Monitoring the effects of aircraft overflights on recreationists in natural settings

This paper presents the results of research commissioned by the New Zealand Department of Conservation to produce a method to monitor the effects of a ircraft activity on recreationists in natural settings. This research utili zed qualitative methods (semistructured interviews) to examine the effects of aircraft overflights on recreationists. Interviews were conducted with v isitors at two field sites, Mount Cook National Park and the Milford Track, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, A visitor questionnaire survey was t he monitoring method. The questionnaire was administered on site, however, remote areas were surveyed via questionnaires left in huts and other places of visitor contact, Questions pertaining to a range of indicators were inc luded in the questionnaire, When possible, aircraft activity records were c ollated from control tower records and/or airline company records. Thus, vi sitor reactions may be related to the frequency of flights. (C) 1999 Instit ute of Noise Control Engineering. [S0736-2501(99)00203-9].