Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

New Wind turbine farm,near Olney,low-flying risk

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

New Wind turbine farm,near Olney,low-flying risk

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 21st Mar 2009, 06:09
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Bedford
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
New Wind turbine farm,near Olney,low-flying risk

I have already complained that this will be of great risk to military low flying aircraft . I only hope the people at MoD in London are aware ! npower renewables: Nun Wood Wind Farm This proposal is right in the middle of a busy low flying choke point. Also note the height of these masts up to 400 feet.
If you wish to protest visit this site Home

Last edited by T-21; 21st Mar 2009 at 06:49.
T-21 is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2009, 09:58
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: England
Posts: 908
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I flew out of Cranfield for a year or so and lived in Olney for 3, and never remembered once a low flying military aircaft in this very busy with GA airspace.

I now live in the north which has many coal fired stations that blight the landscape, and power your kettle!

ps not only do i have power lines 1/2 a mile outside my living room window, as of last year there are at 3 wind turbines at 1 mile which i now don't even notice. Just like the power lines, mobile phone masts etc

Last edited by tonker; 21st Mar 2009 at 16:31.
tonker is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2009, 10:57
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
T21, I'm fairly sure these will only present a major flight safety risk to mil aircraft at low level with no windows! They'll be the chart at that height, and are amongst the easiest obstruction to see - being white and moving! However, given recent incidents perhaps you should alert UFOs!!

I guess they interfere with your view though - nuclear power makes the world a brighter place
Talk Reaction is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2009, 13:29
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: North Pole
Posts: 970
Received 17 Likes on 6 Posts
T-21 do I detect a NIMBY looking for any excuse to get planning permission overturned??

If thats the case then may I suggest you are in the wrong forum!
newt is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2009, 14:03
  #5 (permalink)  
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 81
Posts: 16,777
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Yeah, we had that, two locations where we had low flying complaints realised we would have issues with wind turbines as we couldn't fly there any more. They therefore tried to enlist our support for stopping the turbines.

They were mighty cheesed off when I said 'no problem'. Plenty of room between the pylons!
Pontius Navigator is offline  
Old 22nd Mar 2009, 19:36
  #6 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Bedford
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Guys I thought you were on my side !! I am not a nimby ,these are some way from where I live. I am only making the point that the wind turbine firm,planners,et al seem to have overlooked the low flying. Thanks for all the support !! from supposedly like minded aviators !! I regularly get lowflying Tornados,C-130's,Tutors and helicopters over my house 2 miles south of Santa Pod and I love to see them,and I was concerned over their future flight safety on a night navex in dirty weather !!

Tonker,suggest you look down ! and out of the cockpit more . Talk Reaction suggest you visit the area first,careful you might be abducted by aliens.

Last edited by T-21; 22nd Mar 2009 at 19:50.
T-21 is offline  
Old 22nd Mar 2009, 19:57
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: London
Posts: 389
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
To be honest I do a lot of LF (OK its only RW but just as fun) and I quite like things like this. It will be clearly marked on the map and will be visible from miles around - It will have vertical extent - Perfect for a TP or a tracking / Timing feature.
spheroid is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 07:48
  #8 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Bedford
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There will be 12 of them in a small area ,I give up !!
T-21 is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 08:31
  #9 (permalink)  
More bang for your buck
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: land of the clanger
Age: 82
Posts: 3,512
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree with you T-21 these things are a blot on the landscape and shouldn't be allowed.
green granite is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 08:38
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK/Australia
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Green granite
If its OK to have a fan turning on top of or on the front of your chosen mode of transport why bleat about one on a stick in a field ?
tacr2man is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 11:08
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,873
Received 2,823 Likes on 1,203 Posts
Amazes me that East Midlands Airport have plans to build 3 of 4 of them on the Airport itself....... I know be seen to be green and all that, but you could just as easy offset your energy costs and carbon footprint by placing them offshore than on an Airport... I know I know, don't bother me I think they look beautiful and relaxing to watch, just seems a mad place to stick them.
NutLoose is online now  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 12:41
  #12 (permalink)  
More bang for your buck
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: land of the clanger
Age: 82
Posts: 3,512
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Green granite
If its OK to have a fan turning on top of or on the front of your chosen mode of transport why bleat about one on a stick in a field ?
Because they are:

1) Static

2) An unnecessary eyesore that have no place in the countryside if there must be such things then put them off shore where they don't ruin our fragile eco-structure.
green granite is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 13:18
  #13 (permalink)  
Red On, Green On
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
and 3) a total con - unpredictable output, which means they need conventional generators on standby 24/7 for when the wind stops blowing. Running on standby consumes fuel for no output at all.

And think on - in winter when it's really cold, that often results from high pressure, so no wind. In summer when it's really hot, that often results from high pressure ...

So when people are running heating or air-con at max, there's nothing from the windmills

Last edited by airborne_artist; 23rd Mar 2009 at 13:28.
airborne_artist is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 15:04
  #14 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Bedford
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Please Fellas, Can we get to the crux these are a real danger to low flying aircraft in poor vis whether you are against them or not,and 12 of them ,not one. Is there anybody from the low flying military who can show some weight and support ?
T-21 is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 17:55
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Kinloss
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
T-21, you are asking professional aircrew to support a notion that they might fly into a wind turbine while at low level and, for that reason alone, it should not be there. As someone has already stated, they will be registered and approved structures that will feature on all sorts of AIPs. We are professional enough to avoid obstructions in VMC and if its low viz, we shouldn't be there, anyway.
EdSett100 is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 20:40
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am only making the point that the wind turbine firm,planners,et al seem to have overlooked the low flying.
Can we get to the crux these are a real danger to low flying aircraft in poor vis
Hi T21,

You can rest assured that before a Wind Farm gets anywhere near the planning stage that quite a bit of consultation has gone on beforehand. All sorts of agencies will have had input and this includes CAA and MoD. So it looks like the professional bodies responsible for military Low Flying and aviation safety don't agree with you on that one!!

So it looks like you can scratch that "low Flying" part of your objection letter - sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

Actually I'm with AA on this - they are not worth the investment and are just a sop to the green agenda. Nuclear now, for one more generation, until wind/wave/solar can actually advance to the stage of being useful generators.



PS: T21.... You may feel that you are not a Nimby - but you are. Why else would you try and garner support to an objection point that in no way effects you?
What is you objection BTW? It isn't Low Flying that's for sure. If your objection point is good enough it will stop/amend the development - what do you think is going to happen?
footpad6 is offline  
Old 23rd Mar 2009, 22:00
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: 3nm SE of TNT, UK
Posts: 472
Received 23 Likes on 10 Posts
.............of course they stand out quite well in the day and shouldn't be a hazard. But, at night, these things can be up to 425 ft AGL without requiring to be lit. Almost worse are the tall, thin masts with guy wires that don't appear on any map which spring up to support data gathering equipment to see if a wind turbine is worth building on the same site - and they don't get lit either. PM me if you are about to low fly in Derbyshire and I'll give you the grid refs of the 4 that I've found.
Fortyodd2 is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2009, 07:47
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,806
Received 270 Likes on 109 Posts
Obstacles up to 300ft a.g.l do not need to be notified and may not be on charts. Some are, some aren't....

One would expect the authority responsible for siting these bits of envirofundamentalist folly would inform the CAA and MoD before sticking up any sounding masts.

The weeny-greenies should turn their attention to bigger projects with more reliable energy sources - such as the Severn tidal barrage.
BEagle is online now  
Old 24th Mar 2009, 08:41
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Near the coast
Posts: 2,366
Received 545 Likes on 147 Posts
T-21

Is there anybody from the low flying military who can show some weight and support ?
To be honest mate, we'd just go around/over them!
So in answer to your question above. No.
BV
Bob Viking is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2009, 09:05
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: 3nm SE of TNT, UK
Posts: 472
Received 23 Likes on 10 Posts
Extract from the latest CAP 764 Policy and Guidelines on Wind Turbines

"In addition, the CAA will provide advice and recommendations regarding any extra lighting requirements for aviation obstruction purposes where, owing to the nature or location of the structure, it presents a significant hazard to air navigation. However, in general terms, structures less than 150m high, which are outside the immediate vicinity of an aerodrome, are not routinely lit; unless the “by virtue of its nature or location” argument holds fast. UK AIP ENR 1.1.5.4 refers."
I thought at first that the 150m was a typing error that should have read 150ft but I was wrong.

Beags - the small mast that proceeded the most recent turbine in our patch was 325ft high. They appear to be put at the height at which the hub of the proposed turbine will be at.
Fortyodd2 is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.