UK Low flying 1970s, 1980s

[binbrook87]

Does anybody have any memories of when the RAF (and other air arms) conducted low flying seemingly randomly over the British countryside, rather than
confined to the hills and valleys like today?

I grew up in rural staffordshire in an area south of Stoke on Trent and back in the 1970s and 1980s almost every day there would be a roar of a fast jet or 3 at rooftop height. The variety was impressive too....TWU Hunters, Jags, TT Canberras, Harriers, Bucanneers, A10s, F111s were pretty regular, but occasionally German F104s, Danish Drakens and
Belgian Mirages... presumably when on exchange or exercise. I even recall a flight of 3 Vulcans. No issue with noise complaints back then! It seemed to just phase out in the early 90s. Happy days but much different times!

[Mike]

I remember those days very well, but then they decided to knock down the Berlin Wall............................

[graham luxton]

Before Low Flying Areas came into being the military was served by a system of low flying routes over the UK. One I remember, going back to the early 60's, went East to West just South of Chard, Somerset before turning North across the Bristol Channel and into Wales. Remember Vulcan's using it after Bomber Command switched its attack plan from high to low level and a/c appeared in the camo scheme. The whereabouts of these routes was restricted and not in the public domain.

[Snoop 95]

In the early '70's we lived in West Sussex about 25 miles south of Gatwick and used to have regular ear-splitting chimney-hopping fast jets which would come from an Easterly direction and turn South over us and presumably head out over the coast into the Channel. I remember Hunters and Buccaneers particularly, which ironically may well have come from RAF Honington close to where I now live! Maybe a few Tornados later on too.

[nickyp]

Probably early 80's but remember as a kid going up to the Burton Dassett hills country park just south of Warwick and watching all sorts of stuff low level, F4's and F5's from Alconbury, F1-11's from Upper Heyford and a Jp flying between 2 opposite direction tornadoes!

[TS010]

My hometown of Llangollen was well served by NATO's finest at low level. Situated in the Dee Valley it was a very busy entry/exit route for the Welsh mountains. When the big air defence exercises were on large mixed formations would fly East down the valley closely followed by F-4's from the C.A.P above Bala. The large aircraft corridor also passed over the town South to North and formations of 25+ Hercules were a common site.

[gyvespa]

Living in Gt Yarmouth during the Cold War years I’ve seen quite a lot of low flying.
Events that spring to mind are (in no particular order).
A Harrier flying over the old Power Station, below the height of the Chimney (300 ft Ish).
A Jaguar going along the River Yare at what seemed like mast height or not much more.
A Shackleton at “wave height” just out to sea off of Gorleston Beach.
The Tornado that used to go out to sea over the Golf Club, most days at 3.20pm ish, I used to cycle down to the
Cliffs and sit and wait for it, I was rarely disappointed, it went on for quite a few weeks.
During the 90’s I was watching an RAF launch (I think, it may have been the Lifeboat), they were exercising with the SeaKing.
The SeaKing was in the hover above the launch for a while, it then rapidly gained a couple of hundred feet, moments later a Tornado passed between them, at speed. Good god that made me jump !
And.
The Blackbird, more than once, not particularly low but worth a mention anyway.
Happy times.

[Northsky]

I remember being on holiday sitting on a beach near Swanage in 1975 and you could see Vulcan,s canberras Etc flying from the Isle of Wight towards Studland Head .

One day we went for a walk over the hill of the head and i remember looking down on a Vulcan. No camera unfortunately.

[WZ744]

In the 70's and 80's we used to see lots of very low level jets flying from west to east over Codsall just north of Codsall church, which sits at the top of the village. My memory is vague but the one type I do remember was F4 phantoms in camo schemes. Almost a daily occurrence for a long time. Stopped suddenly apparently after some residents complained according to rumours circulating at the time. Never even thought to pick up a camera as they were so common.
Colin.

[romeo bravo]

Remember playing hockey in Oundle on a pleasant Sunday morning during the 80s, only to have game interrupted by s stream of 20+ Hercules playing ‘follow the leader’ through Northants. They were the days.

[Vulcanone]

Hunters doing CAPs around South Killingholme oil refineries and chasing all manner of aircraft from NATO F-4, F-5, F-100, F-104, Draken, and Mirages. Even the RAF Harriers, Jaguars, Canberras (and even Vulcans)…

All prey for the Lightnings at Binbrook, or Phantoms at Coningsby. Even the USAFE RF-and F-4Es F-5s, A-10s, and F-111s would join in the fun around Lincolnshire during exercises in the 70s and early 80s.

[Snoop 95]

Whenever we drove out over the Fens in Cambridgeshire you could guarantee to see low-level jets dodging the pylons. Harriers, Jaguars, A10's, Buccs, Tornados. Wonderful!

[ArabJazzie]

Grew up on the second last street in Fintry, Dundee during the late 70s to early/mid 80s with nothing but country beyond. Every other day was F-111 heaven with some other stuff in between. Oh to have had a digital camera back then! Best memories but not strictly low level was a 3x Mirage 5 overflight and a Tomcat pair.

Leuchars being so close always provided some entertainment, especially the screaming Galaxys climbing out to the north after a PD.
Arabest,
Geoff.

[Jetex61]

Anyone remember F-101C Voodoos from bentwaters going low level over the UK on navigational exercises. I remember seeing a trail of eight LL over Londonderry in 1964/65.

[graham luxton]

Anyone remember F-101C Voodoos from bentwaters going low level over the UK on navigational exercises. I remember seeing a trail of eight LL over Londonderry in 1964/65.

Yes I remember them - 81TFW F-101A/C's from Bentwaters and Woodbridge. Saw lots making practise approach's at Greenham Common in the early 60's some of which came low level off the Salisbury Plain. Usually they were in pairs - never saw as many as 8 in the air together though, must have been quite a thrill? May have been a farewell flyby of the UK as the 81st started shedding its '101's in July'65 and completed it in Jan'66. Received its first F-4C in Oct'65.

[Jetex61]

Yes, that could be it...

[iainpeden]

Remember playing hockey in Oundle on a pleasant Sunday morning during the 80s, only to have game interrupted by s stream of 20+ Hercules playing ‘follow the leader’ through Northants. They were the days.

We lived in Cottingham - just on the Northants side of the Welland Valley in the late 80s/early 90s. Two events in particular remain in my mind: firstly a stream of about 20 C-130s coming over the house in the early hours; secondly, mid-way between Christmas '86 and new Year '87, 15 RF-4Cs, one after another, from Alconbury coming right over the house just before lunch. I guess there had been a mass launch - they were so low I could make out the markings of the leader - Starize 68-567 - they had flown low along the valley and used Cottingham as the point to come up over the ridge.

[tm74sqn]

Summer of 1955 or 1956: a very optimistic Meteor F.8 chasing an F-84 over north part of Norwich, both heading east to west. No, I do not expect anyone to come up with their serial numbers!
TM74

[Blackcat1]

Phantom chasing a Vulcan over the house! Happened a couple days a week! Phantoms then Tornado F3s chasing Jaguars & Sea Harriers ovrr the house! Great memories.

[Snoop 95]

Rented a boat on the river Great Ouse, Cambridgeshire, in September 1987 and were moored-up for the night not far from Ely. Beautiful starry warm night and we were looking skywards when the first of about 12 jets following line astern came over us at about 10000 feet. Towards the end one of them started belching fire from behind it, which at that time worried us considerably, believing it to be in trouble. Have subsequently learned that it was 'torching' to burn off fuel prior to landing and therefore the aircraft would most likely have been F111's. Wonderful!