Aircraft noise in Wahroonga (2076)
On a typical day, about 24 aircraft pass over Wahroonga — mostly arrivals at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another 2 low overflights a day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 78–82 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #49 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 Wahroonga · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Wahroonga hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport
live map →21 overflights/day (90%) · typically 3,100 ft
Wahroonga sits at the far end of the north shore arrival corridor, where south-flow arrivals begin their descent overhead toward the parallel runways. The aircraft are at moderate altitude, so the stream reads as steady background on south-flow days and mostly disappears on north-flow ones.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
2 overflights/day (10%) · typically 2,600 ft
Around 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Turramurra | 48 | #14 |
| Wahroonga | 24 | #49 |
| Pennant Hills | 24 | #50 |
| South Turramurra | 19 | #71 |
| Thornleigh | 13 | #99 |
| Warrawee | 8 | #115 |
| Normanhurst | 6 | #130 |
Common questions
- Is Wahroonga under a flight path?
- Yes — Wahroonga is under Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport flight paths, with around 24 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Wahroonga?
- More than one source: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (~21/day), other low-flying aircraft (~2/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Wahroonga?
- The first movements typically pass over Wahroonga around 9:45am, once the curfew (11 PM – 6 AM) ends. Traffic builds through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Wahroonga on weekends?
- Slightly — weekends average about 26% fewer overflights than weekdays (25 vs 33 a day).
- Do planes fly over Wahroonga at night?
- The main airport's curfew restricts movements between 11 PM – 6 AM, so overnight overflights are rare. The last movements are typically around 8:54pm.
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 Wahroonga.
