Comments on: Cursing the Friendly Skies

By: TeeRuss

TeeRuss — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:15:08 +0000

Aha! So it IS a conspiracy!

By: noboddy

noboddy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:07:36 +0000

I grew up in East Marietta 5+ miles away from Dobbins.
My grandparents house was near Main Street in College Park.
Trust me – Decatur’s way quieter, even when the flight pattern is mostly over the East side of town.

And for plane watchers — you want excitement? Once at dusk I was in the WalMart parking lot on US 41 off the end of the Dobbins runway. A monster C-5 cargo plane (built right across the street at Lockheed) on final approach screamed over at a few hundred feet as only the fans on a C-5 can do. The landing gear looked like a tractor trailer was strapped to the bottom of the plane, and you could almost count the rivets.

By: dsw

dsw — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:30:50 +0000

Maybe we had a special visit from the good folks at the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment — the Nightstalkers:

http://www.soc.mil/160soar/soar_home.htm

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:14:40 +0000

Thanks Decatur Metro! I’m the one who sent the anonymous email and I really appreciate your posting it. I also appreciate all the responses, especially Andy’s explanation and to know that its not just a “south of the tracks” phenomenon.

As an ex-suburbanite, I’ve never lived so close-in before, so I suppose the various sounds just require a little getting used to. I’ll have to remember that before going around accusing my neighbors of conspiracies!

Thanks again!

By: Unconcerned Citizen

Unconcerned Citizen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:50:59 +0000

I think what we need is a good ole’ sonic boom right about now.

By: SteveC

SteveC — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:42:50 +0000

I do think long-time residents get “used to” the airplane noise — not that we should or that it’s healthy. Back in the early 80s (after living here only a few years), I was videotaping my youngest playing outside one Sat. a.m. Only when I played the movie back on our TV did I noitce the airplane noise almost drowning out the conversations.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:14:37 +0000

Agreed! Thanks much for the info Andy!

By: treesrock

treesrock — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:03:17 +0000

I live in North East Decatur and airplane traffic bothers me especially when they are doing east operations and/or is overcast. It is a combination of the noise and the frequency, about 1 plane per minute between 8 and 10 and 4 -7. If I let it, it drives me crazy. I love all the explanations above, especially the part about east operations nfrom Andy, I always sensed that it changed when the wind was from a different direction, now I know! Very informative.