Subjective responses to aircraft noise in an outdoor recreational setting: a combined field and laboratory study

Abstract The knowledge about human perception of noise in outdoor recreational areas is limited. The aim of the present study was to study the relationship between different noise indicators and subjective responses to aircraft noise, aiming at developing applicable noise indicators in areas for recreational purposes. The perception of aircraft noise was investigated in a combined field and laboratory approach. The partially controlled outdoor field study was conducted in a recreational area close to Fornebu airport, the main airport in Oslo (until August 1998). A group of subjects were asked to score their perceived annoyance and acceptability of actual flyovers during a 50 min session as well as the total annoyance for the whole session. The subjects were later presented to the same aircraft noises, as recorded during the field session, in a laboratory experiment simulating outdoor exposure. Subjects exposed both in field and laboratory responded similarly under both conditions. In both test situations a high correlation was found between different noise indices, as well as between all noise indices and responses to single events. A significant relation was found between the number of aircraft noise events judged as “not acceptable” and the total annoyance response. The present observations showed a correspondence between subjective responses to aircraft noise, both immediate and total judgements, and personal attitudes towards the noise source, but not with self reported noise sensitivity.