Mach loop advise please

[The Phantom]

I'm afraid that's the modern Loop - very quiet up to the old days.
Still occasional busier days - but just pot luck usually.

[Reptile 1]

Could be a number of reason's why it was quiet

a) Night Flying limits day time movements.
b) Weather on the East Coast bases, regardless of if it's **sunny** use the word loosely in Wales it's not always the same throughout the UK.
c) Sqn's away on Exercise/Deployments/Leave.
d) The weather in Wales itself.
e) Time of year, Winter Light is much shorter so either it works in your favour or goes against you, again pot luck.
f) What's in the days flying schedule i.e Low Level, ACM, BFM, Fighter Evasion etc
g) How long did you give it? No timetable everyday is different.
h) Friday afternoon's tend to be quiet but mornings can be busy.

[DUI]

I'm afraid as far as I know there is no way of knowing, whats likely to turn up in the loop and when. Weather, operational commitments and the type of training currently being undertaken all influence what turns up.
There are a few photographers who seem to get tips as to planned movements, but the tips are generally quite vague, just saying that aircraft will be operating in Wales and don't mean that the aircraft will make a pass or even operate at low level.
Hearing aircraft exercising overhead that don't descend to low level is a very common experience.
I'm afraid the difference between a good day an a poor one can just be a single magic 45 minutes, its quite possible to have an aircraft pass every 3 minutes for half an hour and nothing for the rest of the day.
Some days are complete blanks and nothing turns up at all.
Bad weather will keep aircraft away, so check the Welsh forecast and compare it the Lake district forecast. If the Lakes are much better than Wales the Valley Hawks are likely to go there.
Loop lore has Fridays as being quiet but I've had some good Friday mornings.
I'm afraid standing around for hours waiting for an aircraft that often never comes is part of the loop experience. If there are other photographers, then try talking to them, even if they can't give you a flying schedule, they will often give tips, so you can make the best of the few seconds available if an aircraft does turn up. They are all waiting for the same thing you are and normally quite friendly.
There are of course far fewer military aircraft flying anyware in the UK these days, so that means fewer end up at low level in Wales.

I tend to think of loop photography as rather like fishing, you set your self up and then wait and wait. Some days are good with lots of bites, but some days nothing happens.