Low Flying Tale

[smiller]

Been watching that "Britain From The Skies" thing with mrs m, and tonight there was footage of a Eurofighter on low flying manoevres through the Lake District. Mrs m used to serve in the RAF, and after watching said Eurofighter footage she told me a story from when she was part of the ops section at RAF Wittering (a Harrier base at the time).

m=mrs m

c=caller (best imagined being spoken in a posh Leslie Phillips "well, hellooooow" accent apparently)

m: Hello, can I help?
c: Yes I hope so, although I must admit this isn't the sort of thing I usually do. I'd like to make a complaint about some low flying by one of your boys.
m: I see. Can I take your name please
c: Of course, it's Wing Commander **** Retired
m: Ah. OK. And what's the nature of your complaint?
c: Well, my wife and I are currently on a walking holiday in Yorkshire and today we were sitting on a bridge enjoying the view, when one of your lads flew towards us at a rather uncomfortably low level
m: I see. Would you be able to estimate the height the aircraft was flying at?
c: Well, I'd say the bridge deck was around 30 - 40 feet above the ground, and your lad flew under it. I can give you the tail number if you wish?
m: Oh. Ah. Ummm
c: The pilot was also wearing blue underpants if that's a help



British pilots. Gotta love 'em.

[PaulHogan]

Allegedly in Gulf War I an Anerican 'observor' with a Brit Buccanneer pilot shat himself when the pilot swerved to avoid a camel.

[Racefan_uk]

Also heard in Gulf War (Episode 1 TM) that some of the US aircraft carrier crew were more than a bit taken aback when some of the Tornado and Harrier pilots were flying past them at below deck height.

Not exactly sure how true it is, but after watching some of the older footage of RAF boys in Tornado's I wouldn't be surprised if it were true.

[bobthemonkey]

Didn't a Jag in Oman crush a locals Toyota? I'm sure photos are on PH.

[dougc]

RAF providing 'close' air support to the yanks in Afghanistan (may contain profanities)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HEgdRkuF-U

[trampagne]

smiller said:

Been watching that "Britain From The Skies" thing with mrs m, and tonight there was footage of a Eurofighter on low flying manoevres through the Lake District. Mrs m used to serve in the RAF, and after watching said Eurofighter footage she told me a story from when she was part of the ops section at RAF Wittering (a Harrier base at the time).

m=mrs m

c=caller (best imagined being spoken in a posh Leslie Phillips "well, hellooooow" accent apparently)

m: Hello, can I help?
c: Yes I hope so, although I must admit this isn't the sort of thing I usually do. I'd like to make a complaint about some low flying by one of your boys.
m: I see. Can I take your name please
c: Of course, it's Wing Commander **** Retired
m: Ah. OK. And what's the nature of your complaint?
c: Well, my wife and I are currently on a walking holiday in Yorkshire and today we were sitting on a bridge enjoying the view, when one of your lads flew towards us at a rather uncomfortably low level
m: I see. Would you be able to estimate the height the aircraft was flying at?
c: Well, I'd say the bridge deck was around 30 - 40 feet above the ground, and your lad flew under it. I can give you the tail number if you wish?
m: Oh. Ah. Ummm
c: The pilot was also wearing blue underpants if that's a help



British pilots. Gotta love 'em.

Strangely enough, I've heard the exact same story from my neighbour, and the headmaster of my daughter's school, who happens to be called Wayne Kerr. Interestingly enough, he was a lighthouse keeper, and had a hilarious encounter with a US American USA George Bush owned aircraft carrier filled with F25 tomcat stealthbomber nuclear interceptor spyplanes, which rather hilariously thought that Mr W. Kerr was another seacraft, but he wasn't, he was in charge of an actual lighthouse, on an island off the coast of Scotland, can you believe that? It was rediculously funny, I almost regurgitated my sausage roll!

[Tycho]

dougc said:

RAF providing 'close' air support to the yanks in Afghanistan (may contain profanities)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HEgdRkuF-U

what about this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbwZF9k_Fnc&fea...

[Simpo Two]

HarryW said:

slightly odd stuff

Low flying can defeat ground-based radar but AWACS would pick up anything, no? You can't just sink the USS Nimitz just by flying very low towards it...

[Blib]

PaulHogan said:

Allegedly in Gulf War I an Anerican 'observor' with a Brit Buccanneer pilot shat himself when the pilot swerved to avoid a camel.

Are you sure it wasn't a shadow?

[Tycho]

Blib said:

PaulHogan said:

Allegedly in Gulf War I an Anerican 'observor' with a Brit Buccanneer pilot shat himself when the pilot swerved to avoid a camel.

Are you sure it wasn't a shadow?

He's just forgotten to put the gear down the daft bd......

[HarryW]

Simpo Two said:

HarryW said:

slightly odd stuff

Low flying can defeat ground-based radar but AWACS would pick up anything, no? You can't just sink the USS Nimitz just by flying very low towards it...

That's the theory and I agree, ever heard of surface ducting.

[Oldandslow]

Jaguar not Buccaneer.

That A10 was so low it actually appeared to be on the ground near the beginning

[smiller]

trampagne said:

Strangely enough, I've heard the exact same story from my neighbour, and the headmaster of my daughter's school, who happens to be called Wayne Kerr. Interestingly enough, he was a lighthouse keeper, and had a hilarious encounter with a US American USA George Bush owned aircraft carrier filled with F25 tomcat stealthbomber nuclear interceptor spyplanes, which rather hilariously thought that Mr W. Kerr was another seacraft, but he wasn't, he was in charge of an actual lighthouse, on an island off the coast of Scotland, can you believe that? It was rediculously funny, I almost regurgitated my sausage roll!

F-14 Tomcat

B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber

Christ. Get your facts right

[Simpo Two]

HarryW said:

Simpo Two said:

HarryW said:

slightly odd stuff

Low flying can defeat ground-based radar but AWACS would pick up anything, no? You can't just sink the USS Nimitz just by flying very low towards it...

That's the theory and I agree, ever heard of surface ducting.

White plastic stuff you run cables in? You'd never hide a plane in that.

[HarryW]

Simpo Two said:

HarryW said:

Simpo Two said:

HarryW said:

slightly odd stuff

Low flying can defeat ground-based radar but AWACS would pick up anything, no? You can't just sink the USS Nimitz just by flying very low towards it...

That's the theory and I agree, ever heard of surface ducting.

White plastic stuff you run cables in? You'd never hide a plane in that.

Some thing like that , the Gulf region is renowned for it.

[JW911]

For trampagne (and anyone else who's interested), here is a scene from "Piece of Cake", a Second World War drama from about twenty years ago. The gentleman flying the Spitfire under the bridge is the legendary Ray Hanna.

Here

Another chap flew a Hunter through Tower Bridge in the 1960s.

Edited by JW911 on Monday 18th August 00:36

[marc.l]

smiller said:

Been watching that "Britain From The Skies" thing with mrs m, and tonight there was footage of a Eurofighter on low flying manoevres through the Lake District. Mrs m used to serve in the RAF, and after watching said Eurofighter footage she told me a story from when she was part of the ops section at RAF Wittering (a Harrier base at the time).

m=mrs m

c=caller (best imagined being spoken in a posh Leslie Phillips "well, hellooooow" accent apparently)

m: Hello, can I help?
c: Yes I hope so, although I must admit this isn't the sort of thing I usually do. I'd like to make a complaint about some low flying by one of your boys.
m: I see. Can I take your name please
c: Of course, it's Wing Commander **** Retired
m: Ah. OK. And what's the nature of your complaint?
c: Well, my wife and I are currently on a walking holiday in Yorkshire and today we were sitting on a bridge enjoying the view, when one of your lads flew towards us at a rather uncomfortably low level
m: I see. Would you be able to estimate the height the aircraft was flying at?
c: Well, I'd say the bridge deck was around 30 - 40 feet above the ground, and your lad flew under it. I can give you the tail number if you wish?
m: Oh. Ah. Ummm
c: The pilot was also wearing blue underpants if that's a help



British pilots. Gotta love 'em.

Deja Moo: I have the feeling that you've heard this bull before

[dilbert]

Simpo Two said:

HarryW said:

slightly odd stuff

Low flying can defeat ground-based radar but AWACS would pick up anything, no? You can't just sink the USS Nimitz just by flying very low towards it...

It all depends so much! Rain, sea state, communications in progress, proximity to land.
Most of the airbourne anti ship weapons skim the surface, and they're very hard to detect. I'd wager that AWACS would offer minimal defence against any surface skimming anti ship weapon.

The ship's own radar would offer a very much greater chance of detection, but any traditional rotating radar is unlikely to see enough of the missile to make the connection. For a plane which is bigger and slower, it's easier, but a missile at Mach1, no chance.

With APAR (and phased arrays in general), you have a reasonable chance, but it's your ESM system which gives you the threat warning you need, and that's only valid for non GPS guided missiles, since the ESM requires the missile to emit, to be visible.

Even a GPS guided missile is going to use radar for "the last bit", but surface ship based conflict is a matter of history, thanks to missile technology. Bear in mind that the post nuclear strategy was to use a surface detonation on an entire battlegroup. On the basis of civilian casualties, that's much more likely than a city strike.

The only reason you don't fire on a surface ship today, is because the owner of the same ship might use a cruise missile (or two) on your country.

Edited by dilbert on Monday 18th August 02:03

[AndrewTait]

If we are going along the line of low flying aircraft how about this:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WRfDsSnLtE4&NR=1

[Ravell]

AndrewTait said:

If we are going along the line of low flying aircraft how about this:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WRfDsSnLtE4&NR=1

Brilliant!!