I need to know about planes?

Are There Any (NYC) PILOTS Out There - I NEED A PILOT'S ADVICE?

• Hi! I've learned about "Planeview Park"/Landing Lights Field thru YouTube regarding the "Plane Spotters" thing. I went to both places & actually experienced the Planes flying Very Close to you. Wow!! I took pics & couldn't believe in this experience that you could actually see the Airline name written on the plane, the windows, & whose window has the shade pulled down & who doesn't have the shade pulled down, etc. To understand what I see Please Go to YouTube & type in: 1) (Especially THIS 1) "LGA ILS Runway 4 Compilation of Landings During Rain" 2) "Plane Spotting @ LGA" 3) "JetBlue A320 Landing R4 LGA" OR Just 4) "Planeview Park" This should give you an idea of how close they fly & how high they fly Over the "Landing Lights Field" w/ those Antenna looking lights & how high they fly right over the Tree just b/f they land on Runway 4. So here are my questions: 1) I'm SHORT! & I'm 4 ft & 9 inches "Tall". How many Feet would you say these Planes are when they Fly ABOVE ME in "Landing Lights"/"Planeview Park"?? 1a) AND How High would it be Flying Over a Person w/an Average Height? Matter of fact, when a plane snuck up from behind me as I was walking down "Landing Lights" field & Flew Over me I was FREAKED!! & thinking that I was being smart to stand where I thought I could get a pic from the side of the next 1 Again I get Flown Over, but this time I started to run away b/c these Engines Were SO LOUD!! So here's my last questions: 2) Would Ear Plugs Help in General or Will the Engines Still Damage My Ears? 2a) Would these Soft Foam Ear Plugs (although I do have another diff. kind ) be ok to wear?? 1 of my Teachers said in (Audio) School that Planes could be Deafening in Decibels that are up there w/ a Sonic Boom, but I also heard that you can lose your hearing on the Runway (I Did see a Notice when I was getting off a plane that had a Warning Notice about Employers should wear Protective Hearing Plugs or Phones, don't remember exactly what it said, but you get the idea?!), But "Planeview Park"/"Landing Lights Field" are NOT on the Runway. Please Don't Be Offended, but I'm a Musician (YES I Also NEED MY EARS!!) & DON'T WANT to LOSE My HEARING (b/c obviously this would Ruin my Career)!! I'm NOT Planning to go to "Landing Lights"/"Planeview Park" as a "Weekly Thing" or making it a "Routine". I DO Respect All You Pilots in what you do & Respect those who are "Plane Spotters" as well it's just that Music is my passion (& Field) & the Only reason why I went to "Planeview Park"/Landing Lights is to experience the closeness of these Planes (compared to the feet/altitude of the Planes that fly over my house 30mins. away from LaGuardia). I just found it Amazing & fascinating. Although, after getting over my Freaked Outness I'm planning to lay down in the Field of "Landing Lights" & have someone take of pic of a Plane Flying Over Me. Sounds Crazzy. Huh?? (I know I'm Crazy. That's what Rock Musicians are! Meaning I like to live Dangerously or I'm Wild though I've just finished going to an Audio Recording School). Anyway, I'm open to any answers (or feedback) to my questions.

• Answer:

  1) When aircraft cross the park during landing, they'll only be 100-200 feet above you. If they are taking off, they'll usually be several hundred feet above you, since they will usually have left the runway considerably earlier. 1a) The same as (1) above, minus a few inches. 2) Yes, ear plugs would definitely help. On landing, the engines aren't making that much noise (they are nowhere near full power), but you are pretty close. On takeoff, they make more noise, but they are also considerably higher when they pass over you. Nevertheless, ear protection is always a good idea. 2a) Yes, soft foam ear plugs would work well. It's true that jet engines can damage your hearing. In fact, just the noise inside a cockpit of an airplane can damage your hearing, and many airline pilots have hearing loss from years of enduring the noise on the flight deck. If you use ear protection, however, you should be okay, especially since you don't spend all of your waking hours at Planeview Park. Other than the risk for your hearing, there's no particular hazard in being close to the end of the runway in the park. Lots of people enjoy watching airplanes take off and land (I won't name names), so it's not as freaky as you might think.