HC Deb 05 December 1994 vol 251 c111W
Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training sorties were flown by each type of RAF aircraft from Goose Bay during 1994; and how many of these were at low level.

Mr. Soames

RAF aircraft have flown 1,299 training sorties during the 1994 flying season at Goose Bay—22 by Hercules aircraft and 1,277 by Tornado GR1s. Precise details of how many of the sorties were at low level are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Very few, however, would not have involved an element of low flying.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training sorties were flown by each type of RAF aircraft from Eielson air force base, Alaska, during 1994; and how many of these were at low level.

Mr. Soames

RAF aircraft have flown 396 training sorties from Eielson air force base, Alaska during the 1994 flying season—20 by Hercules aircraft, 174 by Tornado GR1s, 201 by Tornado F3s and one by a Sentry AEW1. All of those sorties were conducted at low level, apart from the Sentry AEW1 flight and one Tornado F3 sortie.

Date Location Numbers and type of A/C Nationality Nature of breach
4 February 1993 Beverley N. Humberside lxGazelle RAF Hull aero club avoidance area.
1 April 1993 Ingleton N. Yorkshire 1xF16 Belgian Air Force Ingleton Quarry temporary avoidance.
23 August 1993 RAF Alconbury 2xMirage Belgian Air Force Unauthorised flight within UKLFS.
20 September 1993 Caerlaverock Dumfries and Galloway 2xTornado RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area.
6 October 1993 Caerlaverock Dumfries and Galloway 2xJaguar RAF Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust avoidance area.
16 November 1993 Lairg Sutherland lxJaguar RAF Temporary avoidance area owing to rock blasting.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about low flying were submitted to the RAF police for further investigation in each year since 1990.

Mr. Soames

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 1 December 1994,Official Report, columns 905–6.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Farleton Fell hang gliding site ceased to be a military low flying avoidance area.

Mr. Soames

The avoidance area was removed on 6 October 1988 at the request of the British Hang Gliding Association, since the level of flying activity there had been much reduced.