Boom in Charente

when they are right overhead the sound goes right through me). It’s this feeling that excites me. A friend lives close to Heathrow and I would sit in his garden and watch the planes, at first I could not believe how low the planes were to the houses! I do understand the noise pollution, especially for animals :worried: Maybe if I witnessed it regularly I might feel different, but I doubt it.
By the way I hate flying :woman_shrugging:

When I was a penniless student with no money to travel I used to go to Heathrow and sit on the observation deck (they used to have one in those days…) and watch the planes coming and going, and guess where they’d come from from the people walking across the tarmac (this was another era) and wave frantically if they looked nice! I love the smell of aviation fuel…

1 Like

love the smell of aviation fuel…

strong textMe too!

How appropriate, you doing your pilates class while they their pilot’s class.
Ba Boom. :roll_eyes: :laughing:

5 Likes

We lived on the other side of the valley, Chalford Hill. We had excellent views of the Red Arrows flying out of Little Rissington. You must be posh, Burleigh and Bownham Park! I had a friend who lived nearby and we watched those big houses go up. I did go to a party there once, large bungalow with a swimming pool. Lovely part of the world though.

We have the fighter jets come up and over us some weeks on a daily basis, usually 2 or 3 of them. Sometimes they are seriously low and it is quite scary, we have had the conversation about how terrifying it would be if it was ‘real’. I think they must use the valley between the Dordogne and the Isle as easy to follow even flying fast I guess.

We lived in Burleigh and I was turning into to see a friend in Bownham Park.
Now we live in beautiful Trivy in the Clunisois, which is like a bigger version of the Cotswolds.

I’m surprised at the interest one sonic boom has caused here. We are used to them as they are quite common in this part of the world.

B52’s don’t go supersonic.

No, of course they don’t, but they are damned noisy especially in the middle of the night when everything else is quiet.

1 Like

Sonic booms generate a pressure pulse of around 2lbs/sq.ft. This comes from US figures, hence the antiquated units. But over our house roof, for example, that might mean a pretty-well-instantaneous 2500kg force. The weight of 2 cars briefly spread over the roof.

I don’t think you would like to hear B52’s flying high above your house either, no matter what the scientific data.
At the time of my post the noise had not been actually attributed to sonic boom, so why are you harping on about it?

The B 52 is a pussycat compared to these bad boys

A weekend on the Norfolk Broads was made all the better for seeing Concorde and a Stealth fighter flying over :heart_eyes:
Sometimes military types big helicopters fly over, quite low, wonderful sight.

We saw Concorde’s last fight from the UK to the USA in our garden in Stroud. It was a beautiful evening and the sun was shining on the plane.

1 Like

We used to be woken up by the distinctive whoop whoop of Chinooks carrying nuclear material on exercise in Hampshire.
Not nice.

I’ve only just joined this forum and “Boom in Charente” caught my eye.
Mainly because my wife and I are interested in relocating to France and the Charente seems to tick a lot of boxes.
We currently live in Cyprus, Limassol to be exact, but 6 years on the summer heat coupled with the ever rising cost of living has taken its toll.
Time for a change.
We intend to rent first, while we explore the area, before purchasing what we hope will be our dream home as we enter our (my) dotage !!
We’ve chosen Charente because of its claim to be the 2nd sunniest place in France together with its excellent rail links to the UK where we have friends and family.
Subject to lockdown rules, we hope to be there late spring/early summer so any help,and advice will be more than welcome.
Best wishes for 2021 to all of you.

2 Likes

Hi Steve and welcome to SF!
We have lived in the Charente now for 12+ years and love it here between Angoulême and Limoges - very rural so any questions you have about the area please feel free to ask away.

Hey thanks for getting back to me !
Soooo many questions from our end !
It will be a new life for us both.
I wasn’t sure whether Limoges or angouleme?
I read the leather in Limoges can be harsh during the winter. Possibly milder nearer the coast ?

Weather sorry !!