SO Mr Usherwood is exasperated by the comments made by Mr Deacon about the noise made by Tucano aircraft from RAF Linton-on-Ouse (Letters, June 6).

Having been born in the 1920s long before the airfield was built, and never living more than a mile from the aerodrome, I feel justified in saying that I consider there is room for vast improvement in reducing the noise problem.

High speed, low-level runs at mid-day and late afternoon are a regular occurrence, not to mention the dangerous close formation flying over the built-up areas. (Surely, the 'days of the dog fight' are over).

Mr Usherwood may reside in Mendip Close, I could well describe myself as living in Wing Tip Close, with just cause for a little exasperation.

B J Jefferson,

Tollerton, York.

... I WISH to add weight to Mike Usherwood's letter. As a motor-racing enthusiast, I have seen this attitude over and over again resulting in the loss of motor racing venues all over the north.

When I was much younger, I spent many happy days at Belmont, near Durham, watching motocross or as we called it then, scrambling, and was thrilled by the likes of Yorkshire's own Arthur Limpkin. A private housing estate was built, and the people bought houses knowing quite well there was a motor sport circuit nearby. Then they complained and got the place closed down.

The same thing happened at Croft on Tees, probably one of the best motor-racing venues in the north, even the country.

Why do they do it? Why buy a house in an area they know they won't like for some reason and then whinge on about the activities going on there?

In the same vein, why do people buy houses in natural flood plains and then complain when their new homes flood?

Their thinking is quite beyond me.

W Elliott,

Owton Manor, Hartlepool.

Updated: 10:05 Friday, June 08, 2001