course ying the Tucano T1 with 72 Sqn
might be limited to 90° AOB while contouring
to protect the less experienced pilots,
whereas a frontline unit might have greater
freedoms of up to 150° AOB.
Coastlines are required to be crossed
at 1,000ft, and as close to right-angles
a possible, to minimise the chance of
hitting a bird, while the Red Arrows have
a dispensation for seafront displays. An
exemption allows the maximum speed within
the UKLFS to be 450kts but for speci c
tactical ying activities, such as target runs,
crews can y up to 550kts. If approved into
an OLF area, the maximum speed for short-
term tactical activity is 500kts.
In the Tornado GR4, using reheat at low
level was prohibited, except for “essential
training requirements, aircraft emergencies
or authorised displays.”
Some areas on the low ying charts
have ow arrows which dictate the direction
that aircraft must y through a particular
feature. They are common in some of the
more popular valleys, especially in the
Lake District and the Machynlleth Loop
where traffic can be heavier than elsewhere
due to the necessity to practise valley
ying. On the charts, you’ll also nd two-
way directional ow arrows such as the
Hexham Gap, which allows low-level traffic
to decon ict when funnelled through small
areas of an LFA.There is also a rule that an aircraft can y
over the same spot only twice to minimise
noise disturbance for people on the ground.
Despite the speed at which a fast jet travels,
I could still see horses if a rider was wearing
a bright jacket which allows me to throttleback and ease my height up although I have
no time to change direction.
Because of the difficulty in maintaining
such a perishable skill a squadron will set a
currency – on my last squadron it was 180
days. If you fell out of currency you’d have to
regain it by low ying with another pilot rst.
For xed-wing aircraft with a speed
greater than 140kts, visibility of 3.1 miles(5km) ahead is required for low ying,
4,921ft (1,500m) horizontally, and 500ft
(152m) vertical separation from cloud.
Rotary types need 1,500m visibility
clear of cloud and in sight of the surface.
Sometimes the weather can close-in,
especially in the valleys on the west coast of
Scotland. If this happens I would y a ‘low-
level abort’: rolling the wings level, applying
full power and using 4g to pull the nose 30°
up until I reach ‘safety altitude’ clear of high
ground. However, it is only performed in
an emergency if entering cloud, with a call
to air traffic control as soon as possible to
decon ict from other aircraft.
In an increasingly uncertain world, the
UK’s military pilots maintain the perishable
skill to y at low level because, if a crisis
calls for nap-of-the-earth ying, it is not an
ability that can be quickly resurrected.
So, in the unlikely event of ever nding
yourself at medium level, being attacked
by enemy ghters over hilly terrain, the
safest place is down low. Don’t be lulled
into believing that low-level ying is no
longer operationally relevant. It has
greater application than simply delivering
a weapon to a battle eld and, tactically,
missiles and radars have never been able
to penetrate hills.To read more from Tim Davies visit
https://fastjetperformance.com/30 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2018
“We ended up being
the only two jets to
fi nish the exercise
without being ‘killed’
- quite a rare feat at
the time and thanks,
in part, to our low-
level fl ying skills.”
This Hawk T2 is operated by 4 Sqn which conducts advanced fast jet training from RAF Valley on Anglesey. In addition to providing a tactical option,
due to the challenging nature of low-level ying, instructors use this environment to “increase the mental capacity” of students. Dino CarraraThe LFAs are being used by a new type, the Embraer Phenom 100, which has replaced the Beechcraft King Air 200 and 200GT with 45 Sqn. The
RAF Cranwell-based unit performs multi-engine aircrew training. Brian Hodgson