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What is the loudest, noisiest plane you have ever encountered?

Lots of military fuel-to-noise-converters already mentioned.

But what about the BAC 1-11?
When I was a kid, standing at the fence of Berlin-Tempelhof airport, it seemed to me the loudest thing ever imaginable!
You could almost hear them still when they were landing at Hannover half an hour later...

Cheers,
Markus.

Funny you should mention the 1-11. Many years ago Ryanair were equipped with Romanian built BAC 1-11's. One performed at a local airshow where the pilot did some fast and very low passes along the runway. As I knew the organisers of the show very well I managed to blag my way over to the runway edge to take some pics. I'll never forget the sound of those engines at full pelt less than 100ft over my head. Lost the pictures several years ago....but I'll always have the memories.
 
Maybe not quite a plane, but a flying machine:
Eric Scott and his Rocketpack! Here's a display here in Eastbourne...
 
When I was in school, someone brought one of the very early model jet engines (I believe it was a ram jet) and fired it up in the auditorium.

No one could hear for days.
 
The lockeed C5A is one of the louder planes that I have ever heard. I can tell you that at landing or take off you can hear that aircraft for a couple of miles or more.
 
The Harrier doing its hoover demo at an airshow is the most painful sound level I have experienced.

The direction and timing, as commented in other posts, certainly have a great effect. The F-22's here locally are load but mostly when they turn their engines in your direction.

"Loud" can be rather relative. My father-in-law is retired Navy who worked many years at NAS Whidbey. Their house (still) is just off the final approach. When he was still active, if the EA-6B's came over the house, he would call the base to complain the guys weren't in the correct airspace on final. He knew the planes well, since he was once assigned in the back seat.
 
The B-1B used to rattle the windows at the base hospital five miles away from the runway at Dyess! Imagine living in the trailer park that was only a quarter mile from the north end of that runway! But by far, the most annoying aircraft I ever heard would have to be the T-37. At idle or taxi thrust, it produced the shrillest whistling sound I've ever heard. It made a chorus of a thousand screaming teapots sound like a lullaby!
 
When I was working out at SLC airport and marshalling in the feeder aircraft the loudest was the ameriflight metroliner followed by the boeing 727 and the douglas DC-9. I have heard a MU-2 from a distance and that is pretty noisy even from far away. I think the most annoying sound at the Reno Air Races is the jet drag car that has to rev it's jet engine just to produce the annoying cloud of smoke.
 
I'll agree about the MU-2. Not only is it loud, it's friggin annoying. I crew the C-130 which is bad enough, but at least it's noise is deep enough to sound like it's got balls.

The F-15 sound is unreal. It beats out the F-16, because the 16 is quicker (around the airport that is) and only has one engine. I understand the F-22 and F-35 are worse. The one F-22 I saw flying wasn't that bad though.
 
The Oregon ANG F102s flying out of PDX were danged loud. I seem to remember the Convair 880 being quite the noisemaker also.
 
B1B on takeoff. Close second: F/A-18E/F at low altitude climbout.

Most unusual: TF-104....sounds like a rifle bullet going by....unique to the a/c.
 
1. Mirage 2000 taking off with full afterburner

2. B1 take-off also with full afterburner and F4 Phantom

3. Six Tornados on low-level fly-by

4. Mig-21 fly-by
 
But by far, the most annoying aircraft I ever heard would have to be the T-37. At idle or taxi thrust, it produced the shrillest whistling sound I've ever heard. It made a chorus of a thousand screaming teapots sound like a lullaby!

That's a very apt description, Tom. Several years ago the AF had two T-37's at the Gary/Chicago Airshow. I was within 100' of the pair when they started their engines at KGYY...

...I still cringe when recalling that high-pitched whistling screech!
 
Vulcan, hands down the loudest 'thing' I've ever heard


Closely followed by the Buccaneer

 
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