London helicopter flyers note

[headsethair]

On July 13, the Greater London Assembly is starting an enquiry into helicopter noise in London. There will be a public meeting of the Environment Committee at the GLA, City Hall, starting at 1000.

The GLA is green in many ways - ensure our industry and our leisure flyers are well represented.

Should you want more details then email [email protected]

[Heliport]

Is there a link to more information about what they intend to do - other than the email address?

Londoners tell me 'Consulation by the Mayor of London' is a contradiction in terms, but it would be as well to know the nature of his attack.

[SASless]

By Golly it is about time they got down to addressing this menace of noisy helicopters. Why just the other day as I was standing next to the main rail line that runs beside the motorway why one could not hear the articulated lorries and sirens from the emergency vehicles. Actually the saving grace was it the construction site noise blanked out the above ground portion of the Tube. I mean really....trying to sleep in the tourist hotel and being kept awake all night by those noisy helicopters. How's a guy supposed to hear the Monkey Spanking in the room next door or the Football Hooligans partying over a crate or two of beer. Why can they not require them to put silencers on the things anyway....why they must be noisy....all the pilots wear ear muffs when they fly them. Don't you just hate the sputtering sounds from the engines as they fly over. There ought to be a law!:rolleyes:

[rotorcraig]

I managed to find Highlights of the Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy (http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/noise/docs/summary.rtf) from 2004 which stated that:

Helicopter noise can be intrusive and irritating. The Mayor does not have any powers over movements. As long as helicopters obey the Rules of the Air, and follow instructions of air traffic controllers, their movements are not generally further restricted. Much helicopter activity over London is for security and emergency purposes. When used for such purposes, helicopters can fly lower than rules would normally require.
RC

[headsethair]

The GLA is asking for evidence to be put to the meeting on July 13. A fuller pdf version of the Mayor's "take" on aircraft/heli noise is at http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/noise/docs/004cnoise.pdf

[Benet]

I'll be there, work permitting. Please post details of when and where!

[[email protected]]

I met Red Ken a few weeks ago and asked if I would have to pay congestion charge on my SAR helicopter which was parked in the middle of London. "No," he said "Unless it becomes popular."

[leemind]

PPrune rules prevent me writing what I think of Ken, but Crab, pray tell, where did you find room to park your beast in our fair capital?

[AlanM]

We get quite a few Helimed/rescue aircraft int he zones.

SRG125 is a regular visitor to London - as is India Juliet from Portland.

Plenty of hospitals/parks to plonk 'em down in the City.

[detgnome]

There may just have been a rather shiny Sea King parked at Buck Palace back in Feb - plenty of space for parking!

By the way Crab, it wasn't your helicopter!

[[email protected]]

Detgnome - that was the one - and I signed for it so it was technically mine until we did the AF in the garden and handed over captaincy for the return journey.

[chevvron]

Presumably it's for Red Ken to establish how to congestion charge helicopters, and how much.

[FairWeatherFlyer]

I'm in the odd position of enjoying flying around london but also finding helicopter noise a bit tedious at certain times.

My ear's good enough now to pick out the royal london hems even when i don't see it and that seems (and this is partly about perception) fairly quiet. The noisy ones (from an east london point of view) are the police doing the circling routine and it's the circling (perhaps because of low level?) that you get a bit bored of.

Maybe Ken can get all the bad people to behave (they live north of me) then it'll be quieter :)

[Helinut]

FWF,

From the viewpoint of the commercial operator, I think you have hit upon one of the possible ways in which this "consultation" could go, if we aren't aware of the issue.

In general, Joe Public who complains about noise does not differentiate between the uses of helicopters - they don't really care. The police heles are going to operate within the CAA POAM rules but essentially as they see fit. They will operate at night, when perceptions of noise are greatest, which will annoy some people. If it is night time and a noisy hele, it pretty much has to be the police.

It would be quite easy for hele-haters to have a go at the commercial operations (because they can), when the source of their antagonism will be immune from any additional restrictions that Red Ken may be able to get imposed.

This isn't a pop at police ops - it is just suggesting that those representing heles need to force the nature of different ops to be appreciated.

[FairWeatherFlyer]

I heard/saw the hems go pretty much overhead (2/3nm) from royal london this morning and the noise didn't seem too bad at all (to a pedestrian on their way to work) - there's a bit of a screetch as its flying away from you. Interesting reference below to twin squirrel vs 902 noise:

http://www.southyorks.police.uk/departments/oss/helicopter/

Going back in time, i was walking around whitechapel in '99 when the previous incarnation of hems landed (dauphin?) and the noise from that on approach was literally scary. There's something about London streets (e.g. flat fronted terraces on both sides) that can conspire to create a real cacophony.

[FloaterNorthWest]

Wait until the Met Police get the EC145, now that is a noisy helicopter!

FNW

[SASless]

Maybe a Pre-emptive strike needs to be done. Get a sound guy out with his recording equipment and record and score by decible level, a couple of days of noise in the part of town in question.

After a few hours of listening to buses, sirens, lorries, motorbikes, air hammers, trains, airliners, and ex-wives.....the odd helicopter will seem rather quiet actually.

[FairWeatherFlyer]

Note this interesting use of t'internet for simple, real-time information dissemination:

BBC News - Metropolitan Police helicopter launches on 'Twitter' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16527579)

MPS Helicopter (@MPSinthesky) on 'Twitter' (http://twitter.com/@MPSinthesky)

Just found a summary page of the UK's various web/facebook/'twitter' sites for info on what the Police are up to:

UK Emergency Aviation - UK Police Helicopter Activity (http://www.ukemergencyaviation.co.uk/Police-Helicopter-Activity.htm)