Neighborhood Environmental Survey study of Aviation Noise; Federal Aviation Administration, January 11, 2021
Neighborhood Environmental Survey Feb. 22 Webinar and Documents
Technical Analysis of the Neighborhood Environmental Survey
Selected Excerpts:
Methodology Overview
FAA surveyed more than 10,000 residents living near 20 representative airports via a mailed questionnaire. The questionnaire was presented to the public as a Neighborhood Environmental Survey and asked the recipient if different environment concerns bother, disturb, or annoy them. Noise from aircraft was one of the thirteen environmental concerns that were covered in the Survey. Since the aircraft noise question was one of 13 environmental concerns listed, the recipient did not know this was in fact an airport community noise survey. The data from the Survey, the single largest survey of this type undertaken at one time, was used to calculate the new National Curve and provides a contemporary picture of response to aircraft noise exposure. A follow up phone survey was also offered to the 10,000 mail survey respondents, and just over 2,000 elected to participate. The phone survey was designed to provide additional insights on how the mail survey respondents feel about aircraft noise.
Results
A new National Curve was created by combining the Survey responses from the question on "Noise from Aircraft" with the modeled aircraft noise levels. Compared with the existing Schultz Curve, the new National Curve shows a substantial increase in the percentage of people who are highly annoyed by aircraft noise over the entire range of aircraft noise levels considered, including at lower noise levels.
The new Survey was designed to use a consistent approach across each airport community surveyed. This has allowed for an enhanced ability to provide additional statistical information about the new results, such as the 95% Confidence Limits and range of results from each of the 20 airports, as shown on the plot above. This was not possible with the older Schultz Curve.
When comparing the two curves, a variety of factors should be considered. Both analyses were conducted using the best survey data and understanding available at their time. However, many changes and advances have occurred in the 40 years since the Schultz Curve was created.
Potential factors for these differences still need to be explored; but to provide additional insight, mail survey respondents were also invited to participate in a detailed phone survey aimed at understanding the underlying reasons for annoyance to aircraft noise. The majority of phone survey respondents who were likely to be annoyed by aircraft noise indicated that they have experienced being "Startled", "Frightened", or "Awakened" by aircraft at home. Those who were bothered, disturbed, or annoyed by "General Traffic Noise" or "Smells" were also more likely to be annoyed by aircraft noise.
For additional information on the Survey, the FAA has prepared a detailed technical report.
See also:
Briefing on the Neighborhood Environmental Survey - YouTube, February 2021.
FAA Study Finds Noise from Airplanes, Helicopters Far More Annoying Than Other Sources Washington Post, March 2021.
Quieter Airplanes Causing Far More Noise Complaints, AVWeb, March 2021.