Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying sorties at less than 250 ft above ground level were authorised in each year since 1974 in each one of the areas of the United Kingdom available for such flying.
§ Mr. FreemanBefore 1979 low-flying sorties below 250 ft could be authorised anywhere in the low-flying system by appropriately senior officers. Only as part of the revised United Kingdom low-flying system, introduced in 1979, was the decision taken to confine such flights to three specially designated, sparsely populated areas. The information requested is thus available only from 1979 and refers to movements into low-flying areas rather than sorties, which, on average, consist of about 2.5 movements per sortie.
Number of movements authorised for flying below 250 ft Number 1979 787 1980 797 1981 660 1982 238 1983 1,922 1984 1,007 1985 1,153 1986 1,200
Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the military low-level training sorties flown over the United Kingdom in each year since 1974 included authorisation to fly at: (a) 200 ft. above ground level and (b) 100 ft above ground level.
§ Mr. FreemanThe numbers of low flying training movements carried out below 250 ft., as a proportion of all-low-flying training movements, for each year since 1979 (when the revised United Kingdom low flying system was introduced) are as follows. Such flights may be authorized484W down to a minimum level of 100 ft. but records do not distinguish between levels within the 250–100 ft. band. Details of the military low flying training carried out below 250 ft. are not available for the period prior to 1979.
Per cent. 1979 0.37 1980 0.35 1981 0.24 1982 0.08 1983 0.55 1984 0.31 1985 0.36 1986 0.35
Dr. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days in each year since 1974 low flying in the United Kingdom below 250 ft. was authorised.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information requested is no longer available for the period before 1979, when the revised United Kingdom low-flying system was introduced. Nor could it be provided for all subsequent years without disproportionate effort. In 1986 low flying below 250 ft. was authorised on approximately 113 days.