Luton Departures

[KelvinD]

Sorry if this is a silly question but, while watching aircraft leaving Luton today, I couldn't help but notice that every departure, regardless of destination, turned left once airborne. With the weather being so clear today, I could see LHR traffic in what I assume was the Bovingdon stack and I was puzzled why the departing Luton traffic was turning toward the Bovingdon stack, while there was virtually no traffic to the North of Luton. Would it not make sense to have traffic departing Luton turn to the North?

[Teaboy24]

Initial routing to avoid built up areas of Luton and villages, takes aircraft out over more open countrside whilst in early stages of climb out..

My understanding unless anyone else knows different. .

[DaveReidUK]

Sorry if this is a silly question but, while watching aircraft leaving Luton today, I couldn't help but notice that every departure, regardless of destination, turned left once airborne. With the weather being so clear today, I could see LHR traffic in what I assume was the Bovingdon stack and I was puzzled why the departing Luton traffic was turning toward the Bovingdon stack, while there was virtually no traffic to the North of Luton. Would it not make sense to have traffic departing Luton turn to the North?

You don't say which runway was in use, but I assume that Luton, like Heathrow, was on westerlies today.

If you visit www.ais.org.uk (http://www.ais.org.uk), you can download the Luton SID charts. You will see that all of the conventional and RNAV SIDs from 26 involve a turn onto the BNN R033 radial at 500', so you are correct in thinking that departures head initially towards the Bovingdon stack.

[average-punter]

Which runway was in use? Off 08 the CPT3B SID takes you right at 3 miles...

[KelvinD]

Thanks for the responses, troops.
The runway in use was indeed 26 (westerlies). My question was what was the logic behind the choice of a southerly turn. Looking at Google Earth, I can see the logic of Teaboy's answer and I thank you for that. Next question: why the bloody hell didn't I think to look there first? Stupid boy, Kelvin!

[DaveReidUK]

Which runway was in use? Off 08 the CPT3B SID takes you right at 3 miles...

FR24 confirms Luton was on westerlies yesterday, so my comments above on the 26 SIDs apply.

[coracle]

It's to avoid the gliding site at Dunstable.

[DaveReidUK]

It's to avoid the gliding site at Dunstable.

That too.

"All propeller-driven aircraft with MTOM over 5,700kg and all jet aircraft departing London Luton Airport, whether routing inside or outside controlled airspace, are required to follow specific departure routes known as Noise Preferential Routes (NPRs). These are established by consultation with the Safety and Airspace Regulatory Group (SARG) at the CAA and the London Luton Airport Consultative Committee, and are designed to avoid flying over built-up areas wherever possible."

Version 3.0 February 2016 DEPARTURES - Briefing - Luton Airport (http://www.london-luton.co.uk/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=4ddf7f38-a342-4151-8ccf-22e1eb121912)

[compton3bravo]

I thought 08 departures were Charlie departures - i.e. Olney 1Charlie.

[DaveReidUK]

I thought 08 departures were Charlie departures - i.e. Olney 1Charlie.

Yes, as is the convention with SIDs, the suffix indicates the runway end.

So in the case of Luton:
B = 26
C = 08

Not something the average punter would necessarily be aware of.

So the right turn at I-LTN DME3 relates to the CPT6C (08) SID.