Tips for Homeowners/Real Estate

Noise Program Coordinator

Concerned about the impact of aircraft noise? Call the Noise Program Coordinator at (239) 590-4624 before you buy a home. The Noise Program Coordinator will answer questions you may have regarding current and future noise impacts.

 

Assess the Homesite

Visit the home site during various times, days and seasons (summer and winter) to observe aircraft operations in each operational mode (departure and takeoffs). Peak travel season for airport operations at RSW is the winter and the peak month is March which gradually decreases during the summer months. There are two flight corridors for aircraft operations at RSW. When the winds are from the north or northeast, planes depart toward the northeast over Lehigh Acres and arrive from the west or southwest over Fort Myers Beach. When the winds are west or southwest, planes depart toward Interstate 75 and areas north of Alico Road zoned for commercial and industrial development and arrive over areas south of Alico Road and northeast over Lehigh Acres. The noise impact will be different for each operational mode at the home site. A good time to observe is near noon on weekdays. Most planes fly during the day and early evening and some flights occur late at night. Weekends may be busy too. Personal observations are important. However, you probably don't have the time to observe at all hours. Airplanes fly at all hours and there is no curfew at RSW.

 

Modeled Flight Tracks

The modeled flight tracks affect most areas in Lee County. Become aware of what aircraft noise impacts there may be at the home site by visiting and spending time at the home site. RSW currently operates with one runway with plans to construct a new parallel runway south of the existing runway sometime after 2010. This will allow for simultaneous arrivals and departures. Occasionally, there can be some day-to-day variation in the airspace where airplanes operate, however in general, the modeled flight track map shows where airplanes predominantly fly when operating at RSW. There can be variation in the altitude of the airplanes due to various reasons, both on departure and on approach. An airplane flying lower than other airplanes can cause a noise disturbance.

 

RSW Runway

Currently, Southwest Florida International Airport has one 12,000 foot runway that handles all commercial, cargo, commuter, and some general aviation jets and propeller aircraft operations. A shorter parallel runway, 9,000 feet in length is planned to be constructed and operational sometime after 2010. This new runway will be built to meet the expected growth in demand of commercial passenger air service. The existing and planned parallel runways are shown on the Year 2020 Composite Noise Contour Map

 

Screen Information Carefully

Be careful with what people tell you. Real estate agents, property developers, neighbors and concerned citizens may not be familiar with aircraft operations at RSW. So when they tell you that the airport shuts down at night or that the planes usually fly the other way or that it's not that bad or that the noise is getting worse every day or that the flight tracks were just changed or that the property value is going down or anything else, please call the Noise Program Coordinator. The Noise Program Coordinator will discuss modeled flight tracks, current aircraft operations, aircraft over flight areas, and future growth at the airport.

 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

It is important for the public to know that the authority to control aircraft in flight and on the ground is vested exclusively in the FAA. The FAA, however, cannot control the number of flights or the time of day of aircraft operations. Federal law preempts any local government agency from implementing any action that is intended to control the routes of aircraft in flight. Therefore, local elected officials and airport management cannot control the routes of aircraft in flight or on the ground.

 

Source: Raleigh-Durham International Airport Noise Program