RAF Typhoon jets over London and Home Counties

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Sixteen Hands

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"Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have arrived at an airbase in London for a large-scale Olympic security exercise.

The aircraft will be based at RAF Northolt, taking part in eight days of training over London and the home counties until 10 May, as part of operation Exercise Olympic Guardian.

It is the first time fighter jets have been stationed at the west London site since WWII.

But anti-military campaigners warn the jets will create a "climate of fear".

The Typhoon jets, which can travel at up to 1,370 miles per hour, will put pilots through their paces, testing security in the skies ahead of their vital role during the 2012 Olympic Games, which start in July.

Military chiefs have alerted residents in south-east England about the operation, warning that they will notice an increase in often loud air activity, especially on 4 and 5 May."

Full repoert from BBC News at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17922490

These jets are increadibly noisy - horses seem to be okay at the moment - just wondering if anyone has had any problems?
 
Sixteen Hands said:
These jets are increadibly noisy - horses seem to be okay at the moment - just wondering if anyone has had any problems?
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I am in Lancashire, where they were designed and built.
The horses are absolutely fine with them but there again, they are used to Hawks, Tornadoes, Nimrod (sadly no more) and the odd Antonov (which are huge) flying over.

Enjoy seeing them whilst you can, they are absolutely fantastic aircraft (although I may be slightly biased as used to work at BAe Systems).
 
We are on the flightpath and quite local to sevaral RAF bases and get loads of low flying jets coming by. The horses soon get used to them.
Ours don't bat an eyelid now.
Last year we had an air ambulance land in the field next to the manege. They didn't even look up!
 
Thanks for your replies. Whenever aircraft noise is mentioned those who have horses close to airfieldsreply "no problem". I'm have no doubt that is the case.

Just trying to find out whether there have been any problems with "unclimatised" horses in the areas where the exercise being held.

Portable signs have been put out on roads near the airfield warning motorists of "Excessive Aircraft Noise".

Mind you with Typhoons, surface to air missles on top of flats and the Navy's largest ship moored off Greenwich the Oylmpics seem less attractive!
 
Sixteen Hands said:
Thanks for your replies. Whenever aircraft noise is mentioned those who have horses close to airfieldsreply "no problem". I'm have no doubt that is the case.

Just trying to find out whether there have been any problems with "unclimatised" horses in the areas where the exercise being held.
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Fair comment.
For what it's worth, we've had several horses come and go in the 3 years I've been at my current yard, and none of them have ever panicked when we've been used as target practise!
I hope it doesn't unsettle yours too much :)
 
Made for a fairly lively hack this morning that's for sure! Pony got used to the noise after about 10to minutes of it going round and round and round... and I rather enjoyed watching it so no harm done. Pony now 'bomber' proofed!
 
I've often thought that their disregard for what is above them is a strange trait in horses.

We have been on the flight path of low flying jets before, we also had cables which low flying helicopters used to fly along to check. I once went to a show at the end of Leeds Bradford runway with large passenger jets so low you could see people in the windows.

Non of mine seem to bother much at all, even the stressy warmblood. They are mildly interested in hot air balloons but usually only when they turn the burners on as they are too low.

If any of these things was the same distance away from them on the ground they would totally freak.

Must be genetic due to a lack of flying predators.
 
Sixteen Hands said:
Mind you with Typhoons, surface to air missles on top of flats and the Navy's largest ship moored off Greenwich the Oylmpics seem less attractive!
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I would imagine other host countries have also deployed such measures, but we aren't aware of them as "visitors". I for one feel reassured that the terrorists are also aware of the systems in place. Hopefully once the Olympics are actually under way people will only be aware of the sport on offer and everything else will happen in the background.
 
I went past Northolt airfield last week - there are horses and ponies right next to the runway, it looks like a riding school.
 
I bought my horse from a yard on the Heathrow flight path. He was totally unfazed by any noise and traffic. A Chinnook skimmed us out hacking and he didn't even look up.

Wonderful I thought, until he saw a sheep and fainted. Cows were totally out of the question and the geese - well less said about that morning the better.

He was a total townie. He found himself stood next to the beef bulls in a county show grand parade a few years later and he held his breath for ages. The dancing diggers scattered everyone bar mine at another show and the traction engine did the same at the Counties. Bless him, he is bombproof to everything now and was even turned out with the cows at one point, but he played football with them and was banished.
 
I used to keep mine near the end of an RAF runway.

One day I hacked up to the end of the runway (obviously at the other side of the fence) and just as I got there, 2 fast jets taxied to the end next to me. First crew didnt see me, put on the after burners and screamed down the runway. My ears have never hurt so much with the noise but horsey just jumped on the spot!.
2nd crew (Pilot was my OH!!!!) spotted us and waved me passed. Cantered off and they waited till I was out of sight.

So girly was a star........until we hacked passed the playground at the Officers Mess 30 minutes later and she wouldnt go passed a red slide!!!!! I actually had to get off and lead her, much to the amusement of the guards on the gate......total humiliation.......

Needless to say the crew in the first jet bought me a lovely bottle of wine as an apology, even though they werent at fault. I told them that it would be more useful if they could hide the horse eating death slide in the kids area!

Therefore, you should be grateful that the Olympic committee havent decided to protect the masses with hundreds of extra red slides and playgrounds in your area. Then you WOULD be having problem!
 
I was just getting on my horse in the menage when i saw a fighter jet travelling so low i could see the expression on the pilots face and i am sure he could see mine mouthing oh $hit as i knew the sound would follow and it was quite deafening but my horse only jumped on the spot and was fine. They test the jets very low around her for radar reasons, but thankfully not that often and for days at a time so the horses get used to them.
 
There were two low flying Tornadoes over the yard yesterday. I was out riding at the time. None of the horses bothered in the slightest, my horse looked up a little, probably as I was mesmerised, gazing up at the sky. I thought it was fab, I wish they would do it more often!
 
We used to be on the flight route for the local RAF so regularly had tornadoes flying over, although thats stopped now the base has closed. None of mine cared much about them, unless they came down particularly low as their burners can be seriously loud! The problem I had was trying to back horses with them flying about - you'd have just sat up on the horse for the first time ever and spot one in the distance coming right at you so you'd have to very calmly pop off again just in case!

To be honest, I've always found horses are more scared of quiet things like cyclists. Oh and god forbid when the local millionaire drives past the field in his steam engine car... they go nuts!
 
Low flying planes can be useful too for horsey posing, my IdxTB always looks like a donkey in most photos but I managed to get this phone when a very low flying Hercules came over our place, it was down in the valley so level with us on the hill.....look at those pricked ears :-)))
P1010883.jpg
 
On Tuesday I was in an indoor school when a Typhoon went over at low level and the sudden noise was quite frightening and the horse was a youngster just broken with fortunately a very experienced rider who kept control. Once before we were in an indoor school when a Chinook helicopter went low over the school and this was also very noisy but what I am was surprised to discover you cannot complain about aircraft noise but Envoiromental Health can deal with other noise complaints. The balloon people will mark their maps and not land in your horse paddocks why cannot the RAF avoid indoor schools or are their maps not good enough.
 
sywell said:
On Tuesday I was in an indoor school when a Typhoon went over at low level and the sudden noise was quite frightening and the horse was a youngster just broken with fortunately a very experienced rider who kept control. Once before we were in an indoor school when a Chinook helicopter went low over the school and this was also very noisy but what I am was surprised to discover you cannot complain about aircraft noise but Envoiromental Health can deal with other noise complaints. The balloon people will mark their maps and not land in your horse paddocks why cannot the RAF avoid indoor schools or are their maps not good enough.
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um no they cant!

indoor schools could be any kind of barn storing straw from above.
we have fighter jets screaming over, we learn to live with it, an air ambulance landed 50 yards from us when out XCing......it's part of life, the aircraft have to fly.

Balloons comparison with fighter jets? think one is going a little bit slower than the other so more avoidance ability......:-O)
 
sywell said:
. The balloon people will mark their maps and not land in your horse paddocks why cannot the RAF avoid indoor schools or are their maps not good enough.
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Seriously??
Exactly what map has every indoor school / horse paddock etc marked on it?? What a great idea, fly along with your eyes glued to the ground attempting to avoid indoor schools. Jets / helicopters etc have to fly. They also have to train at low level. This country is just too small for them to avoid all population / Horses!! It is ridiculous to even suggest that aircraft can't overfly any building that might contain Horses. The MOD worked with the BHS in a campaign for riders to wear high vis thus giving pilots a chance to spot and avoid. In fact they even gave away tabbards and exercise sheets. The best thing is a sheet or a hat cover as they are seen better from the air than a tabbard. Details are here and worth reading :
http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2DAC382E-6526-4B32-9E5A-0778C69494D6/0/lowflyingheli.pdf

To the OP, in my experience I've never come across a Horse that was overly bothered by aircraft or helicopters. That includes those who have gone from having little or no experience of them to moving next to a runway where both helicopters and fast jets operate. Sure they might jump a little at the sudden noise the first couple of times but they soon switch off to it.
 
We have allot of hot air balloons going over at various heights as we have an "Experience Day" center down the road they also have microlights.

The horses look at them going over especially when the balloons burn their gas but none of them do anymore than stare.

We also seem to have quite a few helicopters going over ranging from small personal use ones to the big double bladed ones (don't know what they are called sorry) that go over very low...so low in fact you can see the men sitting inside (not close enough to see if they are fit though!!) and again the horses don't seem to bother.

And yes we have an indoor school so clearly we are not on their or anyone's flying maps?!!?
 
When I moved to Spain my horses had never seen low flying jets, then one day I heard an almighty noise and rushed out to see what it was and 3 bomber type planes went over, horses never even looked up, and we get quite a lot of hot air balloons, at first they would snort at the noise, but now nothing, even when one flew over the stallions paddock and crashed landed 30 meters away, nothing, he just stood and watched.. even last week one flew over the house and the people waved and shouted Hola.. it was that low.. (though the dog a sheltie runs in the house and shakes with fear at them)

Same with fireworks (oh how the spanish love those ALL year round) sometimes they will picked their ears, but normally nothing, yet get them to hack past a water container and they nearly have heart attack..lol..

Heres Harley watching one of the balloons..

DSC00120.jpg
 
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