Originally Posted by
TheJeff
Curiously enough I recently started tracking noise levels mid-flight:
Seat 6E on an MD80 = 65db
Seat 6A on a 737 = 68db.
Also 11A on a 737 was 68db, so no real difference between F and MCE. I don't have MCE for an MD80 yet but should have it by this time next week.
It would be interesting to see the difference in noise levels between an aisle and window seat up front in an MD-80. Qualitatively I feel that the window seats seem a shade noisier than aisle seats and this would make sense given that slipstream is the source of all the noise. Would be great to see some data though.
A 3 db difference in noise between 737 and MD-80 seems pretty small so hopefully we can put to rest the oft repeated falsehood that MD-80s are "whisper quiet" up front in the cruise phase of flight.
Originally Posted by
relangford
Can you use a sound level meter in flight? Would that fall under the banned electronics category? Also, many modern ones have datalogging feature, also electronic. What about frequency (octave band) measurements; they might also be a factor. I do find the sound level data to be very interesting; I wonder if Boeing/Airbus report such numbers.
I haven't found it publicly reported for airliners but they certainly engineer and test for it. Business jet manufacturers even more so. Cabin noise levels are part of the specification and/or completion specification for bizjets so an airplane has to come in below a certain threshold or risk a customer being able to refuse to accept delivery on the basis of it not meeting the spec.
Any problems with TSA bring SLM on board in carry-on?
Why would there be?
My firm used to do a lot of technical consulting on completions. We had staff that traveled with real decibel meters to take readings on aircraft. I don't seem to recall them ever saying they had to check that equipment or that it posed problems at checkpoints.