The silent aircraft initiative is an undertaking to reduce the noise that aircraft make, so that the airports would not contribute so much noise pollution, which reduces nearby land and home values, and causes health problems, especially in children. People should not suffer, health-wise or financially, simply because the small airport that they bought their property and home nearby from had a growing spurt and became an international airport, with huge jumbo jets taking off and landing every few minutes. At roughly 100 to 115 Decibels of noise for a jet to take off, and louder when landing, having a blast of eardrum splitting level noise every few minutes can take the joy out of home ownership, and ward off other people from buying your home when you decide to sell it.
Selling a home by an airport that supports commercial jets can be a losing proposition, but the health of children is the man concern. Land and home values by major airports plummet as the number of flights per hour increases. If you really must sell your home, then be prepared to take a major financial loss, compared to what you would have gotten for the same home and property if the airport were not adjacent to your home. This is, in effect, one of the more popular reasons for the silent aircraft initiative, but child welfare is the major concern of the silent aircraft initiative.
The silent aircraft initiative, if implemented and followed correctly, should increase the value of those homes and properties that are adjacent to airports that are big enough to allow jumbo jets to land and take off. It will also aid in the reduction of health problems associated with constant exposure to extremely loud aircraft noise, especially the health of babies, children and the elderly. Children, in their early, formative years, have not fully developed their hearing capabilities, and subjecting children to constant 100+ Decibel noise every minute or two will most likely effect their hearing for the rest of their lives. In children, the small hairs that make up the inner ear’s hearing ability are permanently damaged by excessive noise.
Other health problems associated with living close to an international airport are increased blood pressure, asthma, heart diseases, and most of the stress-related diseases. A child’s ability to play sports or musical instruments in the future could be affected, as hearing loss brings with it a loss of balance, to some degree. Realizing that modern aircraft were having ill effects on children, as well as adults and seniors, made the aviation industry and governments take notice, and make a plan to have modernized aircraft that will have less than half of the noise pollution of the current jumbo, private and corporate jets, as well as the huge propeller aircraft and military jets. This is the silent aircraft initiative.
Following in the footsteps of the Air Force will benefit the silent aircraft initiative. Military aircraft are designed with stealth flight in mind, in order to attack an enemy position without giving away their presence. True stealth capability can not be achieved with an aircraft making so much noise. Airframes are being designed and tested in wind machines (wind turbines), with the object being to minimize the noise levels of aircraft, by streamlining their bodies, in order to reduce the airframe noise. Airframe noise is actually greater than the engine noise when an aircraft is on approach or landing.
However, the silent aircraft initiative, if implemented and followed completely, would be a financial burden on the airliners like no other financial burden placed on any company or manufacturer, including during war, and World War times. Imagine American Airlines having to replace all of their aircraft with new, streamlined jets, in order to increase home and property values, and to help diminish health ailments is children. That would be a multi-billion dollar investment, and the majority of airliners are barley keeping their heads above water these days. A daunting task, a nice thought, but is the initiative a waste of taxpayers money? If it does not bring about change in airliner’s planes, then it will be a waste of money.
