BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – It may be the most hated sound in the region. In fact, 3 cities have passed resolutions to get rid of them.
But BTV Leahy says we need F-35′s. Without the national guard’s lease, which was recently extended, the airport says they wouldn’t be able to afford the required on-site fire department, something the military provides for free.
“There’s no plan for a mission change at the Vermont National Guard,” said Daniel Finnegan from the Vermont National Guard.
So whether you like them or not, they’re here to stay, but that doesn’t mean the complaints are going unnoticed.
“If it makes a positive improvement for the people in the cities at the end of the runway, then we’re willing to do it,” said Finnegan.
The Vermont National Guard released their noise mitigation plan.
“This is the best we can come up with at this point,” said Finnegan.
That best is something called Afterburner, a mechanism of additional power that increases the plane’s thrust by burning through jet fuel. letting the plane rise higher faster, increasing it’s altitude by about 500 ft before it reaches residential areas and throughout its new and shorter flight path.
“This improved profile will reduce the noise by four decibels in both Winooski and Burlington,” said Finnegan.
Four decibels may not seem like a lot, but the difference between decibels is exponential. Some community members at Chamberlain Elementary were excited about the plan, but others were not so much.
“I was hoping that things would maybe be looking better in 2024, but it doesn’t seem to be the case,” said Burlington resident Susie Taylor.
Before the National Guard can even put this proposal into action. They’ll have to study it and find out if it can be improved as well as its resulting environmental impact.
They plan to begin the study in January of 2025 with results and more action happening in a year after.
