UKC

Sandstone regulars will be aware of the increase (every 45 seconds at this time of year!) in noise from jet aircraft caused by a recent decision to concentrate flight paths into a 'super highway'. This affects Harrison's rocks and the ambiance of other crags on southern sandstone too.
Please join the protest tomorrow evening at 5pm - details at http://www.gatwickobviouslynot.org

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

Had a quick look at your weblink but couldn't really see what your proposals or changes would be (unless it's just nimbyism). Harrison's is only about 20 miles from Gatwick in the most densely populated corner of the UK, and someone is going to have to have aeroplanes flying over there house.

In reply to deacondeacon:


Nimby. Too right. My observations are
1. most people are happy for planes to fly over someone else's house. Just not mine please.
2. many people object to airports then fly off on their hols from Heathrow or Gatwick.

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

The BMC need to get involved - this is clearly the most important climbing-related issue in the country at the moment.

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

It's near an airport.
Airports have aeroplanes.
They have to fly over somewhere.
Get over it!

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

After climbing at Goblin Combe years ago and having a plane come by every 5 minutes or so I can understand the OP’s sentiments.

It’s one thing to live in/move to an area where the flight paths are established, but another to have flights increased or routes changed.

In reply to Jim Hamilton:

Yes, Harrison's rocks are on the edge of the Weald AONB and were there well before Gatwick Airport. Gatwick has concentrated aircraft routing recently to demonstrate volume viability as it competes against Heathrow. The knock on affect of this to climbers is a dramatic increase in aircraft, often below 6,000 ft, in effect like having a motorway built over your head without any consultation.

Simon, yes I agree the BMC should get involved. It owns two crags (Harrison's and Stone Farm) which happen to be right under said new motorway.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:
I must agree that the (almost) constant background sound of aircraft does somewhat spoil the pleasures of climbing at what are London's nearest outdoor crags and has definitely got a lot worse over the decades. It does seem that this is a matter for the BMC bearing in mind that it was local residents who came on board and supported the BMC in the struggle to preserve the campsite facilities and car park at Harrisons.

But I agree, we need to know a lot more about the protesters'counter proposals bearing in mind that the flight paths have to go somewhere.

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

Whoever thinks they can change the flightpath at a major world airport like Gatwick by protesting is living in cloud-cuckoo land.

Move to Northumberland.

In reply to cheeseandpickle:


Hahahaha. Were *you* there before Gatwick?


Simon was being sarcastic

More charitably - I can see why it's annoying (I used to live under a flight path and never really got used to it), but we're not going to change it and the BMC would simply look silly if they got involved. I imagine the rationale for the "superhighway" included removing thousands of houses from under flight paths, so the few are making a sacrifice for the many and, in the scheme of things, a pretty modest sacrifice at that.

In reply to JJL:

No, not that old! Thanks for your tip on simon's wit. Not all climbers are autistic, and thanks for your charitable remarks.

So it's ok for big business to shit on the little people in the name of profit? This is all about a multi billionaire South Korean business man who owns Gatwick deciding he doesn't need to consult when he wants to change flight paths to maximise profits.

Please don't miss the point on this. Before spring 2014 there wasn't a noticeable problem at Harrison's - aircraft approach to Gatwick was Dispersed with the final turn for landing much closer to Gatwick- Now air traffic has been concentrated into an aerial superhighway - with an aircraft directly overhead every 45 seconds at busy periods right over the crag at 6,000 ft or lower- all this without any consultation. Imagine how mad you'd be if a motorway was built at next to your local crag with no consultation? It's exactly the same.


Protest starts at 5pm at penshurst.

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

A quality example of the tabloid, noun-only headline. Good work!

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

What I was trying to explain is that this might well not be about profit. It could be channelling the disruption into a flight path that impacts fewest people.

In reply to cheeseandpickle:

So, OP, tell us you've never flown in an aircraft to go on holiday? You have? Oh dear - how many people do you think heard your 'plane as it droned overhead on takeoff and approach to your sunshine destination and coming back the opposite way?

Harrison's Rocks is a geological oddity in Southern England on which a few eccentrics like to clamber around. Do you really think anybody in the aviation industry is going to care one tiny jot about the place, when their biggest preoccupation is profitable and safe operation of aircraft?