No Mach Loop for RAF?

[RichC]

Courtesy of Touchdown News, a chap has reported that Scramble has heard that the RAF are no longer allowed to fly in the loop for the next 6 weeks...
Not sure if its true or not but there seems to be a bit of a squirm going on within the RAF/MoD over the "Im with Stupid" pictures.... that someone posted to the press everywhere.... not sure if its related. Or that the rumour is true!

[garethbrum]

I was with a couple of crews over the weekend at Waddo - there are apparently no restrictions in place as a result of the media coverage.

[MacksAviation]

However this is taken from the MOD website

# EXERCISE WELSHRIDER 10-01 - 5-16 July 2010. Exercise operating areas are LFA 7. Aircraft will be operating from 0830L until no later than 2230L. The aircraft that are attending will be Tornado GR4, C-130J, Lynx, Merlin and Chinook.
# EXERCISE PEGASUS FURY - 23 Aug - 3 Sept 2010. Exercise operating areas are LFA 4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,17 and 18. There will be up to 3 x Merlin operating in this small scale exercise. Operating hours are 0800L - 2000L from RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

These both use LFA 7 BUT it doesn't mention LFA 7T which is the popular area.

So I guess the information from the dutch Scramble website may not be 100% correct?

[KINROTATE]

For such a fighting force, its amazing how risk averse some people can be.

[Martinc]

As I mentioned in the last loop thread, this is to do with a couple of different issues. The newspaper article was the final nail but for the week prior to that release there had been a notable turn of events .

You will not get an official, statement but the orders that have been sent out, have warned to keep away from the photo hotspots. Yes low flying will continue even in the loop area, however the trend is for the aircraft to pull up near these photo hotspots.

[flyingslug_0]

Just booked a 3 day stay at the loop for Aug 9th

[Mictheslik]

Just booked a 3 day stay at the loop for Aug 9th

Visit some different spots then.....

I think this could actually be just what the loop needs.....it's been getting silly recently with more and more photographers and families up the hills and the passes getting more and more 'interesting'....it needs to cool down a bit. It also means new spots will be discovered and enjoyed

.mic (with a week booked in the last week of July in mid wales )

[Dave934]

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There is the original thread.....wonder if some of the people who posted in it (after my reply) want to re consider what they said now.
Dave.

[apgphoto]

However this is taken from the MOD website

# EXERCISE WELSHRIDER 10-01 - 5-16 July 2010. Exercise operating areas are LFA 7. Aircraft will be operating from 0830L until no later than 2230L. The aircraft that are attending will be Tornado GR4, C-130J, Lynx, Merlin and Chinook.
# EXERCISE PEGASUS FURY - 23 Aug - 3 Sept 2010. Exercise operating areas are LFA 4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12,17 and 18. There will be up to 3 x Merlin operating in this small scale exercise. Operating hours are 0800L - 2000L from RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

These both use LFA 7 BUT it doesn't mention LFA 7T which is the popular area.

So I guess the information from the dutch Scramble website may not be 100% correct?

The Loop isn't in 7T, 7T is only popular for an hour a day, it the proper tactical area, I live on the southern entrance to it

[RichC]

Paul is correct. I believe a lot of people are confusing the two.
LFA7T is one of only three dedicated low flying areas down to 100ft AGL and needs to be booked throughout the week. It only has around an hour to a few hours each day booked.

All exercises shown using the LFA's in Wales have naff all to do with the MAch Loop. All exercises in the area will restrict movements in the mach loop on those days anyway.

Exercises do not use the Mach Loop so its useless pairing the two.
Welsh Rider is a flare/chaff/ECM exercise and will not use the loop... it uses the ranges.

[urkles]

Dave, I stand by everything I said in that thread, if you read the comments on this thread you can see that the newspaper thing was at worst, 'the final nail in the coffin' . It looks to me that there maybe some worry of pilots showing off and not concentrating 100%, and knowing frontline fighter pilots, I would say there is some truth in that! But it seems to me that people are missing the point here, it was a very funny joke and typical of what goes on in a Squadron. If the training takes place elsewhere so be it, strewth, it beginning to look that people are more worried about photo opportunities than the real reason why the low flying is done.

My opinion and im sticking with it, no matter how much abuse I can see coming.

Mark

[MacksAviation]

If the training takes place elsewhere so be it, strewth, it beginning to look that people are more worried about photo opportunities than the real reason why the low flying is done.

My opinion and im sticking with it, no matter how much abuse I can see coming.

Mark

I totally agree about the photo ops comment some people are throwing teddies out of cots cos they can't get a pic because too many people on the hills or the RAF aren't flying in the right places for them Boo Bl@@DY Hoo

[RichC]

Someone has reported on Touchdown that on the 6th nothing came through the loop apart from one Apache. Everything else was high up including Tornados.

Think of it as you wish...

[garethbrum]

Someone has reported on Touchdown that on the 6th nothing came through the loop apart from one Apache. Everything else was high up including Tornados.

Think of it as you wish...

That could happen on any given day Rich. How many times do we see people going up there and getting a blank day........hardly a unique occurrence.

[Dave934]

I totally agree about the photo ops comment some people are throwing teddies out of cots cos they can't get a pic because too many people on the hills or the RAF aren't flying in the right places for them Boo Bl@@DY Hoo

No body I have spoke to gives a toss about the photo ops.
The point is someone DID get in trouble over that photo.
It should never of been posted on the net, let alone sent to the newspapers.

I have seen (and taken) loads of photos of crews having fun.....In fact I still laugh about that up side down Jag I caught....but I didn't send it to the newspapers did I. (or post it on the net)

Dave.

[jingernut]

The point is someone DID get in trouble over that photo.
It should never of been posted on the net, let alone sent to the newspapers.

It could also be said that maybe the crews should not lark about then and just get on with their training.

If they muck about then surely it's their fault if they get into trouble and not the photographers?

[TS010]

The point is someone DID get in trouble over that photo.

It's their own fault if they did - not the fault of the photographer.

Someone has reported on Touchdown that on the 6th nothing came through the loop apart from one Apache.

A Grob Tutor was seen on Monday, blasting through Valleys.

[Martinc]

A few years ago you could rightly assume this was a ploy to keep people away, but not nowadays

I shall be brief and not go into exact details for the reason that this forum is semi public.

At the end of May something happened in the loop and has had a pilot grounded until the whole saga has been investigated. As a result for the last 3 weeks the loop as had aircraft which have pulled out before reaching the hotspots and dropped back in again. Essential training only is the order(so we have been told). We have been talking about this on lowfly.net for the past 6 weeks and as a side effect the website has been removed and the forums picture sections are now members only and we have a new policy regarding joining. The newspaper article was the second factor but the loops fate was sealed by the incident in May. So if you want to go to the loop, you know where it is. You may see things and you may not, just like it as always been, except that there as been an avoid placed on the area.

I would like to say something about AndyChittock, the tornado image was on a syndication website that he is a member of and thats how it got published and i doubt he had the info of the May incident and never thought it would have any effect on the loop etc. At the time of the publication he was not a member of lowfly.net .

I will not debate this on here, i simply wanted to give the basic facts. No doubt there will be those claiming of a cover up.

[RichC]

Going by the latest post on touchdown news, it seems rather legit indeed. I can't post it here without permission but those on Touchdown news clearly need to read the new 'rules' given to the RAF about this issue.
It is clearly to do with the outcome of Andy Chittocks photo and the previous incident with a Hawk which is stated in the email.

If i gain permission to post here i will post.

I've also been informed that hardly any front liners have been through the loop in the 7 days (not including the weekend). It's been VERY limited.

[MacksAviation]

So is lowfly.net dead for good then ? was it really that serious an incident to have the site taken OTA ? or has that site been renamed ?

A few years ago you could rightly assume this was a ploy to keep people away, but not nowadays

We have been talking about this on lowfly.net for the past 6 weeks and as a side effect the website has been removed and the forums picture sections are now members only and we have a new policy regarding joining.