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In and around LFA17

Plus places visited

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News

News concerning LFA17 

North West Evening Mail 10-11-2007    

Low-Flying exercises could be restricted due to high emissions

The RAF could be restricted from low-flying exercises over the Lake District and Cumbria as a whole after concerns were raised about the environment.

Calls have been made for the military to be included in the European Unions Emission Trading Scheme in order to cap the RAF’s green house gas emissions after the military was considered energy intensive.

Members of the European Parliament are to vote on the topic next week and if given the go-ahead, the government will be forced to buy “emission permits” to allow fighters to fly from 2010.

This could see training exercises, such as low-flying, significantly reduced in our country.

Although the scheme would not include military flights performed by military aircraft as part of an international mission, flights performed for a purely national mission will be incorporated in ETS which the Conservatives do not agree with. The party has backed plans to bring the aviation sector into the scheme, but believe flights which are part of a humanitarian mission should not be included.

The idea has come under fire from North West MEP Sir Robert Atkins. Sir Robert, the Conservative deputy leader in the European Parliament and former minister for Aerospace said: “We believe in this proposal to put Europe at the forefront of the fight against climate change, but attempts to include military flights if they are not “part of an international mission” are unrealistic. “Conservatives will vote to make sure that all military flights are excluded from the scheme”

The ETS, which was launched in 2005, aims to cap greenhouse gas emissions from industries and allow companies to buy and sell emission permits with each other.

Exercises

     Exercises occasionally use the LFA17 area, for aircraft either to transit through on route or to intercept, CAP's as they are known (combat air patrols) this type of training has somewhat declined in the area over the past few years. On occasions a FOB's (forward operating base) are located here. Plus the training of FAC's (forward air controllers) is carried out around the whole area.

                           Aircraft that transit on exercise are for all intents and purpose in a simulated war scenario. They will be practicing radar evasion and possibly detection from other aircraft as they head for their target.

FOB Ground crew get ready for an inbound helicopter at Walney on exercise Herrick Eagle

FOB's are set up when units deploy to replicate being on the move away from their own base, for what could be a rapid deployment or a fast moving war situation. These exercises can vary in size and aircraft type depending again on the scenario.

Forward Air Conrollers direct a CH130 onto a target

FAC's are for the training of ground staff to call in an air strike and are very mobile but invariably these types of exercises utilize fast jets, but can also call in air drops and the use of helicopters is very common.

Spadeadam

In the northern corner of LFA17 is Spadeadam LFA13. This is the RAF’s largest base in Britain which is on the old Blue Steel test establishment site, now the only facility in Europe where aircrews can practise manoeuvres and tactics against a variety of threats and targets

 

NOTAM

LATEST NOTAMS Updated on 02/04/08

This page will be for news of forthcoming events and NOTAMS (notice to airmen) that could affect the area.

CLICK HERE FOR NOTAMS C130J ZH888 on route to Carlise

 

Visitors

Walney Airfield's Visitors

Updated on 10/06/07

 

Past Exercises & Shows                     that were held within LFA17

The following pages are of past exercises and shows that have taken place within LFA17. These vary from small 

Windermere Air Show 2007

   Once again over the weekend of 28th and 29th of July, Windermere's Rotary Club staged their Gala day on the Glebe at Bowness

Lightning Force

    From 20th February till the 28th, Carlisle played host to 3 Regiments 663 Sqn of the AAC as they took part in exercise Lightning Force.

TLZ on Walney

  The Second World War Airfield of Walney was brought out of military retirement once more for another training exercise

Herrick Eagle

   Exercise Herrick Eagle   was a designed to test out the rapid reaction of the 16th Air Assault Brigade. Most of this two week exercise had been carried out on Salisbury Plain

Wycome Warrior

   On the14th & 15th September.  Exercise Wycombe Warrior was to provide a realistic coalition training exercise

Lightning Dawn

   Deploying to Carlisle from Dishforth, Apache helicopters of the 9th Regt AAC a number of  Lynx plus all their ground crew

Windermere Air Show 2006

    Over the weekend of 29th & 30th July Lake Windermere in the heart of the Lake District became the venue for what must be one of the most stunning places in the country to hold and Air Show

Visits & Trips

The following pages are of visits made and of trips taken

65th Anniversary Flypast

A service and fly-past has been held to mark the 65th anniversary of the World War II Dambusters mission.

Joint Warrior 08-01

     Joint Warrior which was formally know as Joint Maritime Course (JMC), is a biannual Air and Maritime exercise held in Scotland, 

Fagin 11

      Moments later, Tristar ZD953 call sign Fagin 11 started its three RB211 engines completed their checks and we were taxing

TLP Kinloss

                     Leaving its usual operating base of Florennes Air Force Base in Belgium relocated at RAF Kinloss for the very first time

Cottesmore

                   Home to the Four operational  Harrier Squadrons RAF Cottesmore is now the center of  the Joint Force Harrier

Sky Lance

  The aim of Exercise SKYLANCE was to provide joint collective training in a multi-threat environment for UK units and invited NATO and Allied units and their staffs

Saudi Green Flag 07

  Exercise Saudi Green Flag 07 was the second half of a squadron exchange, in which 617 Sqn at RAF Lossiemouth hosted eight Tornado aircraft from the Royal Saudi Air Force

Marham

  The Marham Wing is one of the largest and busiest in the RAF, operating 4 Squadrons of Tornado GR4 aircraft in the attack and reconnaissance roles

Fagin 13

  After departing its home base of Brize Norton, the Tri-Star ZD951 of 216 Sqn headed to the air to air refuelling area 6

Springhawk 2007

  Before the team left the UK the new flying members where chosen from this year’s applicants and flying training began in earnest

56 Sqn's 50th Birthday

   The squadrons anniversary weekend began on Friday afternoon when a nine ship diamond formation departed Leuchars and flew around the region to mark their years as an RAF squadron

Top Hatter's deployment

Playing host to the Hornets at Lossiemouth was 14Sqn. The flying routine for the Hornets became two sorties per day with four aircraft the fifth aircraft staying at Lossiemouth as the spare