Issues and Concerns
Peace, Quiet, and Privacy
Private airstrips and helipads impact not only those residents situated near the proposed landing site but also those living along the various approach and departure corridors to be utilized by private aircraft. This can add up to a lot of people – while, as the Vermont Board of Transportation put it, “providing private benefit to few.”
Aircraft flying above homes, farms, and private land significantly impact privacy, particularly when arriving and departing, which is at low altitudes. They also create significant noise, including electric or hybrid aircraft taking off and landing, and at night might need on board approach lights for takeoff and landing, and in some cases ground lighting. How does this compare to the existing quiet of many rural communities in Vermont that value the serenity, quiet and tranquil nature of their towns?
© Gold Wing Photography
“I like to live peacefully with my neighbors… But I want them to live peacefully with me, too.”
Cleared for Takeoff? Airstrip Proposal Rattles North Hero Residents. Debbie Bumgardner, North Hero, Seven Days, 2018
“Thirty-two years ago I chose to purchase my property and live in Lincoln because of the peace and tranquility of rural life, the natural beauty, and the ability to live close to and appreciate nature. I venture to say this applies to many other residents of this town as well. The Town of Lincoln has the obligation and authority to limit and restrict private uses that impact the rights and land values of other residents, uses that will permanently change the tranquility that people value.”
Letter regarding private airstrip application to the Town Development Review Board. Jacquelyn Tuxill, Lincoln, February 2023
“The place is magic… We just don't want the magic being wrecked by some rich guys playing with their toys.”
Potlucks and Planes: Seven Votes to Watch on Town Meeting Day. Scott Richardson, North Hero, Seven Days, 2022
At the state and commercial level, the need to balance local quality of life with air traffic is central to planning airports that serve a wider public, and yet appears to be absent from regulations guiding private landing areas that serve a single family: “Compatible land uses are generally defined as those uses that can coexist with a nearby airport without constraining the safe efficient operation of the airport or exposing nearby residents and businesses to unreasonable levels of noise or lighting impacts. Incompatible noise and lighting impacts can lead to a politically contentious relationship between an airport and the communities around it, resulting in complaints and demands for restrictions on airport operations, ultimately threatening the airport’s ability to operate efficiently and serve its functions. Various practical considerations can shift the demarcation line between acceptable and unreasonable exposure. Both airports and communities need to reflect upon such factors when establishing compatibility criteria and undertaking airport growth projects.
Vermont Airport System Plan. Vermont Agency of Transportation, 2021
“Aircraft noise is a public health issue. It can impact memory and learning in children, disturb sleep, and cause serious long-term health problems including cardiovascular disease.”
Aircraft Noise: A Longstanding Problem, Aviation Environment Federation UK
“It is still unknown whether the noise exposure from electric aircraft will be an improvement from conventional aircraft.”
Emerging Aircraft Technologies and their potential noise impacts. Civil Aviation Authority, UK, 2019
“The main sources of noise [from electric aircraft] are the battery systems, the motor and air frame. Early modeling suggests the [electric] planes may be quieter on departure than current aircraft but noisier on arrival. But, because of their batteries, they will be heavy and are expected to climb more slowly after take-off which might off-set any noise gains at source.”
Electric Planes Also Make a Lot of Noise. European Union Against Aircraft Nuisances, 2023
"We argue that soundscapes possess both ecological and social value and that they should be considered natural resources worthy of management and conservation... Sense of place, cultural significance, interactions with landscape perceptions, and wildlife wellbeing are a few of the values ascribed to soundscapes."
Soundscape Ecology: The Science of Sound in the Landscape. Sarah Dumjahn and Bryan Pinjanowski,
"Noise from aircraft can have a significant adverse impact on natural quiet, wildlife interactions, and visitor experiences...the Grand Canyon National Park Enlargement Act recognized natural quiet as being an important part of visitors' experiences and sought to understand the impact of overflights on the park's soundscape. Subsequently, the 1987 Overflights Act required the "substantial restoration of natural quiet."
Soundscapes: Overhead Flights. Grand Canyon National Park
" [Our] mission is to collect and interpret sounds in nature by developing and applying innovative conservation technologies across ecologically relevant scales to inspire and inform the conservation of wildlife and habitats."
The Cornell Lab, K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics