If it’s not one thing it’s another....... (read the comments below the article if you have access - they’re all complimentary of the jets and the writers evocative memories)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b...ales-388z7pxsx
Buzz off! RAF low-flying pilots hit by flak in north Wales
Fordecades north Wales has been a training ground for RAF pilots practising low flying. In the valleys and on the peaks of Snowdonia enthusiasts flock to see the spectacle of pilots streaking by at 500mph, and locals and farmers complain in vain about the noise.
In nearby Anglesey and North Gwynedd, however, residents say that a new fleet of “buzzing” RAF planes is “adversely affecting the mental health” of those living below their flight paths.
Locals affected by the Beechcraft Texan aircraft complain of “a distinctive loud, buzzing noise” when pilots in training practise fly close to the ground. Hundreds have signed an online petition and the local MP, Liz Saville Roberts, is taking up their cause.
“It’s like living next door to Biggles”, wrote one, referring to the fictional pilot and adventurer.
One woman complaining about the “ridiculous amount of noise pollution”, added: “I am also late in my pregnancy and with the lockdown it’s been tough and I don’t wish our baby to be woken by those loud sounds early mornings onwards. Please make it stop!” A third said: “It does my head in buzzing around everywhere like a bloody giant wasp.”
The dispute echoes the long-term complaints of residents in Snowdonia living close to the Mach Loop. Made up of valleys between Dolgellau and Machynlleth, it is well known for jet pilots training at low altitude.......
Ms Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said: “The issue is that they make a high-pitched and intrusive buzzing noise.”
She has often raised issues relating to low flying in the Mach Loop. In recent days North Wales police have issued warnings about dangerous parking as plane spotters go in search of photos. She added: “These are narrow, rocky, mountainous valleys and it does appear that sometimes these aircraft are not aware there are people in these valleys.”
Alan Jones Evans, a local councillor, said: “Since I was a schoolboy there has always been concern about low-flying issues. We’ve been complaining for 40 years and nothing seems to be done about it. They come very quickly and give you a hell of a fright. It’s disrespectful when there is a funeral and you get these screaming aeroplanes. The schoolchildren get frightened.”
The plane spotters say there has been a considerable decline in sightings over the past year and a half. One said that publicising the area with videos of low-flying jets on social media had brought negative attention, portraying the area as dangerous. “It used to be a small group of photographers – now people think it’s an air show. It’s not an air show, it’s a training ground. Photography is very deceiving, and people use it to make a news article.
“I think the Mach Loop is pretty much finished because the RAF stopped a lot of flying there,” he said.
A spokesman for the RAF said: “The RAF is striving to ensure that disturbance is kept to an absolute minimum and noise pollution distributed as evenly as possible. However, we must continue to conduct essential flying training.”