Here’s Why Airplanes Will Soon Be Much Quieter While Flying

Something people may forget to think about when they’re buying a home is whether it sits under a flight path. You may not think this extra white noise matters much, but over recent years studies have found that people living underneath a flight path might have a higher risk of medical issues such as a stroke or high blood pressure. If you’ve ever found yourself bothered by the noise of planes flying over your house, you’ll be happy to hear that things will be getting a bit quieter soon.

pakmingc/Flickr

Hallelujah! If you've ever been bothered by how noisy planes can be in the sky above, this is good news for you. A total of seven million people in America are living underneath a flight path, something that's been speculated to have a negative effect on health. Some studies have shown that those affected by aircraft noise may have a higher risk of heart attack and even organ damage. Who knew?

Thomas Hart/Flickr

New subsonic jets and large airplanes will soon be required to operate at least seven decibels quieter than the planes that are currently flying up in the sky. If you're like the average Joe, the meaning of decibels may not be much to you. Basically seven decibels is only the slightest amount of noise, but once you factor in that it will be multiplied by the mass number of planes flying around in the sky at any given moment, it adds up!

Thomas Hart/Flickr

While the impact of this change won't come right away, it's one step forward in the right direction to reduce pollution created by aircraft. With roughly 9,000 planes in the sky at almost all times, decreasing the noise of new planes made in the United States will help us achieve quieter skies.

To read more information about noise reduction and related topics on the FAA's official website, click here.

Do you find yourself being affected by the noise pollution that airplanes bring? Share your thoughts with us!