from the local press

[Admin (Annette Andria)]

They should not be so low

I totally agree with Mr. Garbett’s comments on helicopter noise in Farnborough.
Here in Southwood we also suffer from the annoyance of low flying helicopters, sometimes making it difficult to hold a conversation in my back garden.
I have often asked myself why the pilots of these clever aircraft cannot fly their machines higher so as to disturb those on the ground less; they could easily climb to a much greater altitude before setting off on their flight path above our houses.
But I always arrive at the same answer, profit.
It would cost the owner more in fuel to elevate their machine to a higher altitude where residents would be less disturbed by their noise pollution and subsequently there would be less profit in it for them.
A government publication states that aircraft “may not fly below 1,000 feet over built up areas without written permission from the CAA. The minimum height was changed from 1,500 feet in 2005 after extensive consultation by the CAA”.
Maybe a helicopter enthusiast out there can correct me on this? Maybe someone could also explain why helicopters would need to fly between Blackbushe airport and Farnborough airport? It’s only a short drive between the two.
Or, possibly the HeliAviation pleasure and training business is booming and Farnborough is such an attractive place to fly over for fun!
I’m not against aircraft using the airspace above Farnborough, I just wish it was undertaken more considerately.

[Admin (Annette Andria)]

Night ’copters not allowed
.

READING a letter in the Star (Copter Lot of Noise, July 12 page 10), I have to agree with the writer John Garbett about the noisy and what seems totally unnecessary night flying of helicopters that fly low and slowly over our area.
When you are woken from sleep at between 11.30pm and 1am, for anything up to half an hour at a time, it really disturbs your sleep pattern. Many more people, neighbours included, are also disturbed and fed up with the low flying of these noisy helicopters. Does anyone know exactly where they come from?
As they often seem to fly east over Camberly/Frimley area this, no doubt, annoys the folk in those areas as well.
These helicopters are not police patrolling the skies, as they don’t look anything like them.
What we experience are big, heavy, noisy, dark craft and its high time the powers that be did something about this.
Some time ago I spoke with one of the highest authorities on flying and aircraft. I asked if night flights of helicopters were allowed late at night.
The reply was most definitely no. It’s against the laws of aerial navigation to fly after 10pm. Even local airfields like Blackbushe and Farnborough have strict flying hours.
If there are any other Star area folk getting fed up with this night flying please let us know.
Perhaps we need to get up a petition.

[Deleted]

The above seem to pre suppose that these are civil helecopters. I don't know, but perhaps they are military ones. Are there any laws about what times they fly?

[rampvan]

It must be military, here in Church Crookham the noise of the Chinooks operating on and around Odiham is audible up to around 2am most nights, not that I'm complaining

It’s against the laws of aerial navigation to fly after 10pm

Have you noticed that when a mil notam is put out it distinctly says at the bottom something like "aircraft may not be able to adhere to the rules of the air" (forgive me if thats wrong its from memory!) think that coveres them from complaints from residents of Southwood ;D

sometimes making it difficult to hold a conversation in my back garden

Baffles me why he should want to be having a conversation in his back garden after 10pm at night anyway

[Admin (Annette Andria)]

These flights are not news

FOR two weeks there has been speculation and comment, in the Star, on the noise from helicopters flying within the obvious and probably necessary for safety, air passage between Blackbushe and TAG airfield in Farnborough.
It can only be supposed that these writers are newcomers to the area. For this is not new, as those living on both sides of the main railway line will know.
Before the first helicopter lifted off Cove Common, in the mid 1920s, invented by a distinguished Farnborough resident, then living at Glenarthur, Netley Street, South Farnborough, light aircraft had used this same route. It being convenient for pilots, who had failed or were a bit shaky on their map-reading.
Fly low and follow the red or green lights from London to Southampton and on to the far West country.
A L Tower Cove