Skip to main content

Low Flying

Volume 224: debated on Thursday 6 May 1993

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average duration of a low-flying sortie by a fast jet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates of periods of covert monitoring of low-flying operations conducted by Royal Air Force police since 1987.

Since 1987 the RAF police have carried out covert surveys at the following locations over the following periods.

Date and location

1987

  • 16–18 March—Banham Zoo
  • 7–9 April—Penrith, Morpeth and Amble
  • 14–15 April—Pickering and Jedburgh
  • 1 June—Peterborough
  • 7–8 July—Redmile
  • 21–24 July—Dumfries and Galloway
  • 21–24 July—Builth Wells
  • 4–6 August—Grindleford Bridge
  • 4–6 August—Alnwick
  • 5 August—Haltwhistle
  • 11–12 August—Leighton Hall, Carnforth
  • 13–14 August—Castle Farm, Devon
  • 19–20 August—Haxby
  • 15–17 September—Scarborough
  • 21–25 September—Ettrick

1988

  • 14–18 March—Amble
  • 25–28 April—Quedgeley and Hardwicke
  • 26–27 April—Braunston
  • 7 June—Farndon
  • 14–16 June—Crediton
  • 21–23 June—Kidwelly
  • 22 June—Tumble
  • 27–29 June—Stonehouse
  • 28–30 June—Keswick
  • 12 July—Hexham
  • 12 July—Holmc on Spalding Moor
  • 18–21 July—Builth Wells
  • 26–27 July—Machynlleth
  • 23–25 August—Morpeth
  • 6–8 September—Halesworth
  • 11–13 October—Melrose
  • 18–20 October—Milford Haven
  • Late October/early November—Redburn
  • 15–17 November—Newark/Farndon

1989

  • 6–9 February—Upper Chute, Hampshire
  • 25–27 April—Liskeard, Cornwall
  • 2–4 May—Gloucester
  • 8–11 May—Blencarn, Cumbria
  • 15–19 May—Wigtown, Dunfries and Galloway
  • 22–26 May—Haddington, Lothian
  • 26–30 June—Knaresborough, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 24–27 July—Earl Shilton, Leicestershire
  • 24–27 July—Market Bosworth, Leicestershire
  • 31 July-4 August-Penrith, Cumbria (Skyguard deployment)
  • 26–27 September—Glan Conwy, Gwynedd
  • 3–5 October—Alnwick, Northumberland(Skyguard deployment)

1990

  • 30 January-1 February—Machynlleth, Powys
  • 5–9 March—Wetheral, Cumbria
  • 25–28 March—Llanrhidian, West Glamorgan
  • 26–30 March—Hereford
  • 26–30 March—Alnwick area, Northumberland Kelso area, Borders (Skyguard deployment)
  • 15–17 May—Melrose, Borders
  • 22–24 May—Inverness and Dingwall, Highlands
  • 25–28 June—St. Mary's Loch, Borders
  • 10–13 July—Glastonbury/Shepton Mallet, Somerset (Skyguard deployment)
  • 17–20 September—Grange over Sands, Cumbria (Skyguard deployment)
  • 1–2 October—Richmond, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 3–4 October—Leerning, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 15–18 October—Cosford, Warwickshire
  • 13–15 November—Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (Skyguard deployment)

1991

  • 23–25 April—Richmond/Barnard Castle, North Yorkshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 14–16 May—Chatteris, Cambridgeshire
  • 4–6 June—Brough, Humberside

Exercise name

Exercise dates

Exercise location

1987

Gryphon's Gunner6 MarchLincolnshire
Polar Dawn III7–8 MarchNorfolk
Key Lift 877–15 MarchNorth Yorkshire
Quicksand15–22 MarchMany areas with centre on Northumberland
Mallet Blow 87/16–10 AprilNorthern England/Borders
Priory 87/113–15 AprilCumbria/Lincolnshire/North East England/ Eastern Scotland
Ardent/Ground20 April to 10 MaySalisbury Plain
Grand Design25 April to 17 MaySalisbury Plain
Hammer 87/119 MayEast Anglia/Northern England/Southern Scotland
Central Enterprise 871 JuneEast Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/ Scotland
OSEX 1420–24 JulySouth West Scotland

  • 1–4 July—South Wales Powys (Skyguard deployment)
  • 16–18 July—Northumberland, Morpeth (Skyguard deployment)
  • 22–25 July—Builth Wells, Powys
  • 5–8 August—Hebden Bridge, North Yorkshire
  • 20–22 August—Auldgrith, Dumfries and Galloway
  • 9–12 September—Great Torrington, Devon
  • 23–26 September—Keswick/Kendal, Cumbria
  • 14–17 October—Hexham, Northumberland
  • 22–24 October—Cley/Stiffkey, Norfolk (Skyguard deployment)
  • 4–7 November—Cumbernauld, South Clyde
  • 18–21 November—Melrose, Borders

1992

  • 21–23 January—Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
  • 10–13 February—East Fortune, Lothian (Skyguard deployment)
  • 9–12 March—Duns, Berwickshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 10–12 March—Oakford, Devon
  • 6–9 April—Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway
  • 7–9 April—Carmarthen, Dyfed (Skyguard deployment)
  • 28–30 April—Malton, North Yorkshire
  • 5–7 May—Carlisle, Cumbria
  • 18–21 May—Dumfries (Skyguard deployment)
  • 8–11 June—Forest of Dean, Gloucester and Hope Under Dinmore, Hereford and Worcester (Skyguard deployment)
  • 29 June 2 July—Beverley/Linley Hill Aerodrome, Humberside (Skyguard deployment)
  • 11–14 August—East Anstey, Tiverton, Devon
  • 21–24 September—King's Lynn, Norfolk
  • 21–24 September—Conan Bridge, Firth, Highlands (Skyguard deployment)
  • 6–7 October—Norwich, Norfolk
  • 3–5 November—Llanyyold, North Wales
  • 17–18 November—Market Deeping, Lincolnshire (Skyguard deployment)
  • 24–26 November—Morpeth, Northumberland

1993

  • 22–26 February—Cockermouth, Cumbria (Skyguard deployment)
  • 22–25 February—Ingleton, North Yorkshire
  • 2–4 March—Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Avon
  • 15–18 March—Stafford
  • 29 March–1 April—Belford, Berwickshire
  • 26–30 April—Hereford (Skyguard deployment)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names, dates and locations of all low-flying exercises conducted in each year since 1987, where advance notice was given to hon. Members in affected constituences.

In each year since 1987, notice of the following exercises has been given to hon. Members whose constituencies were likely to experience unusual low-flying activity:

Exercise name

Exercise dates

Exercise location

Roaring Lion24–31 JulyMany areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 87/23–7 AugustNorthern England/Borders
Fast Buzzard18–25 SeptemberMany areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Hammer 87/26 OctoberNorthern England/Southern Scotland
Priory 87/213–15 OctoberEast Anglia/Lincolnshire/North East England/ Eastern Scotland
Mallet Blow 87/32–6 NovemberNorthern England/Borders
Puple Warrior4–21 NovemberSouth West Scotland

1988

Key Lift 885–13 MarchNorth Yorkshire
Mallet Blow 88/114–18 MarchNorthern England/Borders
Red Lanyard9–12 AprilMany areas with centre on Salisbury Plain
Elder Forest 8818–21 AprilEast Anglia/Lincolnshire/Northern England/ Eastern Scotland
Hammer 88/110 MayNorthern England/Southern Scotland
OSEX 1516–20 MayWales
Roaring Lion20–26 MayMany areas centred on Northumberland
Central Enterprise6 JuneEast Anglia/Lincolnshire/Northern England/ Eastern Scotland
Fast Buzzard13–24 JulyMany areas centred on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 88/225–29 JulyNorthern England/Borders
Green Lanyard1–8 OctoberMany areas with centre on South West Wales
Elder Joust 884–6 OctoberEast Anglia/Lincolnshire/North Eastern England/South Eastern Scotland
Hammer 88/211-OctoberEast Anglia/Northern England/Southern Scotland

1989

Red Lanyard17–23 FebruaryMany areas centred on Norfolk
Mallet Blow 89/13–7 AprilNorthern England/Borders
Salty Hammer 899 MayNorthern England/Southern Scotland
Equipment Trial25 April-19 MayNorthern England/Borders
OSEX 1610–19 MayWales
Blue Lanyard 891–7 JuneMany areas centred on Norfolk
Roaring Lion11–26 JulyMany areas centred on Salisbury Plain
Mallet Blow 89/231 July-4 AugustNorthern England and Borders
Elder Joust/Arc3–5 OctoberMany areas of United Kingdom
Northern Crusade11–19 OctoberMany areas centred on Borders

1990

Red Lanyard 1/9021–28 MarchMany areas centred on Norfolk
Mallet Blow 90/126–30 MarchNorthern England and Borders
Elder Forest23–27 AprilMany areas of United Kingdom
Stone Warrior12–24 MaySouth West England centred on Salisbury Plain
Eagles Eye14–25 MayEast Anglia
Salty Hammer22 MayNorthern England and Southern Scotland
OSEX 902–13 JulyWales
Red Lanyard 2/9018–27 JulyMany areas centred on South West Scotland and Norfolk
Mallet Blow 90/230 July-3 AugustNorthern England and Borders
Border fox17–21 SeptemberBorders

1991

Lanyard 24–12 MarchWales
Elder Joust22–25 AprilNorthern England
Joint Maritime Course30 May-8 JuneSouth West England
Highland Cardinal24–28 JuneWales
OSEX1–5 JulyWales
Mallet Blow15–19 JulyNorthumberland
Elder Joust10–12 SeptemberScottish Borders
North Star10–12 SeptemberScottish Borders

1992

Elder Forest9–13 MarchNorthern England
Teamwork9–13 MarchNorthern England
Highland Cardinal11–15 MayWales
Salty Hammer12–13 MayNorthern England
Pegasus Fury12–28 MaySalisbury Plain
OSEX18–22 MayWales
Joint Maritime Course2–11 JuneNorthern Scotland
Lanyard 38–21 JulyEast Anglia
Gryphon's Flight1–10 AugustSalisbury Plain
Northern Banner7–11 SeptemberNorthern England
Winged Crusader1–14 OctoberScottish Borders
Joint Maritime Course2–16 NovemberNorthern Scotland
Salty Hammer4–5 NovemberNorthern England

Exercise name

Exercise dates

Exercise location

1993

Joint Maritime Course8–18 FebruaryNorthern Scotland
Lanyard 417–25 FebruaryEast Anglia
Northern Banner22–26 FebruaryNorthern England
Exercise Mini Hammer3–4 MarchNorthumberland
Gryphon's Lift21–28 AprilEast Anglia
Lanyard 512–21 MayNorthumberland

1 Buccaneer, Harrier, Jaguar, Lightning, Phantom and Tornado.