Low Flying (Hansard, 24 July 1979)

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft are involved in using the military low flying route in the Leamington Spa area; and on what days of the week they operate.

§ Mr. Pattie
There is no defined military low flying route in the Leamington Spa area; outside the Birmingham airport special rules zone individual flight paths are selected taking account of the many features of the area in question which must be avoided and restricting as far as possible repeated overflights of the same point.
Records of the number of flights are not maintained on a constituency basis, but in the first six months of 1979 the 131W wider area of the West Midlands received some 4 per cent of the total low flying activity. Most military low flying takes place in daylight hours, Monday to Friday.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents and "near misses" have been reported by the Royal Air Force as a result of using military low flying routes over land in the past six months.

§ Mr. Pattie
Of the accidents involving RAF aircraft over land in the last six months one in United Kingdom and one in Germany may have directly resulted from low flying, but this cannot be confirmed until the accident investigations are completed. In the same period there was one report, on 1 June, by an RAF pilot on a low level flight in the United Kingdom, of an air miss which is still under investigation. Statistics of air misses abroad are not immediately available.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in view of recent accidents which have been widely reported, he will review the whole question of military low flying routes over land which contains urban areas and villages.

§ Mr. Pattie
Under the existing regulations, military pilots on low level flights are required to avoid urban areas and certain other installations; the flying takes place mainly over open country.
The RAF is naturally concerned about the number of recent accidents to its aircraft. Each accident is the subject of a thorough investigation which, in some cases, is not yet completed. Of the accidents involving RAF aircraft over land in the last six months, two may have directly resulted from low flying, but this cannot be confirmed until the accident investigations are complete. Nothing has so far come to light to warrant a further general review of the low flying system, which was considerably revised last year. The low flying regulations are, of course, kept under continuing examination.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the lowest height achieved by Royal Air Force planes when operating over a military 132W low flying route, particularly where the areas are largely residential.

§ Mr. Pattie
Military low flying is normally conducted at heights between 250 ft. and 500 ft. above ground level although, exceptionally, pilots may be authorised to fly somewhat lower in very sparsely populated areas. Pilots are not able to avoid every small village, but low flying does not, in general, take place over areas that are largely residential.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many military low flying routes over urban areas in England and Wales are designated by the Royal Air Force and approved by his Ministers.

§ Mr. Pattie
Since 1 January 1979 there has been only one designated tactical low flying route around the British mainland which is used generally by the larger and less agile military aircraft. It does not pass over any major towns. Other military aircraft are permitted to undertake low level flights over all parts of the United Kingdom except densely populated residential and industrial areas and certain specified avoidance zones.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints he has received from local authorities, organisations and individuals about low flying Royal Air Force activities in the Leamington Spa area since he assumed office.

§ Mr. Pattie
Since the Government assumed office the Ministry of Defence has received one complaint about military low flying in the Leamington Spa area from a local authority, one from a ratepayers' association and eight from individuals, including five which were forwarded to me by the hon. Member.

§ Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) why Leamington Spa was chosen as a military low flying route;
(2) how long it is proposed to retain a military low flying route in the Leamington Spa area.

§ Mr. Pattie
Revised arrangements for military low flying were introduced in January to improve RAF training facilities and remove unwelcome concentra- 133W tions of activity and associated noise. The flying is now distributed generally throughout the mainland of Great Britain excepting the conurbations and places that have to be avoided for safety or other specific reasons. Overall the new arrangements should benefit the public though some areas, including part of the hon. Member's constituency, are likely to see more activity than previously. The low flying regulations are kept under continuing examination, but there are no plans at present to close significant further areas of the Warwick and Leamington constituency to low flying since this would only result in increased activity elsewhere.