Determinants of public reactions to Concorde test flights at the John F. Kennedy International Airport

Detailed noise measurements from early Concorde test flights together with community characteristics data from the US Census Bureau were used to explain monthly complaint patterns arising from neighborhoods surrounding the John F. Kennedy International Airport. Consistent with an earlier study, the number of complaints per aircraft movement positively varied with average loudness of the flights. Complaints were more common during the summer months. Additional neighborhood characteristics also determined the frequency of Concorde-specific complaints; e.g. communities with longer median homeowner tenure were more likely to be prolific complainers, all else being equal.