SINCE publishing last week a story about a pensioner’s misery over the increased noise and frequency of low-flying aircraft over her home, The Comet’s newsdesk has been inundated with calls from residents echoing her sentiments.

While I sympathise with the plight of the pensioner and others, I cannot help but wonder how many of these people actually use aeroplanes themselves.

And I wonder how many of these people spare a thought for those on the ground when heading off on holiday for a well-deserved break in the sun, jetting off on business to clinch a deal, or visiting family who live overseas.

Everybody who flies is responsible in part for the volume of air traffic in our skies today.

When the ash cloud produced from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallaj�kull resulted in closures to UK airspace in April and May this year, the country was up in arms.

You simply cannot have your cake and eat it.

London Luton Airport was officially opened on July 16, 1938, so has been established in the area a lot longer than most - if not all - of the residents who are now complaining.

Perhaps the moral of the story is to do your research before buying a property.

If you move close to a railway station, you will hear trains; if you move close to a football stadium, you will hear fans; if you move close to an airport, you will hear planes.

Aircraft noise in certain parts of Comet country should be expected, and is often reflected in house prices.

A number of people who have contacted The Comet to complain about the noise and frequency of aircraft flying over their homes have openly admitted that they knew their property was beneath the flight path for London Luton Airport when they bought it. How, then, are they now in a position to complain?

Those who have lived in the same property for decades may well have noticed a significant increase in the sheer volume of planes flying overhead in recent years, but with a little foresight this should surely have been anticipated.

It is also worth remembering that proximity to an airport has its advantages. Not only is it convenient for those wishing to travel, for instance, but airports also provide a large source of employment.

London Luton Airport employs over 500 people directly and about 8,000 indirectly. It is one of the major economic drivers of the regional economy, facilitating tourism to the area.

Incidentally, I am flying to France tomorrow (Friday) and will feel no pangs of guilt as I take to the skies, or equally when I return to the runway on Monday.

If you really cannot stand the noise of aircraft over your home, consider moving house.