(Chris & Hazel Beney's Web Site)
Light Aircraft main page
1. Elstree aerodrome
2. A personal view of aviation
3. A poem
(Chris & Hazel Beney's Web Site)Light Aircraft main page1. Elstree aerodrome |
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Two, linked, national organisations
Airfields Environment Trust
Aviation Environment Federation
Response of ACE to Gov Consultation paper end 2000
2. A personal view of aviation
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My interest in aviation goes back at least to model aircraft in my youth, does anyone remember the Super Slicker?
Whilst flying these in the garden at South Godstone, ?10 miles from Redhill Airstrip, aged perhaps 16, I recall light aircraft buzzing about a bit and thinking that in a few years the sky would be absolutely full of aircraft as everyone will have them. That was in about 1950, aircraft usage on that scale didn't happen.
BUT aircraft noise did indeed become one of the biggest post war environmental issues.
The aviation industry claimed that there would be great loss of power (financially ruining they said) if noise reduction measures were taken. As an engineer, and knowing that noise=energy, I knew that reducing noise would increase, not reduce, efficiency, but of course only if it was converted into thrust rather than waste heat. Of course that happened eventually for the jets, though the attitude of the industry doubtless made it take longer than necessary.
But it didn't happen for the Redhill type light aircraft, and negative industry thinking still holds. There are small cracks appearing but they are unfortunately not spreading as fast as proper stress cracks usually do.
Cabair (London School of Flying) promised the community near Elstree Aerodrome over twenty years ago that they would fit silencers as soon as they became available. Well they have been for several years available for some of their aircraft and they have not fulfilled their promise. Firecrest (who also train from Elstree) have fitted them successfully and Cabair did fit one but for whatever reason it didn't last. They say something cracked, but have produced no evidence to date (2005) that they have tried to establish the cause or to eliminate the fault.
Personally I have worked with aviation for many years. I helped build, and then test fly, an interception course computer designed to guide the weapon called Red Dean (I hope that name is now declassified, everyone knew it at the time anyway). Then a digital airborne navigation computer DEXAN, a world first. Later a data recorder for Boscombe Down and for the Centre d'Essais en Vol near Paris. Trials involved flying up and down the country at 30,000ft as that was then above the airlines. I then project-managed part of the Concorde development, the flight data analysis computers (SDS) and software (FREP etc).
My uncle, Bob Beney, sometime called the black sheep for reasons I never discovered, was in the industry before the second war and took out patents on contra-rotating props.
My ?second cousin Adrian Beney is a keen aviator and has some interesting aviation links and material on his web site www.beney.org.uk
I do not think the light end of the aviation industry in general is doing nearly enough to reduce their impact on other people. Following from that I became a founder member of the Airfields Environment Federation, later its vice-chairman. Now retired from that, though they very kindly gave me honorary life membership. I work through the Elstree Aerodrome Consultative Committee and have been secretary of that for some twenty five years. Currently looking for a replacement.
Also I was involved in starting ACE, the Association for the Containment of Elstree aerodrome. The (then) Liberals had detected it as a local issue and with their help and that of the Jefferis family from Hilfield Park, very near the aerodrome, we had 800 or so paid up members in no time at all. There had been twin late night flying and a threatened runway extension and engine failure practice on take off over houses. When news of our formation was announced in the press, Mr Houlder, the aerodrome owner, contacted me and immediately banned the practicing of engine failure directly over houses. We then agreed to set up a consultative facility, which has met regularly ever since.
Big Jets
The big jet component of noise should not be ignored. Whilst most local people
complain about the Elstree aircraft, significant numbers also mention the
commercial jets. A few only mention the jets. I did some sound level tests and
these jets (on the east west and VV routes) give a very similar noise footprint
to the light aircraft both in level and duration. They are faster and higher but
give similar impact. The measurements were made in central Bushey, somewhat
south of the jet flight paths.
A Poem
Recovering from a severe infection in 2001 I was moved to
write this, goodness knows why. Now ('now' is November 2007) I felt it worth
putting here as Cabair are starting to claim that diesels (which are quieter but
not as quiet as those Katanas) were introduced for the benefit of those flown
over. It needs to be recorded that Cabair broke long standing promises to the
community to fit silencers. The record is in Elstree's Consultative minutes if
you care to read all 103 of them. Of course we welcome the phased introduction
of the quieter (and 3 bladed prop equipped) aircraft. But it was not solely done
for us, was it actually done for us at all?
"Monday afternoon the 23rd July 2001"
A Summer Musing. By CB
There I sat in the garden convalescing.
With legs up as per doctor's orders,
gently catching up with work that had been piling up.
I called up my reserves of mental powers
and at least partly managed to block out the Growls and Grinds -
coming up; above; then away.....followed by another and another and...........
I blocked off thoughts of school instructors letting their errant pupils Grind
over my house, despite it being out-of-bounds.
I blocked off thoughts of lonely silencers sitting in factories, un-bought, un-fitted, despite promises.
I blocked off thoughts of the board who had spurned the silent angel Katana[1] and embraced brash Thor[2] without a word or thought for us mortals below.
Fortunately I had no need to speak or to hear as I was alone, but I mused a
little on the nature of thoughtlessness.
Then a movement caught my eye, straining my ears I heard a cat purr.......
No, oh joy, it was the angel returned, the angel Katana that I have sworn gives
me no cause for complaint.
Then Thor's Growls and Grinds began again.
Why?
1 'Katana' is the make of quiet aircraft introduced two or three years ago and then withdrawn.
2 Thor' is a name representing Piper PA28s and other noisy aircraft.