Aircraft noise in Southwater (RH13)
Southwater experiences approximately 23 aircraft overflights per day, primarily arrivals at London Gatwick Airport, passing between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another low overflight or so each day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 72–76 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #2 of 29 Gatwick areas for aircraft noise exposure. (Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 36.7 days to 2026-08-23.)
Data: 36.7 days to 2026-08-23 · all tracked aircraft over Southwater · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
Southwater hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
London Gatwick Airport
live map →22 overflights/day (96%) · typically 4,800 ft
Southwater sits a few kilometres south of Horsham under the same south-western arrival swathe, with descending Gatwick-bound jets crossing at roughly 4,800 ft. Nearly everything overhead is an arrival; the height takes the edge off individual overflights, but the flow repeats steadily through the day.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
1 overflights/day (4%) · typically 1,000 ft
The occasional light aircraft also works the area at low level, adding around one movement a day.
Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.
How nearby areas compare
| Area | Overflights / day | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Horsham | 25 | #1 |
| Southwater | 23 | #2 |
| Broadbridge Heath | 13 | #9 |
| Warnham | 8 | #17 |
| Slinfold | 6 | #25 |
Common questions
- Is Southwater under a flight path?
- Yes — Southwater is under London Gatwick Airport flight paths, with around 23 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over Southwater?
- More than one source: London Gatwick Airport (~22/day), other low-flying aircraft (~1/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over Southwater?
- The first movements typically pass over Southwater around 6:27am, building through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in Southwater on weekends?
- Weekends are actually busier here — about 33% more overflights than weekdays (29 vs 22 a day).
Checking a specific address?
This page shows area-wide averages. An address report gives you the exact overflight count, altitudes, hourly pattern and noise estimate for one property. Leave your email and we'll let you know when reports are ready for Southwater.
