Extreme low level operations/exercises

[Heavy Metal!!]

Hi all,

Came across this vid of the French airforce carrying out extreme low level exercises over the costal areas (presumably France) and wondered if anyone else had experienced such a performance?

http://www.youtube.com/v/Rls-r8AOUGM

HM

[chiglet]

No vids, BUT
I have seen Two Buccs fly UNDER a Type 80 Radar head
Have been on a hillside near Dolgellau and seen Harriers/Tornados'/Jags etc BELOW me :ok:
watp,iktch

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I've stood at the top of the Empire State Building and watched a C-97 beneath us! At Heathrow a DC9 did a fly-by once for a gear check.. as he crossed 28L threshold he turned towards the tower and went across Terminal 2 so low we couldn't see the gear from the tower!

[1DC]

During war games in lincolnshire i was standing on a tower about 80 feet high and a Vulcan came past heading towards Binbrook, we were both at about the same altitude. I've seen a Jaguar about the same height, i thought it was about to crash but it leveled off and increased altitude slightly. The noise and sight of a Lightning trying to get round in a tight turn after an A10 is something i will never forget..
I hear the boys in blue now but very rarely see them....

[BOAC]

Use of 'Search' for "low flying" or "Mirage", particularly in the Military Section (where you might expect to find it?), yields several posts of this and other French Airforce clips over the years - and not forgetting other clips too.

Joining its friends.

[O2thief]

I can remember a sortie, in a GR1 in, LFA 14, (Moon country in Northern Jockistania) on an 4 ship OLF work up sortie, pre GW1, when the formation was underflown by an F3; we were at about 120ft agl at the time, don't think he saw us. Large cahones.

[henry crun]

I was once standing on the cab floor of an air traffic tower at a measured height of 70ft looking down on a Beverly flying by.

[skydriller]

On the 'phone to the old man last night around 7pm (UKtime) who's house is on the corner of base/final for 25 at Thruxton aerodrome. Chatting away about nothing in particular when all I hear is...
SSSHHHIIIUUUUUEE.....
"Dad? Hello? Hello? What happ..?" "Holy Sh*t!! :mad: That was LOW!! Tornado I think! Just above the trees and went straight down the runway at Thruxton, now he banking and climbing.. yeah, looks like into the circuit for Boscomb...." etc. etc.

So whoever it was you made my old mans day last night!!:ok:

Regards, SD..

[BOAC]

Henry - in view of the speed of that beast, are you sure it wasn't just fast-taxying?:)

[rodthesod]

Heavy Metal!!

Nothing unusual about the low flying. It just doesn't normally come with the bs air-to-air cinematography.

[allan907]

"gun" camera cine on a Bucc on Maple Flag - scraped the bottom of the bomb bay doors topping a ridge in the Rockies foothills. Shhhhh!

[mustflywillfly]

I was lucky enough to have held over with a certain Naval standards flight on detatchment to the Med (operating from Gib). We were flying the hawk conducting simulated missile runs at RN ships 420kts+ and low very very low!! I have some great phots, shame I didn't have a camcorder though!

[Mr Blake]

http://www.rafarmourers.co.uk/cpg132/albums/13052001/24042002/normal_lowherc.jpg (javascript:;)

Now this is low flying. MPA early 80's I think. At least they were close to the Med Centre!:)

[kevmusic]

http://www.rafarmourers.co.uk/cpg132/albums/13052001/24042002/normal_lowherc.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:;)

Now this is low flying. MPA early 80's I think. At least they were close to the Med Centre!:)

One for caption competition? How about:
Until today, no-one knew quite how much SATCO hated the highland dancing wallies......

[SPIT]

To those of you who remember the OLD Liverpool (Speke) Airport you will remember the Control Tower was located to the center of the Main Building. We were on the UPPER VIEWING SPOT when a VULCAN did a LOW (VERY) Pass by the tower (He couldn't have been more that 20 ft above the balcony we were on. It was so unexpected that a cleaner who was doing the SATCO'S windows fell of his ladder and brok his leg.
At the time it eas so funny that we could not help the poor fellow for laughing.:D :D :ok:

[chiglet]

I was at Patrington MRS in the '60s. I remember FCDU Lightning F6s' [on their disbandment] flying below roof top level. Not impressed? the buildings were single storey chalet type buildings:ok:
watp,iktch

[Pontius Navigator]

Borough Bridge Power station was on the main low level route. When they steeplejacks were building it they were scared witless by the Vulcans, often every 10 minutes, flying below them. :}

We gave them 500 ft MSD but that is B***** all when you are 500 feet up a tower.

[revik]

MPA - F3s on 'Firey Cross' or some such excuse to beat up the airfield - regularly used to look down on the F3s upper surfaces from the VCR.:ok:

[allan907]

Now this is low flying. MPA early 80's I think. At least they were close to the Med Centre!

Wasn't it this sort of "high jinks" that got a soldier killed when a C130 went just that tad bit lower? I remember the reports of the subsequent court martial but not what happened to the captain/crew of the aircraft concerned.

[stillin1]

MPA - F3s on 'Firey Cross' or some such excuse

revik,
I'll have you know that the firey cross (and the measles) was a valuable training ex that brought no gratuitous fun to the crew at all.:E

[Maple 01]

......nor was it used to frighten the living daylights out of those on Measles point (thanks for the instant suntan)

[The Rocket]

MPA - F3s on 'Firey Cross' or some such excuse
revik,
I'll have you know that the firey cross (and the measles) was a valuable training ex that brought no gratuitous fun to the crew at all.:E

What's all this "was" business. :confused:

I think you'll find that Fiery Crosses are still very much enjoyed by 1435 at MPA :ok:

[Gainesy]

Is this some sort of KKK thing?:confused:

[TheInquisitor]

And Smokey Crosses for 1312flt - although the MSD rules tend to be adhered to nowadays!

For those who've never been an inmate of HMP MPA, Ex FIERY CROSS is a simulated airfield attack - it's main benefit is practice for the Rapier batteries. Ex SMOKEY CROSS is the Herc version.

[bayete]

Was in the MPA tower the other day and saw that they had scrubbed off all the flypast markings from the VCR window frame, something to do with encouraging low flying?
Can still just see Alberts mark at the bottom though. One way to get short toured (How are you doing Fish?:) ).

[scroggs]

http://www.rafarmourers.co.uk/cpg132/albums/13052001/24042002/normal_lowherc.jpg (javascript:;)

Now this is low flying. MPA early 80's I think. At least they were close to the Med Centre!:)

It's a fake. It was done by my loadie and the photo section at RAF Stanley in 1983. The staff of the Medical Centre were used to provide the action; the Herc was photographed on the last stages of the approach by a brave bloke in the undershoot. The two pictures were montaged in the darkroom.

Been discussed several times on here.

[QFIhawkman]

I was stood on a stool in the garden last week, adjusting the washing line.

NEEAAARRGGGHHHH!!!

The bloody Mrs zips under the line in her Piper Cherokee.

Just thought I'd add my bit to the p*ssing contest! :ok:

[glum]

Not particularly low, but it certainly perked up my packed lunch last week!
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b183/Dave_ett/PICT0203.jpg

[Baron rouge]

What about those "A5 pass" bashes we used to fly with our Hawks on the way to Valley, great fun:ok:
But beeing on the A5 once when a Phantom performed, was even greater.

[thing]

Ther's a photo around of H**** De C****** beating up the airfield at Belize at nought feet in a GR3. I mean nought feet. Like if he had dropped his undercarriage it would have dug in. I was standing next to the guy who was taking the photo. We were standing on top of a portacabin looking down.

[Vifferpilot]

I'll never forget the DetCO (Rocky Goodall) reading the contents of a "signal from Strike Command" ;) to the gathered Marham and Bruggen crews in the old Bahraini F16 crewroom at Muharraq on 27 Aug '90. Went along the lines of "...and in order to prepare, clearance has been granted to operate down to zero feet MSD..." Three and a half months of ultra-OLF later, popped home for Xmas before re-joining the fun.

Ahhhh, those were the days...:E

[MrBernoulli]

Since the thread title is about exercise/operations, I recall a Red Flag at Nellis where we were refuelling RAF Harriers (can't recall which Mk) and where they were cleared down to some crazy height for the 'war'. Once again, don't recall the exact height but I think it was something like 50ft? 100ft? The experts will correct me on that one. Certainly substantially below the normal 250 MSD

Anyway, the simulated weapons sites out on the ranges had video cameras to 'track' their targets. I clearly recall seeling one of these vids at a debrief at the end of a days flying - extremely low level Harrier jinking his way across the desert floor, frightening the rattlesnakes and gophers, with the camera operator shouting into the mike "Oh my God, oh my God". He'd never seen aircraft operate this low! Certainly impressed our transatlantic cousins as I don't think they often , if at all, operate that low.

Dangers became apparent but days later when the dreaded "Stop, stop" was yelled across the airwaves because one of said Harrier mates, refuelled only moments earlier, 'clipped' a ridge and his ride disintergrated around him. Seat deployed but he hit the deck very quickly and very hard and, amongst other injuries, broke both his arms. Great training for the CSAR helos but frightening nevertheless.

Massive piss up in the o-club that night to celebrate his survival. The tanker crew visited him in hospital and presented him with a cast resin statuette of a a WW2 pilot, replete with leather helmet and goggles, doing a fighting-hands-in-the-bar thing. Only additional adornment was a couple of white napkins, from the tanker galley, fixed up as slings around both arms! Harrier mate saw the funny side.

There but for the Grace of God .....

[Bo Nalls]

Just found this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IwplA7_4lU&search=RAF), which is new to me. The third GR1 seems damn low!

[Pontius Navigator]

Does that count? It was a runway wasn't it?:suspect:

[rab-k]

Recon the clip is mistaken in terms of "RAF". Looks more like a 3-ship beat up at Solenzara FAF base in Corsica ("Corse") by these guys:

http://p.airliners.net/photos/middle/0/5/6/0319650.jpg

Guy on the tape sounds more Belgian/Dutch than French.

[RotorDompteur]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/32091/low_flight/

:ooh:

[Vifferpilot]

Since the thread title is about exercise/operations, I recall a Red Flag at Nellis where we were refuelling RAF Harriers (can't recall which Mk) and where they were cleared down to some crazy height for the 'war'. Once again, don't recall the exact height but I think it was something like 50ft? 100ft? The experts will correct me on that one. Certainly substantially below the normal 250 MSD

Anyway, the simulated weapons sites out on the ranges had video cameras to 'track' their targets. I clearly recall seeling one of these vids at a debrief at the end of a days flying - extremely low level Harrier jinking his way across the desert floor, frightening the rattlesnakes and gophers, with the camera operator shouting into the mike "Oh my God, oh my God". He'd never seen aircraft operate this low! Certainly impressed our transatlantic cousins as I don't think they often , if at all, operate that low.

Dangers became apparent but days later when the dreaded "Stop, stop" was yelled across the airwaves because one of said Harrier mates, refuelled only moments earlier, 'clipped' a ridge and his ride disintergrated around him. Seat deployed but he hit the deck very quickly and very hard and, amongst other injuries, broke both his arms. Great training for the CSAR helos but frightening nevertheless.

Massive piss up in the o-club that night to celebrate his survival. The tanker crew visited him in hospital and presented him with a cast resin statuette of a a WW2 pilot, replete with leather helmet and goggles, doing a fighting-hands-in-the-bar thing. Only additional adornment was a couple of white napkins, from the tanker galley, fixed up as slings around both arms! Harrier mate saw the funny side.

There but for the Grace of God .....

MrB...you are correct, Red Flag nornally operate down to 100feet MSD for those crews qualified and experienced enough.

The SAM 'operators' regularly 'whoop' at the Brits (and a few others) as they jink to avoid being targetted...and you get paid to do it too...:ok:

[Razor61]

Caught this one yesterday in Devon.... surprised me as i couldn't hear it due to the wind!
This was amongst the Chinook(s) landing nearby during the day in a field site just south of Tiverton and a load more Hercs rumbling about.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/razor61/IMG_8227.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/razor61/IMG_8229.jpg
Hand shake in order to Mr. Batman 1 and Mr. Gauntlet 22...too! :D

[mlc]

F4!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApM_f-jBlP0

Typhoon and the need for new underpants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re0KJelOtD4&mode=related&search=

[spectre150]

I'll never forget the DetCO (Rocky Goodall) reading the contents of a "signal from Strike Command" to the gathered Marham and Bruggen crews in the old Bahraini F16 crewroom at Muharraq on 27 Aug '90. Went along the lines of "...and in order to prepare, clearance has been granted to operate down to zero feet MSD..." Three and a half months of ultra-OLF later, popped home for Xmas before re-joining the fun.

Ahhhh, those were the days.

Sadly, taken literally by the 14 Sqn crew (from over the causeway IIRC) who flew into the desert just before the shooting started in january. The nav was taking a phot of the ac shadow...........

[the_flying_cop]

that f4 is sooooo low !!!!!
do u think the guys on the top of that earth mound would have singed nostril hairs ???

[winkle]

some great links guys thanks for re-kindeling the memories.
birds checks on the ranges
red flag tracking videos
moon country
goose the square sided valley where you had to go 67 to fit
top cat range during the work up
wasex (warship excersise- honest) during the work down
hawk low level the great valley west of m74 near the domes
then going to heights where the sky gets darker
then going down again and pullin so much g that you peteekled on your arms
75 ship bombburst in cloud 5nm north of h,row
the flypast at the end

[John Eacott]

Nothing like a bit of nostalgia :ok:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/LowMozzie.jpg

[scroggs]

samuraimatt

"Out of interest does the Hercules in this picture have an inflight refuelling probe fitted to it? If so, and I am guessing that it is a J Herc as there are no external tanks fitted to it, does that mean it is a special Forces Hercules in the RAF? I dont see that the normal transport hercules would fly that low in its normal day to day role."

It's a C Mk 5 (C130J). It is quite normal for Hercules to fly at low level.

[Razor61]

Very normal down here in Devon, usually before they bugger off to Keevil for a drop.

This herc was only one of a few down here that day, all in the valleys. I first noticed this one (wind was too strong to hear it beforehand) when i caught a glimpse of its wing in the near verticle position as it entered the valley from the south. Hopped up on the bunker to get a better view...he was just rolling back to level flight then. Caught another yesterday down the Exe Valley, directly parallel to this one... oppo direction tho :)

[EODFelix]

Living only a couple of mile south of keevil thats a pretty regular sight. Normally more than one though.

[DelaneyT]

that f4 is sooooo low !!!!!



...as the saying goes -- "...you can only tie the record for low-level flying "
:uhoh:

{.. at least in AGL terms; Death Valley MSL don't count}

[Gingerbread Man]

I was driving in Wales yesterday on the way to doing some amateur mountaineering. Whilst in the car a Hawk flew over the tops of the trees that I was passing through. As I couldn't see it approaching the first one was just noise (but what an impressive amount of noise!), but I emerged onto clear road just in time to see No.2 storm over. If you think that might have been you - many thanks, you made my day :ok: .

Similar accolades go to the Sea King crew that I waved at like a goon whilst climbing the Glyders.

Ginger ;)

[The Helpful Stacker]

Sandy places + RAF = Silly low level (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1NDllRFbsY&mode=related&search=)

[foldingwings]

OK, I know I'm an old nostalgic fool, and I've done this before, but what is it and where? If it helps the photo was taken in 1967.;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/roghead/d4788cff.jpg

Rog,

Knowing your pedigree, I offer Canberra and the Kiel (or that one up North in Schleswig Holstien) Canal!

Personally, with over 2K on Buccs and 1K on Tornado, 3 Red Flags and 2 Maple Flags under my belt there are toooooo many moments to remember but the one that does stick in my mind was actually over the 'oggin on 12 Sqn Buccs in the SW Approaches in 1977 about the time of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Fleet Review. USN ships were completing their Atlantic Passage to join the review and were engaged in a bit of DACT with us - they were targets and we were tasked to beat them up - well something like that! After one particularly successful attack the Capt of USS California (a sizeable nuclear powered cruiser of its day IIRC) cleared us for a fly by which we undertook across the foredeck. I distinctly remember looking up at an angle of about 45 degrees into the bridge and the captain's eyes (well his face) whilst thinking - we're in the sh*t for this one! Nothing other than words of praise from the captain by signal to home base complementing us on our professionalism!:}

I also recall a dawn probe mission in a singleton Bucc looking for the fleet so that the boys could launch an attack during another SW Approaches exercise. Tracking a contact on radar the Boss Vis ID'd it as the QE2 - I called off the attack as it was 0515 hrs and we still needed to find the Navy! Bugger that said the Boss as we roared down the side at deck height, pulled and aileron rolled with the rising sun glinting on the canopy! That'll wake the b*stards up, qouth he laughing! It probably did. :D

Foldy

[On_The_Top_Bunk]

http://www.skoften.net/comments.php?id=3809_0_1_0

Some more very low shenanigans.

[spike_7451]

I was servicing some small arms which were kept in a ISO container when I was down the F.I back in 1988,(One of the chopper squadrons I think) when I saw the Phantom comming towards me thru the open doors not too high up.
Just had time to jam my pinkies in my ears before I was defeaned by the toom screaming overhead!///:eek:

[Madbob]

One low flypast that my dad won't ever forget was in about 1977. We were on a hired motor cruiser somewhere along the Caledonian canal in The Great Glen. Dad had just lit the gas stove for a brew and turned his back, just at that moment a Bucc flew over at what seemed like 600 kts with an F4 in reheat in "hot" pursuit.

Dad thought the boat had exploded!

MB

[Morgan45]

The video quality is s@@@@ but have a look at 1.05 ....

this is LOW AND THE REAL THING!!!! :ok:


TTPlk70eSLY


Cheers ;)

[barnstormer1968]

While I agree your wife's flying of her piper under the washing line was quite impressive (I was next to her in the passenger seat), it's nowhere near as impressive as when I was laying a new water supply pipe 45cm underneath my garden, and she did a barrel roll underneath that!!:}


(edited to add, I may be lying, if you are not entirely convinced!)

[ADVOCATE_56]

If anyone is interested I have got a copy of the video of the F4 at a Cranwell Graduation in which Cadets' hats were blown off. As he ran in from the west he had to lift his port wing over the roof of CHOM's west wing. Not the lowest F4 maybe, but certainly the most attention getting methinks......................

[BEagle]

Not the lowest F4 maybe....

72 ft a.g.l. is plenty low enough!

[Finnpog]

Is that the fly past where the Tomb pilot tried to outdo the pevious graduation's Lightning display, and went for a zoom climb...and knocked the parade over?

I remember having a presentation from the AAIB in '88 when this was one of teh case studies.

[ADVOCATE_56]

I d/k if it was a "competitive" flypast - but certainly there are SD Caps rolling across the parade square. Does anyone want an editied highlights .flv?

[Snapshot]

http://www.avcollect2.co.uk/buccaneer/pprune/208 sqn_tain.jpg

Where have all the good times gone? :{
Snaps :E

[aseanaero]

I was watching the practice for an airshow at Endinburgh Air Base in South Australia in the late 80's.

The best time to watch 'da boyz' really put on a show when there's no crowd around.

During the practice I had an F-111 pass over me from behind , didn't hear it coming but all of a sudden felt like the sky was falling down on top of me (got this weird sickly sensation) then bang lots of noise and felt the heat from the afterburners as he passed overhead , must have been 50 to 100 ft.

The F-111s wings were fully swept back so he was moving.

Scary and awesome at the same time. Closest I have come to sh:mad:ing myself while watching someone else flying ...

Here's a clip of some F-111s breaking the windows in a control tower in Australia , similar sort of thing , now just imagine having your back to the aircraft and being directly under it.


YouTube - F-111 Low Pass (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8124lhm6d7o)

[grandfer]

:DI remember when Chivenor was open & H**** de C******* used to show us how low a Boscombe Hunter 9 could fly at 5pm every evening----Oh to hear the "Blue note" again !

[angels]

Well, since we're on the subject I'm shamelessly going to lift this from JB.

It was originally put up by Blacksheep.

Ultra Low Flyer - MSN Video (http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&vid=679c413c-2e61-4120-9225-354312c1348d)

[AR1]

One can only wonder at the damage done to the onlookers unprotected lungs from all that dust thrown up. Filtration masks cost pennies - Plain stupid.

I recall passing out from Swinderby in the late 70's. The Vulcan flypast was so low that the co-pilot reached out and unzipped my flies as they flew past. - Outrageous!

[old fart]

Hi
was this your passing out parade?
(3/12/70)
I know its not a Vulcan!

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh48/Griff747/scan0004.jpg

Cheers

PS
we blew his hat off

[angels]

old fart - were you at the controls? Nice one.

[AR1]

See you've got the 'Thunderbird 1' landing gear down.;-)

[The Oberon]

Are you sure you didn't knock his hat off with the HDU hose.

[old fart]

Hello Angels
yes
Those were definitely THE days!
Cheers