Heathrow Aircraft Noise
I doubt there is anywhere inside the M25 that isn't.
Routes are published by all kinds of bodies, probably Heathrow among them, but IMO you would have to visit places to see what you make of the noise, and compare it with the noise from buses, trains, emergency vehicles, parties etc etc etc to see what you personally make of it.
Heathrow also publish recorded aircraft noise levels at assorted locations.
Look at these pages: https://www.heathrow.com/company/local-community/noise - there's probably enough information to keep anyone busy for a day.
Routes are published by all kinds of bodies, probably Heathrow among them, but IMO you would have to visit places to see what you make of the noise, and compare it with the noise from buses, trains, emergency vehicles, parties etc etc etc to see what you personally make of it.
Heathrow also publish recorded aircraft noise levels at assorted locations.
Look at these pages: https://www.heathrow.com/company/local-community/noise - there's probably enough information to keep anyone busy for a day.
Sutton and Cheam are liable to be overflown by some arriving traffic via Ockham when Heathrow is on westerlies and by Biggin arrivals when on easterlies. None of the departure SIDs/NPRs overfly the area.
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Going left then going right
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Don't forget, that after 4,000ft departing aircraft can route almost anywhere, traffic permitting.
...Plus Stansted departures for instance, can make a bit of noise even out of 20,000ft as they head south.
...Plus Stansted departures for instance, can make a bit of noise even out of 20,000ft as they head south.
The original question can only be answered with regard to past and present tracks.
I don’t think any of us knows what effect forthcoming airspace redesign will have on noise and tracks over London.
I don’t think any of us knows what effect forthcoming airspace redesign will have on noise and tracks over London.
I should have added to my response to the OP that, because Cheam and Sutton are further east than LHR, noise from arriving aircraft will be somewhat higher when (as on most days) LHR is on westerlies because they will, on average, be at a lower altitude with fewer track miles to run than easterly arrivals.
Kingston normally doesn't get arrivals overflying. It's just inside the GASGU/Ockham departure NPR swathe when Heathrow is on easterlies, but traffic on that route normally overflies Bushy Park, staying west of Kingston.
Edit: I've just had a look at the last day of pure easterlies pre-lockdown, and around 6% of 621 departures used the GASGU SID, mainly those to Iberia, Central and South America, plus some (but not all) of those bound for Miami.
Edit: I've just had a look at the last day of pure easterlies pre-lockdown, and around 6% of 621 departures used the GASGU SID, mainly those to Iberia, Central and South America, plus some (but not all) of those bound for Miami.
Last edited by DaveReidUK; 6th Jul 2020 at 06:54.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank You Very Much DaveReidUK for taking the time to find out the details!
Thinking about buying a property near the aforementioned areas. Peace and quiet very essential!
Thanks again!
Thinking about buying a property near the aforementioned areas. Peace and quiet very essential!
Thanks again!
Before lockdown, the Woking area was experiencing more noise nuisance due to aircraft being lower and slower, thus exposing residents to an audible (ie human ear) noise level for longer than it was previously.
Has there been a ruling preventing ATC from cancelling the 250kt speed limit?
Has there been a ruling preventing ATC from cancelling the 250kt speed limit?
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Barnes, London
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have raised the issue of Heathrow arrival noise endlessly- all without any sensible conclusion!
Why do westerly arrivals deploy gear so early? Currently thanks to Covid there is a significant reduction in arrival traffic
but all, apart from more attuned BA pilots, all deploy their gear far too early for the noise sensitive residential mass.
Why does not London ATC and more significantly Radar and Approach Channels encourage later deployment?
There are no speed issues usually in these days of lower traffic and yet observation from 20 mile finals sees early
deployment on over 80% plus traffic. The worst British examples are Virgin arrivals who seem determined always to be crossing my abode with gear and I live
9nm plus from touchdown!
Lest I get the clownish responses from previous ignorant website members I should point out that I have been a military and commercial pilot of big fast jets for over 40 years and well versed in Heathrow practice.
Please ATC, encourage better noise observation on all major airport arrivals!!
Why do westerly arrivals deploy gear so early? Currently thanks to Covid there is a significant reduction in arrival traffic
but all, apart from more attuned BA pilots, all deploy their gear far too early for the noise sensitive residential mass.
Why does not London ATC and more significantly Radar and Approach Channels encourage later deployment?
There are no speed issues usually in these days of lower traffic and yet observation from 20 mile finals sees early
deployment on over 80% plus traffic. The worst British examples are Virgin arrivals who seem determined always to be crossing my abode with gear and I live
9nm plus from touchdown!
Lest I get the clownish responses from previous ignorant website members I should point out that I have been a military and commercial pilot of big fast jets for over 40 years and well versed in Heathrow practice.
Please ATC, encourage better noise observation on all major airport arrivals!!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: England
Posts: 762
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BM - ATC's responsibility is not to tell aircraft on approach when they should lower the gear. Different airlines with varying aircraft types may have different procedures for this and if it is a noise issue then Heathrow Airport Ltd environment team are the people who should be working with all stakeholders to try to minimise the impact of aircraft noise.
For information a Notam has just been issued stating Runway 09R/27L will be closed from midnight tonight and is valid until 0600hrs 2nd August, believed due to runway maintenance. If this is the runway that affects you then you should have some respite for the next 3 weeks.
For information a Notam has just been issued stating Runway 09R/27L will be closed from midnight tonight and is valid until 0600hrs 2nd August, believed due to runway maintenance. If this is the runway that affects you then you should have some respite for the next 3 weeks.
I have raised the issue of Heathrow arrival noise endlessly- all without any sensible conclusion!
Why do westerly arrivals deploy gear so early? Currently thanks to Covid there is a significant reduction in arrival traffic
but all, apart from more attuned BA pilots, all deploy their gear far too early for the noise sensitive residential mass.
Why do westerly arrivals deploy gear so early? Currently thanks to Covid there is a significant reduction in arrival traffic
but all, apart from more attuned BA pilots, all deploy their gear far too early for the noise sensitive residential mass.
But as others have said, it's at whatever point the company Ops Manual says; the days of 'reduce to circuit speed and carry out cockpit checks to land' instructions followed by 'check your gear is down and locked' are well in the past for civil ATC although the military may still say this.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Age: 69
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From 2014 :
"8 On Arrivals Noise Controls the paper set out ERCD’s details of the monitoring exercise on behalf of the ANMAC Technical Working Group on ground-based visual observations of approaches to Heathrow Airport.
The aim of the study was to compile statistics on the distance to landing for ’wheels down’ with wheels down being used as a proxy for an aircraft not being in an LP/LD configuration.
The incidence of LP/LD at Heathrow was approximately 90% of aircraft at 8 nautical miles from threshold.
For the sample of flights analysed, the average measured noise benefit resulting from the use of LP/LD was approximately 3dB at 7.5 nautical miles from threshold.
Around 55 flights (10% of the total) had their landing gear down prior to reaching 8 nautical miles from threshold. The results from the exercise would help in updating the Arrivals Code of Practice.
9 The following points came up in discussion:
• It would be good to know the factors that lead to the early deployment of landing gear. A workshop would be useful and it was noted that a NATS trial/workshop at Edinburgh airport with the airlines on CDA has led to a big improvement.
• It was considered that short spacing between aircraft and the tight speed controls at Heathrow may be a factor.
• Heathrow would consider the issue with the operators.
• A similar monitoring exercise study was planned for Gatwick in the coming months.
• The exercise indicated that a noise monitor at the London Wetland centre could be useful."
The Wetlands noise monitor is now in place. I think some video work on pics of planes to try to use automatic image recognition for gear deployment has been done.
"8 On Arrivals Noise Controls the paper set out ERCD’s details of the monitoring exercise on behalf of the ANMAC Technical Working Group on ground-based visual observations of approaches to Heathrow Airport.
The aim of the study was to compile statistics on the distance to landing for ’wheels down’ with wheels down being used as a proxy for an aircraft not being in an LP/LD configuration.
The incidence of LP/LD at Heathrow was approximately 90% of aircraft at 8 nautical miles from threshold.
For the sample of flights analysed, the average measured noise benefit resulting from the use of LP/LD was approximately 3dB at 7.5 nautical miles from threshold.
Around 55 flights (10% of the total) had their landing gear down prior to reaching 8 nautical miles from threshold. The results from the exercise would help in updating the Arrivals Code of Practice.
9 The following points came up in discussion:
• It would be good to know the factors that lead to the early deployment of landing gear. A workshop would be useful and it was noted that a NATS trial/workshop at Edinburgh airport with the airlines on CDA has led to a big improvement.
• It was considered that short spacing between aircraft and the tight speed controls at Heathrow may be a factor.
• Heathrow would consider the issue with the operators.
• A similar monitoring exercise study was planned for Gatwick in the coming months.
• The exercise indicated that a noise monitor at the London Wetland centre could be useful."
The Wetlands noise monitor is now in place. I think some video work on pics of planes to try to use automatic image recognition for gear deployment has been done.
That could be an interesting exercise.
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: London, UK
Posts: 437
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As someone who lives just to the north of the extended centre line for 27R, we get a lot of traffic routed overhead. Mostly, you don't notice it; however on days with very little wind, it is distinctly more noticeable.
