When you consider the many noise complaints these days and that most flights operate between 06.00 and 23.00, the old days of very noisy passenger flights heading off in the early hours would give today's complainants white hair! I remember VC-10's coming out of LHR heading eastwards at 9/10pm at night and the sound of the Conways reverberating for quite some time long after they'd passed overhead. At 2am it would have been disruptive to all slumbering souls.

We should have kept a VC10 airworthy to fly around all airports once a year to remind any noise moaners what real noise is.

Britannia did some of the maintenance on the RAF VC-10 fleet during the mid to late 1980s. They became a familiar sight (and sound!) at Luton.

Noisiest?
Tupolev TU-114 followed closely by Concorde. Must admit I always found the Viscount annoying although admittedly not nearly so loud.

What about the CV880 and CV990's ??? There must have been a few of those thundering off the end of Luton's runway scaring the bejeezus out of the Inhabitants of Luton Hoo back in the day ;-)

Try the IL-76. I remember one night one of those departing off runway 08 in the early hours, probably doing a car parts run for Vauxhall in the late 90's. The engines used to be slow to spool up, so the crew would apply take off power with the brakes still on until the engines had reached maximum thrust. This would take 20-30 seconds, during which most of Luton would have been woken up.
Possibly even worse, though, was a Turkish registered Hansajet early on 22/10/93. Presumably no-one thought such a little thing would need a night jet slot, so it was allowed to take off. Noise level equivalent to a Tornado on reheat.

Noise limits use to be 112PNdB by day and 102PNdB at night (no idea what they are now). We had a B727 depart one night off runway 26 which scored 115PNdB on the clapometer. Noise complaints were swift and many, particularly from Markyate. I can't remember whose B727 it was now, it was a foreign airline. A fine was imposed and to my amazement we actually got the money. I suggested that the money be given to the Markyate Village Hall fund and I believe this happened.

Well there won't be any TA Primera Ops then from LTN or BRS ever - they have just gone bust.

Sad though, some Monarch friends went to them after Monarch went bust a year ago today.

Glad someone has mentioned the employees, BBC just moaning on and getting dramatic about people having the minor once-off inconvenience of reorganising their holiday

I can remember being parked up at LTN waiting to pick up friends. Noticed a Boeing 727 carrying the logo of band Primal Scream. It was doing circuits I seem to recall. I think the 727 had been resident at the airport for a while previous to this. Can anyone confirm this please as I can't recall the year but it was when you could still park by the old spotter's bar. Thanks.

Well it certainly had the nose for it! ;-)

Personally Aviogenex Tu-134s were the noiseast I heard at Luton but Spantax CV-990s (smoky joes) running a close second. The loudest ever was an EE Lightning at an air show at Binbrook in the mid 1980s. I thought my ear drums had gone at the time!
Did we ever had a CV-880 at Luton?

Certainly N88CH CV880 visited in 1978 Aircraft N88CH (1961 Convair 880-22M-22 C/N 22-7-6-58) Photo by Peter Nicholson (Photo ID: AC956533)

The Phantom that did a low approach and go around was quite noisy!

Yes, he was told not to use afterburner on the go around . . . . did so, and busted London's airspace. :)

I believe it was all sorted out on the jellybone. :ok:

First visit I am aware of was on 29/8/78, arriving at 1857. It departed on 7/9/78, had returned by 13/9/78, departed at 1010 on 14/9/78, returned on 16/9/78, still present on 18/9/78. Last seen on 8/10/78. Photo below taken on 5/10/78.

https://i.imgur.com/OazKXgJ.jpg

Convair 880's were rare in Europe, with Swissair the only real operator and then only for a year in 1961/2 pending the delivery of their 990's. Air Viking (Iceland) briefly leased one in 1973 (TF-AVB).
Convair 990's were rare at Luton, with a few from Spantax summer 1984 the only series I know of. First visit by a 990 was probably Modern Air Transport with N5615 present 8-9/10/70. Only other European operators were Swissair with 8, S.A.S. with 2 leased from Swissair (mid-60's) and Internord of Denmark with 3 in the late 60's.

Phantom "go-around"

Not sure if that was the same one but I remember the late MGC letting a Phantom do a go around on 08 with a near vertical climb on re-heat. I was i/c at the time and casually walking across Stand 9 from the Terminal and the ground literally shook. A few phone calls and nobody said another word except perhaps " don't ever do that again !"

Nowadays, you'd be filling in paperwork and replying to emails and irate residents for months. :p

Think of all the car alarms going off! :-)