Low Flying (Hansard, 16 February 1989)

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all areas, objects, settlements, buildings and installations in the Workington constituency which pilots of low-flying military aircraft are currently advised to avoid, giving in each case the horizontal and vertical limits of avoidance.

§ Mr. Neubert
The whole of the United Kingdom is open for low flying except for major conurbations, danger areas and certain areas such as civil and military air traffic zones, airports, glider sites, high obstacles, and nuclear power stations. It is not our practice to release details of the United Kingdom low flying system.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the additional restrictions on night low flying introduced following the Tornado mid-air collision in Cumbria on 9 August 1988;
(2) if a review of night low flying regulations is being conducted following the collision between two Tornados over Cumbria on 9 August 1988; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what additional flow control measures are currently in force for low flying at night, over and above those currently in force for daylight low flying.

§ Mr. Neubert
Although there was no evidence to suggest that there was anything wrong with the night low flying system itself, following the mid-air collision near Penrith in August 1988, a six-month trial of a revised night low level flying system was introduced with the aim of increasing the co-ordination of activity at night and improving deconfliction procedures. In this system, areas of the United Kingdom are allocated to commands on a nightly basis and commands are responsible for deconflicting their own aircraft. General flow of traffic from sector to sector in each area is in a clockwise direction around the country. Within these sectors aircraft are allowed to fly in any direction except where specifically prevented from doing so. At the end of the trial its effectiveness will be examined and any appropriate changes made.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when flow control was first introduced for low-flying aircraft in the Keswick area; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Neubert
As an interim measure, following the mid-air collision near Keswick on 17 June 1987, an unidirectional traffic flow system was introduced in the whole of the Lake District. As a result of subsequent work a revised procedure came into operation on 1 September326W 1987 which provided separation between aircraft flying along the valley of the A591 between the Grasmere arid Bassenthwaite lakes in a north westerly direction only, arid others overflying on various routes at higher levels.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what use is made by RAF Spadeadam of radar information from the national air traffic services radar stations located on(a)Green Lowther, Strathclyde and (b) Knock Fell, Cumbria;
(2) what is the capacity of the radar equipment at RAF Spadeadam to monitor and control low-flying aircraft movements in low flying area 13.

§ Mr. Neubert
The arrangements for monitoring arid controlling aircraft using Spadeadam range (low-flying area 13) are entirely adequate. Information from the unmanned radar stations at Green Lowther and Knock Fell is not fed directly to RAF Spadeadam.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent the low flying avoidances marked on military low flying charts are mandatory; arid what sanctions are used to enforce adherence to there restrictions.

§ Mr. Neubert
Aircrew are instructed not to fly low in avoidance areas unless prior approval has been granted by the Ministry of Defence. The RAF police conducts covert surveys from time to time throughout the United Kingdom in order to establish whether height and other rules are being observed and action is taken, where appropriate, against aircrew found to have infringed regulations.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice is given to military pilots concerning low flying over or in the immediate vicinity of the town of Keswick.

§ Mr. Neubert
As the hon. Member is aware, pilots are instructed to avoid overflying the centres of major conurbations and built up areas such as Keswick at low level. Although we cannot guarantee to avoid overflying the outskirts of major towns and smaller communities, pilots will make every effort to avoid populated areas wherever possible.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign aircrew have infringed the regulations governing the United Kingdom low flying system since 1971.

§ Mr. Neubert
A record of the number of invesigations revealing infringements of the United Kingdom low flying system regulations by foreign aircrews since 1971 is not held centrally and could not be provided without disproportionate effort.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates and locations of all public meetings on low flying held by(a) the Royal Air Force and (b) his Department over the last five years.

§ Mr. Neubert
According to available records, the Ministry of Defence has held the following public meetings on low flying over the last five years:

Date and location

1984

23 January—Newton Abbot, Devon
327
15 February—Stamford Bridge, Humberside

13 March—Church Stretton, Shropshire

16 October—Leominster, Hereford and Worcester

31 October—Great Doddington, Northamptonshire

12 November—Clifton Campville, Hereford and Worcester

14 November—Hereford, Hereford and Worcester

1985

14 March—Marden, Hereford and Worcester

5 June—Jedburgh, Borders

6 June—Kelso, Borders

6 June—Duns, Borders

28 June—Rugby, Warwickshire

24 September—Gedney Drove End, Lincolnshire

22 October—Barnard Castle, Durham

1986

24 January—Alcester, Warwickshire

1 May—RAF Spadeadam, Cumbria

25 July—Scunthorpe, Humberside

30 September—Hereford, Hereford and Worcester

6 October—Wilmcote, Warwickshire

9 October—Postbridge, Devon

15 October—Raglan, Gwent

18 November—Wilberfoss, Humberside

1987

30 January—Ashford, Kent

20 March—Bedgebury School, Cranbrook, Kent

30 April—Redditch, Hereford and Worcester

30 June—Galashiels, Borders

1 July—Penrith, Cumbria

2 July—Morpeth, Northumberland

27 July—Aberedw, Powys

1988

14 January—Tenbury Wells, Hereford and Worcester

11 May—Braunston, Northamptonshire

27 May—Dolgellau, Gwynedd

15 June—Perth, Tayside

22 June—Farndon, Nottinghamshire

30 June—Crediton, Devon

13 July—Stone, Staffordshire

27 July—Kidwelly, Dyfed

28 July—Tumble, Dyfed

5 October—Morpeth, Northumberland

Section Year Number of cases Rank Sentence

Section 49 1972 1 Flight Lieutenant Dismissed the Service

Section 49 1974 1 Aircraftman Dismissed the Service

Section 49 1983 2 Flight Lieutenant (tried together) Both awarded Severe Reprimands

Section 51 and 52 1985 1 (charged under both sections) Flight Lieutenant £300 fine and Severe Reprimand

Records are not kept centrally of any cases where disciplinary action is commenced but not proceeded with.

Section	Year	Number of cases	Rank	Sentence
Section 49	1972	1	Flight Lieutenant	Dismissed the Service
Section 49	1974	1	Aircraftman	Dismissed the Service
Section 49	1983	2	Flight Lieutenant (tried together)	Both awarded Severe Reprimands
Section 51 and 52	1985	1 (charged under both sections)	Flight Lieutenant	£300 fine and Severe Reprimand