Discover Hertford Online Forum

Reply ID 9400

It depends on the wind direction to some extent. If it's from the NE then they'll be using Runway 5 at Stansted and consequently the aircraft will travel south from the VOR at Barkway at turn left over Hertford and Ware. At busy times this can be an aircraft every two minutes. If you look north at night you'll see them lined up heading south. They seem to come more over Hertford during the evening. Occasionally you'll get a 747 or Fedex MD11 fly over and these are more noticable because of their size. At other times you'll frequently get aircraft heading North over Hertford to Stevenage where they turn left into the final approach to Luton. Having been in Hertford for so long I'm used to the aircraft so personally they don't bother me. Stansted handles 184,000 flights per year. By way of comparison, Heathrow handles 462,000 and Gatwick 244,000. I'm not sure how this figure has changed over time.

Reply ID 9403

I find the light aircraft more annoying, I guess they are from Panshanger.

Reply ID 9404

I can't say I've really noticed it getting worse, but there is definitely a constant stream of noise on at least a couple of nights per week. Sandwiched as we are in between Stansted, Luton and London I doubt there is much hope for us.

Reply ID 9408

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Originally posted by Joby
I can't say I've really noticed it getting worse, but there is definitely a constant stream of noise on at least a couple of nights per week. Sandwiched as we are in between Stansted, Luton and London I doubt there is much hope for us.

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Reply ID 9434

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Originally posted by nora batty

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Originally posted by Joby
I can't say I've really noticed it getting worse, but there is definitely a constant stream of noise on at least a couple of nights per week. Sandwiched as we are in between Stansted, Luton and London I doubt there is much hope for us.

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Don't leave your landing light on...

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Reply ID 10104

Where did you move from Mike?

Reply ID 10105

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Originally posted by Mike
Open your window or stand outside your front door any day between about 0600 and midnight. The sound of one plane going overhead has barely disappeared before another one comes into earshot. Since moving to Hertford 3 years ago the noise pollution seems to me to have got markedly worse. It was once occasional and it is now constant. Is this an increase in overflights by stealth? No-one to my knowledge has ever consulted on whether we agreed to increased aviation over the town.

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Reply ID 10109

Hi Steve I moved from London! There is fairly consistent aircraft noise there too, but I don't think the number of aircraft movements is anything like as intense as we suffer here. (Unless you live right next to LHR of course!) I just can't understand this east/west wind thing, since there is never, ever a time now when we DON'T have a plane every two minutes. I'm convinced the pattern has changed since I arrived here.....

Reply ID 10111

Maybe that's because we're under more than one flight path. The "wind thing" only covers aircraft landing, ie inbound to Luton or Stansted. You also have flights climbing out of Heathrow heading NW (usually or the Far East)and others heading North to the VOR at Barkway. Both of these however are alot higher than the inbounds.

Reply ID 10112

Yeah - the higher altitudes are not so bad. Actually I just looked at the BAA's noise maps and according to them we (Hertford) are completely invisible beneath the mass of red ink depicting both north easterly and south westerly landings into Stansted. It seems a hell of a high price to pay for cheap weekends in Europe....

Reply ID 10117

For reference........... http://www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/maps.html

Reply ID 10119

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Originally posted by Mike
there is never, ever a time now when we DON'T have a plane every two minutes.

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Reply ID 10122

At about 20 past midnight I thought a plane was about to land in my garden.

Reply ID 10123

I have never been able to understand why the lives of people in Herts and Esex should be blighted for the benefit of a foreign airline and pay for the pleasure through our taxes.

Reply ID 10166

As it happens, our beloved govt is planning to allow a 40% -- yes FORTY per cent! - increase in night flights into Stansted from next year. They are 'consulting' on this until Sept 16th and anyone valuing their sleep/house price/mental health can email their objections before then.... you send an email marked "Night Flights Consultation" to [email protected]

Reply ID 10167

Steve wrote... "There are none this evening. This is because we currently have a South-easterly wind and consequently they're using runway 23 and approaching from the North-West." I don't get it Steve -- I heard plenty of planes, and if you look at the BAA map it shows that even in a south-easterly the aircraft fly over Hartford/Ware then do a sharp r/h turn to land into the wind at Stansted itself......

Reply ID 10168

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Originally posted by Mike
I don't get it Steve -- I heard plenty of planes

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Reply ID 10180

Hi Steve - Well, vaguely north east - most coming over Hertford/Bengeo from somewhere beyond the 414 and flying towards upper Bengeo.....

Reply ID 10186

Apart from a handful (at most) of flights heading North to Stevenage at over 3000ft, the only other traffic was over a mile high, heading up to the VOR at Barkway or outbound from Heathrow. The fact is that we live under a number of flight paths and you seem particularly sensitive to any aircraft noise, not just those on their "base leg" approaches to Luton and Stansted. And with reference to the maps, they make no distinction with regard to how loud the noise is or how high the aircraft are, so they're a fairly crude illustration. Yes, aircraft flying in the Stansed Rwy 23 from the NW do fly over Hertford on their way in (the downwind leg), but at over a mile high over Hertford heading N, whereas flying in to Rwy 5 they are much lower, but no lower than 3000ft (still over a kilometre), which is the lower limit of controlled airspace. They are not allowed to fly below this height. These are the aircraft that people complain about most.

Reply ID 10188

Particularly sensitive to aircraft noise?? If you don't mind me saying, I think you must be particularly innured to it. Switch off the TV, open your windows, and count how many seconds it is before the drone of one plane or another emerges overhead. I'm not really concerned what planes these are, what height or where they're heading. What bothers me is the fact that you can always hear the bloody things.

Reply ID 10189

Agree with Mike. Noise pollution is a modern curse and in hertford planes are a major cause.

Reply ID 10191

And road traffic?

Reply ID 10194

I'm sure most people will agree road traffic can also be a problem. Happily though, not in my street. I'm very intrigued though Steve - why are you so sanguine about the aircraft noise? You also seem to know an awful lot of very technical detail......

Reply ID 10195

Judging by the posts on this forum and by letters in The Mercury there appear to be people who are aggravated by aircraft noise and others, such as myself, that either don't notice it or aren't disturbed by it. It's no worse than road traffic from my perspective (which doesn't disturb me either). I've lived in Hertford and Ware since 1963 and have grown up with it, so maybe my brain has "attuned" it out. As for my technical knowledge, I have a casual interest in aviation and a friend in Air Traffic Control!

Reply ID 10196

I envy you! From my POV it's partly because (my part of) Hertford is so quiet, traffic-wise, that the planes are so noticeable. Also, the sound is not ambient/on-going like traffic, but intermittent, which means one notices it more. Anyhow, from what you seem to be saying, we can expect quieter days once the wind direction changes?

Reply ID 10197

Quieter yes, but not quiet. [:)] FWIW, I live in the town centre, so there's always background noise.

Reply ID 10204

I sat in my garden until late this evening...............there were the sounds of trains, the A414, the shout fest coming from the direction of the football club and...................the planes. I have a relative staying from Australia and the only noise they noticed were the planes. He commented on how the flight path was directly above us.

Reply ID 10299

does any one know what the number is to complain about the noise pollution from stansted?

Reply ID 10302

0800 243 788

Reply ID 10304

Ta

Reply ID 10463

Woken up by screaming jet engines overhead. Not happy! http://www.bengeo.demon.co.uk/bra/pics/IMG_1840_one-oclockaircraft.jpg

Reply ID 10464

All I can see is a con-trail in the photo. An aircraft at that height would be barely audible (five miles up!). I didn't hear anything (in Hertford town centre).

Reply ID 10465

Apologies, that's not a con-trail in the photo - I can see the strobe lights on the wingtips. Still didn't hear it though.

Reply ID 10467

I guess they are so low you are sheltered by the buildings. These are flying over the North Station, every 5 mins. In the daytime you can read the logos and count the windows.

Reply ID 10468

They make a very loud noise (I live near the north station)as if the engines are slowing or flaps are coming down. I'm no pilot but believe us, the noise is bad.

Reply ID 10470

You all must be very light sleepers I live near Herford North and hear nothing.

Reply ID 10471

I too live near the North station and sleep with bedroom windows open...I can see the planes flying over in the small hours and hardly hear a thing.

Reply ID 10472

I fortunately don't hear the aircraft, but when listening to the radio at night it is often interupted by conversations between pilots and air traffic control!

Reply ID 10980

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Originally posted by Paul
Woken up by screaming jet engines overhead. Not happy! http://www.bengeo.demon.co.uk/bra/pics/IMG_1840_one-oclockaircraft.jpg

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Reply ID 15225

I don't really notice it to be honest, unless it sounds special like the spitfire or summink growly. I just manage to blank it out, oh well, the results of god knows how many weeks with the RAF!

Reply ID 19149

I don't notice the aircraft noise either, and I do sleep with the windows open. A T33 flew over my house once and that was quite loud but I just looked up in awe ;-) I also got a Spitfire formation fly past last year - I rushed to the window when I heard the Merlins!

Reply ID 40399

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Originally posted by Mike
Open your window or stand outside your front door any day between about 0600 and midnight. The sound of one plane going overhead has barely disappeared before another one comes into earshot. Since moving to Hertford 3 years ago the noise pollution seems to me to have got markedly worse. It was once occasional and it is now constant. Is this an increase in overflights by stealth? No-one to my knowledge has ever consulted on whether we agreed to increased aviation over the town.

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Reply ID 40418

I can't say that have noticed it much. Yes, I can hear aircraft, but the ambient noise level in Hertford is so high that it gets lost in the soup of traffic, kids, barking dogs, police sirens, car alarms, birdsong, pub noise, lawnmowers and barbecue parties. Presumably Mike must live somewhere which is otherwise very quiet.

Reply ID 40419

I heard about 3 quite late last night at about the same time. Flew over at the speed of a plane so didn't actually last long. Hardly hear them otherwise, even when I've listened out for them after previous comments. Where are they supposed to go if they don't go through the skys?

Reply ID 40424

Ah, I think I can just hear one now. Hang on, I'll just shoot this songthrush so that I can hear the plane more clearly. Damn, now the trees are rustling. Not easy this plane spotting lark, is it?