Constant sound of Jetliners but no sightings - Galway area

Juran

we live in Galway and over the past 2 weeks I can hear the sound of a jet overhead nearly all times of the day. It sounds like the rumble of a transatlantic commerical jetliner. As most noth europe - US flights pass close to Galway, i am very familair with this noise over the past 30 years, but in recent weeks, i hear this noise but there are no jet liners overhead. It also seems to be more constant in the evenings from 5pm to 10pm, although it can be heard during the day and night as well. Over the years, I've always observed the flight patterns ... that is flights heading to the states pass over galway around late morning-lunchtime, quiet skies in the evneings, then the flights heading for Europe pass over very late at night (from 3am - 6am). Having an interest in commerical aviation, i always can see the planes when i hear them (unless its very cloudy) but the past 2 week ..nothing. The reason its more evident to us is that our dog is terrified of the noise of jetliners (she thinks its thunder) ... the past 2 week she won't move outside. This evening I dragged her out for a walk, as soon as we went outside, we could hear the distant roar of a moving jet .... we had to cut short the walk as she was so nervous. Does anyone know if perhaps military jets are flying over us, at a hight that is is not visable to the naked eye?
Anyone else hear this noise?

ronnie3585

It's probably the high level trans-Atlantic stuff passing overhead. They are so high they are difficult to see without binoculars. Given that the Jetstream usually dictates the flight paths for these aircraft you won't hear them all the time over Galway.

diverdriver

Where in Galway? I've heard nothing and am familiar with most jet noise. I also live close to the airport. Not many jets there admittedly. Were the evenings calm by any chance?

If it wasn't for your dog. I would have suggested you get checked out for tinnitus. One variation of it does sound like jets.

It maybe just peculiar atmospherics to the point where you can hear distant jets but not see them. It's also worth pointing out that airliners are difficult to pick up when they're not producing contrails. By the time you hear them they'll have passed by.

highlydebased

ronnie3585 wrote: »

It's probably the high level trans-Atlantic stuff passing overhead. They are so high they are difficult to see without binoculars. Given that the Jetstream usually dictates the flight paths for these aircraft you won't hear them all the time over Galway.

On a clear day you can see them easily with the naked eye

Obviously with the recent weather we have been having you would not have a hope.

Some of the standard instrument departures from Shannon route to just south of Galway, could be that (The OSGAR and PELIG sids)

LeotheLion

ronnie3585 wrote: »

It's probably the high level trans-Atlantic stuff passing overhead. They are so high they are difficult to see without binoculars. Given that the Jetstream usually dictates the flight paths for these aircraft you won't hear them all the time over Galway.

If they are that high your hardly going to hear them on the ground now are you???

I think the OP was hit over the head with a shovel recently

ronnie3585

LeotheLion wrote: »

If they are that high your hardly going to hear them on the ground now are you???

Yes you can hear them. I live in Galway too and I hear these jets all the time.

I think the OP was hit over the head with a shovel recently

WTF?

Steyr

I have heard this too and seen some Mil traffic of the figther jet variety.

pclancy

LeotheLion wrote: »

If they are that high your hardly going to hear them on the ground now are you???

I think the OP was hit over the head with a shovel recently

Yes you would hear them and here, let me hit you over the head with my infraction shovel.

Steyr

pclancy wrote: »

let me hit you over the head with my infraction shovel.

ROFL:pac:

Juran

I agree regarding the fact that you hear an aircraft and not see it .... but over the years, i can always spot an aircraft once i hear it (apart from bad clouds) .... someone mentioned they've heard the same recently .. glad its just not us (and our dog) not going mad!

since the war in Iraq, each xmas day i walk my parents dogs along a quiet lonely country road ... xmas day is one day that all commerical airliners do not fly sceduled flights .... for the past few years i've noticed that i hear the same jet engine noise in the sky on xmas day without seeing an aircraft ... this really leads me to belive that the sounds i'm hearing is related to military activity. Anyone feel the same?? am I going mad or what??

Juran

to respond to DriverDriver .... we live in Barna, west of Galway city ....

Steyr

Lots of Mil Traffic goes over Ireland, Cork gets alot of F-15E Traffic overhead/in the area whenever they are transiting to RAF LakenHeath USAFE Base. Shannon is full of OAI and Hercules Aircraft.

diverdriver

Barna, that makes sense, away from the city a bit and probably quieter. As for Christmas, in fact there is plenty of commercial traffic passing overhead. Not everyone celebrates it after all.

If you say it's constant then it's unlikely to be military as they would only be passing at certain times.

I think what you might have is some kind of sound collector effect going on in the area. Local geography can effect how you hear things. I know a valley in Tipperary where on still evenings you can see the traffic a couple of miles away on the N7 but only hear it behind you as an echo from the hills. It is weird. Growing up in Dublin ten miles from the airport on the southside near Terenure. I could hears jets taking off and thrust reversers being deployed at Dublin airport. They were louder back then of course. But the main reason was that Dublin is essentially a bowl and both the airport and my house were on higher ground so the sound was trapped and travelled.

So with a bit of 'deductive reasoning' as Sherlock Holmes might say. I would surmise that due to the transatlantic routes in use right now. That the sound is being trapped by the combined effect of the hills of Clare and the mountains of Connemara. In effect Galway bay is acting like a giant ear trumpet and drawing in the sound of otherwise invisible aircraft. Elementary, my dear fellow.;)

Well it's a theory.

Juran

interesting theory driverdriver ..... you might be right. It would be interesting to find out if flight paths for transatlantic flights have been updated recently.
anyone know where a person might get their hands on that info ?

LeotheLion

pclancy wrote: »

Yes you would hear them and here, let me hit you over the head with my infraction shovel.

and let me hit you with my de-infractionising spade smack bang in the mush.

highlydebased

Juran wrote: »

interesting theory driverdriver ..... you might be right. It would be interesting to find out if flight paths for transatlantic flights have been updated recently.
anyone know where a person might get their hands on that info ?

They change daily
see- http://www.blackswan.ch/nat/ - the ones towards the top are Westbound.