Many airports around the country are facing capacity maximization and encroachment issues. This, the extreme NIMBYism associated with expanding existing regional or municipal airports, and the environmental cost of building new airports, seems to inidicate that we must turn to technology to provide a plausible solution.
As active noise cancellation technology has developed from the mythical "Cone of Silence" seen in the 70's era Get Smart television show to actual algorithyms used in cell phones, head phones, and other devices, it seems feasible that an active noise cancellation sound wave projection device could be developed for use in uncontrolled airspace.
I would propose placing vertically directed active noise cancellation amplifiers along a runway, and pitched amplifiers at either end of the runway to help disperse ground level noise created by approaching, taxing, and departing aircraft. The active noise amplifiers would "listen" to the noise generated by an aircraft and project sound waves at exactly the opposite trough/crest formation.
Although the uncontrolled airspace would not allow for as complete a cancellation as is expected in today's cell phones (to the point where the person on the other line thinks the line is dead if nobody is talking), any mitigation at ground level would have a tremendous impact on the size of the footprint affected by chronic airport noise.
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great idea if the technology exists. and then why not everywhere - busy roads, train stations, etc etc.
i'm sure all the frickin' taxes we pay for roads and airports would cover the costs.
Such would provide relief only at the location of the reproduction system, not to people a mile away and underneath the aircraft.
I'd rather have relief at my ears, not at my reproduction system.
this technology does not work in open space because if the sounds are not originating from the correct angle and proper difference of distance relative to the ear, the wave patterns are not necessarily opposing, and can actually be cumulative, making the noise louder if you are not in the exactly correct location.