# Whale songs in the skies - the A220 engine sound **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 22, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485 "2026-08-22T15:54:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/1 "2026-08-22T15:54:28Z")
I live under a flight path for the Columbus airport, and for the most part I’ve tuned out the sounds. Sometimes the sounds make me perk up – twice in my time living here I’ve heard engine failures, and they sound _wild_, like dragons attacking. Recently I started hearing another sound, like a groaning or something that was hard to describe. I did some searching and it appears that the sound is caused by a specific model of geared turbofan engine used on the Airbus A220. I believe in my case, these are operated by Breeze Airways, which has slowly been increasing flights out of CMH over the last 5 years since they moved in. Anyone else hear this sound? It’s been hard for me to tune out. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/2 "2026-08-22T16:36:48Z")
[https://simpleflying.com/why-airbus-a220-sound-whale/](https://simpleflying.com/why-airbus-a220-sound-whale/) > The audible frequency is roughly 400–800 Hz. The sound starts right after takeoff when the environmental control system packs switch to high flow, reaches a peak, and then fades as the aircraft climbs, and the inlet doors then modulate or the ram pressure changes. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/3 "2026-08-22T17:07:25Z")
I’m not sure I agree with the vid title but the “whale song” begins around 0:40. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hkQSZgH_hMY/hqdefault.jpg "The BEST SOUND in Aviation!? Swiss A220 Loud Departure Manchester Airport") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkQSZgH_hMY) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/4 "2026-08-22T21:18:05Z")
Sounds like an F104 on startup > **[13K views · 270 reactions | listen to the unique F104 J79 Engine howl |...](https://www.facebook.com/100041323686675/videos/listen-to-the-unique-f104-j79-engine-howl/1229855385952034/)** > > listen to the unique F104 J79 Engine howl ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/5 "2026-08-22T21:34:43Z")
Quite a few years back, I read a blurb in the news that a B-17 was going to visit an area airshow in a week or two. I had forgotten about it, but then one day outside working heard this strange burbling propeller noise overhead sort of loafing along in the air. I’d never seen or heard one before, but without looking up “I know what that is!!”. The B-36 had six (6) count 'em six _28-cylinder_ engines (and four jet engines fouling the exhaust note) and thus 168 spark plugs, which incidentally had to be replaced after every flight. That’ll keep those crew chiefs from getting into trouble. That must have been something to hear rumbling overhead. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/6 "2026-08-22T21:40:54Z")
B-36 taking off from movie Strategic Air Command with Jimmy Stewart. Note the walk-by of the jet engines in the clip. Go full screen so you can see it clearly. You will see slats blocking the intakes of the engines. They used the jet engines for take off and could shut them down if not needed in the air. > **[Short clip of the B36 Peacemaker bomber](https://thepilotsplace.com/forum/index.php?threads%2Fshort-clip-of-the-b36-peacemaker-bomber.28650%2F)** > > I ran across this short 6-minute segment of a B-36 Peacemaker bomber takeoff from a 1955 movie "Strategic Air Command" starring Jimmy Stewart. The clip shows the engine start and takeoff roll; the cinematographers were striving for realism by... ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/7 "2026-08-22T23:37:26Z")
When it comes to engine noise I think the Vulcan was in a class by itself. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-songs-in-the-skies-the-a220-engine-sound/1032485/8 "2026-08-23T07:45:03Z")
John Glenn airport? Hello, neighbor! Anyway, that sound would annoy me…creepy, kind of. Be hard to get used to.