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[stuart30]

Took the wife and twins too town this afternoon (mid size market town,reasonably built up area) and out of the blue a military jet (Tornado possibly) came screeching out of no where.

The pilot had the jet banked over near on 90 degrees and lower than ive ever seen before and by god he was going some....actually looked like he was loosing altitude too the degree was half expecting a loud bang and see a jet parked on top of the bus station just round the corner.

At a guess id say he was about 100/150ft possibly less...obviosly very hard too say,but shockingly low,.

[STMO123]

One of the red arrows did the same in Liverpool. Came down the Mersey estuary and then banked very low over the houses near the river. I was working on a roof at the time. I shat myself but the raw power of the engines gave me goose bumps.
You dont appreciate just how fearsome these aircraft are until you get up close and personal.

[tunnie]

most likely a Harrier, they do low fly training cause they have to do that in Afgan to avoid missile locks from RPGs

[stuart30]

99.9% sure wasnt a Harrier....had a full view of it for several seconds as he banked round and came directly past us and as i said so low had a good look.

We have a block of flats not far from me and he was lower than them....now wondering if he had mechanical problems...2 airbases with in a short distance. :-/

Unless it was a yank looking for KFC of course.

STMO god yeah fully agree....real jaw dropping moment....the Top gun comment i made was complelty wasted on the wife.

[Andy B]

Isn't it 500 ft? Saying that, I worked with an ex RAF tech who said they routinely pulled wheat stalks from the aircraft - or he was winding me up :-/ ........ Entwood will know!  

[bertiecbx550]

maybe he was after the ufo`s.....  

[Turk]

Exhaust burns on your roof tiles and you've definately got a case to complain.
 

[stuart30]

Isn't it 500 ft? Saying that, I worked with an ex RAF tech who said they routinely pulled wheat stalks from the aircraft - or he was winding me up :-/ ........ Entwood will know!  

Thought he was going too scratch my bloody roof on the car let alone 500ft.

[Lazydocker]

I would say that where you are it's more likely to be a F-14 Tomcat going into Lakenheath

He's probably much higher than he looked too... It can be really deceiving

[Andy B]

Isn't it 500 ft? Saying that, I worked with an ex RAF tech who said they routinely pulled wheat stalks from the aircraft - or he was winding me up :-/ ........ Entwood will know!  

Thought he was going too scratch my bloody roof on the car let alone 500ft.

Same as the two that seemed more like 50' up when were driving back from Isle of Skye ...... $h1t us both up!

[Kevin Wood]

This is what the rules of the air say, but there are many exceptions, and I'm sure the military are one (Police aircraft are, for example). It gives an idea of what would be reasonable:

(3) The low flying prohibitions are as follows—

(a) Failure of power unit

An aircraft shall not be flown below such height as would enable it to make an emergency landing without causing danger to persons or property on the surface in the event of a power unit failure.

(b) The 500 feet rule

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft shall not be flown closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

(c) The 1,000 feet rule

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft flying over a congested area of a city town or settlement shall not fly below a height of 1,000 feet above the highest fixed obstacle within a horizontal radius of 600 metres of the aircraft.

(d) The land clear rule

An aircraft flying over a congested area of a city, town or settlement shall not fly below such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear of the congested area in the event of a power unit failure.

(e) Flying over open air assemblies

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft shall not fly over an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons below the higher of the following heights—

(i) 1,000 feet; or

(ii) such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear of the assembly in the event of a power unit failure.

So, it is basically 500 feet unless it's a built-up area or an assembly of people.

Kevin

[Elite Pete]

One of the red arrows did the same in Liverpool. Came down the Mersey estuary and then banked very low over the houses near the river. I was nicking lead of a roof at the time. I shat myself but the raw power of the engines gave me goose bumps.
You dont appreciate just how fearsome these aircraft are until you get up close and personal.

Sound about right

[stuart30]

I would say that where you are it's more likely to be a F-14 Tomcat going into Lakenheath

He's probably much higher than he looked too... It can be really deceiving

You know what you could be right....shapes pretty much spot on.
http://www.flyandfight.com/images/f14flyby.jpg

Might have been higher but will be suprised if he was.

[stuart30]

This is what the rules of the air say, but there are many exceptions, and I'm sure the military are one (Police aircraft are, for example). It gives an idea of what would be reasonable:

(3) The low flying prohibitions are as follows—

(a) Failure of power unit

An aircraft shall not be flown below such height as would enable it to make an emergency landing without causing danger to persons or property on the surface in the event of a power unit failure.

(b) The 500 feet rule

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft shall not be flown closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

(c) The 1,000 feet rule

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft flying over a congested area of a city town or settlement shall not fly below a height of 1,000 feet above the highest fixed obstacle within a horizontal radius of 600 metres of the aircraft.

(d) The land clear rule

An aircraft flying over a congested area of a city, town or settlement shall not fly below such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear of the congested area in the event of a power unit failure.

(e) Flying over open air assemblies

Except with the written permission of the CAA, an aircraft shall not fly over an organised open-air assembly of more than 1,000 persons below the higher of the following heights—

(i) 1,000 feet; or

(ii) such height as would permit the aircraft to land clear of the assembly in the event of a power unit failure.

So, it is basically 500 feet unless it's a built-up area or an assembly of people.

Kevin

Id say Huntingdon Town centre is fairly built up.....

Put it this way (as i cant say for sure the height not being trained in such matters) its very very rare too see the local Plod chopper this low....even when hovering eating there dunking donuts.

[webby23]

most likely a Harrier, they do low fly training cause they have to do that in Afgan to avoid missile locks from RPGs

Unable to lock onto anything with a rocket propelled grenade.......they are manual targetting with no active seekers......