The RAF has been busy in the skies over Kilchoan during the last few days. The most common aircraft over us is the Tornado GR4, flying out of RAF Lossiemouth, and the Tornado F3 out of RAF Leuchars- it was one of these that crashed while negotiating the Rest and be Thankful pass last July. GR4s are attack aircraft, while F3s are mainly used in the defence of UK airspace. We may also see some aircraft from RAF Marham near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.
While there is some controversy about low flying, most people seem to accept that it has to happen, and that the best place is sparsely populated areas such as ours. But nobody can deny that it does cause problems: the noise from two Rolls Royce engines, each producing 16,000lbs of thrust, passing within 300ft, can hardly fail to. Livestock are affected, though it seems that most have become accustomed to the noise. For humans, having one of those jets roar suddenly over a hilltop and pass immediately overhead can be alarming, although there are some of us who are more bothered by envy of the young men and women who get to fly such machines - and are paid for it.
We also see other RAF planes. Hercules C130 transports lumber along, often on their way up Loch Sunart. Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft were infrequent visitors, but have recently been withdrawn from service. We have benefitted from the help of Lossiemouth's 202 Squadron helicopters in emergency medical evacuations. I once witnessed an RAF machine land on a postage stamp sized area at Portuairk. And recently we saw the first of the new Eurofighters, the Typhoon, over Ardnamurchan's north coast, though these are all based at RAF Coningby in Lincolnshire.Ardnamurchan is part of the RAF's low flying area 14, which takes in most of the Highlands. There is a timetable to show when training is taking place here, but the area is so huge that we probably see only a fraction the planes that use it. On the same Ministry of Defence website you can complain about low flying, here.
Several years ago, we were exploring the remnants of Dunoille Castle outside of Oban when two RAF jets came in from the sea over the remains of the keep at high speed and low altitude. They just about made us dive into the ground. We wondered if they were using the Dunoille keep as a target when flying in from the west.
ReplyDeleteWe sort of accepted the need for such training, but it was loud and startling.
Blake from Minnesota, USA
On my holiday in August 2009 I was driving along the road to Sanna, passing through the walls of the volcano, when the air seemed to explode. I slammed on my brakes, and was amazed to see a Tornado jet screaming between the hills, just a few hundred feet from me, banked over so hard I could see the pilots quite clearly in the cockpit. Moments later a second plane followed in the same manner. A keen aircraft spotter, I was thrilled - my wife, a keen peace-and-quiet spotter was not so happy!
ReplyDeleteThis year, in June, I was on the beach at Portuairk, and managed to snap a couple of pictures of more low-level Tornados, an impressive sight, made even more spectacular by the scenery:
http://picasaweb.google.com/moonhogg2000/Scotland2010#5483505590041632642