Former Air Force Test Pilot Develops The 'Air Noise Button'

You've seen multiple stories here on Aero-News about residents complaining about noise from aircraft following the implementation of new NextGen flight patterns by the FAA. Now, a former U.S. Air Force test pilot has developed a device that makes it easier for people living under those paths to file noise complaints.

MSN reports that Chris McCann, who is now a software engineer, was one of those people. He lives in an affluent area of La Jolla, CA on the coast just north of San Diego that recently began experiencing an increase in aircraft noise. He said that while he found the noise only "annoying", but felt the process of registering complaints was time consuming and complex. So, he developed what he calls the "Airnoise Button".

The device is similar to a garage door opener. It connects to the Internet, and when the button is pushed, it automatically identifies the nearest aircraft and registers a complaint.

McCann said he felt it was his "patriotic duty" to help people register complaints. According to the report, some 200 people around the country are currently using the device. They have registered nearly 300,000 complaints about airplane nose.

But McCann is also an entrepreneur. He charges $24 per month to ship the device and $5 per month for the service. He says the money only covers his costs, and he also offers a free service that does not require the device and allows users to file up to 15 complaints per month.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report