For as long as there have been airports, neighbors have complained about the noise. Those inside the plane get to slap on some noise-canceling headphones, while people on the ground are SOL.

Beyond the annoyance of jets roaring overhead, high noise level may pose legitimate health concerns. Scientists have found a correlation between people living near airports and an increased risk for stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease.

That’s why London’s Heathrow Airport and British airspace management company NATS are asking planes to descend more steeply as they come in to land, in a bid to cut down on noise made by the airport that serves half a million flights a year.

In a trial run, planes landing at Heathrow will increase their approach angle from 3 to 3.2 degrees. The idea is to keep planes higher in altitude for as long as possible, so the noise from its engines don’t bother the folks on the ground as much. A steeper glide slope also allows pilots to throttle back the engines because they’re trading speed for altitude, further reducing noise, and saving some fuel.

At just over nine miles from Heathrow, where the steeper approach comes into effect, planes will be around 170 feet higher than normal. Not much, but perhaps enough to make a difference. If it’s successful, an approach angle of up to 3.5 degrees could be used. The trial begins in September and runs through March of 2016.

The trial will be optional, with airlines choosing whether to participate. Steeper descents will only be allowed under optimal conditions, with good visibility. Heathrow will report findings after the trial is completed next year, thanks to noise sensors located in neighborhoods around the airport.

If you’re worried your next flight to London will feel like riding a roller coaster, don’t be. “It will be unnoticeable to passengers,” says Douglas M. Moss, a commercial pilot and aviation consultant. “As far as flying it, it’ll be darn near imperceptible to the pilots as well.”

Airlines, air traffic control, and plane manufacturers have been working for decades to try and quiet things down. New aircraft are far quieter than their predecessors, so noise abatement efforts are now focused on other approaches, like changes to operational procedures. The FAA is testing out a new glide slope in Houston that has pilots throttle down to idle for much of their approach, allowing for much quieter landings.

The steeper descent idea is just one part of an airport-wide strategy at Heathrow to reduce its auditory impact on its neighbors. Other items in the “Noise Action Plan” include flying fewer planes late and night and in the early morning, increased noise insulation schemes, and more.

A Twitter feed (@HeathrowNoise) keeps the public informed on which runways are being used. Of course, folks can’t move their houses to adjust to changes in flight patterns.