Flight path - Dulwich/ Herne Hill/ Camberwell

[concretevase]

Just moved into our new property and lo and behold we are under the landing flight path for Heathrow. Had absolutely no idea - Heathrow is 15 miles away and this was just not something we were thinking about when we were viewing the property. The planes fly so low and its constant one after the other.

Anyone also under this flight path? How do you cope with the noise?

You just get used to it after a few months.

I live near-ish there and I barely notice them.

You get used to it. That corner of is also used by City as well as, I believe, the occasional Gatwick flight. We used to live in Sydenham/Forest Hill and it was the same.

No use to you moe except as an explanation, OP, but it's possible to get information on flight paths from sites like HACAN.

This page explains thr flight paths to London City Airport in various wind conditions and why the planes are so low.
https://www.hacaneast.org.uk/flight-paths

It also says:
Many people in East, NE and SE London are also impacted by Heathrow flight paths. For an explanation of the Heathrow flight paths, see the website of our sister organisation: www.hacan.org.uk

Anyone house hunting may want to check flight paths if they're searching anywhere near an airport.

I'm not a million miles from that area, we hear the planes, one has just gone over now, but it's not bothersome. I hear them in the morning if I am awake when the night flights start to come in, but they don't wake me up.

I think most of London is under some part of a flight path.

There's quite a stream when planes are arriving from the East and generally closer to Herne Hill/Dulwich when they're using the Southern runway. They're still reasonably high up but maybe it's worse because they're turning for their final approach. Flights arriving into City also fly over.

I think with double glazing most people just tune it out. It's not all the time and it's just part of London noise. Most of Z2 South London is similar. I don't find it disruptive in the same way it can be in Hounslow/Richmond/Windsor.

You do get used to it. If I happen to be awake around 5.30am when the early flights from India and the far East come in, I'm always amazed at the level of noise and the fact that I usually sleep right through it. During the day the noise doesn't register at all.

You do get used to it - I don't notice it at all these days. In fact, the last time I really thought about it was at the start of covid when it was almost eerily quiet without the planes!

@concretevase you'll be more likely to notice "The Helicopter" - which will cause unlimited debate on your local Facebook.
You know.... "why is The Helicopter up?" on repeat.
If you're near Kings Hospital I expect you'll get helicopters even more.

I’m fine with it on account of having previously lived in Chiswick!

Just agreeing with everyone else - you'll be amazed how well you'll get used to it . Especially in London where the noise levels are high anyway - you'll just stop noticing it really soon.

You will definitely get used to them and even almost like it.

I lived in Herne Hill for two years and this is the first time I’ve heard it’s under a flight path! So I must have got used to it very quickly.

I lived in Clapham, right under the the flight path when Concorde was still flying and use to LOVE it when it went over!! It was an event in our flat where we would all run out to the roof deck.

You'll get used to the planes though - they'll become white noise soon.

@Needmorelego the helicopter is the number one topic in local Facebook groups in that corner of London 😂 I miss it hugely!

@Flubadubba not just London.
Pretty much everywhere has their "own" helicopter 😂
If it lands in a school field/carpark/football pitch it's the most exciting thing to happen ever. Literally ever 😂😂😂

I've lived in that part of London for over 20 years - New Cross, Nunhead, Camberwell, East Dulwich/Peckham and now Forest Hill. I have never noticed planes.

Helicopters, ambulances, police sirens, local crack heads - yes. Planes - no.

That said I spent four years living in Egham and Staines where the planes were so low you could read the tail logos.

Another one from that area. Have hardly noticed.

the one benefit I’ve noticed is being able to see your house from the plane window! Most exciting thing ever!

The first time I heard Concorde when I lived in Sydenham I thought we were under attack. I then loved hearing it and missed it when it went.
You get used to it, I like the hum the 5am planes make. And you can sometimes see your house when landing and can spend hours on plane finding tracking the planes above.

Download Flightradar24! You'll get to learn which plane and where it's coming from! Embrace it as a point of interest.

@Needmorelego We moved to a market town in Sussex- I miss the helicopter chat!

I live in SE London. You get used to it and I don't notice the planes now. The only time I hear them is first thing in the morning when I'm lying in bed and I find it quite a comforting sound after the disconcerting silence during Covid.

Yes,yes to The Helicopter chat😀
Regarding flight paths and plane noise - doesn't wind direction play a paret in noise levels? And therefore makes noise levels variable ?

Here’s you answer https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A445f712d-9b70-4d5d-a401-6835e57a8af0

ignore the happy clappy pro airport pollution shills. There’s no way of enjoying a stroke.
www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/jan/exposure-aircraft-noise-linked-worse-heart-function#:~:text=They%20used%20UK%20Civil%20Aviation,by%20the%20World%20Health%20Organization.

Wondering how you've got on 18 months in? A lot of people here say you get used to it, but my sense is that none of them live between northern and southern approaches, and therefore none hear planes all day. It would be rather harder to get used to it when it is every minute all day, rather than just half the day...