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Dartmoor known landing sites?

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cat1
Posts: 451
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:40 am
Location: EGTE

Dartmoor known landing sites?

Post by cat1 » Tue Oct 01, 2024 7:07 pm

Hello all,

It's come to my attention that RN helis practice regularly on Dartmoor, so could anyone in the know help me on the following:

1. Is there a known 'best day' or busy patch
2. Is there a list in existence of 'approved' landing sites or is it impromptu
3. Like the Mach loop, are there any low flying routes on Dartmoor, with set directions and entrances or exits
4. If this is a one off, rare event, would there be any forewarning?

My aim is to get low level shots without driving 5 hours to the loop :D

Appreciate any help :thumb:
Cheap cameras aren't good. Good cameras aren't cheap

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Professor_M
Posts: 1115
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2022 7:07 am

Re: Dartmoor known landing sites?

Post by Professor_M » Tue Oct 01, 2024 7:18 pm

cat1 wrote:
Tue Oct 01, 2024 7:07 pm
Hello all,

It's come to my attention that RN helis practice regularly on Dartmoor, so could anyone in the know help me on the following:

1. Is there a known 'best day' or busy patch
2. Is there a list in existence of 'approved' landing sites or is it impromptu
3. Like the Mach loop, are there any low flying routes on Dartmoor, with set directions and entrances or exits
4. If this is a one off, rare event, would there be any forewarning?

My aim is to get low level shots without driving 5 hours to the loop :D

Appreciate any help :thumb:
Not having tried it myself yet (one year I will remember to give it a go), the Ten Tors weekend (9-11 May in 2025) can be rather fruitful for photos of RN Merlins in the area.

https://www.tentors.org.uk/page/key-dates

Lots of photos from that around, Ex. Wessex/Wyvern Tor. Hopefully others will be able to help you with more exact locations and other good tips.

Bobling
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2022 4:03 pm

Re: Dartmoor known landing sites?

Post by Bobling » Mon Oct 28, 2024 8:04 am

I had a couple of Merlins come low over Meldon Resevoir whilst coming back from a camping trip in late August of this year. They came from the East low over the dam and then banked left to fly up the valley between Homerton Hill and Longstone hill. Quite impressive, where they went after that I don't know and not regular enough to give info about frequently used spots or whether this route is used regularly.

timb
Posts: 546
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2013 7:47 pm

Re: Dartmoor known landing sites?

Post by timb » Mon Oct 28, 2024 5:29 pm

I live near Exeter and for the last 40 + years have spent a lot of time walking on Dartmoor, weekdays and weekends and I have never seen a helicopter land up there - apart from when the USMC were using the Army Camp at Okehampton 2-3 years back.. I would imagine that would be the place to go when The Ten Tors is on. A place to see Merlins and the occasional Chinook "up close and personnal" is the R.M. landing area on Woodbury Common. But they are very very few and far between and unless you "know someone in the know", you certainly wouldn't go on the off chance of seeing anything.

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