]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I like hearing everybody’s opinion on the matter. It helps me gauge how people living there feel about it.

Originally Posted by MGS4EVER

Usually they take off and land heading south. When they change directions, I could really hear them. It would rattle the windows and things in my house.

In your experience, did this happen often? I feel like as long as this wasn’t constant throughout the day, maybe just a few times a day, this would not be the end of the world. What I’m fearing most is a nonstop barrage of very loud impossible to ignore jets flying right overhead.

When I was out there it seems like they were taking off to the southwest and doing more activity around el mirage.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by AZWonderin

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I like hearing everybody’s opinion on the matter. It helps me gauge how people living there feel about it.



In your experience, did this happen often? I feel like as long as this wasn’t constant throughout the day, maybe just a few times a day, this would not be the end of the world. What I’m fearing most is a nonstop barrage of very loud impossible to ignore jets flying right overhead.

When I was out there it seems like they were taking off to the southwest and doing more activity around el mirage.

It's never "constant". Sometimes you hear the same plane, off and on a few different times while they are flying overhead many miles away. That's because the jet engines point in your direction off and on, even from afar. Often, there are two to three planes flying next to each other which can multiply the sound pressure. So three planes (even if they are 10+ miles away) equals hearing them even inside the house (albeit not "loud"). Rarely did planes get so close to rock the house get close. Maybe once every 3 months (if that).

I was in Marley Park by Reems. There were times I kept track of the jet noise. On a busy day, I could hear them about 10 times an hour inside the house. Again, it could be the same plane(s). And the noise level varied. There were multiple times when I walked while on a business call and had to pause the conversation as it was too loud.

There were MULTIPLE days that I might only hear a jet a few times a day and off in the distance. Yet other days were annoying.