You never mentioned that only a 6dB difference in readings corresponds to a 2X change in sound pressure levels. The cars were almost 4X quieter. The big difference between planes and paramotors is the proximity to people during flight. Only a 2X increase in distance is reduces the sound level pressure by 4X (assuming spherical radiated; no directional). 4X further reduces the sound by 16X (scales as the square). A plane will rarely be as close as your example of a football field. Just some thoughts.

@evanwindom3265

2 жыл бұрын

Inverse square law in action.

Facts. Bookmarked for the future... Thanks for sharing Cap'n!

It is- not the dBs that triggers people, but the behavior and the duration. You measure an airplane that is there for 1 minute. that is something different than 3 cowboys circling the field the whole damn evening that annoys people. just take of and fly away and nobody will complain. I fly for 15 years now and had only one complaint. And that was from a person that complains about anything. if people complain, you probably do something wrong. my advise: change your behavior because you damage our sport. all the paramotors from Europe are tested with a noise production below 60 dB at 300 Ft.

@wardified8566

3 жыл бұрын

Proactive courtesy goes a long way 👌

This is definitely an interesting video but like you said we all as pilots try to respect those on the ground so we can continue to enjoy the sky without people complaining. Keep the great videos coming and as always thanks for putting this together.

@evanwindom3265

2 жыл бұрын

I'd say that all pilots SHOULD try to respect those on the ground. Clearly, though, not all pilots do.

@kevincollins8014

2 жыл бұрын

@@evanwindom3265 Unfortunately you are correct. Common courtesy and respect seem to be diminishing rapidly. I guess at least we can try to set a good example and maybe some of it will hopefully rub off on the inconsiderate.

Er... I was hoping to get a sense of how loud it is for the pilot and comparisons of different motors.

Would have liked to see you at a barn or house when a paramotor does a flyby at a typical distance and elevation that someone would fly at when near a house or farm.

Excellent vid bud!

Great video David. I would like to know what is the decibel rating of the engine noise when its a foot away? Hearing protection on the market, does it really do an efficient job in protecting a pilots who fly frequently? To take it one step further, what is the minimum decibel rating for ear muffs that we should we be looking for to protect against long term hearing loss?

Yep, the noise levels aren't that huge given some distance. But circumstances make a big difference. There are lots of videos of pilots (even folks like Tucker Gott), flying 3' off the ground through people's property, down their long driveways, etc. So, they're bringing noise that is not "native" to the area. My lawn mower may not be that loud, but coming on to your lawn and running it under your window is kind of a jerk move. I also don't think pilots put the sport in a good light when they land and take off from private property without permission. Just because it's an open field doesn't mean it's an open invitation. Tucker also boasts about his flights around and on top of clouds, ignoring that such flights are also in violation of the FAR 103.23. (PPG pilots flying above 1,200 AGL but less than 10,000' MSL must have these clearances from clouds: 500 feet below.1,000 feet above.2,000 feet horizontal.) I think Tucker is an amazing advocate for the sport -- right up until he decides the rules don't apply to him. He's an influencer -- he's worked hard to make himself one -- and people think that if Tucker gets away with that stuff, why shouldn't they do it?

I installed a K&N air filter on my 185 after the OEM airbox acquired a hole, per the prop...It sounds like it's in the same relative ranges your experiencing, less some decibel spike on launch, from maybe the gulp of the carb or reed valve.

Great video

You should have ironically put closed captioning on this video... lol. That was some awesome real-world testing. Great video Dave!

Science!

Great vid Dave, only problem is the only watchers of this vis are people who favor PPG

@David_Wolfe

3 жыл бұрын

That’s my evil plan… No, seriously speaking to was made to be shared to those who are not.

Before the trolls descend... Yes, every decibel increase is a logarithmic increase of two and we are covering a tremendous range of sound pressure level (SPL) in David's samples. The grand takeaway: The relative decibel level of butt fans in relation to common sounds in our environment (though unfamiliar in quality) is not unreasonable in volume. Thanks dude, this was very enlightening for me 🪂😎🪂

This is good content @David Wolfe

What about while on your back and in the air

@David_Wolfe

2 жыл бұрын

I don’t think with the wind noise I’ll be able to get an accurate read. It is very important to fly with good protective gear gear to black out a lot of the loud sound. The good news is the mufflers pointed away from you and not towards you. I really don’t even think about the noise when I’m flying.

Your approximation for distances was ridiculous. You confirm that when you say you are approximately 20 feet from the road and then correct it to be much much further. What you are calling 30 feet seems closer to 30 yards. Why was there not a single time you stood within a few feet to the side of someone preparing to launch?

Haters gonna hate, no way around it.

Please compare a paramotor to all our neighbors lawn care specialist’s with two stroke leaf blowers and weed eaters!! I guarantee they will blow away paramotor noise!

Very loud and ANNOYING. You have zero understanding in noise, counting decibels is not enough and even the 50 range is considered noise pollution when it there to stay. This is exactly what paragliding is about. It is about circling above people's neighborhoods and creating endless disturbance. This is the most crippled and primative air ship that resist it's own effort to fly. The louder it gets the more inefficient it gets. Go fly somewhere and don't stay within a MILE of neighborhoods!!!