HC Deb 12 June 1990 vol 174 c139W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations are in force concerning the height to be maintained by military aircraft crossing the coast at low level in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Neubert

Pilots of military aircraft are advised to cross coastlines, as a general rule, at a minimum height of 500 ft above ground or sea level in order to reduce the risk of birdstrike.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the fitting of ground proximity warning systems to RAF aircraft.

Mr. Neubert

The Ministry of Defence is sponsoring a trials programme to develop a ground proximity warning system. No decision about whether the equipment will be fitted to RAF aircraft will be made until the results of the trials are available.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what height the specified weather minima for military aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low-flying system require pilots to remain vertically clear of cloud during low-level flight.

Mr. Neubert

When operating in the United Kingdom low-flying system, military pilots are required to remain a minimum of 500 ft vertically clear of cloud at indicated airspeeds in excess of 140 knots.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions have been taken to change or re-emphasise aspects of RAF aircrew training by syllabuses for low flying in the light of the findings of the board of inquiry into the accident to a Jaguar at St. Abb's Head on 13 April 1989.

Mr. Neubert

None. As no deficiencies in the RAF's present low-level training syllabuses were revealed during the board of inquiry's investigation into this accident, no further action was considered necessary.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a survey has been conducted of the extent to which reheat is used by aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low-flying system; and what plans he has to carry out such a survey in future.

Mr. Neubert

Aircraft are instructed to use reheat as little as possible when flying overland at low level and use would be unusual unless required for flight safety reasons. This is confirmed by RAF police surveys which give no indication that reheat is regularly used in the United Kingdom low-flying system.