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Noisy planes are blighting our villages
12:27pm Friday 15th August 2008
RE: Last week's article which told how Susan Pratt of Lane End complained to the Civil Aviation Authority about planes doing aerobatics near her home. However, Wycombe Air Park in Booker said pilots would not have broken any rules.
REGARDING the noise from the aerobatics over Lane End, I sympathise with Mrs Pratt.
Many of us in this village heard the tedious droning of the offending planes, we too have also experienced our own noisy "air shows" close to our village.
If these were the only antisocial planes flying out of Wycombe Air Park I am sure most of us could let it pass. However this is absolutely not the case.
It is a sad fact that the significant air traffic generated by the Air Park has become a blight to many surrounding villages and districts, the majority of which lie within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
With 100,000 movements a year, the air park provides an environmentally unfriendly, noisy leisure activity for a minority.
Years of constructive complaints, directed to the management of Wycombe Air Park from those of us who are detrimentally affected by the often incessant noise, have been routinely ignored. We live inside the "voluntary" Noise Abatement Zone (NAZ) as designated by Wycombe Air Park, a misnomer if ever there was one.
Via the Wycombe Air Park Action Group (WAPAG) web site we have already sent in over 130 formal complaints to the air park and Wycombe District Council environmental office in the last four months, mostly concerning errant flying of fixed wing planes inside the NAZ in our area. These are just a fraction of infringements we actually witness while we are in our garden and walking locally.
Surely when one of the aims of the Management Plan for the Chilterns AONB Conservation Board is to restore peace and quiet to the countryside, the time has come to ask Wycombe District Council as owner of the land used by the air park, to address this problem of antisocial noise not only for the sake of the people who live here but also for the sake of the thousands of visitors who come to this otherwise beautiful area.
Andy Chanter, Frieth
Your Say YourBucks
resident, marlow says...
4:17pm Fri 15 Aug 08
wayne, wycombe says...
6:30pm Fri 15 Aug 08
jamie, wycombe says...
6:45pm Fri 15 Aug 08
well then move, it has to be near somebody and was probably already there when you purchase your house.
Edgar, High Wycombe, Bucks. says...
11:33pm Sat 16 Aug 08
Does anyone keep up with the news? There are plans to close White Waltham, and, before the celebrations start, it would clear the way for Heathrow's third runway. Dispose of Booker, and there's little to stop aircraft, after they've taken off from Heathrow, from turning right, straight over Lane End, Frieth, Stokenchurch, etc. I wonder if you really want to replace the odd Cessna with A380, 747, etc., overflights? Still, the "incessant droning" will have gone, so obviously the roar of jets is preferable?
Andy Chanter, Frieth says...
8:19pm Sun 17 Aug 08
Broken down:-
55,045 fixed wing
17,410 helicopters
24,196 gliders and tugs
190 turbo-prop movements
2 pure jet movements
wayne, wycombe says...
10:17pm Sun 17 Aug 08
Flying over a
particular area would depend on which runway is in use at the time, at Booker there could be a number of runway changes in a day which also means that the circuit changes too; your gross figures are hot air unless you factor these runway changes in.
Tharus Bond, Wycombe says...
8:11am Mon 18 Aug 08
not just planes droning but the sound of flak and explosions!
I was in lane end when the vulcan bomber flew over the village an amazing sight!
resident, marlow says...
3:18pm Mon 18 Aug 08
jamie wrote:we nearly bought a bungalow on the western edge of booker common many years ago. Before we signed the contract we began clearing the site one Sunday morning and saw for ourselves the misery caused by aircraft missing the bungalow roof by only a few feet. Withdrawing from the purchase was the best thing we ever did.
dont like the air park ? well then move, it has to be near somebody and was probably already there when you purchase your house.
RobinsonR44, Lane End says...
10:01pm Mon 18 Aug 08
wayne, wycombe says...
11:50pm Mon 18 Aug 08
Now to your question "since when do Helicopters rely on wind"; helicopters transition and approach into wind the same as a fixed wing aircraft, they rely on lift like any aircraft and flying into wind simplistically put, promoted lift thus redusing the amount of power one needs to sustain lift. Helicopters might well be able to hover but many of they still have limitations like any motor vehicle.
As for wind changes, again you are ill advised, ignorant of the airfield operations or both, you will find that there can be a number of runway changes in a day, sorry but it's a fact.
As for residents, you speak for a very small minority, 100 or so out of 497000 is a drop in the ocean but the pro-airfield people of the area will soon have an opportunity to convey their feelings on the airfield and the flying activities.
Lastly, a piece of advice, take it or leave it, before you put White Waltham on a pedestal, I suggest that you undetake a little more research before trying to set the example, you might judt find that to do so, you will end up with 'egg-on-your-face', mind how you go.
Ivor, says...
12:11am Tue 19 Aug 08
Via the Wycombe Air Park Action Group (WAPAG) web site we have already sent in over 130 formal complaints to the air park and Wycombe District Council environmental office in the last four monthsWho has sent in the complaints? Real members of the public or the NIMBYs who want to get rid of the airfield?
Save Wycombe Air Park!
Have you read Ivors blog today? Click on the Readers Blogs link on the menu on the left.
RobinsonR44, Lane End says...
7:25pm Tue 19 Aug 08
wayne, wycombe says...
9:42pm Tue 19 Aug 08
RobinsonR44 wrote:You have asked so I will reply, Much of the noise of a propeller aircraft is of aerodynamic origin due to the flow of air around the blades or in the case of helicopters, the rotor and tail rotor. A silencer would be an expensive token gesture and also generally results in less power availability, a loss of performance and a higher cost. These also have to be fitted and maintained to CAA engineering standards.
No one is putting White Waltham on a pedestal - just simply saying they have gone a long way towards making some moves to being a good neighbour. It is to be noted Wayne that you make no refrence to WAP and the refusal to accept funding of silencers. Clearly you have some kind of love thing going with WAP - I can predict your reply so save yourself the bother.
Besides all that, WAP aren't doing anything illegal, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't so why bother.
wayne, wycombe says...
9:45pm Tue 19 Aug 08
RobinsonR44, Lane End says...
10:00am Wed 20 Aug 08
Why would WAP be damned for fitting free silencers - the research done on safety amd loss of power is already documented - from noise point of view silencers are a benefit - the tugs have them (please dont go into bigger engine/more powerful bit) there is no valid reason to turn down FREE silencers to improve noise footprint other than being bloody minded.
Silencers are fitted world wide, if there was good reason to doubt their performance manufacturers would have gone out of business a long time ago. It is also unversally recognised that quieter planes are a requirement for the future - hence the millions of pounds being spent on research for quieter planes and halicopters. WAP planes are old - very noisy gas guzzling machines.
DO YOU NOT HAVE TO FIT A SILENCER TO YOUR CAR - if you have one - planes with silencers are no different in terms of noise - if every ng individual has to comply with the law for cars then why should rich boys toys be any different - except - before you tell me - there is no law affecting silencers for planes - the issue would be a public relations one - but the WAP boys like to ROAR over the villages of Bucks - fitting silencers would be like taking away some of their pleasure !!!! We could not have that could we - they might throw a tantrum.
Again Wayne you are assuming I moved close to the air field - assume makes an **** out of u and me - no one said I actually live in Lane End - I may visit/or not visit a lot but there is nothing to say I do or do not live there.
wayne, wycombe says...
10:40am Wed 20 Aug 08
Again,one does not have to be rich in order to fly, fact!
If you "already knew anyway", then why have you been wrong on a multitude of points?
As for your dramatical "ROARING over the villages of Bucks piece ", I have to concede that that alone,is worthy of the peabody amateur theatrics scholorship, could get you into the Lane End players that.
As far as "requirement for the future goes", I think you'll find that people will have a lot more to be concerned about in the future, than perceived noise from light aircraft.
stewj, Loudwater says...
1:13pm Wed 20 Aug 08
Stop moaning about light aircraft
resident, marlow says...
6:48pm Wed 20 Aug 08
Wally, Beaconsfield says...
10:27pm Wed 20 Aug 08
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Tharus Bond, Wycombe says...
1:36pm Fri 15 Aug 08