§ 12. Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received concerning problems of low flying. [36570]
§ Mr. SoamesMy Department has received a number of representations from hon. Members and the general public about military low flying.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, locations, numbers, types and nationalities of aircraft, nature of breach, disciplinary actions taken against aircrew and lessons learned from each of the confirmed breaches of low flying regulations during 1994. [38140]
§ Mr. SoamesDetails of breaches of military low flying regulations during 1994 confirmed by RAF police investigations are as follows. Unless stated otherwise, a lateral breach of the avoidance area listed occurred in each case.
583W584W 585W
Date Location Numbers and type of A/C Nationality Nature of breach 26 April Bude, Cornwall 1 x Hunter RN Seasonal avoidance area in Little Youlstone 28 April Caerlaverock Dumfries and Galloway 1 x Chinook RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area 17 May Near Hay on Wye Powys 1 x Hawk RAF Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area 17 May Shobdon Hereford and Worcester 1 x Hawk RAF Shobdon Airfield avoidance area 1 June Near Hay on Wye Powys 2 x F15 USAF Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area 1 June Near Hay on Wye Powys 2 x F15 USAF Flying in UKLFS outside of allocated times 15 June Salisbury Wiltshire 1 x Gazelle AAC Dean Hill RN Armaments Depot 23 June Near Hay on Wye Powys 1 x Hawk RAF Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area 20 July Ruabon, Clywd 1 x Tornado TTTE Monsanto Chemical Works avoidance area 27 July Carlisle, Cumbria 1 x Tornado TTTE Overflew Carlisle, a town listed for avoidance 28 July Near Hay on Wye Powys 1 x F15 USAF Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area 28 July Near Hay on Wye Powys 1 x Hercules RAF Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area 29 July Keswick, Cumbria 2 x F15 USAF Bewaldeth Hang Gliding site avoidance area 4 August Glyn-Neath, Dyfed 2 x F15 USAF Royal National Eisteddfod temporary avoidance area 4 August Near Plymouth Devon 1 x Sea King RN Dartmoor Wildlife Park avoidance area 5 August Penrith, Cumbria 2 x Jaguar RAF Lowther Event temporary avoidance area 9 August Near Hay on Wye 2 x Hawk RAF Hay Bluff Hang Gliding site avoidance area 17 August Church Stretton Shropshire 1 x Hawk RAF Midlands Gliding Club avoidance area 1 September Caerlaverlock Dumfries and Galloway 1 x Tornado RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area 5 September Haltwhistle Northumbria 1 x Tornado TTTE CANP avoidance area 6 September Caerlaverlock Dumfries and Galloway 2 x Tornado TTTE Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area 11 September Caerlaverock Dumfries and Galloway 1 x Hercules RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area 13 September Caerlaverlock Dumfries and Galloway 1 x Hawk RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area 13 September Dolgellau/Tewkesbury/Gwynedd/Gloucestershire 2 x F15 USAF Unauthorised flight within UK night low flying system 22 September Ambleside, Cumbria 1 x F15 USAF Flew below authorised Minimum Separation Distance 28 September Beverley North Humberside 1 x Tornado RAF Hull Aero Club avoidance area 6 October Near Plymouth, Devon 1 x Tornado RAF Dartmoor Wildlife Park avoidance area
Date Location Numbers and type of A/C Nationality Nature of breach 12 October Peebles, Borders 1 x Tucano RAF Overflew Peebles, a town listed for avoidance 17 October Haltwhistle Northumberland 1 x F15 USAF CANP avoidance area 16 November Dumfries Dumfries and Galloway 1 x Jaguar RAF Crichton Royal Hospital avoidance area 18 November Slimbridge Gloucestershire 3 x B105 Royal Netherlands Air Force Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust seasonal avoidance area 18 November Hawick, Borders 1 x Harrier RAF Minto Hills Hang Gliding Site avoidance area 28 November Hawick, Borders 1 x Tornado RAF Minto Hills Hang Gliding Site avoidance area 9 December Sywell Northamptonshire 1 x F15 USAF Sywell Aerodome Avoidance area 12 December Caerlaverock Dumfries and Galloway 2 x Tornado TTTE Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area 14 December Carlisle, Cumbria 1 x F15 USAF Overflew Carlisle, a town listed for avoidance 15 December Market Rasen Lincolnshire 2 x F15 USAF Hill House Riding School avoidance area 22 December Caerlaverlock Dumfries and Galloway 1 x Tornado RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area In cases where the nationality of the aircraft is shown as TTTE, the aircraft came from the Tri-national Training Establishment at RAF Cottesmore which trains aircrew of the Royal Air Force, German air force and Italian air force using aircraft provided by all three nations.
Formal disciplinary action under the service discipline Acts was taken against the pilot of the Royal Navy Hunter responsible for the breaches at Langar airfield on 10 February 1994, who pleaded guilty to one charge of conduct to the prejudice of good order and naval discipline and one charge of annoyance by flying under the naval discipline Act for which he was severely reprimanded and fined. In cases involving UK aircrew where formal disciplinary action is not appropriate, aircrew who have breached regulations may be interviewed by their station commander or other appropriate senior officer. Such action could be recorded on individual's career records and affect flying status and promotion prospects. It is not our policy to release details of such action. It is the responsibility of senior officers to ascertain what lessons there are to be learnt from such incidents; central records are not maintained.
Reports on breaches by foreign aircrew are passed to their relevant national authorities, which whom responsibility for any further action rests.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of low-flying sorties carried out over the United Kingdom by each aircraft type in each month from January 1994 to the latest available date. [38120]
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§ Mr. SoamesThe number of sorties by aircraft type booked in the United Kingdom low flying system in each month from January 1994 to August 1995, the most recent month for which figures are available, were as follows:
1994 Aircraft type January February March April Buccaneer 36 70 94 21 Harrier 574 442 498 466 Hawk 892 887 1,104 1,168 Jaguar 409 375 276 566 Tornado 1,615 1,433 1,847 1,567 Tucano 653 594 855 631 F15 241 300 252 204 Other aircraft (including helicopters) 3,857 3,838 5,744 3,689 Total 8,277 7,939 10,670 8,312 587W
1994 Aircraft type May June July August Buccaneer 0 4 0 1 Harrier 549 574 472 365 Hawk 1,364 1,496 1,474 1,398 Jaguar 318 293 522 405 Tornado 1,554 1,738 1,554 1,844 Tucano 693 778 720 712 F15 292 284 278 292 Other aircraft (including helicopters) 4,401 6,081 4,604 4,000 Total 9,171 11,248 9,624 9,017
1994 Aircraft type September October November December Buccaneer 5 0 3 0 Harrier 682 502 648 394 Hawk 1,180 790 764 530 Jaguar 498 608 377 420 Tornado 1,788 1,598 1,716 1,358 Tucano 722 669 468 534 F15 194 278 319 211 Other aircraft (including helicopters) 5,477 4,709 4,500 2,808 Total 10,546 9,154 8,795 6,255
1995 Aircraft type January February March April Buccaneer 0 0 0 0 Harrier 528 676 861 409 Hawk 711 635 1,079 853 Jaguar 469 504 504 393 Tornado 1,769 1,676 1,765 1,568 Tucano 404 636 637 429 F15 346 260 397 373 Other aircraft (including helicopters) 4,197 4,406 5,602 3,889 Total 8,424 8,793 10,845 7,914
1995 Aircraft type May June July August Buccaneer 0 0 0 0 Harrier 994 608 701 426 Hawk 1,213 1,223 620 926 Jaguar 571 710 457 297 Tornado 1,693 2,025 1,594 1,571 Tucano 352 693 612 643 F15 274 325 188 232 Other aircraft (including helicopters) 5,607 6,379 5,022 3,919 Total 10,704 11,963 9,194 8,014
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the minimum authorised altitude for flights over the United Kingdom by the Italian air force Tornados deployed to RAF Cottesmore from 3 to 7 July; and if the aircraft were permitted to descend below that height when within(a) low flying area 13 and (b) the Spadeadam range danger area; [38128]
(2) what was the minimum authorised altitude for flights over the United Kingdom by the Italian air force AMX aircraft deployed to RAF Leeming from 19 to 23 June; and if the aircraft were permitted to descend below that height when within (a) low flying area 13 and (b) the Spadeadam range danger area; [38126]
(3) what was the minimum authorised altitude for flights over the United Kingdom by the Italian air force AMX aircraft deployed to RAF Leeming from 3 to 7 July; and if the aircraft were permitted to descend below that 588W height when within (a) low flying area 13 and (b) the Spadeadam range danger area; [38125]
(4) what was the minimum authorised altitude for flights over the United Kingdom by the Italian air force Tornados deployed to RAF Cottesmore from 24 to 28 July; and if the aircraft were permitted to descend below that height when within (a) low flying area 13 and (b) the Spadeadam range danger area. [38127]
§ Mr. SoamesIn each case, the authorised minimum separation distance for the Italian aircraft within the United Kingdom low flying system, including low flying area 13, was 500ft. Within the Spadeadam range danger area the aircraft were permitted to descend to 250ft.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what responsibilities are held by authorising officers concerning the pre-flight checking of low-level flight profiles for(a) safety and (b) conformity with low flying regulations. [38136]
§ Mr. SoamesAuthorising officers are responsible for ensuring that low-level sortie plans comply with the regulations and procedures in the United Kingdom military low flying handbook, and that aircrew are suitably qualified to execute the planned sortie safely.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 January,Official Report, columns 272–74, at what altitude and speed the aircraft were found to have been flying at the time of the two sonic boom incidents; and if either of the aircraft was carrying out a simulated attack or interception at the time of the incident. [38320]
§ Mr. SoamesThe information requested is as follows:
Date Estimated height Estimated speed 21 July 1993 12,800 Mach 1.01 11 August 1993 25,000 Mach 1.02 The aircraft involved in the incident on 21 July was engaged in air combat manoeuvring and the aircraft involved in the incident on 11 August was running in to commence a simulated attack.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the RAF police are tasked to investigate breaches of low flying regulations in cases where the breach also leads to an air miss report being filed. [38138]
§ Mr. SoamesIt is not our usual practice to initiate an RAF police investigation if, in the course of an investigation of an air miss report, it appears that a breach of low flying regulations may have occurred, but it is open to the chain of command of the aircrew concerned to request such an investigation if they believe there may be grounds for subsequent disciplinary action.
If the alleged breach of low flying regulations is reported separately, an RAF police investigation may be started, but this will normally be terminated when it becomes apparent that an air miss investigation into the same incident is in progress.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties are required for(a) pilots and (b) navigators to qualify in use of the thermal imaging 589W airborne laser designation pod; and how many of these sorties are required to be at low level. [38129]
§ Mr. SoamesTo become qualified in the use of the TIALD pod, RAF Tornado pilots and navigators are required to fly four medium-level and six low-level sorties, and RAF Jaguar pilots five medium-level sorties.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of flying hours' experience held by the aircrew involved in each of the RAF fast jet low-level accidents listed in his Department's evidence to the Defence Committee, HC 120 (1989–90) pp.144–153, and HC 314 (1993–94), pp.29–30. [38137]
§ Mr. SoamesThe information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 January,Official Report, column 105, if he will list the dates, numbers, types and nationalities of aircraft, for the four alleged breaches of the Eshott avoidance area which were subsequently not confirmed. [38321]
§ Mr. SoamesDetails of the four alleged breaches of Eshott microlight site in 1992 where a breach was suspected but could not be confirmed by RAF police investigations are as follows:
Date Number and type of aircraft Nationality 3 August 1 x Tornado Italian Air Force 6 August 1 x Tornado RAF 6 August 1 x Tornado RAF 14 September 1 x F111 USAF
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes were made to the boundaries of low flying area 1 in April 1993; and what notification of any such changes was made to(a) the media, (b) hon. Members, (c) the local authorities in the area concerned and (d) civil aviation interests. [38123]
§ Mr. SoamesThe boundary between low flying area 1 and low flying area 18 was moved eastwards by approximately 15 miles. It is not our practice to notify hon. Members and the local media of all changes to the United Kingdom low flying system, and none of the individuals or bodies listed was notified at the time. Details of the change were, however, passed to the Defence Committee and published on page 25 of the House of Commons Defence Committee report, HC 314 of Session 1993–94, on low flying.