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Original poster

Plane noise but not under flight path?

29 replies

az408 · 20/05/2023 22:21

Not sure if anyone will have any answers or thoughts on this, but it's baffling DH and I!

We live in west London so not far from Heathrow, but we are definitely not under a flight path. I've checked today and nothing has changed in that respect.

We've lived here for two years and never had any issues with plane noise, but for the last two nights we've had relentless flight noise over the house for hours. It's been enough to keep us both up, and we're hearing a plane every few minutes. Flights into LHR should stop around 11pm, but we heard them up until 2am this morning.

I've looked on the FlightRadar app and it's showing absolutely nothing passing over us at any point, yet we can definitely hear it. Have asked the neighbours too and it's not just us - they hear it too!

Very confused as to what this might be and a bit concerned this is going to continue. Any ideas on why we suddenly seem to be on a flight route and why it's so loud?

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 20/05/2023 22:29

Maybe flights to and from RAF Northolt. Military and MoD. They won't all be on Flightradar.

Pootles34 · 20/05/2023 22:29

I assumed that if they're not on flightradar that's because they're military planes and it's sensitive info?! That might be me being ridiculous though..

Pootles34 · 20/05/2023 22:30

Oh and this time of year RAF nightflights do have to be really late, for obvious reasons!

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BlameItOnTheGoose · 20/05/2023 22:30

Are they definitely planes rather than helicopters?

3luckystars · 20/05/2023 22:32

I don’t know the story with that airport but is it possible that they changed runways due to wind / weather and flights are coming in from a different angle than they normally would?

also, is it definitely a plane noise, could it be a windmill/something else making a similar noise?

Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 22:32

FictionalCharacter · 20/05/2023 22:29

Maybe flights to and from RAF Northolt. Military and MoD. They won't all be on Flightradar.

Agreed with everyone on military flights, it was my first thought. But it's been so consistent for the last few nights and until so late!

It would make the most sense! I just find it weird we've never noticed it before in the years since we've been here. DH is such a light sleeper and everything usually wakes him.

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Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 22:33

BlameItOnTheGoose · 20/05/2023 22:30

Are they definitely planes rather than helicopters?

Definitely planes, we've had helicopters above here before and they sound very different.

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Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 22:34

3luckystars · 20/05/2023 22:32

I don’t know the story with that airport but is it possible that they changed runways due to wind / weather and flights are coming in from a different angle than they normally would?

also, is it definitely a plane noise, could it be a windmill/something else making a similar noise?

It is possible, but I've also just been round the block walking the dog and can hear the plane sounds but can't see anything remotely close enough for it to be that loud. A few lights in the sky from planes but way too far away to be this loud.

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Qilin · 20/05/2023 22:34

Military or privately owned planes don't always appear on flight radar.

StillWantingADog · 20/05/2023 22:36

With the skies clear can you def not see anything? That is very odd

Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 22:38

StillWantingADog · 20/05/2023 22:36

With the skies clear can you def not see anything? That is very odd

Definitely can't see anything. I've had next door out as well because we've been messaging about it today. Neither of us can work it out.

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Nat6999 · 20/05/2023 22:40

A lot of military flights are on Flightradar, I've watched the C130, Typhoon fighters, Chinook helicopters in this country & tracked British & American planes when the Russians invaded Ukraine. Could it be police planes you can hear? We get the National Police service planes over late at night.

Nat6999 · 20/05/2023 22:40

A lot of military flights are on Flightradar, I've watched the C130, Typhoon fighters, Chinook helicopters in this country & tracked British & American planes when the Russians invaded Ukraine. Could it be police planes you can hear? We get the National Police service planes over late at night.

Alighttouchonthetiller · 20/05/2023 22:40

Can you do a Google search for local RAF bases? I live in Lincolnshire and our local bases always make it known when night flying is happening by posting online. We had planes making a racket a few weeks ago, not showing on flight radar, but a quick Google confirmed it was just planned exercises and nothing to cause alarm.

DogInATent · 20/05/2023 22:41

The free versions of FlightRadar and other similar apps only show commercial traffic. There are ways of seeing the other aircraft, I don't know if the subscription version still shows military aircraft?

QueefQueen80s · 20/05/2023 22:42

Lots over Leeds, military flights creating clouds

Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 22:43

Alighttouchonthetiller · 20/05/2023 22:40

Can you do a Google search for local RAF bases? I live in Lincolnshire and our local bases always make it known when night flying is happening by posting online. We had planes making a racket a few weeks ago, not showing on flight radar, but a quick Google confirmed it was just planned exercises and nothing to cause alarm.

I've just had a quick look and can't see anything, but I can always contact the base I guess and ask for more info to see if it is night exercises.

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Alighttouchonthetiller · 20/05/2023 22:43

Nat6999 · 20/05/2023 22:40

A lot of military flights are on Flightradar, I've watched the C130, Typhoon fighters, Chinook helicopters in this country & tracked British & American planes when the Russians invaded Ukraine. Could it be police planes you can hear? We get the National Police service planes over late at night.

A lot of them show on flight radar, but not all. For example, the other night I was on the look out for the Lancaster Bomber. Flight radar showed it as being on the ground at Cranfield so it gave me quite a start when it flew over the house.

Alighttouchonthetiller · 20/05/2023 22:45

az408 · 20/05/2023 22:43

I've just had a quick look and can't see anything, but I can always contact the base I guess and ask for more info to see if it is night exercises.

Show quote history

I would. I don't think it's anything to worry about. I quite like lying in bed, knowing that people are out there, training to keep us all safe.

AmbleInAnnBoleyn · 20/05/2023 22:55

https://military.freedar.uk/VirtualRadar/mobile.html

You need to have a squiz at ye olde military freedar uk site.

ballskillz · 20/05/2023 23:01

az408 · 20/05/2023 22:21

Not sure if anyone will have any answers or thoughts on this, but it's baffling DH and I!

We live in west London so not far from Heathrow, but we are definitely not under a flight path. I've checked today and nothing has changed in that respect.

We've lived here for two years and never had any issues with plane noise, but for the last two nights we've had relentless flight noise over the house for hours. It's been enough to keep us both up, and we're hearing a plane every few minutes. Flights into LHR should stop around 11pm, but we heard them up until 2am this morning.

I've looked on the FlightRadar app and it's showing absolutely nothing passing over us at any point, yet we can definitely hear it. Have asked the neighbours too and it's not just us - they hear it too!

Very confused as to what this might be and a bit concerned this is going to continue. Any ideas on why we suddenly seem to be on a flight route and why it's so loud?

Are they landing or taking off? You should be able to tell from the sound. It makes a difference. The incoming flightpaths to Heathrow are fixed, because they align with the runways, but the outgoing flight paths depend on route and weather patterns, so are more dispersed.

I live in the Hampton Hill area of Richmond upon Thames, near Twickenham and Teddington, and we can go weeks without noticing planes, then suddenly have a few days of intense take-offs overhead. I can hear them right now.

Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 23:01

AmbleInAnnBoleyn · 20/05/2023 22:55

https://military.freedar.uk/VirtualRadar/mobile.html

You need to have a squiz at ye olde military freedar uk site.

Thank you! Nothing coming up though, so potentially killing our military theory.

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Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 23:04

@ballskillz it's hard to tell, it really does sound like they're just passing over us. Altitude has to be pretty high as we can only see faint pricks of light way above us for commercial flights.

And absolutely nothing showing on the map as being remotely near us, which is just so odd.

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Original poster
az408 · 20/05/2023 23:06

ballskillz · 20/05/2023 23:03

This is helpful but does show that all the routes to the east miss us completely. Actually watching the radar you can see the flights leaving taking those routes but not coming by us. Yet we just had another one go overhead! Very perplexing.

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