low flying raf helicopter

Ebenezer_Scrooge said:
There was an incident a couple of years ago where a rider got killed when her horse spooked badly at a very low flying chinook think it was followed up by authorities too can't remember the outcome. planes imo are less spooky than helis as they less noisy, smoother passage overhead and no scary rotating blades. Definitely report it. I agree that they need to do training but not at risk to others. Yes horses can be de- sensitised but they are flight animals at the end of the day.
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remember that it's when the hi viz campaign started by the BHS to ensure horse riders wore hi viz so they could be seen from the sky.
 
Whilst I wouldn't dream of hacking out without hi-viz (on or off road), I consider it outrageous that we are expected to wear hi-viz in a manege. The military have previously advised this after a rider was seriously injured in their own school. Can not comprehend that the training the pilots receive leaves them incapable of spotting the patchwork of paddocks used at most yards.

Yes horses do need to get accustomed to aircraft. But there is a huge difference between a fighter jet roaring past, a helicoptor 200 m up, and a chinook at 50m.

I've only experienced a low flying chinook whilst walking the dogs. Both dogs had flown the Atlantic twice and done the Channel tunnel. Nevertheless, they both looked startled.
 
I am quite surprised with the amount of people saying that the horse will just have to deal with it. That is all very well when it is happening reguarly but as OP says this is the first time they have been this low flying, often it is just flying at regular height once a month. How can a horse become desensitised to that?

I would ring RAF and explain things then go from there, if they don't listen and you can get your solicitor father to draft them a letter then do. Hopefully they will at least be able to give you warning - I'm assuming this is a practical option because of how rarely you get low flying aircraft.

I am actually a bit shocked, this is inconsiderate at best, even dangerous!
 
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mtj said:
Whilst I wouldn't dream of hacking out without hi-viz (on or off road), I consider it outrageous that we are expected to wear hi-viz in a manege. The military have previously advised this after a rider was seriously injured in their own school. Can not comprehend that the training the pilots receive leaves them incapable of spotting the patchwork of paddocks used at most yards.

Yes horses do need to get accustomed to aircraft. But there is a huge difference between a fighter jet roaring past, a helicoptor 200 m up, and a chinook at 50m.

I've only experienced a low flying chinook whilst walking the dogs. Both dogs had flown the Atlantic twice and done the Channel tunnel. Nevertheless, they both looked startled.
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It's not outrageous it's just making yourself seen. A phone from op however should resolve the matter. It's helping them to help you. We don't own the ground and they don't own the sky, so do your best to help each other.
 
Thanks to all for your responses. I completely agree horses can be desensitised over time but only if regular. We are NOT a regular flight path and very very rarely are they so low. I wholeheartedly understand hi viz is useful and never hack without it but to have to put it on in my arena seems little OTT,
i know they need to practice but i am shocked if the pilot managed to miss the horses as said previously all our neighbours have liverys- roughly 40acres is probably covered by horses and then they continued to fly circles next to us.
I will be ringing the bases and calmly ask for warning.
Hopefully it won't happen again- or it becomes very regular so my boy can acclimitise.
 
There is a lot to be said for living and keeping horses in a designated low fly zone. We see more low level helicopters than buses around here and consequently the horses pay no attention to them at all, even when they are touching down in the field next door.

I can imagine if they are not such frequent events they may have a much bigger impact on your horses
 
I'm really lucky..... I live in a triangle of two American bases, Mildenhall and Lakenheath and RAF Marham and so I am frequently visited by Chinooks that are hedge hopping, Tornado's and F111's that usually fly in pairs as well as convoys of huge American supply planes that fly low over us as they are coming in to land at Mildenhall, plus we have private small planes and those that glide around in Hot Air Balloons and those engine powered parachutes! I swear sometimes they fly over my front gate and out over the back! Needless to say my boys are not phased at all by them any more.
 
I rang few years back and was told by a very nice man, basically they can do what they like so dont' hold your breath. That does seem extra low though, I believe there is a limit but its proving it, they told me I was wrong and it looked lower than it was, like you I could see how low it was against the height of the trees. Not much you can do I'm afraid. My friend had a really nasty accident when on holiday, she was on her own as well and was thrown from her horse due to a low flying chinook, normal helicopters are fine they don't seem to take any notice unless they are mega low
 
I remember ringing up to complaint after a very similar incident, but I was on the horse at the time of the incident and it wasn't pretty.

I got through to a jobsworth at the MOD who said that they were practicing picking up casulties - so I said if I had been thrown could they take me to hospital and he said 'no, don't be riduculous'!?



The only positive thing I can add is that the horses really do get used to it, promise that if it happens again they will be a little bit more confident, so ultimately it can be a good thing (if you survive that long, haha?!). Also, being in a designated 'low flying' area means the farmers can't put up wind turbines ......


But I do know from experience how scary it is.
 
I can see this from both sides, got no advice but thought I would just say,

I am at RAF cranwell this week and sat in on a flight brief and well impressed when they advised of a horse show on in the area so was a flying exclusion zone.
 
The RAF will do diddly squat over this and won't amend their flight path! I know this as i wrote a letter as the low flying planes, helicopters we get over us is ridiculous. Some barely scraping tree level and the noise level of some is SOOO loud. We're fairly open too so easy to spot. All i got was the standard 'our pilots have to train......can't advise of times of times as it was a security risk...etc'
Our horses aren't that bothered about them to be honest, but at the time i had a particularly stressy WB and was bothered if i was riding him and one came over us he'd freak out. Not an issue now though.

Sorry, not much help but they won't do anything about it! Waste of time even contacting them.
 
FabioandFreddy said:
The RAF will do diddly squat over this and won't amend their flight path! I know this as i wrote a letter as the low flying planes, helicopters we get over us is ridiculous. Some barely scraping tree level and the noise level of some is SOOO loud. We're fairly open too so easy to spot. All i got was the standard 'our pilots have to train......can't advise of times of times as it was a security risk...etc'
Our horses aren't that bothered about them to be honest, but at the time i had a particularly stressy WB and was bothered if i was riding him and one came over us he'd freak out. Not an issue now though.

Sorry, not much help but they won't do anything about it! Waste of time even contacting them.
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OMG do you really expect the RAF to amend their flight path to suit you? Lets just hope then that none of your family/friends are in the forces, injured & needing to be flown out. Some of these posts are ridiculous, these men & women are putting their lives on the line on a daily basis & you are moaning that your horse MIGHT spook while you tootle about for fun. Before you pounce on me, we are near an RAF base & regularly have chinooks & jets going over, my mare doesn't react at all, & neither do I. We also have the air show bi annually with fast jets, Red Arrows etc etc all coming over with no problem. I suspect that the air bases were there long before your horses all were, so why move their.

I agree it wouldn't be much fun if your horse were frightened, but if you have ever been in a chinook you will realise how little visibility the pilot actually has.
 
No - i didn't expect them to amend their flightpath - was merely stating they wouldn't as OP had said about that in the post. I did think it would be possible to check when there'd be low flying aircraft though which is not the case and main reason i wrote to them to find out if i could avoid riding at those times.
 
I never have any issues with low flying aircraft. A few weeks ago, whilst out hacking, we had the most amazing low flying display by one pilot (we are very near to the army helicopter training centre). We then rode towards the airstrip, where we met a helicopter hovering at about 10ft, just to one side of the byway. We actually rode within 20ft of it, our horses couldn't give a monkey's and we were far to busy admiring it to worry. Then later we see a landed helicopter, and ambulance lights. As we rode towards it (deviated slightly to be nosy) we saw a turned over army truck, with the air ambulance in attendence, as we rode past about 30ft to the side the helicopter took off and swopped away. For s it was a pretty special ride, and we wished we had our helmet cam with us for some footage. Horses do get used to it.
 
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