LHR routings
 

On BBC Surrey news there was a report about anger and protests in Ascot over new Heathrow routings as part of a trial that's going to last 5 months. As I live close by but have not noticed any change in noise or routings I am curious to know what this is. It does not appear on the NATS site although there are information blocks about other routing changes made last year. Any one of the UK ATC folks who use PPRUNE able to let me know what this is all about
Thanks in advance

It's a trial using new really busy aircraft flying really fast and low in circles over ascot just for fun.

That'll be the new PIBUG departure, found here: http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadba...2014-09-04.pdf

Have a look here.

http://www.heathrowairport.com/stati...re_trial_2.pdf

I live just outside Chobham and noticed a couple of months ago that MID departures from the 27s were passing about 3 or 4 miles west of me instead of overhead, then it reverted to passing overhead for a few weeks, however instead of being in a turn overhead, they were passing in a straight climb. Late at night, the noise they generate is louder as if they are being held down for some reason.
For the the last week, they've been back on the route which passes to the west of Chobham.

Chev,

This references the trial that you noticed, where the westerly MID was replaced by the DOKEN SID. It ended in June.

http://www.heathrowairport.com/stati...ures_trial.pdf

Late night heavies on the revised Sam sid are pretty loud. I think i shall complain after I retire! Still - not as loud as the BUA VC10 to South America in the 60s and 70s when I lived in Sussex.
I also understand the Ockham stack is migrating westwards and may be above my house! It's a conspiracy.

Complaining about four of Rolls-Royce finest, sacrilege!

Living on the E edge of Camberley I did notice the increase in noise during the trials.

The only flights that are really noticeable, however, are the heavies to West and South Africa and then only the 747s are audible indoors. I don't think the average non aviation person would have noticed had it not been brought to their attention.

Many thanks for all the replies -I did look at the LHR web site but it wasn't very forthcoming and there was a difference in dates between what I saw and what ,as Gonzo explained, actually happened.

I certainly notice the late evening heavies to Africa or S America where they use SAMPTON departures but often pass close to Camberley.

Is Midhurst really no more, I have always thought there was big variation in tracks for aircraft using Midhurst departures an not just caused by aircraft type, some pass over lightwater /chobham and some over Camberley where they sort of fly through the turn having already got themselves west of Midhurst.

AND finally is Ockham hold really moving anytime soon.

Tks again

Well, I live in North Ascot and I can tell you that the increase in noise levels due to Westerly departures is SIGNIFICANT. I had no idea that the trial had started but certainly noted that aircraft were thundering directly over my house after the end of August. There is a protest campaign under way in Ascot and Sunninghill which I will certainly be supporting. This trial is aimed solely at increasing capacity at Heathrow and completely ignores the impact on heavily populated suburbs. Westbound departures have flown over the relatively unpopulated Windsor Great Park for decades and should remain there. People living under the pre trial departures routes knew what noise they would be subjected to when they chose to live there. It is an entirely different matter when significant and intrusive noise is inflicted where there was none before.

Strictly speaking, it's aimed at improving resilience, not increasing capacity.

Heathrow capacity is, of course, limited by the 480K ATM planning constraint imposed when approval for T5 was granted. No amount of ATC tweaking is going to alter that.