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Low Flying

Volume 203: debated on Friday 14 February 1992

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To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what types of aircraft will be deployed to Goose bay, Canada, for low flying training in 1992; what are the planned dates of deployment; and how many sorties the RAF expects to fly from Goose bay during 1992.

It is planned that nine Tornado GR1 and eight Tornado F3 aircraft will be deployed to Goose bay in 1992. Tornado GR1s will be deployed initially between 2 and 7 April and thereafter from 22 May to 25 September. It is planned that they will carry out some 1,350 low level training sorties. Tornado F3s will be deployed from 26 May to 7 July and will carry out some 350 sorties, each of which will include an element at low level. C130 Hercules aircraft undertaking routine resupply tasks to Goose bay will also carry out a small number of low-level training sorties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what enhancements of existing facilities have been made since 1989 in order to achieve a more even distribution of low flying throughout the United Kingdom.

The Government's policy of spreading low flying as widely as possible has been pursued through a continuous review of the low-flying system. We expect the distribution of low flying to be further improved in future by a fast-jet turn round facility which is being established at RAF Leuchars.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about low flying in each of the years 1986 to 1990 came from addresses located within Low Flying Area 18.

The numbers of inquiries or complaints about low-flying training which my Department received in each of the years 1986 to 1990 from addresses located within low-flying area 18 are as follows:

YearNumber
1986374
1987237
1988276
1989264
1990184