reporting low flying military aircraft

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SteveD

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anyone know how you can report low flying military aircraft?
We have had helicopters and jets buzzing our place this afternoon at treetop level...poor horses are going frantic, rearing and charging around !! Good job I wasnt riding at the time or there would have been an accident
Cant they find somewhere else to fly where its less populated?
 
They coe over low round here all the time (and yes, tree top level, just above roofs).

You can try ringing the local MOD but tbh they wouldnt listen.
 
Yeah, will be very interested if you find out!! Yesterday I was riding my young very spooky horse in the school and two milatary Helicopters came over really low and touched down in my neighbours field, just next to my other horses, until 2 weeks before they had been out in his field!!! and only 500 yards away from where I was riding!!! Obviously they all went nuts, I managed to calm her a bit and jumped off then they took again and flew off very low!!! Was sooo mad!!!
 
We get them round here all the time. I have to say that the RAF are very apologetic when you ring, but nothing really changes! And the low flying hotline isn't brilliant either - very vague.

Try calling your nearest RAF base, which should be listed in the phone book.
 
It's unfortunate but the military have to practice somewhere & everywhere in these isles has animals of some sort.
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a friend of mine was thrown from her horse two weeks ago when a huge bomber flew at around 100 ft above her and horse on a busy rd she was lucky she wasnt run over by a car ,there isa good link and info to the mod site with complaint sections ect on the bhs web site ,it really is an issue where we live as we get loads ,and the traffic on our country lanes is now down right dangerous too with no regard for man nor beast ,they use country rds like rqace tracks i plan to make an appeal to the local police to do something about it in our area ,good luck
 
I have reported a couple of incidents in the past and have found the MOD to be quite arrogant. While I appreciate they have to practice somewhere I do think they could be more careful where they choose. My last yard was a large riding school with over 100 horses. We regularly had novices and children out riding on the downs yet they repeatedly practiced low flying right over the yard, despite a number of complaints. Oddly enough I now ride on Salisbury Plain and have a lot less trouble with helicopters.
We do get them flying low over our yard but the horses are used to them now and don't take any notice.
 
Two military helicopters flew over the yard where I keep my horse today. Fortunately all the horses were in and no-one was riding so all was well. I couldn't believe quite how low they were though. One of them barely cleared the power cable in one of our fields. I just stood and watched with my jaw on the floor.
 
We get them flying far too low fairly often. I complained once but they ignored me
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I made a complaint to the MOD in June, the reply was quite quick and I don't think that its rude at all?? I did have another reply as I answered this letter but I can't find it. If nothing else it will give you some contact details. I know that at the moment they are doing a lot of low flying as they are having to fly like this in Iraq (??) and basically if they don't do it they will get shot down, they have to practice and unfortunatley they fly a bit too close to us sometimes. I have to say that Cropi is getting quite used to them as we have them go over most days very low.

I'm glad that you are ok and no one was hurt



From: Mr J Green, Directorate of Air Staff Complaints & Enquiries Unit

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Zone H, 5th Floor, Main Building, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HB

www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/AirSafetyandAviation/LowFlying Telephone

(Direct dial) 020 7218 6020
e-mail: lowflying@mod.uk
(Switchboard) 020 7218 9000
(Fax) 020 7218 2680


Via email Your Reference

Our Reference
D/DAS/
Date
25 June 2007


Dear Ms *******

I refer to your complaint of 5 June about military helicopter activity over **********.

Please accept our sincere apologies for the disturbance caused on this occasion. I hope I can assure you that the last thing our aircrews wish to do is to frighten the people they are there to protect and they would certainly not deliberately set out to upset those on the ground.

Based on the information you provided we believe that the helicopter that disturbed you was a Chinook based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, authorised to conduct a low level training sortie in your general area at heights down to 50 feet above ground level (agl).

We are very much aware of the problems our activities can cause and pilots will try to avoid flying over animals when it is safe to do so. Horses and livestock are by no means always as obvious from the air as people believe, trees and hedgerows can easily hide them and by the time they are spotted it is often too late for the pilot to take effective avoiding action, which, in any case could create more of a disturbance. With regard to visibility issues, I would refer you to our publication Military Helicopters – Low Flying – A Guide For Riders which can be found on our website.

The Chinook is a medium lift helicopter, some fifty feet in length. In order to achieve some degree of protection in time of war, with its role of supporting and reinforcing ground forces on the battlefield, it must make maximum use of all available cover. This would mean flying at very low level, undetected by highly developed radar systems, to reinforce troops in the field. Being vulnerable to ground fire, one of the vital skills which must be acquired by the aircrew is flying as close as possible to the nap of the earth. Low level flying amongst woods, trees and even hedgerows is essential for aircraft to be shielded and camouflaged by the features of the terrain. For this reason low level training for helicopters generally takes place at heights below 500 feet down to ground level.

It may help if I explain a little about our need for such training. Aircrew are trained in a wide range of flying skills, and low flying is a vital element in our armoury of tactics, not just for weapons delivery but for safe penetration of and exit from hostile airspace, for reconnaissance, and humanitarian duties. Many nations possess modern, capable air defence systems against which an aircraft's best chance of survival lies in flying fast and low using ground contours to delay detection and reduce the effectiveness of enemy air and ground defences. Air defence fighters must also be able to intercept enemy aircraft flying at low level.

Low flying is a perishable skill that can only be perfected through rigorous training and continuous practice in a realistic environment. The warning time available for participation in current operations, or preparation for conflict, in the main, would only allow for a honing of low flying expertise, not the creation.

*********** is located in HQ Wattisham Station‘s Dedicated User Area’ (DUA). This is an area of airspace established around most military helicopter bases to enable helicopter training to take place within a reasonable range of their operating base and to ensure deconfliction with other low flying activity.

More details on the current policy on low flying and how it is carefully controlled and monitored can be found on our website:
www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/AirSafetyandAviation/LowFlying.
I hope you will find this of interest.

Yours sincerely
 
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