idiots in the MOD

Bosworth

Bosworth

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 February 2006
Messages
5,268
Location
devon
www.ballhillequestrian.co.uk
I had just got off my horse - a 17'2 skewbald and was leading him back to the fields, my liveries were feeding horses in fields and two horses were stabled, when a military helicopter buzzed the yard, it was so bloody close the horse I was leading panicked and dragged me down and into a wall, horses in the paddocks panicked and we have two in now with lost shoes from charging around in a blind panic. One of my liveries was pushed over in the mud by the panicked horses and is coated from head to foot in deep mud.

One of my stabled horses has smacked his head badly and is looking concussed. Will wait and see what other injured horses we have as a result of their stupidity

We are starting to have helicopters coming over us so close on a weekly basis. We are a registered livery yard with 16 horses and it is getting dangerous.

We are in a valley there are no other houses near us so they could have avoided the property with ease - in fact the other helicopter travelling with it skirted round the property at a much higher level. I have phoned the MOD and put in an official complaint as I think they are actually using our arena as a land mark near Dartmoor. I am actually thinking of registering our farm as a pig farm as apparantly they become no go areas to low flying because it kills the pigs, they can't look up so run in blind panic - Anyone any other suggestions
 
I would suggest making a complaint to the council but not only that if the council does not listen and MOD still keep flying over after you have made the complaint I would suggest going to the local papers!
 
My horses live on the edge of salisbury plain. Fortunately they are completely blase when passing withing 5 foot of a moving tank and having their ears brushed by a man flying a fighter jet.

I spent 22 years in the army leaving only recently and although my boys are conditioned to it now it still peees me off no end when they fly over close enough for me to tell what they've had for breakfast.

When I was still serving I had cause to complain many times and was advised to complain as Mrs rather than state my army rank as the MOD wouldnt take a blind bit of notice of me as a SSgt but might as a Mrs.

If I was a high ranking officer mind you, I would have got a grovelling apology within hours.

What ever you do, dont give up with your complaint. They will drag their heels thinking you might forget about it.

Good luck

PS I hope your horses and owners and yourself are ok.
 
the M.O.D. are supposed to take these things very seriously now, as they have caused at least 1 death that I know of.
I would ring H&H in the morning and tell them, and try to find out the right number to get through to the right big cheese at the M.O.D., speaking to the wrong person is pointless unfortunately.
very best of luck, hope everyone's okay.
 
Yeah, it came over my house at half 6
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I normally take no notice as we have planes going over etc but this was extremely low and I actually was a bit scared for a split second of what it was doing..it was so loud I was talking to my mum and it totally drowned me out
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Hope everyone is ok, especially livery who got pushed over
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katie

Would you mind Pm'ing me to let me know where you are so I can add that in to my email to the MOD. Last time I complained they denied it had happened. It was so low last time it actually set of car alarms at the house, I complained and gave them an exact time and date and they were unable to find any evidence that a plane went over. I spoke to about 8 people and no plane was registered as having been in the area. It was a military hercules I could see the pilot!!
 
I complained and just got a letter saying 'we have to do this' blah blah blah.

We had a low plane come over when we were out riding (wearing full Hi Viz), and a helicopter later on. yes, you could see the pilot's faces they were that low!

They do NOT take compaints seriously at all. Just send out a bog standard letter...
 
but awful as it is to say it, at least if you do complain and then something dreadful happens, then they will be forced to learn lessons as it will be on record. If you dont complain they have an excuse for no action.

def complain, and i hope the horse and owner are ok.....
 
They are a bloody nightmare,we have problems with the chinnooks!!Write them a letter of complaint...you wont get anywhere but do it and keep a copy...then write to your mp about it
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[ QUOTE ]
I complained and just got a letter saying 'we have to do this' blah blah blah.

We had a low plane come over when we were out riding (wearing full Hi Viz), and a helicopter later on. yes, you could see the pilot's faces they were that low!

They do NOT take compaints seriously at all. Just send out a bog standard letter...

[/ QUOTE ]
Depends how you word your letter...i got the standard letter but also a section stating that they would cover any veterinary fees if my horse was in jured due to 1 of their fly overs
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,i have kept it
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[ QUOTE ]
katie

Would you mind Pm'ing me to let me know where you are so I can add that in to my email to the MOD. Last time I complained they denied it had happened. It was so low last time it actually set of car alarms at the house, I complained and gave them an exact time and date and they were unable to find any evidence that a plane went over. I spoke to about 8 people and no plane was registered as having been in the area. It was a military hercules I could see the pilot!!

[/ QUOTE ]
3 of us complained,i was the only 1 that got the veterinary bit included...make sure you go off on 1 about the horse being a member of the family and if it was to be killed on the road due to bolting after 1 of their flyovers it would leave the whole family devastated etc etc,lay it on thick
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My yard is in the flight path for two RAF bases. YO was told if she registered the property as a riding school they would avoid it... Three years down the line and my TBx mare doesn't even bat an eyelid when they practise dog fighting over the yard, hover for ages, practise low flying etc over the yard. One of the helicopters with two sets of blades passed so low over the yard a couple of weeks ago that it caused the old roofing to vibrate off
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I know it was loose but even so
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On the plus side the air ambulance had to land in the school when they were all in teh fields (fields go round teh school) and not one of them spooked at it
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You could try the BHS too.. are you or any of the liveries a gold member? Try their legal advice helpline and see if you can sue them for the lost shoes, mysterious injury from fall in the mud etc - sadly the threat of litigation could be the thing they need to pull their fingers out, even if you have no plans to pursue it.
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The other thing about the BHS is that I think they were heavily involved with the MOD when two riders got killed when their horses spooked about low flying helicopters - the MOD have issues some very nicey nicey articles/press releases in BHS magazine about make sure you wear high viz so we can avoid you... I'm the BHS would be interested to hear that the pilots don't seem to be following their promise - either that or you should paint your roofs fluorescent high vis for them!!

Good luck!
 
Many thanks for that number - I have now written a complaint in to the MOD low aircraft complaint line as well as a telephone complaint which was logged 10 mins after the event. My horses are pretty unconcerned normally about all things airborne. We are used to the night time exercises and the occasional jets that do the high speed passes, and the rescue helicopters that frequent Dartmoor, so its not as though we have spooky horses, this was abnormal. it was seriously low and if it was simply as it appears a helicopter flying from Helston up country then why did it need to be flying at approx 75m. I wait with interest to see what they come up with as a reason andcertainly won;t be letting this one go.

Does anyone one know about the situation regarding no fly zones and pig farms. I have been told that pig farms are a no go area for the planes because it can cause death. Pigs cannot look up so if frightened by something airborne they panic and can kill themselves. I am perfectly happy to buy a couple of pigs if that makes us a legitimate no fly zone.

wide awake no with serious back pain - sure its because I have wrenched it being pulled over by large horse in it's panic.
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