Guides
Aircraft noise, explained
Plain answers about living near an airport: how to check a home before you buy or rent, why the planes come some days and not others, how loud they are, and what you can do about it.
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- How to check aircraft noise before buying a houseOne viewing tells you little about aircraft noise. The checks to make before you buy or rent near an airport: runways, wind, night flights, noise maps and more.
- Is this house under a flight path? 5 ways to find outA flight path is a corridor, not a line. Five ways to check one address: runway lines, airport maps and WebTrak, noise contours, replayed days and a visit.
- Why are planes flying over my house today?Planes over a street that was quiet yesterday? The usual reasons, most likely first: a change of wind, runway alternation, new routes, holding, delays and more.
- How loud is a plane flying over a house?A jet passing low over a house near an airport peaks at about 75-90 dB outdoors, as loud as a hair dryer or a blender. Measured levels by height and aircraft.
Buying or renting near an airport
- Buying a house near an airport: the complete checklistEvery check to make when buying a house near an airport, stage by stage: before you view, at the viewing, before you offer, in conveyancing and at move-in.
- Do sellers have to disclose aircraft noise?Usually not by name. What sellers must tell you about aircraft noise in England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the US, and the questions to ask them anyway.
- Does aircraft noise affect house prices?Studies find homes lose about 0.5-0.6% of their value per decibel of average aircraft noise, and more when new flight paths arrive. What the research shows.
- How far from an airport is far enough to avoid the noise?No distance is safe on its own. Under the landing line, planes stay low 15-20 km out, while houses to the side can be far quieter. How to judge any house.
- How to check aircraft noise before buying a houseOne viewing tells you little about aircraft noise. The checks to make before you buy or rent near an airport: runways, wind, night flights, noise maps and more.
- Is this house under a flight path? 5 ways to find outA flight path is a corridor, not a line. Five ways to check one address: runway lines, airport maps and WebTrak, noise contours, replayed days and a visit.
- Living near an airport: pros and consQuick flights, jobs, transport links and lower prices, against noise by day and night, fine particles in the air and new flight paths, and how to weigh them.
- Official airport noise maps: what they show and what they missHow to read an official airport noise map: what the contour bands mean, the EU, UK and US maps, where to find them, and why an old average can mislead you.
- Renting under a flight path: what to ask before you signRenting near an airport? The questions to ask the landlord or agent, the checks to make before signing, which rooms matter, and how easily you could leave.
- Viewing a house near an airport? Check the runway before you goA viewing only tells you about aircraft noise if the planes are coming your way. How to find the runway in use, read the wind forecast and pick the right hour.
- WebTrak, Flightradar24 and noise maps: free ways to check aircraft noise, comparedWebTrak, Flightradar24, FlightAware, noise maps and more: what each free tool shows about aircraft noise, how far back it goes and what it misses.
Why planes are over your house
- Easterly vs westerly operations: what they mean for your streetWesterly operations: planes land and take off towards the west, into a west wind. What each direction means east and west of Heathrow, Gatwick and London City.
- Runway alternation explained: why some days are quiet and others aren'tRunway alternation shares landings between two runways so homes under each get a break. How Heathrow's works, when it stops, and where to find the schedule.
- What time do planes start and stop flying?It depends on the airport: Frankfurt has no scheduled flights 23:00-05:00, Heathrow's first landings come at 04:30 and Gatwick never closes. How to check yours.
- Why are planes flying over my house today?Planes over a street that was quiet yesterday? The usual reasons, most likely first: a change of wind, runway alternation, new routes, holding, delays and more.
- Why are planes flying so low over my house, and is it legal?Landing planes descend on a shallow 3° slope, so they are low for kilometres before the runway. Why that is legal, when low is unusual and how to check.
- Why are planes so loud today? Wind, cloud and temperature explainedPlanes louder than usual? Usually they are closer: a change of runway or a slow climb. Wind, still cold air and a quiet background add a few decibels more.
- Why do I suddenly get more planes than last year?More planes than last year? It is usually the wind, new routes, satellite navigation, more flights, runway works or the summer schedule. How to find out which.
- Why do planes circle over my area? Holding stacks explainedPlanes circling high overhead are usually in a holding stack, waiting to land. The other reasons, from go-arounds to police helicopters, and how to tell which.
- Why flight paths change with the windPlanes take off and land into the wind, so when it turns, the airport turns round. How runways are chosen, the 5-knot tailwind rule, and how often it changes.
Understanding aircraft noise
- ADS-B explained: how every flight's path is recordedADS-B is the signal aircraft broadcast every second with their position, height and speed. How volunteers record it, where coverage stops, and who is hidden.
- Aircraft vs road vs train noise: which bothers people most?At the same average level, aircraft noise annoys far more people than road or rail noise. The WHO limits for each, the research, and what it means for a home.
- Are new planes really quieter?Each new generation of jets is a few decibels quieter per flight. Why many people near airports still hear no difference: more flights, fixed routes, averages.
- dB vs dBA: what the "A" meansdBA is a decibel reading filtered to match human hearing, turning down low and very high pitches. Why aircraft noise uses it, and what LAmax, LAeq and SEL mean.
- How aircraft noise is calculated: ECAC Doc 29 and the FAA's AEDTOfficial airport noise maps are calculated, not measured. How the models work, step by step: flight paths, aircraft noise data, sound travel and averages.
- How far does airport noise travel?Loud landings reach 10 km or more along the approach, take-offs spread wider, and to the side noise fades fast. What sets the distance, with Heathrow figures.
- How high do planes fly when landing and taking off?Landing planes descend at 3°, about 300 ft per nautical mile, so they are near 1,800 ft 10 km out. Take-offs climb almost twice as steeply. With Heathrow data.
- How loud is a plane flying over a house?A jet passing low over a house near an airport peaks at about 75-90 dB outdoors, as loud as a hair dryer or a blender. Measured levels by height and aircraft.
- Lden, DNL and Lnight explained: the numbers on official noise mapsLden, DNL and Lnight are year-long averages of aircraft noise, with extra weight for evening and night flights. What each counts, who uses it and its limits.
- Take-off vs landing: which is louder?Near the runway, take-offs at full power are usually louder. Further out, landings often matter more because they stay low. Why, with test and Heathrow figures.
- The loudest and quietest passenger planesWhich airliners are loudest over your home and which are quietest, compared by certification levels and UK quota counts, from the 747-400 to the A320neo.
- What does 65 dB sound like? Everyday noise levels compared65 dB is a little louder than a normal conversation, enough to make you pause or raise your voice. How it compares with everyday sounds, and why it matters.
- Why average noise hides the problem: counting loud planes insteadNoise maps average every flight into one level nobody hears. Counts of loud planes, such as N65, show what a day at an address is like. Who uses them, and why.
Health and sleep
- Aircraft noise and children: learning, focus and schoolsChildren at schools under flight paths learn to read more slowly. What studies found on reading, memory and focus, how strong it is, and what parents can check.
- Aircraft noise and sleep: how many night flights is too many?What sleep research shows about night flights: how loud a plane must be to wake you, why the count matters more than the average, and why 4 a.m. is worst.
- Can you get used to aircraft noise?Partly, but less than most people hope. Annoyance does not fade with years in the home, the heart keeps reacting at night, and changes to flights hit hardest.
- Is living near an airport bad for your health? What the research saysWhat studies show about aircraft noise and health: annoyance, sleep, blood pressure, heart disease, children's reading and air quality, and how firm each is.
- Sleeping under a flight path: earplugs, white noise and bedroom tipsEarplugs have the best evidence, white noise the weakest. How SNR and NRR ratings work, which bedroom to use, windows at night and the first flights of the day.
- WHO aircraft noise guidelines explained: 45 dB Lden and 40 dB LnightThe WHO recommends aircraft noise below 45 dB Lden and 40 dB Lnight. How the levels were set, how firm they are, and how they compare with UK, EU and US rules.
Soundproofing your home
- Airport noise insulation schemes: who qualifies and how to applyWho qualifies for an airport noise insulation grant, what schemes pay for and how to apply, with examples from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Schiphol and the US.
- Best windows for aircraft noise: double, triple or secondary glazing?Against the low rumble of planes, secondary glazing with a wide gap beats double and triple glazing. How Rw and Rw+Ctr ratings work, and what to ask for.
- How to soundproof your home against aircraft noiseAircraft noise comes from above and is mostly low rumble. Where it gets into a home, what glazing, vents, doors and lofts achieve, and what airports pay for.
- Loft and roof insulation against aircraft noiseLoft insulation soaks up aircraft noise but does not block it. What helps under a flight path: sealing the loft, a heavier ceiling, and treating roof windows.
- Soundproofing a bedroom against night flightsNight flights get into a bedroom through the window, the vents and the ceiling. What to fix, in what order, how much each step helps, and where to start.
- Summer under a flight path: keeping cool with the windows shutHow to keep a home cool when open windows let the planes in: shading, acoustic vents, MVHR, fans, the airport's quiet hours and what insulation schemes cover.
- Working from home under a flight pathWorking from home under a flight path: pick the quietest room, set up your headset and microphone, plan calls around the runway and know when glazing pays.
Complaints, rules and rights
- Can you get compensation for aircraft noise?Rarely as cash for the noise itself. What exists: insulation grants, help with moving, UK claims when a runway is built, and why suing an airport rarely works.
- How low can a plane legally fly over houses?Over towns, 1,000 ft above the highest obstacle nearby; elsewhere 500 ft. The UK, EU and US rules, the exceptions for landing, and how to report a low flight.
- How to complain about aircraft noise, and what actually happens nextComplain to the airport first, with the time, place and what you heard. What airports do with it, where to go next in the UK, EU and US, and what to expect.
- How to respond to an airport expansion or airspace consultationConsultations are not votes. How airspace and expansion consultations work, how to find them, and how to write a response the airport has to answer.
- Night flights: how curfews, quotas and bans workSome airports ban night flights, others cap them with quotas or noise points. How each kind of rule works, with Heathrow, Frankfurt, Zurich, Munich and Sydney.
- Who is responsible for aircraft noise: the airport, the airline or air traffic control?The airport, the airline, air traffic control and the government each control part of the noise you hear. Who decides what, and where to take each concern.
Looking at a particular airport?
Flight paths, runways and night flights, measured from a year of recorded flights.
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