Noise
Aircraft noise is a problem everywhere. While commercial aircraft have got quieter, there are many more of them and they are flying more at night which is disturbing people in their homes and when they are sleeping. Around Farnborough, there are a large number of light aircraft operating from Blackbushe, Fairoaks, White Waltham, etc. that are 40 – 60 years old. Many were made before there was any consideration of the noise they produce. There are also a lot of helicopters operating that are extremely noisy (often 80dBs at 1,500ft). The change in Farnborough’s airspace in 2020 resulted in many more aircraft flying lower and it resulted in quiet rural areas that were previously only overflown 5 – 10 times a day now being overflown 80 – 120 times a day.
There is guidance (e.g. Air Navigation Guidance 2017, British Helicopter Association Guidance) that is supposed to be applied to reduce aircraft noise, especially over National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. However, the new airspace designs ignored the guidance and now many rural areas are blighted by aircraft noise. To make matters worse, Farnborough Airport is not yet at full capacity and the government, through its Airspace Modernisation Strategy, plans to double the number of aircraft by 2030 and new flightpaths will be introduced by 2028 for Heathrow, Gatwick, Southampton and Farnborough. That will mean 2.5 million flights a year could be put over anyone. The restrictions on night flights end next year and the CAA is looking at changes in the future. Many people are understandably very annoyed and concerned.
Farnborough’s new flightpaths – departures & arrivals
Farnborough aircraft now fly using GPS navigation on the centreline of the flightpath so they fly over the same people time and time again. They are also flying lower than before (by about 500ft). They are supposed to climb quickly to reduce the number of people experiencing noise – but this isn’t happening.
​
Even though the airspace consultation said aircraft would fly within the flightpaths, they actually continue to fly within the black area. So in reality, there are no fewer people overflown as a result of the airspace change. Towns such as Farnham were specifically supposed to be avoided but this is not the case.
These are the new controlled airspace areas and their heights. The blue areas mean that light aircraft and helicopters fly under them – avoiding having to ask for permission to use controlled airspace.
Many non-Farnborough aircraft choose to avoid controlled airspace. It happens 10 – 30 times a day. By flying under controlled airspace and because of the hills in the area, aircraft are often very low (1,000ft – 1,500ft above the ground). As a result, aircraft, particularly helicopters, are very noisy. These “rat-runs” are under the new jet flightpaths so people living in these areas get a second layer of noise disturbance.
Some of the flightpaths for Gatwick and Heathrow are also over the same area. Large aircraft frequently fly as low as low as 5,000ft, often early in the morning or late at night. With the restrictions on night flights ending next year, it is a concern that more aircraft could be using these flightpaths at night.
Farnborough, Odiham and Lasham airports have Instrument Landing Systems that require regular calibration. Aircraft fly repeatedly, at low height, over the same tracks. Sometimes these are at night when the airspace is quiet.
The rural areas west, south and east of Farnborough are popular with flight training schools. Especially on sunny days and weekends, there can be almost constant noise disturbance from light aircraft with one aircraft after another circling for 15 minutes at a time.
Paragliders like this one over Tilford sometimes fly below the minimum legal height but they can’t be identified and reported because they have no markings.
While they are a necessary military activity, Chinooks also operate over the same area. Sometimes during the night at very low height.
View a video of a low flying Chinook