Spring Hill, FL Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Hernando County Code Ch. 21, Art. VIII contains no aircraft-specific noise section, and the county could not adopt one - federal law preempts. Sec. 21-136 ('Exceptions to sound level limits') expressly exempts 'railways and aircraft,' confirming that aircraft are outside the local Sec. 21-135 dBA framework. Federal authority - the Federal Aviation Act (49 U.S.C. § 40103), the Airline Deregulation Act, and the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 (ANCA, 49 U.S.C. §§ 47521-47534) - gives the FAA exclusive control over navigable airspace and over operational restrictions on in-flight aircraft. Local governments cannot impose curfews, decibel caps, or flight-path mandates on overflying aircraft. The primary aircraft-noise source for Spring Hill is Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport (FAA LID: BKV; ICAO: KBKV), a joint civil-military public-use airport about 8-10 miles northeast of central Spring Hill in Brooksville. KBKV is owned by Hernando County and operated as a Florida Department of Transportation general-aviation reliever airport. The airport hosts general-aviation traffic, flight training, the 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron (Florida Air National Guard), and occasional commercial-charter operations. As airport proprietor, Hernando County can adopt voluntary noise-abatement procedures (preferred runways, preferred patterns) but cannot impose mandatory operational restrictions without going through the rigorous Federal Aviation Regulation Part 161 study process (which no airport has successfully completed since ANCA passed). Secondary aircraft-noise sources include Tampa International (TPA, ~50 miles south) and St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) high-altitude overflights. Aircraft-noise complaints should go to the KBKV airport administration (352-540-6342) or the FAA, not to Hernando County Code Enforcement.