Dear Editor,
In last Thursday’s Daily Herald, there was an article regarding the establishment of a noise pollution campaign by the Department of Communications with the assistance of TEATT [Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication – Ed.]. That is a worthy endeavor. However, in the article it identified many sources of noise, but failed to mention one significant one that not only produces high incidences of noise, but also presents a dangerous condition in the process.
Airplane noise was overlooked. Jet noise, for the most part, is what it is and there really is no such thing as “whisper” jet noise. The jets use most of the airport runway when taking off to the east, making their turn over the lagoon, or take off to the west straight down the runway over the ocean.
On the other hand the non-jet STOL (short take-off and landing) commuter prop planes gain altitude quickly and make their turn well before the end of the runway, oftentimes directly over the Simpson Bay commercial and residential community. That take-off pattern not only creates excessive noise, often so loud it sets off car alarms from the vibrations, but it places the residents under the flight path in physical harm’s way, should there be a mechanical failure.
Wouldn’t it be best to reduce the noise pollution and the danger potential to our residents if the STOL noisy commuter aircraft were to get airborne straight down the runway, gain altitude while approaching the lagoon and then begin their turn towards their destination? By the time they make their turn, they will be higher and following an over-the-water path, reducing noise and the chances of a catastrophe in the making.
That approach would be beneficial in reducing noise and physical threat at a small cost of some additional fuel.
It has been over 50 years since we put a man on the moon. You would think we would be able to muffle the prop engine noise to a more tolerable level by now, but I won’t hold my breath waiting for whisper props.
R. Paul Speece
Jacksonville Beach/Simpson Bay
