Did you hear it too? Extra-loud West Seattle flyover wasn’t the Blue Angels

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels get most of the rap for Seafair airshow noise – but if you heard fighter-jet noise in the 1 pm hour this weekend, that wasn’t them. Today, we received multiple reports of an extremely loud, low West Seattle flyover in the early afternoon, beyond what we usually hear from readers. This report is from MB:

I’d like to share this with the WS community.

As a 20yr resident of WS, I’ve heard the Blue Angels practice and perform over our neighborhood literally dozens of times. Their flyovers over are often enjoyable, if temporarily noisy.

But today about 1 pm, as I was walking to the Farmers Market with my daughter and our dog, I experienced the lowest, loudest and most painful flyover I have ever encountered. It was by far the most painful sound I have experienced in my life.

As a professional audio engineer, I can say with certainty that the loudness was at least 140db at our location near Holy Rosary — well above the pain threshold of 125db, and into the range that causes immediate hearing loss.

My ears are still ringing loudly, a certain sign of hearing loss. Since I make my living by listening, this is especially worrying to me. Right now, I am unable to work. Hopefully the ringing will be better tomorrow (but the hearing loss is already permanent and irreversible, unfortunately that’s how it works).

It’s difficult to understand why any plane would ever be allowed to fly so low over a densely populated area. Children were scared, animals were terrified, car alarms were triggered.

Even for people who are not audio professionals, it is not reasonable to ask an entire neighborhood to risk hearing loss for the sake of someone else’s entertainment miles away.

We didn’t hear it, as we’re in the south end of West Seattle and the primary source of noise on Seafair afternoons has been commercial jet traffic temporarily redirected this way. No photos/video but the Seafair airshow schedule shows a Navy EA-18G Growler from Whidbey Island going up at 1 pm, and an Air Force F35A at 1:45 pm; the Blue Angels’ show was scheduled after 3:30 pm. If you have feedback for Seafair – good, bad, otherwise – their contact info is here.

Marina August 4, 2024 (5:24 pm)

Yeah it flew like 300 feet over the golf course, I saw it happen and it was crazy.

west August 4, 2024 (5:50 pm)

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Was it a blue angle that you saw? I heard it coming and believed it was related to the air show but it still freaked me out at its peak.
- Marina August 4, 2024 (6:17 pm)
  
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  No, it was probably the 18G Growler around 1pm! I was reading on my balcony, I face south and it was pretty sudden! I had no idea it was coming lol. The one that happened closer to 4 was a Blue Angel, got a pretty good pic of it with my camera!
- Marina August 4, 2024 (6:21 pm)
  
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  Nope, it was the 18G growler I think at 1pm. I was chillin on my balcony (I face south) and saw it before i heard it, it was insane. Got a good pic of the blue angel that flew over around 4 though! Having a hard time uploading it here unfortunately

Erik August 4, 2024 (5:25 pm)

I heard it. Was wondering what it was. For those of us with PTSD and anxiety issues it’s a real pain having to deal with the Seafair noise. No need to do a super low flyover through West Seattle like that.

Meg August 4, 2024 (5:28 pm)

I was in my kitchen (5 blocks down the hill from Hily Rosary) and it was awful. I also have never heard anything that loud in this location during a Blue Angel’s show.

JL August 4, 2024 (5:34 pm)

Send comments to the Seattle Special Events Office because they approve the events of Seafair: specialeventsoffice@seattle.gov. Share your concerns with the Mayor and city council representatives.An article in Seattle Times confirms your concern about impacts on hearing and health. Written by an Air Force Flight Surgeon, the title is “Let’s honor the past but bid farewell to the Blue Angels” at https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/lets-honor-the-past-but-bid-farewell-to-the-blue-angels/ He writes that “A study of noise from the F/A-18 — the Blue Angel plane — at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island found “over 74,000 people were at risk of adverse health effects. Of those exposed, substantial numbers were estimated to be highly annoyed and highly sleep-disturbed, and several schools were exposed to levels that place them at risk of delay in childhood learning.” South Seattle Seafair neighbors suffer similar noise risk.” He also reports that the Blue Angels’ visit contributes “about 670 metric tons of carbon dioxide, contributing more to climate change than 30 cars would by driving 150,000 miles each — for just one weekend of fun. Seafair crowds and neighbors in South Seattle pay not just the cost of a ticket, but also suffer health harm from highly inhalable PM 2.5 particles.”If you’d like to promote improvements in Seafair go to https://www.seaclimateaction.info/getinvolved/

CarDriver August 4, 2024 (6:56 pm)

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JL. Are you-and the other jet haters here working to and wanting to ground all commercial and private jets (and prop planes)? They ALL make a LOT of noise and emit pollutants. Or are you saying that if only military jets are grounded all will be fine.

MacJ August 4, 2024 (5:36 pm)

I heard this too, it was startlingly loud even from Genesee Hill. I do enjoy the Blue Angels and air shows generally, and have loved having the BAs perform for Seafair since I was a kid, but doing it in a city with a ton of unwilling participants is getting more and more unreasonable.

AO August 4, 2024 (5:38 pm)

It was definitely the F35A. Saw it from our home as it looped above the Junction and then was hit by the sound shortly after.

wsgal August 4, 2024 (5:41 pm)

It was SO LOUD, I was wincing for the impending crash, it was scary.

Sunshine August 4, 2024 (5:43 pm)

Thank you, neighbor! Your informed post helps those who don’t have your knowledge, but experienced it, too.

Vanessa August 4, 2024 (5:45 pm)

We live near Mt. Saint Vincent’s and it was extremely loud. FLYING WAY TOO LOW!

Derp August 4, 2024 (5:47 pm)

I was down on Airport way right next to the runways. What an awesome display of our fighting aircraft. The ones that protect this country. Nothing was louder than the 6, Blue Angels taking off. These planes fly all over Seattle and set up for their routine over lake Washington. To make some of those runs, they have to be low. God bless America and our Troops.

Jeff August 4, 2024 (6:28 pm)

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I’m unclear what anyone was being protected from in this instance.

Ouch! August 4, 2024 (5:48 pm)

Really appreciating the insights from the audio engineer. Thank you for the info. Fortunately I missed this noise.

Carol August 4, 2024 (5:53 pm)

It flew over the Mariners game, seemed to be intentional. I believe it was timed with a moment of recognition of military service. Was the loudest I have ever heard at T-Mobile Park, felt like the whole stadium was shaking. Way louder than the Blue Angels fly-over.

Mike August 4, 2024 (6:07 pm)

Apparently it’s part of a special US squadron of EA-18G “Growlers” based typically in Japan. Was it loud, absolutely, did car alarms go off, yes, are people being overly hysterical…yup. “As a professional audio engineer, I can say with certainty that the loudness was at least 140db” uh huh….sure smh

NorseGirl August 4, 2024 (6:29 pm)

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Mike, Your judgement “are people being overly hysterical….yup” was insensitive and unwarrented.

Princess Pea August 4, 2024 (6:08 pm)

Hi Everyone,O.M.G. I live on the 4th floor at Junction Flats, I was lying in my bed and my Yorkie was laying on my chest and I held onto my Yorkie and thought this is it!!!I I thought it was The Blue Angels as well.The sound scared the $@&@ out of me.Thank god everybody is ok

miws August 4, 2024 (6:12 pm)

As of a year ago today I now live in the New Holly area cross streets D Myrtle and S Willow. I heard a very loud low jet noise and just thought it was the Blues —Mike

WSBreader August 4, 2024 (6:28 pm)

These flyovers are just obnoxious. I grew up in a military town and have fond memories of Air Force Academy flyovers at football games. The difference there is that the pilots didn’t fly over the adjacent city for 3 days straight beforehand. Not everybody wants to attend Seafair, and for those of us who don’t particularly want to go, we end up being subjected to this really annoying noise roaring overhead whether we like it or not.

clinker August 4, 2024 (6:30 pm)

That was the equivalent of a very close flyover at an airshow. The ones where everyone is wearing earmuffs. The Blue Angels never do that over the city.Ukraine is on the news today for flying their new f16s.

NorseGirl August 4, 2024 (6:37 pm)

My partner and I live in Genesee Hills and were outside in our yard. We were aware of the scheduled Blue Angel show. We have witnessed the show many previous years from our yard, and knew what to expect.My partner heard the extremely loud flyover. He thought we were under attack or a jet was crashing in the area. He immediately took cover. After his initial relief, he was shocked and angered. He is a Vet and a patriot. He did not find anything fun or patriotic about the event.

Kersti Muul August 4, 2024 (6:38 pm)

Was extremely loud along Bonair as well. Scared a bunch of kids

Steph August 4, 2024 (6:40 pm)

I didn’t hear this because I didn’t have my hearing aids on. I was right there by it . Am I going to get deafer from it anyway? I do feel a lack of oxygen. Is that from all the CD?