Very low flying jets

[poiuytrewq]

We are fairly used to low and loud aircraft and luckily my horses are more air proof than anything else!
Today has been crazy, we’ve had huge load planes intermingled with formations and some seriously speedy jets.
There’s an air show locally and the days leading up to it are VERY loud!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Where in the country are you? It’s the Royal International Air Tattoo this week until the 14th. So lots of low flying and displays. Its usually very well publicised

North Oxfordshire. We often see planes from Lynham and Brize Norton.

 

[Abi90]

North Oxfordshire. We often see planes from Lynham and Brize Norton.

Yeh you will be seeing traffic for RIAT at Fairford then I would think

 

[SpotsandBays]

I was on holiday in Norfolk and there were lots of fast low flying aircraft going over. A fellow holiday maker had a plane tracking app on their phone which showed everything in the sky in real time. As I recall, it showed planes from military airfields not just commercial flights, so we worked out what base they were coming from. No idea what the app was but an aircraft geek will know.

FlightRadar is the app! (Not a plane geek though!)

 

[poiuytrewq]

Yeh you will be seeing traffic for RIAT at Fairford then I would think

That’s where I am.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

If you can say roughly where you are, I can possibly tell you

Thanks @Abi90 we’re near Durham

 

[SibeliusMB]

On my phone, didn't see!

Bottom line is OP is that can and does happen, and there are many many international military exercises happening at the moment, let alone air show silly season.

Also, if you're near Lakenheath it could be a US jet, and @SibeliusMB may be able to help

OP needs to formally submit a report/complaint via the MOD. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to assist and this would need to be a request from MOD to visiting forces, if it was in fact a USAF aircraft. That said, there's no way for me to know and it also could have been RAF. We had RAF typhoons regularly low fly my first yard. New yard is in RAF Mildenhall's final approach, but at least the heavy jets aren't as obnoxious as the horses don't care.

That said, lots of things going on between RIAT arrivals, POTUS visit, elevated training and exercises due to Ukraine response, and plenty of other NATO nation jets in and out regularly for training. If it's a legitimate safety concern, then report to MOD. If it's just annoying, I'm afraid the jet noise isn't going anywhere so best to embrace it as much as possible.

 

[teapot]

OP needs to formally submit a report/complaint via the MOD. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to assist and this would need to be a request from MOD to visiting forces, if it was in fact a USAF aircraft. That said, there's no way for me to know and it also could have been RAF. We had RAF typhoons regularly low fly my first yard. New yard is in RAF Mildenhall's final approach, but at least the heavy jets aren't as obnoxious as the horses don't care.

That said, lots of things going on between RIAT arrivals, POTUS visit, elevated training and exercises due to Ukraine response, and plenty of other NATO nation jets in and out regularly for training. If it's a legitimate safety concern, then report to MOD. If it's just annoying, I'm afraid the jet noise isn't going anywhere so best to embrace it as much as possible.

I only tagged you in case you know of a USAF equivalent for reporting low flying in that part of the UK

Makes sense that it MOD oversee it all though

 

[SibeliusMB]

No worries. If OP is up by Durham it was most likely not USAF. Could be exercises out of Leeming.

 

[SEL]

North Oxfordshire. We often see planes from Lynham and Brize Norton.

I'm on the Bucks / Ox borders and the red arrows came over the other day. We've got a plane geek in the village and he'll often post if he knows something interesting is on route. Had what is apparently Poseidon circling today ready for a flypast over one of the bases. I was riding but pony wasn't bothered.

The same day the Galaxy buzzed my fields there was a very fast jet that made the house shake. Can't remember what that one was but even made me jump!

 

[windand rain]

Hazel was quite happy for the low flying helicopters to land in the field, Chinooks with boats slung underneath and soldiers shooting and shouting no problem, thunder flashes being thrown about ignored but she hated with a passion the orange Sea King air sea rescue helicopter probably the quietest of the lot but it totally freaked her out. She lived next to the shooting range on the edge of an airfield so it was usual for very low flying to go on.

 

[Mynstrel]

I was on holiday in Norfolk and there were lots of fast low flying aircraft going over. A fellow holiday maker had a plane tracking app on their phone which showed everything in the sky in real time. As I recall, it showed planes from military airfields not just commercial flights, so we worked out what base they were coming from. No idea what the app was but an aircraft geek will know.

Adsb exchange or flight radar 24 are the sites/apps you need.

 

[Abi90]

Thanks @Abi90 we’re near Durham

You’re in a bit of airspace that gets used regularly for stuff as its quiet in terms of civilian traffic. Your nearest base is Leeming so could have been something out of there, but Typhoons will operate there as well. Its not a low flying area though so even if it seemed low it won’t have been that low.

 

[Abi90]

Military Low Flying has come up on this forum a lot over the years and I’m always baffled by the inference that pilots are flying around the countryside looking for horse riders to scare. The following measures are in place:

- Low flying schedules are published on the MOD website 3 weeks in advance
- The RAF safety centre has done a lot of work with the BHS with the “Be safe, Be seen” campaign and spent a small fortune dishing out free high vis to riders in busy flying areas
- all flying activity like displays and air shows is NOTAMd. And normally well publicised by the event as well. If you’re within 50 miles expect to hear noise or see low flying aircraft
- if you live anywhere near a military base, even up to 50 miles away, you are going to see aircraft low level. Most bases publish information on their facebook pages about low flying or night flying to warn the local community so its worth a follow

There is a procedure for complaints as someone linked to early but the incidence of pilots doing something wrong is few and far between

 

[Tiddlypom]

We have been given notice locally by the RAF as they are going to be a lot of low flying Chinooks this month. Is there a base near you?

I'm probably on the edge of this. RAF Valley is on Anglesey. It's handy to be forewarned.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

We have a private airfield very near to our yard. We don't really have too much bother with them as the planes & microlites aren't too noisy. The thing that is the noisiest is a model plane that someone flier. It's a model jet & it makes a tremendously loud sound.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I wouldn’t be as bothered if it were a regular occurrence as everyone (horses included) would be more used to it. This jet is so sudden and so loud that it makes our old stone farmhouse vibrate and it’s seemingly random - all quiet today for example

 

[adamntitch]

Kings been in Edinburgh I live near Hollyrood and helicopters been going back and forth I can't say to much but kings on the move and there will be more fly overs couple itbe them training for that

 

[Bobthecob15]

Definitely contact your nearest base/area centre, a couple of years ago they were doing a campaign to try and make riders more visible to pilots in high risk areas, they even gave out free hi viz...we got a free tabard, hat band and exercise sheet from out nearest base. This was the campaign...

Be Seen Be Safer initiative to keep horses and riders safe near Shropshire air base

Shropshire's RAF base has been working with horse-riders to try to prevent horses being frightened by low flying aircraft.

www.shropshirestar.com

Worth asking your local if they have anything similar?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Quick update - the RAF got back to me after I emailed them and there was a typhoon out of Coningsby in Lincolnshire which was on a low-flying training exercise in our area going down to 250 feet (so not surprising it was so loud!). They've given me a 'low flying' freephone number for horse riders which does a forecast of daily activities for most areas of the UK - 0800 515544 - I hope that's useful for people.

 

[Tiddlypom]

A Typhoon flying over at 250ft would be loud!

Thanks for the phone number.

 

[teacups]

I’m not that surprised it was so low: we’re in North Yorkshire and, every now and then, a pair of jets will come over so low it seems as though they are barely skimming the treetops. Luckily horse is used to them, but it made me duck a couple of days ago.

Once I was riding on top of a smallish (!) hill and they passed lower than I was. Horse didn’t bat an eye! I’ve just looked it up: normal fields there are at 30 on the OS contour map, and the top of that hill is at 54.

 

[SilverLinings]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but these two Gov't web pages list upcoming planned MOD low flying exercises:

Military low flying: RAF operational low flying training timetable

Royal Air Force (RAF) operational low flying training timetables in 3 areas of the UK.

www.gov.uk

Military low flying: MOD sponsored air exercises

MOD sponsored low flying exercises within the UK low flying system.

www.gov.uk

ETA and this page has info for horse riders, and on the leaflet there are contact details:

Military low flying: a horse rider's guide

Leaflet explains the impact of military helicopter low flying and safety advice for horse riders.

www.gov.uk

 

[teacups]

I’m confused. When it says

• 10 July to 17 August 2023 (25 July 9am to 11am, 8 and 10 August 8.30pm to 10.30pm, 15 and 17 August 9am to 11am)

does that mean there are generally exercises during that whole period, or just on the specific dates listed in brackets?

 

[SilverLinings]

I’m confused. When it says

• 10 July to 17 August 2023 (25 July 9am to 11am, 8 and 10 August 8.30pm to 10.30pm, 15 and 17 August 9am to 11am)

does that mean there are generally exercises during that whole period, or just on the specific dates listed in brackets?

I think it just means for the dates listed in brackets, as for some of the other calendar periods there are no exercises listed. It's a bit odd though as the dates (10th July to 17th August) aren't the same as those on the link that takes you to that page (the link says it's for the dates 17th July to 17th August).

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Three times in the last two weeks we’ve had a jet fly over us going extremely fast and extremely low. Not surprisingly the horses have been terrified - if someone was riding in the field or along the lane at the time it could be pretty hairy! Is there any way of finding out where they’re coming from or if we could get some warning of when it’s going to happen? It’s only one jet by itself and has literally only just started happening.

we have had several similar to this flying lower than average height, though lovely to see them - C-17A Globemaster III

We have also had Chinoocks come over here

 

[teacups]

I think it just means for the dates listed in brackets, as for some of the other calendar periods there are no exercises listed. It's a bit odd though as the dates (10th July to 17th August) aren't the same as those on the link that takes you to that page (the link says it's for the dates 17th July to 17th August).

Thanks: this pair of jets were two days ago so not on the dates listed in your links, that's why I was/am confused. And at about the same height as when I was on that low hill...am I right in thinking they are not supposed to go below 100 ft, then? According to the leaflet, anyway.
Impressive flying, and that is generally the height at which they pass (only every couple of months, perhaps) but even so perhaps I ought to email to get them to tell one of those pilots it looked as though one of his fillings is loose <g>

 

[Abi90]

I’m confused. When it says

• 10 July to 17 August 2023 (25 July 9am to 11am, 8 and 10 August 8.30pm to 10.30pm, 15 and 17 August 9am to 11am)

does that mean there are generally exercises during that whole period, or just on the specific dates listed in brackets?

Its in that bigger time period, there will be low flying on those specific dates in those time slots.

They can’t go below 250ft unless licensed for a display etc