HONOLULU (KHON2) — Viewers on Oahu reached out to KHON2’s Report It feature with concerns over airplane noise during the week of Monday, March 6.

An aviation expert explained that a change in wind direction often means modified flight paths for planes during takeoff and landing.

Oahu residents are not alone if they have heard a lot of aircraft noise since Monday, especially around Diamond Head. Their neighborhood board noticed a change in flight directions over Kapiolani Park.

“They’re mainly flying like almost across the park,” said Arleen Velasco of the Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights Neighborhood Board. “On a decibel scale, if it’s 0 to 10, I would give it, most of them a 5 and occasionally if it’s a military aircraft, I’d say it’s a 9.”

Velasco said those military flights are pretty rare, but aviation expert Peter Forman said recent flight paths have not been unusual.

Forman said jets often approach Oahu from over the water when trade winds are present.

“But, when the Kona winds are blowing, they have to land in the opposite direction that requires them to come over the land; a lot of times there’s overcast. So, they have to stay underneath it,” Forman said, “So, bottom line is they’re a little bit lower, and they’re over land rather than water.”

The Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights Neighborhood Board meets on Thursday, March 9; and Velasco said the noise will be a talking point.

“I will bring it up tonight. We have a meeting, and I will bring it up to see what the, if anyone has a consensus, to see if they’ve been contacted,” Velasco said.

KHON2 reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration to see how long flight paths will remain this way and has not received a response.

“The big point is, is nothing has changed. This is the way things have been going on for decades, so when the Kona winds are blowing, you will hear more noise because flight paths are changed,” Forman said.