Aircraft noise in Hunters Hill (2110)
On a typical day, about 91 aircraft pass over Hunters Hill — mostly arrivals at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, below 3,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another 11 low overflights a day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 83–86 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #5 of 139 Sydney suburbs for aircraft noise exposure. (Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 90 days to 2026-08-21.)
Data: 90 days to 2026-08-21 · all tracked aircraft over Hunters Hill · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Hunters Hill hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport
live map →80 overflights/day (88%) · typically 1,800 ft
Hunters Hill sits where the arrival streams for both parallel runways funnel together on south-flow days, with aircraft descending overhead as they line up for 16R and 16L. Because it catches both streams, it hears more traffic than suburbs a little to either side. North-flow days move arrivals to the other side of the airport and give the peninsula a break.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
11 overflights/day (12%) · typically 1,600 ft
Around 11 low overflights a day come from aircraft not operating at a tracked airport — helicopters, seaplanes and light aircraft transiting the area. Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.
Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.
How nearby suburbs compare
| Suburb | Overflights / day | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Hunters Hill | 91 | #5 |
| Drummoyne | 72 | #9 |
| Riverview | 34 | #25 |
| Lane Cove West | 32 | #29 |
| East Ryde | 28 | #33 |
Common questions
- Is Hunters Hill under a flight path?
- Yes — Hunters Hill is directly under Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport flight paths, with around 91 overflights on a typical day, mostly 16R arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Hunters Hill?
- More than one source: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (~80/day), other low-flying aircraft (~11/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Hunters Hill?
- The first movements typically pass over Hunters Hill around 6:20am, once the curfew (11 PM – 6 AM) ends. Traffic builds through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Hunters Hill on weekends?
- Not much — weekday and weekend traffic over Hunters Hill is similar (101 vs 96 overflights a day).
- Why is it loud some weeks and quiet others?
- Runway direction. Wind decides which runways are in use, and only some configurations put traffic over Hunters Hill — so noise arrives in multi-day patterns rather than evenly.
Checking a specific address?
This page shows suburb-wide averages. An address report gives you the exact overflight count, altitudes, hourly pattern and noise estimate for one property. Leave your email and we'll let you know when reports are ready for Hunters Hill.
