Highway in the Sky Comments -- Dear Friends: The verse for today is from Proverbs 17:1 -- Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.

I am not quite sure what it is about Saturday that brings on the airplanes but today was yet another major airplane Saturday. I am sitting in my office and it is 5:30 PM. For the past several hours,all day actually, the airplaines have come right over my house every 30 seconds. They are running very low today! Just as the sound on one plane disappears, another is appearing on the horizon. Today it is so loud it is as if I am standing outside rather than in my cozy cottage with the doors and windows closed. This noise distresses my soul!

Last time when I was trying to start up this e-news discussion, I received a few responses to my request for material. I attach those comments here.
All comments are from October:
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Observation from Arden,DE

The community activities this weekend that were disrupted by airplane noise
include:

Memorial celebration of Warren Hoffmann's Life: airplane sounds penetrated
the Gild Hall. The noise can be heard on the Arden Archives video-tape of
the event.

Arden Craft Shop Museum dedication: The outdoor speeches required
amplification to be heard over the airplanes.

Arden Community Recreation Association Halloween Party. At the outdoor
Moonlight Theater, a campfire was placed in front of the stage. A witch sat
on the stage telling scary stories. The kids sat on the grassy banks. The
plane noise drowned out the stories.

Bev B., Arden, Delaware
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I live out in Beaver Valley, and you wouldn't expect the airplanes to have such a huge impact that far out, but they do. Perhaps it's because I'm in the middle of the wildlife refuge, and there isn't much in the way of extraneous ambient noise. I was home late Friday afternoon, doing a bunch of chores. I was dimly aware of the fact that I was hearing a number of birds outside that I haven't heard there before, and was anxious to figure out what they were - but I could barely hear them over the drone of the planes going by. Both ways, it seems from the noise. There was never a point during the two hours or so I was working, that one wasn't inundated
with the noise of not just one, but at least TWO planes overhead at any given time. As you other email so accurately stated, it was another airplane day! And yes, there have been a LOT of those lately! I actually called the noise hotline again Friday afternoon, because I was so frustrated. Of course, they won't bother to reply. I went out later to do some errands on 202, and was astonished while driving down towards Happy Harry's etc., to see plane after plane in the sky - most of which looked like they were crossing 202 no more than a thousand feet up. You could make out plane details, various lights etc. Sometimes I almost think they are doing it in on purpose to drive us nuts! I mean, they have to go out of
their way to fly so low!

Pam C. Beaver Valley (on the DE/PA line)
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I just returned from Ramsey Farm in the beautiful Brandywine Valley- my
daughter's first class trip. The children had lots of fun, and guess what... You could ALMOST hear the instructor talk about pumpkins and Indian corn. I say "almost" because the jets kept on coming over that beautiful valley. Obnoxious.
Disgraceful. And yes, VERY frustrating. The jets have been continuous for several days now. Yesterday, we (like so many other Brandywine Hundred residents) were awakened by the roar of jets. My daughter came running in and said, "Mommy, I hear the train!!" Except there is no train in our backyard. It was a jet- sounding like a rocket- over our heads. Our neighborhood is a lovely place to live. Beautiful trees ablaze in color. Problem... hard to enjoy it on those days- or string of days or weeks- when the noise never stops. We live by the winds. How insane is that? We have been taken over by the airline industry. For what?? Flights that arrive on time? Tell it to my daughter as she tries to take a nap today but can't because the noise is so great. And yes, the windows are closed....

Tina D.
President, Northshire Civic Association (DE)
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For those of you who have not yet become aware of this issue, I encourage
you to try to stay in a quiet mode every now and then and see if you can
manage a peace and quiet time! I would love to see some more people start
to get up in arms about this. I feel as if I am being driven out of my
home!
Susan W. Arden, DE

Thank you all for your insights. Please send me your comments and how these
planes are affecting your life. I am trying to expand the mailing list so
please share with me if you think someone want to receive or monthly/
occasional e-letters

Thanks, Susan Warner.
swarnerco@yahoo.com

  ¶ 11/27/2004