Analysis of noise annoyance produced by a H.E.M.S. helicopter

The noise annoyance produced by an aeronautic source (an helicopter), has been studied in this paper. Previous studies estimate that aeronautic noise is more annoying than others. We produce a study, performed by socio-acoustic methods, on the Matera Hospital H.E.M.S. helicopter. Our study evaluates the noise annoyance from helicopter flight activities over a exposed population about 50 workers and in-patients. Some noise measurements have been performed on the building facade near at the take-off position; from these measurements values of DNL have been calculated for medium and maximum flights activities in 2001. In the same hospital building a survey on the workers and in-patients has been made determining the population Highly Annoyed (%HA), Annoyed (%A) and Little Annoyed (%LA) percentages and other indicators on noise effects. Final data analysis has been made comparing our results with the interpolated values in Finegold et al. [Finegold et al. - Community Annoyance and sleep disturbance: updated criteria... Noise Control Engineering Journal 42, 1994] and Miedema e Vos [Miedema e Vos - Exposure-response relationship for transportation noise - J.Acoust.Soc.Am. 104(6), 1998] socioacoustic synthesis curves. Further considerations have been derived differentiating respondent typology, estimating possible effects of non-acoustical factors on annoyance.