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How bad is the airplane noise over these communities? Are the planes coming in and out of RDU at all hours of the night? We've heard the noise driving through the communities during both the day and night, but want to get a feel about how bad the noise truly is, as these neighborhoods are on our short-list for buying. Thanks!
Generally there is no traffic in and out of RDU between about midnight and just before 6 am. There are always exceptions for late planes but I think the last scheduled planes to arrive into RDU are around between 11 pm - midnight. Last scheduled departures seem to end by 9 pm.
If you want to get a sense of how many planes are flying in/out on any given day, take a look at flightaware.com and put in KRDU. You can scan by arrivals and departures (the site lists both private and commercial flights). It's also a great site to use if you want to go to the airport to watch planes land and take off!
Hopefully someone that lives in the area will comment on the noise for you.
Noise is subjective so it is hard to say. I've sold many homes in that area (including Barton Creek) and there is quite a bit of activity BUT it doesn't seem to bother the folks that live in Harrington Grove and I've been there a few times when the planes are low and you have to stop talking for about 15 seconds. Still, that area is very desirable. And...you do get used to some noise.
You can also call the airport noise control and give them actual addresses and they will tell you when the planes are most active so that you can go there to determine if the noise bothers YOU.
As Vicki notes, noise is very subjective. Many folks don't mind it at all while some are almost hyper sensitive to it. I would advise spending time in those neighborhoods - during both takeoffs and landings. Because of the flight patterns you might actually notice more noise there on landings. Those neighborhoods align fairly well with the longer runway (known as 5L/23R for takeoffs/landings) at RDU so landings tend to be overhead. Departing aircraft tend to turn left a bit so can be less overhead. Takeoffs/landings is a wind direction issue - planes takeoff and land into the wind for added lift. As a broad general rule over the course of the year, you will find that 60 % of time you will have landing traffic over those neighborhoods.
Here's some info from RDU - remember that RDU also has some cargo ops in addition to passenger service.
My wife and I looked at a house in Barton's Creek Overlook subdivision back in 2007. The airplane noise was not bad on some days, but on cloudy overcast days, the noise was magnified because the planes were flying lower and perhaps the sound was bouncing off the clouds above. We ended up not buying the house for a number of reasons.. . one being the noise.
I lived under an established flight pattern in NY - we knew full well going in because DH had grown up in the area and my sister lived there After about 5 years the flights became more frequent, including overnight and then the FAA changed the flight pattern. It got really, really bad. I would encourage anyone thinking of buying under a flight pattern to think about what they can live with long term. We are not under the flight pattern where we are and when we moved here it was about 2 months till we saw a plane. I am noticing them with much greater frequency now. And yes, weather and time of year play a major role in how low the planes come in. It got so we couldn't hardly be outside in NY during the summer.
I have friends who live right off Mt. Herman Rd, and planes fly right over them. Indoors, I don't notice it at all. Outdoors, I do. But I actually kind of enjoy watching the planes go by, the noise doesn't seem to be an issue.
I used to live in Hawthorne, which is near both neighborhoods. Airplane noise is not constant, but depends on the flight paths of the planes coming in. When flying overhead, the noise can be loud outside. If the planes are low enough, then it can be enough to stop a conversation for a few seconds while it passes over. Indoors, the noise typically isn't an issue, although you can hear the planes when they are flying over. If it is raining, the planes tend to fly lower so the noise indoors can increase.
My recommendation is if you think the noise is going to bother you, don't buy. There is nothing worse than buying a home and then being unhappy about the decision and have no recourse to correct the situation.
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