Lies, Damned Lies, And Statistics

To the editor: Regarding the exchange of opinions published in the Current about the topic of airplane noise, Mr. Topham's letter of July 12, 2026, and his follow up letter of July 23, 2026 purporting to present the facts about airplane noise to make the case it's not really a problem (but if it is, we should all just deal with it) reminds me of the quote: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

It is all well and good statistics show a decrease in the number of operations, and the DNL is only exceeded within the confines of the airport (apparently, sound does not travel beyond fences of the airport,) but I have my own lived experience which convinces me excessive airplane noise is a real problem on - or, rather, over -Nantucket, and current voluntary abatement strategies of voluntary compliance are insufficient to ameliorate that problem.

Here are some more facts: Over the last 30 summers I have rented a cottage in Polpis, which is directly under the approach to Runway 24. If one were to extrapolate a line northeastward from Runway 24 through the VOR-DME beacon at Altar Rock for about 1.3 statute miles, that’s where the cottage is. (Yes, I am a plebeian who cannot afford to own a home on the island. And I have never flown in, either.) It's another 1.75 miles to the ocean. It is a fact that the prevailing wind in summer is out of the southwest, meaning many -if not most - of the incoming flights descend on the approach to Runway 24. As Mr. Topham correctly stated, airplanes cross over land at Squam at a minimum of 1,500 feet. At the recommended glide path of three degrees, they should be flying at an altitude of over 1,000 feet at Polpis. But, unfortunately for some of us, it is also a fact that, per 14 CFR section 91.119, pilots can ignore the minimum altitude requirement of 500 feet over “sparsely populated areas” (whatever that means, but apparently includes dwellings on the edge of the Moors) during takeoff and landing, and boy, do they ever. It is a fact I can tell before getting out of bed whether the day is a weekday or weekend based upon how early the noise starts and how frequent it is. It is a fact the official operating hours of the control tower at the airport are 0600 to 2200, but private airplanes can and do land 24/7. It is a fact I have been woken up at all hours of the night by private airplanes flying a few hundred feet overhead.

Mr. Topham's reference to residents on Hulbert Avenue being subjected to hearing the Steamship vessel horns as early as 0600 and as late as 0200 - with the implication those residents agreed to accept hearing the sound when they chose to live there, and those who choose to live by the airport likewise should not complain -is, with all due respect, spurious. While the Steamship vessel horns do indeed generate higher decibel levels than airplanes, the fact is Steamship boats do not fly three hundred feet over people’s heads 100 - or even 20 - times a day. Not to mention the qualitative difference between a steam whistle and its musical "chime" and the dying whale howl on an Airbus A200-300 when landing.

Furthermore, while I have also experienced the sound of a helicopter transporting a person in a dire medical emergency and felt sympathy and concern, I don’t believe some asshole flying a private airplane into the airport at 0300 qualifies as a genuine emergency.

Finally, I have read the FAA FAQ page of April 8, 2022 regarding the decommissioning of Runway 12/30, where it was explained every effort was made to balance the needs of the residential community with the needs of the aviation community. I understand the necessity of air service in order for people to conveniently visit Nantucket, and for the economy of the island as a whole. I have observed Nantucket is a place where many entitled people who believe they have the God-given right to do whatever the hell they want to do go to do it, cut down neighbors' trees to have an ocean view, and object to anything that interferes with their expectations of a Disney-like experience where they don't have to encounter unpleasant realities such as airplane noise, and I despise those people. Nonetheless, I would respectfully suggest the scales should be tipped in favor of the residential community, and it is time to explore other strategies for noise abatement beyond voluntary compliance. Complaining has obviously not accomplished anything. If Mr. Topham has explained why the suggestions of Messrs. Stott and Padian are unworkable, impractical, or simply not feasible, I have missed that explanation.

Sincerely,

George R. Studzinski
York, PA