The Student Room Group

Helicopters at night

Is it normal for helicopters to fly over residential areas at night?

The reason I ask is that I often find myself being woken up by the sound of what I assume is a helicopter flying over my house at night. It's not like one offs though. Some weeks it might happen up to 4 nights and it's rather annoying. If time of night makes a difference it's normally between 2 and 3am.

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Reply 1
High crime area?

Do you also see balaclava'ed figures jumping over your garden fence followed by police officers and dogs?
That sucks. I'd be **** scared the first time, thinking it was a war or something. :p:
I've had that a couple of times, once it was shaking the whole house! Like Ramadulla said, i thought there'd been some kind of military invasion above my roof or something haha.
Reply 4
squeak
High crime area?

Do you also see balaclava'ed figures jumping over your garden fence followed by police officers and dogs?


Not really. I live in Milton Keynes and it's definitely not an area with a bad reputation. Surprisingly I don't see criminals in my garden at the time either.
Well I have a helipad just outside my front door for the coastguard/air ambulance/police so we get a lot of helicopters flying over although we have never had them later than 11pm. :yep:
Reply 6
is there an alleyway by your house? There is by mine, and a few nights a week i can here a helicopter going back and forth..apparently its checking for dodgy goings on in that alleyway or so I'm told (how the bad guys wouldn't spot/hear a giant helicopter is beyond me!) but its true what you say, can't get to sleep until it goes away!
Reply 7
I live in an area that is regularly visited by the police helicopter, the latest ive ever heard one go past is about 2am. Theres not much that can be done about it though really is there, if theres a need for it then the police have to use it no matter what time of the night
redkopite
is there an alleyway by your house? There is by mine, and a few nights a week i can here a helicopter going back and forth..apparently its checking for dodgy goings on in that alleyway or so I'm told (how the bad guys wouldn't spot/hear a giant helicopter is beyond me!) but its true what you say, can't get to sleep until it goes away!


From what I have heard they can fly high enough to not be heard but they don't seem to be doing that by you :p:
Reply 9
redkopite
is there an alleyway by your house? There is by mine, and a few nights a week i can here a helicopter going back and forth..apparently its checking for dodgy goings on in that alleyway or so I'm told (how the bad guys wouldn't spot/hear a giant helicopter is beyond me!) but its true what you say, can't get to sleep until it goes away!


Nope, no alleyways near my house. Live by a lake and a park about 50m away but i doubt they'd check there so often at night for funny goings on.
Reply 10
Get it all the time where I live (Bow, London), especially over our street as there are closed areas that hold market stalls at one end of the street and an ally halfway down the street. And easy access gardens.

Personally I prefer the helicopters to the 'there's dogs and police jumping over our garden fence...huh?!' situation!
Helicopters can fly high enough not to be heard but that takes up more fuel.
jk457
Nope, no alleyways near my house. Live by a lake and a park about 50m away but i doubt they'd check there so often at night for funny goings on.



could be something going on in the lake :holmes:
Reply 13
Reminds me of Alistair Stewart
Reply 14
The local police have one helicopter. Yet instead of flying it around anywhere that there is actually crime, they just buzz around the countryside and piss everyone off.

When I was at Glasgow's "BBC Proms in the Park" event a couple of years ago, they just sat there watching and completely ruined about ten minutes of the performance for everyone else. Meanwhile they blatantly hovered around my village fireworks display for larks one year.

Considering the hundreds of pounds per hour it costs the taxpayer to keep those things in the air, I'd at least hope they'd find something useful to do.
Reply 15
Sorry gentlemen, I was just trying out my new chopper.
Do you live near any crack dens?
Reply 17
were i live there is always a police helicopter flying bout at night..its sooo loud aswell...well annoying! i guess its cos i do live in quite a bad town for crime :mad:
XxCalxX
were i live there is always a police helicopter flying bout at night..its sooo loud aswell...well annoying! i guess its cos i do live in quite a bad town for crime :mad:


Really? In Suffolk?
Reply 19
Fusion
Reminds me of Alistair Stewart


"Now here's a driver on the wrong side of the road AND the law..."