The everyday operations of an airport and in particular a military air base produce lots of noise. From the taking off and landing of aircraft to the ground support units of the aircraft this is a noisy business. There are several different groups affected by this issue, some from an economical standpoint, others from living conditions.  The home owners, the development companies, the real estate companies, the air base personnel, and the city in which this is taking place all have a stake in the problem and a preference for a specific solution. For some, living near an air base has caused much discomfort where the noise has become too much to bear. This discomfort pushes these homeowners to partition to take very drastic measures to reduce the noise. There are several solutions that I would like to explore because they have proven effective in the past. The first of these solutions is the closure of an air base completely or its reduction to a low activity civilian airport. Another possible solution is to limit the amount of development that can take place in the vicinity the air base. A third solution is to install or up-grade the soundproofing of homes and other buildings around the air base plus enforce noise abatement procedures to be followed by the pilots. Lastly, by making the homeowners more aware of the surrounding area before they buy the property would eliminate many complaints because the homeowners know what they are becoming involved in. All of these solutions will be explored in order to find out how they will affect the various stakeholder groups. Also the effects on the economy will be explored for each possible solution.  The best solution can be determined by analyzing the effects on the economy and the various stakeholder groups.
The complete shutting down of an air force base or the reduction of one to a low activity civilian airport is the first solution to the noise problem and it supplies more adverse affects than any consequences that would serve some justice. According to the Air Installation Comapatible Use Zone  the air base has taken into consideration the noise factor (AICUZ Study). Williams Air Force Base was closed as an active military air force base and was reduced to a civilian airport in 1993 for, among other reasons, noise from high-performance military aircraft flying over cities such as Chandler and Mesa that were causing a lot of complaints (Williams Gateway Airport).  For the homeowners the noise problem from the aircraft was reduced significantly.  In this case the development and real estate companies had already developed and sold the land surrounding the air base so the closure of the base did not have a large impact on their business.  The cons stemming from this decision were plentiful however the most profound negative impact is that this caused the loss of nearly  “three million dollars in economic activity and thirty-eight hundred jobs” in the instance of the closure of Williams Air Force Base (Williams Gateway Airport). Much of that came from several different places like the military personnel spending money in the surrounding community, and the Air Force contracting with local businesses. These service men and women also lived in this community so they too were homeowners contributing even more to the economy. With the deactivation of Williams as an air force base jobs were lost as well. In addition to military personnel Williams Air Force base also employed civilian workers.
Another solution to the noise issue is to limit the real estate and development companies to building at a certain radius around the air base.  They would be limited to building outside of the intense noise radius. A definite negative consequence for the economy is that the undeveloped land will not be able to generate revenue neither through the building and sales of homes nor through commercial enterprises. Lack of development equals lack of construction, which is not contributing to creating a job market for construction workers.  The lack of additional residential housing would result in Air Forcer personnel having to travel further to their homes if they wished to live off base.  A major benefit to this solution is that there are no homes inside the radius to which noise would be a problem.  Thus resolving much of the issue. Limiting the housing development would lighten the burden of aerospace safety planners.  The Air Force would also be able to utilize the air force base more effectively by planning and executing a greater number of missions, occurring with more frequency and flexibility of schedule.
Soundproofing the new and existing residences in the areas surrounding air bases coupled with noise abatement procedures enforced by the air force would directly address the issue of reducing the complaints generated by the “noise [which] is measured in decibels, a logarithmic scale of loudness.” (6 Arizona Aviation) Compared to a room in a quiet dwelling at midnight, which is 32 decibels, a jet airliner at five hundred feet above ground level is 115 decibels. (5 Arizona Aviation) With this fact it is hard to ignore this solution however are several downsides to this solution; one is the cost of soundproofing the buildings in the most intense noise radius about the air bases.  The question is who will foot the bill for the soundproofing. In other cases, the federal government has taken responsibility for applying federal funds to offset the cost of this solution (City of Phoenix). Noise abatement would require pilots to alter their flight paths and include throttle-reducing procedures on takeoff. However this solution addresses most of the noise problems for both the city, and the airport.  Primarily, noise would not be nearly as much of a problem as it currently is without these procedures. Research done on aircraft noise and the market for residential housing suggests that areas with low airport noise have higher sale rates than areas with high airport noise (h-1 Nelson). The real estate companies could take advantage of the land around the air bases, which would enhance the economy.  The air base could remain open, contributing even more to the economy.  The ramifications of this solution have the longest lasting benefits for all stakeholder groups involved.
A final solution is to require the new home and business owners to sign a waiver stating that they cannot file complaints about the noise and they are responsible for the installation of soundproofing.. For the homes that were there already they would get federally funded sound insulation. This solution would be most effective if there is an existing air force base or airport and existing housing plus the potential development around the airport. Certain cons to be considered are that there might be a decrease in the amount of people willing to buy property around the airport knowing the full picture of what they will be purchasing.  Even after soundproofing the inside of their homes, they would still be exposed to the noise outside. For example homes under the departure and arrival flight path of Sky Harbor International Airport experience this on a day-to-day basis.  On the other hand, this solution allows for maximum satisfaction throughout each stakeholder group. Starting with the development companies they get to utilize the land surrounding the airport that would otherwise remain an untapped resource.  The real estate companies although they must be more forthcoming with information about the surrounding area they get more loyal buyers. The homeowners will not be woken up at three o’clock in the morning by aircraft operations at the air force base. The air force base remains open providing jobs and providing resources to the military.  All of which are strengthening the economy through jobs, businesses, and other urban necessities.  Balancing the pros and cons between the suggested solutions, this possible solution is the most beneficial to all the stake holder groups, thus being the best potential solution.
When considering possible solutions in order to eradicate the concerns of the members of the community it is necessary to entertain all possibilities.  Above, four possible solutions to the problem of aircraft generated noise pollution were given.  Closing down the air force base, limiting the amount of development, which takes place in the intense noise radius, or implementing soundproofing and noise abatement procedures are all feasible possibilities to resolving the problem of noise pollution from the air force bases. However, making the homeowners and the real estate companies more accountable for the area in which they live and conduct business coupled with soundproofing and noise abatement procedures most fully addresses all aspects of the issue. This solution is the most beneficial to all stakeholders taking into consideration the economic impacts the repercussions will have on the surrounding community.  This solution could easily, with the least financial burden on any of the stakeholder groups, be implemented in almost any community surrounding an air force base, or airport making it the most beneficial solution.