Beware idiots
One more story re. 'low flying', the official Gypsy camp outside Dunsfold gave constant hassle, I need not go into details but I was sometimes on the receiving end and they didn't mess about !
Aerial photography keeping out of shotgun range ( might have been awkward if any could use a rifle ) is a tiny example; you might guess I'm not a fan, though that's entirely by experience, I'm quite 'green'and originally thought them close to the earth types - how stupid I was.
One of them tried claiming a 'very valuable vase' had been shattered by a Hawk going over in the circuit, which I'm glad to say was not taken seriously by anyone, but may be a warning if stuck with an idiot council...
When I worked at Blackbushe after leaving BAe, a fellow photographer had a serious beef with another lot of them, again just off the end of the runway.
He had an 'interesting' background and was much more wordly wise than me, but still managed to get abducted by gypsies and driven to their camp ( he had a side-line delivering exotic cars, and they wanted his 'trade plates' ) - he was surrounded by a gang with baseball bats, and only got away by luck.
When he mentioned he fancied " dropping something on them " I said " What, like a hydraulic leak ? " His reply was "Molotov" and knowing just a little of his background I don't think he was entirely joking !
Also when being a wally paint-balling at Lasham, to my concern the other berks stopped playing and fired at gliders when they passed over low, so it's not just idiots with l@sers to watch out for, and of course anyone can get a cheap 1st or 2nd generation night-sight nowadays...
On the bright side there is the tale that when Bill Bedford ejected from the second P1127 prototype ( XP836 ) at low level near Yeovilton, the aircraft took out a large barn near the threshold.
He was congratulated in the Mess, " We've wanted that building gone for ages ! "
Last edited by Double Zero; 8th Aug 2010 at 08:58.