We live near an airport and I can certainly agree on the irritation caused by noise pollution. That is imo, only a symptom of a larger issue.

The real problem with small planes is that they have become the number 1 contributor of lead poisoning. Accordingly, most small planes burn avgas, which is leaded fuel. While unleaded avgas is sold in Europe and Japan, it is not sold in North America.

The EPA has only recently started to monitor lead emissions from 15 airports across the nation, which doesn’t even rise to a half-hearted gesture, imo.

Small Airplanes A Major Source Of Lead Pollution