Have the flight paths changed?

[Sue]

Planes have flown (what appeared to be) straight over my house for years.

Today they seem to be flying somewhere to the North.

I can still hear them, but not nearly so loudly.

Is this my imagination?

[mikeb]

Sue - sadly it is only temporary and reflects that we have had northerly and easterly winds all week. When the wind returns to the west, the Heathrow flights will resume.

I?ve really enjoyed this week - not woken up at 4:30 and have been able to enjoy the garden and the parks.

[singalto]

I had also been enjoying the peace and quiet.

[Sue]

mikeb Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue - sadly it is only temporary and reflects that

> we have had northerly and easterly winds all week.

Damn. It was so lovely with just the birds singing and the bees buzzing.

[Sue]

Sorry. Duplicate post.

[flocker spotter]

unless the physical layout of heathrow changes and the world decides to spin the other way, then the default flight path isn't going to change

[Ruskin]

They do change runway directions mid-afternoon which may have something to do with it.

[uncleglen]

They are flying higher from the east but there appears to be an increase in traffic into the City Airport- like one every 10 minutes yesterday afternoon from the south

[Sue]

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> They are flying higher from the east

Yes, noticed planes were much higher, I think on Sunday

[Tractorlad]

My 3 yrs son and I like spotting planes with the Flightradar app in the back garden. (Mainly for his benefit than mine) Heathrow bound aircraft over ED have been noticeably thin on the ground over the past couple of weeks. If they're approaching from the east they seem to be heading to the airfield closer to the river than our neighbourhood.

[DulwichFox]

Basically, aircraft on their final approach are limited to a rate of descent that is safe and comfortable for its passengers. So will be at a lower altitude over South London.

Planes taking off have a much steeper rate of ascent and reach higher altitudes more quickly.

Aircfraft into Heathrow would normally travel East to West over South London.

I have noticed Planes travelling West to East over recent days and if having taken off from Heathrow would explain

why they are flying at a higher altitude. I.E. they are taking off, not landing.

Foxy

[BB Camberwell]

Many of us in Camberwell noticed a change in Heathrow flight paths in July 2016 having not experienced the level and continuity over 19 hours each day when on westerlies in previous years (in my case 30 years). Our response has been to set up the Plane Hell Action campaign to lobby our MPs to bring to halt Performance Based Navigation (PBN), the current concentration of flight paths, and think sensibly about the (one hopes unintended) consequences of airport expansion + PBN + continuing night flights: https://planehellaction.org.uk/. We post updates on Facebook (Plane Hell)and Nextdoor, our Petition is held on the SE5 Forum stand on Camberwell Green's Farmers Market every Saturday, 10 - 2, and from time to time we take a stand at Oval Farmers Market. Some of what we do may be relevant to this series of posts and the East Dulwich Forum readership who are welcome to make contact and contribute. Bridget

[mikeb]

Back to westerlies. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

[BB Camberwell]

I use https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcpvj0v07#?date=2018-06-01 to check wind direction. Next week is forecast, subject to change, to be NE which is good news for those of us in SE London. The downside of easterlies is the arrivals to City Airport, flight paths concentrated in February 2016 to much outcry. CAA has yet to publish its findings, 6 months after its consultation on City flight paths.

Planes do not have to be as low as they now are over SE London on their final approach to Heathrow. The joining point has been extended eastwards, and the flight paths altered. A map showing flight paths in 2016 is used as an illustration to a blog on Camberwell's noise monitor: https://planehellaction.org.uk/noise-monitor-study/ under the News tab.

And while planes do, indeed, take off more steeply than the angle on landing Heathrow could force steeper take-offs which would decrease the level and extent of noise experienced by the poor souls living under or nearby the departure routes. Teddington Action Group has some excellent articles on this aspect: http://www.teddingtonactiongroup.com/

For those interested there is (yet another) Heathrow consultation, this time on Noise,deadline for responses 26 June: https://www.heathrow.com/noise/making-heathrow-quieter/noise-action-plan. under Home / Making Heathrow quieter / Noise Action Plan. Shortly, Plane Hell Action will offer advice on how to respond if interested parties would like a steer.