SE23 Forum

No argument that we need an aviation industry, but why do other countries run theirs without major routes over the capital city when we don't?

It's not really the Heathrow traffic that passes overhead here, it's mostly London City landing traffic, when they're on runway 09 (East).

Been monitoring a flight tracking app recently (as you do). Whilst the lower flying planes are for City airport, the noisiest planes are Heathrow bound. Even though flying higher, they are much larger and so louder engines.

jollyrog - I agree, although this is probably because the City flights often go more or less directly over my house and can be very loud indeed.

But I accept that because of their smaller size and engines they are overall less noisy than the Heathrow flights as PVP says, and the noise isn't going to be heard in as wide a radius as with larger planes. Ie. if you live a bit further down the road, it'll be much less of an issue. Pot luck I guess.

We sometimes get both flying overhead and the Heathrow flights are generally noisier than the City ones - I agree it will depend on exactly where you are in relation to the flight paths.

To further my recent point about noise from a plane, did not use the right phrase, it was about airframe noise. This is a significant factor on approach:

This is not from source I mentioned but this: http://www.noisequest.psu.edu/sourcesofn...rview.html

The upshot is we are getting to the point where little more can be done to reduce engine noise and airframe noise is going to hard to tackle, especially with large planes.

Generally, planes land and take off into the wind so in our part of the UK, major runways are aligned generally west/east since that matches the prevailing winds.

In Heathrow's case, that means that any westerly landings (i.e. into the prevailing west wind) have to overfly the city.

One of the Airbus models also has an irritating whine. The flights go over my house but I only really notice when it's one of those ones. I believe Heathrow have a sliding scale of airport charges for flight operators - the noisy ones pay more, the hope being that they swap to quieter aircraft.

Pollution-wise, while I'm sure aircraft are producing it, I'm much more concerned about the traffic fumes. In terms of damage to health, it's a much bigger factor.

One of the reason behind City airports expansion plans was to accommodate larger more modern planes which supposedly quieter than the ones which use the current runway.

On noise, I think City still does not run flights on a Sunday, so question is it noticeably quieter? Or that the day we outside / in gardens, etc so the day we notice it more?

I think that City does have flights on a Sunday but not as many as other days.

London City is closed from noon Saturday to noon Sunday. There are flights on Sunday afternoons.

Interesting info from everyone. I suppose the fact is we are unfortunately stuck with it as it is - the position of the airport means that the air routes come over our green and pleasant home in spite of safety and environmental considerations. I don't have small children now but I do wonder how they would get to sleep these noisy summer evenings. My own decision is to keep an eye on what's going on, including third runway at Heathrow, and do everything I can to make sure our situation does not get worse.

I still miss Concorde flying overhead.

From memory it used to fly over at 6.55pm during summer, fantastic sight.

Yes, I think that's right, Londondrz. We always stopped what we were doing to look up and see it. Always.