Over the fence, RAF Valley, Thurs 18.2.10

[viscount]

Firstly, the Lake District is not the only place to see military aircraft at low level. North Wales, especially at locations known as Bwlch, Bwlch Exit, Mach Loop and Tan-y-Llyn offer great photo opportunities to the very patient. Hawks are the staple diet, but Typhoons, Tornados, Harriers and even Hercules are regulars.

On Wednesday 17th February at just before midday a pair of Harriers pased over Llyn Ogwen low level in brilliant sunshine - they had earlier been around Mach Loop in very grey low cloud conditions (as did a pair of Tornado GR.4s (at 1400ish) which I did not hear or see at Betwys-y-Coed). Though I did see a pair of Tornado F.3s, just before 1600, over Menai Bridge heading lowish down the Straits off the Ranges, eastbound for low level in the Lake District.

R.A.F. Valley. A short call on Thursday 18th February, from around 1400 to 1530 produced visitors:

ZE794/FL Tornado F.3 still in full 25 Sqdn markings. Had diverted in on 16th or 17th on an emergency. As the air brakes were still extended, presumably hydraulic problems. Operating with a Boscombe Down 'Blackbox' call-sign.

XX280/CM and XX339/CK Hawk T.1s of 100 Sqdn, departed around 1530.

Sea Kings: XZ587/C, XZ589/-, XZ590/F and one other

Griffins: ZJ239/R, ZJ242/E. Along with both AW.139s /B and /F.

Resident Hawks were relatively active, possibly due to a late start to the flying programme while waiting for overnight ice/hail to melt from the runway as non-front-line bases are not permitted to apply de-icing fluids onto the ground. XX244 still has no unit markings applied, just 244 on the fin.

[Biggles]

If anyone want to see superb low level shots in the North Wales Low Level Area look at

www.targeta.co.uk

That is if you don`t know about the site already.

[Beemer]

Viscount's photos posted on his be-half by Beemer

Barrier up

[RICEY]

sorry to sound daft but whats the barrier used for?

[viscount]

Oh dear, I've asked Beemer to add my photo to the wrong thread! My silly fault.

The barrier photo is actually relevant to a thread '22.1.10 RAF Valley', currently at the base of page 2 of this section, about to go to the top of page 3. On this thread, the barrier was noted, and commented on, in the down position. The same question was asked and answered.

The elasticated barrier is an arrester system to prevent training aircraft from over-running the runway. I can recall it in use at Valley in the days of Vampires, then Gnats and now in the long era of the Hawk. It is only raised for RAF movements, for civilians and larger transports it is lowered. In the days of the Gnat several ended up in the stop-end barrier, I have also seen pictures of a Hawk (in the early red and white scheme days) ending up tangled in the net after a bird strike on take-off.