Community Noise Survey - Noise Log #1
(Editor's note: Members of CommunityAIR and the Harbourfront Community Association have become increasingly concerned about the mounting noise from the Island Airport. The TPA and the managers of the airport seem to ignore us. It apprears that they are trying to find ways to expand the numbers of take offs and landings regardless of the concerns of the neighbours.
One of the members of CommunityAIR who lives in the community is a sound engineer. He volunteered to do a study off his balcony using a sound metre that measures decibels. This is his report. First is his report and then the raw data of the readings that he took follows. The results are very interesting.
You can come to your own conclusions about the impact of the airport on the community.)
Community Noise Survey - Noise Log #1 Comments & Conclusions
These are observations and conclusions arising from the measurement of noise from our home, an apartment with a balcony which overlooks Little Norway Park. On the other side of this park is the Toronto Island Airport, called City Centre Airport, which services Porter Airlines, other airplanes and helicopters.
From the third floor balcony, we can’t see the airport in the summer because tall trees block the view. The trees in the park muffle some of the sound from the airport, which means noise measurements from a third floor balcony will likely be lower than from higher balconies.
Other factors affecting noise readings are wind, and combined noise readings when the airport, car traffic and construction noise all add up to make a much louder noise reading. If the wind blows south, the noise from the airport is less, as the noise blows over the lake. Northerly winds blow airport noises towards our homes which makes it sound louder to us.
Looking at noise measurements from this balcony, I can conclude that there are four types of noise: unnoticeable, noticeable, loud, and very loud. More than this is painful noise, but the painful noise level is rarely reached except by police and fire sirens or lightning.
When noise is noticeable and unnoticeable, it’s not a problem. We can live comfortably with noises within the 50 dbc decibel and 60 dbc decibel range. When the sound level reaches 70 decibels, the noise becomes loud enough to interfere with our lives. If we play a stereo or turn up a TV to 75-80 decibels, a neighboring apartment can hear the noise.
At 80 dbc, noise becomes a problem. More than a distraction, 80 decibels can interfere and take over our lives. We have difficulty hearing conversations. We have difficulty hearing music. We can’t continue writing a letter at 80 dbc because the noise is too distracting. It’s difficult working or writing a report with a stereo turned up really loud.
People living near the airport live with noise levels of 70 to 90 decibels every day, from 6 am to midnight, and sometimes past midnight. Most of this noise comes from the airport. Approximately 20 percent of loud noise peaks come from unusually loud traffic, like transport trucks and garbage trucks. Motorcycles and Paratranspo buses are very loud.
Experiencing these sounds, with a DB Meter to compare traffic noises and airport sounds, I conclude that LOUD NOISES are a small problem, but VERY LOUD noises are a serious problem. Measuring LOUD and VERY LOUD noises over a one month period gives an accurate indication of how noise affects a community. The number of VERY LOUD noises is an accurate measure of serious noise problems for a community.
In the month of August 2009, I was able to record noise levels for 30 loud and very loud noise experiences. As measurements were sampled only 1% of the time available, it’s assumed these numbers can be multiplied 100 times to get an accurate number of loud and very loud noise experiences. On the basis of these figures, it’s estimated that 3000 loud and very loud noise experiences occurred in this community in the month of August.
40% of these noise experiences were VERY LOUD, totaling an estimated 1200 VERY LOUD noise experiences over a one month period. The airport accounts for 84% of the very loud noises. Loud airport noise dominates the community 20% - 40% of the time. Noise problems seem much worse in the summer when doors and windows are open.
Community Noise Survey - Noise Log #3 Conclusions
The noise level is constantly over 70 dbc, often over 80 dbc and sometimes over 90 decibels.
When it is very quiet, it is about 65 dbc. With some city noise, it is about 70dbc. Whenever there is a plane taxiing, it goes to over 75 dbc.
The noise study indicated that there is constant activities in the airport that exceeds 74 dbc. It is more than just the split second of planes take off or land. Planes run the engine before taxiing, as they await at the runway to take off.
There are often many planes making noise at the same time. Sometimes, there are two or more Q400’s running engines, taxiing, taking off and landing. Making it worse is the addition of small plane activities. So the noise is continuous and creates a constant nuisance.
COMMUNITY * AIRPORT NOISE LOGS
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Dates |
Community |
DBA |
DBC |
Comments |
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Noise Standards |
Adjusted Decibels |
Complete Decibels |
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for comparison purposes |
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Common Sounds |
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quiet balcony |
52 dba |
60 dbc |
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low television |
58 dba |
65 dbc |
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loud television |
63 dba |
70 dbc |
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loud stereo |
68 dba |
75 dbc |
loud |
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passing cars |
60 dba |
70 dbc |
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motorcycles |
68 dba |
75 dbc |
loud |
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garbage trucks |
70 dba |
82 dbc |
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police sirens |
85 dba |
100 dbc |
very loud |
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loud rock concerts |
90+ |
110+ |
painful noise |
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Airport Sounds |
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airplane takeoff |
70 dba |
77 dbc |
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airplane taxiing |
75 dba |
85 dbc |
loud |
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engine run-up |
80-90 dba |
90-98 |
very loud |
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August 2009 |
Community Noise Log # 1 |
Time |
Decibels (DBC) |
Comments |
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Sat. Aug. 8, |
engine run-up, 10 minutes |
8 pm |
84 decibels |
very loud |
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Mon. Aug 10 |
airplane takeoffs |
11:40 am |
82 dbc |
loud |
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Fri.. Aug. 14 |
plane takeoff |
3:55 pm |
84 |
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helicopter |
4:20 pm |
80 |
loud |
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ferry horn blast |
4:33 pm |
84 |
loud |
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airplane warm-up |
7 pm |
80 |
loud |
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warm-up & takeoff |
10:30 pm |
78 |
loud |
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engine run-up? |
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81 |
loud |
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Sat. Aug 15 |
helicopter |
2 pm |
82 |
loud |
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Sun. Aug. 16 |
4 motorcycles |
10:50 am |
88 |
very loud |
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plane takeoff |
11 am |
78 |
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plane |
2:30 pm |
79 |
loud |
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ferry foghorn |
2:35 pm |
80 |
loud |
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plane |
2:40 pm |
84 |
very loud |
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ferry foghorn |
2:45 pm |
84 |
very loud |
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planes |
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85 |
very loud |
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plane |
8:50 pm |
75 |
very loud |
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plane |
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68 |
loud |
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plane |
10:05 pm |
74 |
loud |
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plane – 10 mins |
10:18 pm |
82 |
very loud |
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Mon. Aug. 17 |
plane |
00:30 am |
70 |
loud |
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helicopter |
11:45 am |
82 |
loud |
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plane |
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78 |
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plane |
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80 |
loud |
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Wed. Aug. 19 |
airplane warm-up for a few minutes |
9 pm |
75 |
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takeoff |
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78 |
loud |
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helicopter for a few minutes |
11:24 pm |
73 |
very loud |
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Aug. 20 all morning |
plane preliminary warm-ups (constant) |
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70-72 |
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plane takeoff |
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77 |
loud |
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plane takeoff warm-ups (1 min every 10m) |
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very loud |
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Oct-Nov 2009 |
Community Noise Log # 2 |
Time |
Decibels (DBC) |
Comments |
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October 17 |
small plane |
11:25 am |
79 decibels |
loud |
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helicopter |
11:35 |
80 dbc |
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plane taxiing – lasts a minute |
11:40 |
84 |
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Porter plane taking off |
11:45 |
88 |
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airplane takeoff |
11:52 |
88 |
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helicopter |
2:20 pm |
80 |
loud |
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small plane |
2:22 |
76 |
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ferry horn |
2:25 |
70 |
loud |
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Porter landing |
2:28 |
80 |
loud |
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Porter taxiing |
2:44 |
75 |
loud |
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takeoff |
2:46 |
83 |
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takeoff |
2:50 |
83 |
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takeoff |
2:55 |
83 |
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takeoff |
3:05 |
86 |
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takeoff |
3:10 |
80 |
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landing |
6:20 |
80 |
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October 18 |
takeoff |
8:45 am |
77 |
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takeoff |
1:35 pm |
81 |
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November 1 |
plane |
9:51 am |
78 |
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landing |
10:05 |
83 |
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landing |
10:15 |
81 |
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landing |
11 am |
77 |
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landing |
11:21 |
80 |
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small plane taking off |
1:40 pm |
78 |
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Porter takeoff |
2:10 |
80 |
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helicopter |
2:30 |
82 |
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Porter landing |
2:50 |
78 |
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takeoff |
2:53 |
87 |
very loud |
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helicopter |
2:55 |
87 |
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landing |
2:57 |
78 |
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small plane taking off |
2:58 |
78 |
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small plane flying overhead |
3 pm |
78 |
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November 2 |
small plane taking off |
8:07 am |
85 |
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Porter landing |
8:10 |
77 |
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takeoff |
8:15 |
79 |
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landing |
8:17 |
80 |
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Porter revving engines |
8:20 |
75 |
loud |
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Porter revving engines |
8:40 |
78 |
loud |
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takeoff |
9 am |
82 |
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takeoff |
9:20 |
78 |
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takeoff |
9:25 |
78 |
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takeoff |
9:30 |
78 |
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landing |
10:05 |
78 |
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small plane taking off |
10:11 |
80 |
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Porter revving up - lasts a long time |
10:12 |
77 |
very loud |
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November 5 |
planelanding |
5:15 pm |
88 |
very loud |
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landing |
7 pm |
77 |
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landing |
7:05 |
77 |
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November 7 |
small plane takeoff (wind blowing from S) |
9:30 am |
79 |
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small plane takeoff |
10 am |
78 |
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small plane |
10:10 |
80 |
loud |
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landing |
10:15 |
82 |
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takeoff |
10:53 |
82 |
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landing |
10:57 |
79 |
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12 noon |
77 |
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takeoff |
12:15 |
82 |
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Porter plane on tarmac |
12:17 |
87 |
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landing |
12:30 |
87 |
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landing |
12:35 |
88 |
very loud |
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landing |
1:05 |
87 |
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landing |
3 pm |
84 |
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November 9 |
landing |
10:45 am |
77 |
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landing |
10:50 |
78 |
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landing |
10:51 |
79 |
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Porter plane on tarmac |
10:57 |
81 |
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Porter plane on tarmac |
11:01 |
81 |
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landing |
11:02 |
71 |
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Porter plane on tarmac |
11:15 |
92 |
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Porter plane on tarmac |
11:40 |
84 |
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Porter plane on tarmac |
11:50 |
90 |
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Porter plane on tarmac |
11:52 |
90 |
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November 10 |
landing |
12:50 pm |
80 |
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landing |
1:10 |
84 |
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landing |
1:20 |
78 |
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helicopter |
1:45 |
81 |
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landing |
1:46 |
78 |
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Nov-Dec. 2009 |
Community Noise Log # 3 |
Time |
Decibels (DBC) |
Comments |
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Nov 23-09 |
Plane Take off |
7:07 am |
85 decibels |
very loud |
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Plane Take off |
7:09 am |
88 dbc |
very loud |
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Power Run Up, 8min |
7:15-23 |
86 |
very loud |
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Plane take off |
7:23 |
79 |
loud |
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helicopter take off |
7:40 |
79 |
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medivac taxiing |
7:50 |
75 |
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Plane landing |
7:53 |
77 |
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Plane taxiing |
7:54 |
76 |
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plane taxiing + Medivac copter run up |
7:55 |
79 |
loud |
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2 planes taxiing |
7:56 |
77 |
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plane landing |
8:00 |
82 |
very loud |
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Helicopter run up + 2 planes taxiing |
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81 |
loud |
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plane take off |
8:00 |
84 |
very loud |
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helicopter run up, more than 20 min |
8:10 |
77 |
very loud |
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Dec 4-09 |
engine run up at terminal |
1:45 pm |
80 |
loud |
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engine run up + plane taxiing |
1:46 pm |
85 |
very loud |
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Plane taxiing |
1:48 |
77 |
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Plane take off |
1:49 |
91 |
deafening |
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plane taxiing |
1:49 |
77 |
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engine run up |
1:50 |
87 |
very loud |
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plane land |
1:52 |
76 |
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plane take off+ another taxiing |
1:55 |
88 |
very loud |
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Porter Bus |
1:56 |
80 |
loud |
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Engine Run up |
1:56 |
79 |
loud |
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small plane take off |
2:00 |
84 |
very loud |
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plane taxiing |
2:01 |
78 |
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plane take off |
2:03 |
87 |
very loud |
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taxi horn |
2:05 |
83 |
loud |
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Car backward signal |
2:08 |
73 |
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helicopter flying |
2:11 |
83 |
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helicopter land |
2:12 |
84 |
very loud |
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engine run up |
2:15 |
77 |
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engine run up |
2:18 |
89 |
very loud |
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Small plane take off |
2:20 |
88 |
loud |
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Traffic + horn |
2:29 |
75 |
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small plane taxiing |
2:34 |
88 |
very loud |
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small plane take off |
2:36 |
84 |
loud |
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small plane take off |
2:37 |
83 |
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Plane take off |
2:38 |
84 |
very loud |
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Porter Bus |
2:40 |
76 |
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Plane take off |
2:40 |
88 |
deafening |
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helicopter run up |
2:49 |
88 |
very loud |
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Plane land |
2:50 |
78 |
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Small plane take off |
2:50 |
82 |
loud |
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plane taxiing |
2:52 |
78 |
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helicopter taxiing |
2:53 |
82 |
loud |
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Medivac helicopter take off |
2:54 |
82 |
loud |
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Plane landing |
2:57 |
76 |
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Plane taxiing |
2:57 |
77 |
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small plane land & taxiing |
2:59 |
82 |
loud |
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small plane taxiing |
3:01 |
85 |
very loud |
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small plane take off |
3:04 |
88 |
deafening |
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Plane landing |
3:05 |
83 |
loud |
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2 planes taxiing |
3:06 |
78 |
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plane take off |
3:06 |
82 |
loud |
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taxiing |
3:09 |
86 |
deafening |
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Small plan land |
3:17 |
79 |
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plane taxiing |
3:19 |
78 |
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Ferry Horn |
3:20 |
77 |
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plane taxiing |
3:21 |
86 |
very loud |
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plane take off |
3:24 |
86 |
very loud |
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engine run up |
3:26 |
78 |
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Plane landing |
3:28 |
85 |
very loud |
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3 planes taxiing |
3:32 |
77 |
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small plane take off |
3:35 |
81 |
loud |
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2 planes taxiing |
3:36 |
78 |
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plane landing |
3:38 |
78 |
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plane take off |
3:39 |
85 |
very loud |
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2 planes taxiing + engine run up |
3:40 |
81 |
loud |
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small plane take off |
3:41 |
76 |
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small plane take off |
3:42 |
86 |
very loud |
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plane take off |
3:47 |
79 |
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Plane take off |
3:52 |
76 |
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December 2009 |
Plane taxiing |
8:42 pm |
83 |
loud |
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Plane taxiing |
8:43 |
82 |
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Plane take off |
8:44 |
87 |
very loud |
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plane taxiing |
8:48 |
84 |
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Plane land |
8:49 |
86 |
very loud |
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Plane take off |
8:52 |
85 |
very loud |
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small plane take off |
8:57 |
84 |
very loud |
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small plane landing |
9:08 |
83 |
loud |
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Siren |
9:12 |
85 |
very loud |
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Plane landing |
9:18 |
85 |
very loud |
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plane taxiing + Porter bus |
9:19 |
85 |
very loud |
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Plane landing |
9:20 |
84 |
very loud |
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Plane taxiing |
9:28 |
75 |
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engine run up |
9:29 |
82 |
very loud |
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Engine run up |
9:31 |
78 |
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plane landing |
9:34 |
77 |
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plane take off |
9:35 |
87 |
very loud |
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plane taxiing |
9:36 |
76 |
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cars landing from ferry |
9:38 |
74 |
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Engine run up |
9:51 |
75 |
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plane taxiing + helicopter |
9:56 |
79 |
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plane taxiing |
9:58 |
77 |
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plane take off |
9:59 |
85 |
very loud |
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plane take off |
10:04 |
91 |
deafening |
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plane take off |
10:10 |
82 |
loud |
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plane land |
10:12 |
82 |
loud |
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plane take off |
10:25 |
79 |
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Plane take off |
10:26 |
79 |
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Comments