SW Houses

[Super Drive]

Am i in the right forum? Anyway, thinking about aircraft noise, could ATCers please advise places to avoid when buying a place in SW London. Don't really want to live under Heathrow approach/departure path.

Many thanks.

[Jerricho]

We never really had many jets over the top of us in Farnham, Surrey.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

SW London - where exactly? Sutton, Esher, Surbiton? It's very difficult in those area because inbound aircraft will be under radar control and there is no restriction on where they can be directed. Departing aircraft, which are noisier during the climb out, do follow very accurate noise routes but when Heathrow is landing towards the east you will see many outbounds right over those areas. Possibly the quietest areas, if you must live close to Heathrow, are immediately south and north of the airfield.....

The further out you go the better off you'll be....

[Super Drive]

Thanks everybody.

Heathrow Director, sorry i should be more specific. Thinking about Richmond, Wimbledon or there about. I suspect Hounslow should be avoided.

Thanks

[Lookatthesky]

I suspect Hounslow should be avoided.

Agreed

[Roffa]

Super Drive,

This graphic which shows westerly departure and arrival tracks may be of interest.

Also, there's a map at the end of this document that also shows the easterly departure tracks.

HTH.

[Super Drive]

Roffa, Thank you for your time. That was very useful.
Looks like i should give Richmond a miss.
Anyone can confirm this.

[chevvron]

In the Woking area, we get MID departures with Heathrow on westerlies, and arrivals via OCK and BIG plus BCN departures with Heathrow on easterlies. In the Richmond/Wimbledon area I would think the easterly traffic would be similar, but on westerlies you'd get DVRs rather than MIDs.

[Roffa]

SD, on easterlies in Richmond you'll probably see departures but they shouldn't be too noisy as none of the routes go directly overhead and you're far enough away from the airfield that they'll be at a few thousand feet.

On westerlies you are quite close to the 27L final approach so you will see and hear traffic on final at certain times of the day.

The runways are alternated on westerlies though, landing on one of them for half the day and then the other for the other half of the day

Essentially it's 7am to 3pm land on one then at 3pm swap over and land on the other one till 11.30pm.

Between 11.30pm and 7am we can use either or both and between 6am and 7am we will be landing on both every morning unless one is shut for any reason.

We can also land on the dep runway at other times of the day under certain conditions but they are not too frequent.

I'd suggest you pick a day and time when Heathrow is landing 27L then go and visit Richmond and see what you think...

If that's bearable go back again on easterlies when deps are going off 09R and see if you're happy with that as well.

[anotherthing]

SD

As a rule of thumb, unless you are very close (3 or 4 miles) of Heathrow, you will be surprised at how quickly you become used to, and therefore tune out the noise.

[Midland 331]

Mindful of the recent fracas regarding changes to airspace at East Midlands, surely copies of SIDS (and STARs) overlaid onto an OS map would be available from whoever runs Heathrow these days. Surely part of noise-abating good neighbourliness?

(Edit - just spotted the post further up with links. Is there anything more user-friendly, I wonder?)

The noise from late-night heavies departing 09R after 2130 (DVR SID?) was pretty intrusive in the Whitton/Twickenham area IIRC. I've often wondered if these were the most disruptive of any combination of aircraft and departure. considering the density of housing overflown in the first couple of miles. I used to stay in a Travelodgey-type place adjacent to "The Winning Post" pub down the road from Twickers, a timber-framed building smack underneath the track, and the resonance felt was amazing. Mightily impressive to watch that early right turn, though...

[Super Drive]

Looking at Roffa's charts, DVR/DET SID flies directly overhead Wimbledon but not Richmond.
Wondering if departures would be offered an early left turn/short cut hence fly above Richmond?

p.s. can't pay a visit to the neighbourhood because i'm abroad.