Gamekeeper 'drove Land Rover' at Army helicopter
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I think maybe you misunderstand my comment re "asking for trouble": I wasn't thinking in terms of disturbance to the wildlife or people (which is usually transient), but more in terms of risk to the aircraft.
For instance the route flown locally by the Wokkas takes them within a mile or so of the largest gull colony in the UK, over a nature reserve stuffed full of thousands of geese, out over Morecambe Bay (ten of thousands more geese and waders), over another wetland reserve full of large birds) and then up one of the Furness/Cartmel valleys and over a large lake (more ducks and geese)
It would be hard to plot a route more likely to cause a multiple bird strike, and having seen several "near misses" I'm sure its only a matter of time
For instance the route flown locally by the Wokkas takes them within a mile or so of the largest gull colony in the UK, over a nature reserve stuffed full of thousands of geese, out over Morecambe Bay (ten of thousands more geese and waders), over another wetland reserve full of large birds) and then up one of the Furness/Cartmel valleys and over a large lake (more ducks and geese)
It would be hard to plot a route more likely to cause a multiple bird strike, and having seen several "near misses" I'm sure its only a matter of time
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Jamesdevice,
You're speaking with local knowledge available. When crews plan a route, they generally plan to avoid certain areas that are highlighted by various markings on a chart. Although they can then go to various documents to find out more detail about those 'avoids', they won't know that some of those areas contain:
Every known bird strike results in an incident report, so if the route you describe is indeed utilised heavily by rotary aircraft and unless multiple reports are being ignored, I can only come to the conclusion that the actual (not theoretical) threat isn't as high as you state?
You're speaking with local knowledge available. When crews plan a route, they generally plan to avoid certain areas that are highlighted by various markings on a chart. Although they can then go to various documents to find out more detail about those 'avoids', they won't know that some of those areas contain:
the largest gull colony in the UK, over a nature reserve stuffed full of thousands of geese, out over Morecambe Bay (ten of thousands more geese and waders), over another wetland reserve full of large birds) and then up one of the Furness/Cartmel valleys and over a large lake (more ducks and geese)
As every story has two sides, has anyone else considered that the driver may have been driving across his field when the helicopter descended nearly on top of him?
The crew have stated they started a descent to 5ft from 20ft then had to abort when one of them saw the vehicle just before it passed underneath them. Either they did not check very well or the vehicle must have driven at some speed towards them. I am not saying who is right or wrong, or where blame lies proportionally, but lets remember the big picture before we decide guilt.
The crew have stated they started a descent to 5ft from 20ft then had to abort when one of them saw the vehicle just before it passed underneath them. Either they did not check very well or the vehicle must have driven at some speed towards them. I am not saying who is right or wrong, or where blame lies proportionally, but lets remember the big picture before we decide guilt.
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before we decide guilt.
I wonder if thats correct, Shy Torque.
I think we need Flying Lawyer or someone from the same profession to advise here. I'm pretty sure that an ongoing trial can be commented on by the public. Those directly concerned, such as jury members, would be forbidden to discuss the case, but I am pretty sure we outsiders can express an opinion as long as we dont break the libel laws.
But there, I may well be wrong, which is why it would be good to have some input from a professional.
I think we need Flying Lawyer or someone from the same profession to advise here. I'm pretty sure that an ongoing trial can be commented on by the public. Those directly concerned, such as jury members, would be forbidden to discuss the case, but I am pretty sure we outsiders can express an opinion as long as we dont break the libel laws.
But there, I may well be wrong, which is why it would be good to have some input from a professional.
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When I went through Wallop it was breeding pheasants and partridge that had to be avoided, usually NOTAMED, often after a complaint. Most of the instructors lived locally in MOD hirings and knew where the sensitive areas were, between them they had quite a large part of Hampshire and Wiltshire covered and passed this on to their students.
The report mentioned that helicopters went this way every three months, which looks as though it may have been the tactical exercise that comes at the end of a course and goes with the 'final fumble', possibly local knowledge not so up to date?
The report mentioned that helicopters went this way every three months, which looks as though it may have been the tactical exercise that comes at the end of a course and goes with the 'final fumble', possibly local knowledge not so up to date?
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Chicken Leg
believe me, the risk is there - I've seen a few near misses in which the birds have risen en-masse ahead of the helicopter.
In my view its an accident waiting to happen. I agree to some extent its "local knowledge", but that doesn't mean the risk is acceptable
believe me, the risk is there - I've seen a few near misses in which the birds have risen en-masse ahead of the helicopter.
In my view its an accident waiting to happen. I agree to some extent its "local knowledge", but that doesn't mean the risk is acceptable
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Question re birds / planes.
If birds and birds "en mass" are such a problem, why was the Wash (Norfolk) used as a bombing range / low fly area years ago when it has a very high concentration of birds and birds in flocks.
Genuine question, I used to spend a fair amount of time in the area.
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If birds and birds "en mass" are such a problem, why was the Wash (Norfolk) used as a bombing range / low fly area years ago when it has a very high concentration of birds and birds in flocks.
Genuine question, I used to spend a fair amount of time in the area.
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How thoughtful and friendly. Was he waving a hankie?
All those wingey things whipping around . . . drag hinges . . . gyroscopic effects and so on . . . it'll all end in tears.
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So snotting around at low level on approach to sites around the Shia flats or the Helmand River - there are bird concentrations there but tactically you need to go low. It has to be done. The crew know, wherever they are in the world, roughly where and when the birds are going to be about, all it requires is an even more studious lookout. If a bird hits then hey ho, ce la vie, but they rarely do and in all my years of flying I've not yet come anywhere hitting a large flock. They disperse quickly, we travel relatively slowly yet manoeuvre rapidly due to the extra lookout !
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its actually an interesting comparison to watch: the different effects between rotary and fixed wing aircraft on birds
The fixed wings rarely seem to affect them, even at low level, while they will rise at the APPROACH of a helicopter (not the passing of the helicopter). It seems to be the "thwock" from the blades that does it
This was very obvious on one occasion when I watched an air-ambulance land near the Kent Estuary (east end of Morecambe Bay) - it raised a flock of thousands of waders and was lucky not to get hit. Thirty minutes or so later it was still on the ground, the birds had settled and the Lancaster plus two Spits flew down the estuary at very low level - and nothing moved. They totally ignored the combined sound of the six merlins. Yet when the helo took off again, the birds all rose again. All it would take is one curlew through the engine...
The fixed wings rarely seem to affect them, even at low level, while they will rise at the APPROACH of a helicopter (not the passing of the helicopter). It seems to be the "thwock" from the blades that does it
This was very obvious on one occasion when I watched an air-ambulance land near the Kent Estuary (east end of Morecambe Bay) - it raised a flock of thousands of waders and was lucky not to get hit. Thirty minutes or so later it was still on the ground, the birds had settled and the Lancaster plus two Spits flew down the estuary at very low level - and nothing moved. They totally ignored the combined sound of the six merlins. Yet when the helo took off again, the birds all rose again. All it would take is one curlew through the engine...
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I was told that both birds and animals see helicopters as birds of prey and will scatter quickly, fixed wing they don't see as a threat.
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I'm with Bingofuel, on this one.
Overhead vision is severely restricted in the farmer's favourite mini-lorry.
Not hard to think he was somewhat traumatised to be traversing HIS field and the big tin bird-of- prey swoops down on him.
20feet, plenty of clearance....5feet...it's not going to end happily
re-local knowledge,- Don't aircrew even informally warn each other , then?
Sure as eggs is eggs, if Plod sets up a radar-trap, all the local road-users contact and warn each other......and you don't crash 'cos you've gone through a radar trap.
Overhead vision is severely restricted in the farmer's favourite mini-lorry.
Not hard to think he was somewhat traumatised to be traversing HIS field and the big tin bird-of- prey swoops down on him.
20feet, plenty of clearance....5feet...it's not going to end happily
re-local knowledge,- Don't aircrew even informally warn each other , then?
Sure as eggs is eggs, if Plod sets up a radar-trap, all the local road-users contact and warn each other......and you don't crash 'cos you've gone through a radar trap.
Sure as eggs is eggs, if Plod sets up a radar-trap, all the local road-users contact and warn each other......
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Found Guilty
Fron the Daily Mirror;
Man guilty of driving at helicopter - mirror.co.uk
Malcolm Hughes (Pic: PA)
A gamekeeper has been convicted of endangering an aircraft after driving straight at a low-flying helicopter.
Malcolm Hughes, 61, could have killed the two pilots when he drove his Land Rover at the Army Air Corps Squirrel helicopter.
Pilot Lieutenant Andrew Higgins was seconds from dropping to just 5ft above the ground when his co-pilot spotted Hughes's vehicle and disaster was averted.
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Hughes, of Raffin Lane, Pewsey, Wiltshire, denied a single charge of acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft.
However, a jury found him guilty after a three-day trial at Salisbury Crown Court.
Prosecutor Justin Gau had told jurors that Hughes had driven underneath the helicopter.
"It remained there and then drove off a few yards and the defendant was seen gesticulating angrily and making signs that the vehicle should depart," Mr Gau said.
"It was clear and quite intentional the Land Rover had been driven at the helicopter."
Mr Gau added: "Had it not been spotted, it is quite clear that the rotor of the helicopter would have been hit by the car and a fatal crash would have occurred."
Lt Higgins was teaching trainee pilot Bombardier Henry Luck low-flying manoeuvres over farmland at Wootton Rivers, near Pewsey, on the afternoon of December 9, 2009.
The helicopter had taken off from the Middle Wallop airbase in Hampshire and flown towards Pewsey, on a route used by the Army Air Corps every three months.
Lt Higgins said he was just about to descend to 5ft when Bmdr Luck raised the alarm.
"He suddenly said 'Stop' at about 10ft as we started to descend," the officer said.
"As soon as he said stop, I looked to the direction he was looking and about half a second later I saw a Land Rover driving underneath the helicopter.
"It moved forward towards the other side of the field and stopped and the occupant gesticulated for us to depart."
Lt Higgins added: "It was a bit of shock at the time. However, he was vigorously moving his arm out of the window."
The pilot maintained that, had he not taken evasive action, the helicopter would have struck the Land Rover.
"In the worst case, the tail rotor would have hit the vehicle and it would have resulted in the vehicle crashing," he added.
After being arrested, Hughes told police that he had never driven under the helicopter and the closest he had been was 300 metres away.
He said he drove towards the helicopter because he wanted to get close enough to take the aircraft's serial number and report it to the authorities for low flying - a just as his employer had told him to do.
Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case until August 24 when sentencing will take place at Swindon Crown Court.
Man guilty of driving at helicopter - mirror.co.uk
Malcolm Hughes (Pic: PA) A gamekeeper has been convicted of endangering an aircraft after driving straight at a low-flying helicopter.
Malcolm Hughes, 61, could have killed the two pilots when he drove his Land Rover at the Army Air Corps Squirrel helicopter.
Pilot Lieutenant Andrew Higgins was seconds from dropping to just 5ft above the ground when his co-pilot spotted Hughes's vehicle and disaster was averted.
Advertisement >>
Hughes, of Raffin Lane, Pewsey, Wiltshire, denied a single charge of acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft.
However, a jury found him guilty after a three-day trial at Salisbury Crown Court.
Prosecutor Justin Gau had told jurors that Hughes had driven underneath the helicopter.
"It remained there and then drove off a few yards and the defendant was seen gesticulating angrily and making signs that the vehicle should depart," Mr Gau said.
"It was clear and quite intentional the Land Rover had been driven at the helicopter."
Mr Gau added: "Had it not been spotted, it is quite clear that the rotor of the helicopter would have been hit by the car and a fatal crash would have occurred."
Lt Higgins was teaching trainee pilot Bombardier Henry Luck low-flying manoeuvres over farmland at Wootton Rivers, near Pewsey, on the afternoon of December 9, 2009.
The helicopter had taken off from the Middle Wallop airbase in Hampshire and flown towards Pewsey, on a route used by the Army Air Corps every three months.
Lt Higgins said he was just about to descend to 5ft when Bmdr Luck raised the alarm.
"He suddenly said 'Stop' at about 10ft as we started to descend," the officer said.
"As soon as he said stop, I looked to the direction he was looking and about half a second later I saw a Land Rover driving underneath the helicopter.
"It moved forward towards the other side of the field and stopped and the occupant gesticulated for us to depart."
Lt Higgins added: "It was a bit of shock at the time. However, he was vigorously moving his arm out of the window."
The pilot maintained that, had he not taken evasive action, the helicopter would have struck the Land Rover.
"In the worst case, the tail rotor would have hit the vehicle and it would have resulted in the vehicle crashing," he added.
After being arrested, Hughes told police that he had never driven under the helicopter and the closest he had been was 300 metres away.
He said he drove towards the helicopter because he wanted to get close enough to take the aircraft's serial number and report it to the authorities for low flying - a just as his employer had told him to do.
Judge Douglas Field adjourned the case until August 24 when sentencing will take place at Swindon Crown Court.
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Gamekeeper gets suspended term for driving at helicopter
From the BBC;
BBC News - Gamekeeper gets suspended term for driving at helicopter
Gamekeeper gets suspended term for driving at helicopter
Malcolm Hughes claimed he was trying to take down the aircraft's registration
A gamekeeper from Wiltshire has been given a suspended five-month jail term after he drove his Land Rover at a low-flying Army helicopter.
Malcolm Hughes, 61, of Pewsey, was told he could have killed the two crew members in the incident in 2009.
The pilot, who was flying at 5ft (1.5m) at one point, avoided a collision when he spotted Hughes' vehicle.
Hughes, who said he was trying to see the aircraft's registration, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court.
He was also told to carry out 120 hours' unpaid work and pay £1,000 prosecution costs.
Hughes was found guilty of endangering an aircraft, at an earlier hearing.
'Quite intentional'
The jury heard that Lt Andrew Higgins had been flying an Army Air Corps Squirrel helicopter at about 20ft (6m) after taking off from Middle Wallop in Hampshire with trainee pilot Bombardier Henry Luck.
The pilot carried out safety checks before beginning to drop to 5ft (1.5m) when he spotted Hughes.
Prosecutor Justin Gau said Hughes, of Raffin Lane, drove his Land Rover beneath the helicopter and gestured "angrily" that it should leave.
The pilot had to take evasive action to avoid Hughes' vehicle, the court heard.
"It was clear and quite intentional the Land Rover had been driven at the helicopter."
Following his arrest, he told police that he had not driven under the helicopter and the closest he had been 300m (985ft) away.
Passing sentence, Judge Douglas Field, said he was satisfied that Hughes was not trying to hit the helicopter deliberately.
"Tremendous damage would have been caused, putting the lives of the occupants of the helicopter and yourself at risk," he said.
Hughes' sentence was suspended for 12 months.
BBC News - Gamekeeper gets suspended term for driving at helicopter
Gamekeeper gets suspended term for driving at helicopter
Malcolm Hughes claimed he was trying to take down the aircraft's registration A gamekeeper from Wiltshire has been given a suspended five-month jail term after he drove his Land Rover at a low-flying Army helicopter.
Malcolm Hughes, 61, of Pewsey, was told he could have killed the two crew members in the incident in 2009.
The pilot, who was flying at 5ft (1.5m) at one point, avoided a collision when he spotted Hughes' vehicle.
Hughes, who said he was trying to see the aircraft's registration, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court.
He was also told to carry out 120 hours' unpaid work and pay £1,000 prosecution costs.
Hughes was found guilty of endangering an aircraft, at an earlier hearing.
'Quite intentional'
The jury heard that Lt Andrew Higgins had been flying an Army Air Corps Squirrel helicopter at about 20ft (6m) after taking off from Middle Wallop in Hampshire with trainee pilot Bombardier Henry Luck.
The pilot carried out safety checks before beginning to drop to 5ft (1.5m) when he spotted Hughes.
Prosecutor Justin Gau said Hughes, of Raffin Lane, drove his Land Rover beneath the helicopter and gestured "angrily" that it should leave.
The pilot had to take evasive action to avoid Hughes' vehicle, the court heard.
"It was clear and quite intentional the Land Rover had been driven at the helicopter."
Following his arrest, he told police that he had not driven under the helicopter and the closest he had been 300m (985ft) away.
Passing sentence, Judge Douglas Field, said he was satisfied that Hughes was not trying to hit the helicopter deliberately.
"Tremendous damage would have been caused, putting the lives of the occupants of the helicopter and yourself at risk," he said.
Hughes' sentence was suspended for 12 months.
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A little bit more info from the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald;
Pewsey gamekeeper escapes jail after driving at helicopter (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
Pewsey gamekeeper escapes jail after driving at helicopter
Gamekeeper Malcolm Hughes, who drove his Land Rover straight at a low-flying helicopter, has avoided jail today.
Hughes, 61, could have killed two pilots when he drove his vehicle at the Army Air Corps Squirrel helicopter.
Pilot Lt Andrew Higgins was seconds from dropping to just 5ft above the ground when his co-pilot spotted Hughes' Land Rover and disaster was averted.
Hughes, of Raffin Lane, had denied a single charge of acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft, but was convicted in July after a three-day trial.
Today, at Swindon Crown Court, Hughes received a five-month prison sentence suspended for a year and was told to carry out 120 hours'unpaid work and pay £1,000 prosecution costs.
Passing sentence, Judge Douglas Field said Hughes had risked the lives of the pilot and trainee, as well as his own.
"I must stress the training exercise undertaken was completely lawful," the judge told Hughes.
"Having seen this helicopter you entered the field where it was situated in your Land Rover and you drove at the helicopter.
"I am quite satisfied you didn't drive at it with the intention of hitting the helicopter.
"I am prepared to accept your motive was to get its details so the flight could be properly reported."
Judge Field said it was fortunate the trainee pilot had spotted Hughes' Land Rover and raised the alarm.
"Tremendous damage would have been caused, putting the lives of the occupants of the helicopter and yourself at risk," the judge added.
Stewart Patterson, defending, said Hughes risked losing his shotgun and fire arms licences, which could affect his livelihood.
"He has accepted responsibility for his actions," the barrister said.
"The assumption was when he saw the aircraft rise it was on his way and instead it hovered there intending to return to the ground.
"It is a one-off occasion unlikely to be repeated because Mr Hughes is aware the unexpected can occur - and that lesson has been learnt."
Mr Patterson added: "He still has his livelihood but without a licence to shoot he cannot control vermin."
During the trial, jurors heard Hughes had driven underneath the helicopter.
Prosecutor Justin Gau said: "Had it not been spotted, it is quite clear the rotor of the helicopter would have been hit by the car and a fatal crash would have occurred."
Lt Higgins was teaching trainee pilot Bombardier Henry Luck low-flying manoeuvres over farmland at Wootton Rivers on December 9 2009.
The helicopter had taken off from the Middle Wallop airbase in Hampshire and flown towards Pewsey on a route used by the Army Air Corps every three months.
Lt Higgins said he was just about to descend to 5ft when Bmdr Luck raised the alarm.
"He suddenly said 'stop' at about 10ft as we started to descend," the officer said.
"As soon as he said stop I looked to the direction he was looking and about half a second later I saw a Land Rover driving underneath the helicopter.
"It moved forward towards the other side of the field and stopped, and the occupant gesticulated for us to depart."
Lt Higgins added: "It was a bit of shock at the time. However, he was vigorously moving his arm out of the window."
The pilot maintained that had he not take evasive action the helicopter would have struck the Land Rover.
"In the worst case the tail rotor would have hit the vehicle and it would have resulted in the vehicle crashing," he added.
After being arrested, Hughes told police he had never driven under the helicopter and the closest he had been was 300 metres (984ft) away.
He said he had driven towards the helicopter because he wanted to get close enough to take the aircraft's serial number and report it to the authorities for low flying - just as his employer had told him to do.
Hughes left court today without commenting.
Pewsey gamekeeper Malcolm Hughes
Pewsey gamekeeper escapes jail after driving at helicopter (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
Pewsey gamekeeper escapes jail after driving at helicopter
Gamekeeper Malcolm Hughes, who drove his Land Rover straight at a low-flying helicopter, has avoided jail today.
Hughes, 61, could have killed two pilots when he drove his vehicle at the Army Air Corps Squirrel helicopter.
Pilot Lt Andrew Higgins was seconds from dropping to just 5ft above the ground when his co-pilot spotted Hughes' Land Rover and disaster was averted.
Hughes, of Raffin Lane, had denied a single charge of acting in a manner likely to endanger aircraft, but was convicted in July after a three-day trial.
Today, at Swindon Crown Court, Hughes received a five-month prison sentence suspended for a year and was told to carry out 120 hours'unpaid work and pay £1,000 prosecution costs.
Passing sentence, Judge Douglas Field said Hughes had risked the lives of the pilot and trainee, as well as his own.
"I must stress the training exercise undertaken was completely lawful," the judge told Hughes.
"Having seen this helicopter you entered the field where it was situated in your Land Rover and you drove at the helicopter.
"I am quite satisfied you didn't drive at it with the intention of hitting the helicopter.
"I am prepared to accept your motive was to get its details so the flight could be properly reported."
Judge Field said it was fortunate the trainee pilot had spotted Hughes' Land Rover and raised the alarm.
"Tremendous damage would have been caused, putting the lives of the occupants of the helicopter and yourself at risk," the judge added.
Stewart Patterson, defending, said Hughes risked losing his shotgun and fire arms licences, which could affect his livelihood.
"He has accepted responsibility for his actions," the barrister said.
"The assumption was when he saw the aircraft rise it was on his way and instead it hovered there intending to return to the ground.
"It is a one-off occasion unlikely to be repeated because Mr Hughes is aware the unexpected can occur - and that lesson has been learnt."
Mr Patterson added: "He still has his livelihood but without a licence to shoot he cannot control vermin."
During the trial, jurors heard Hughes had driven underneath the helicopter.
Prosecutor Justin Gau said: "Had it not been spotted, it is quite clear the rotor of the helicopter would have been hit by the car and a fatal crash would have occurred."
Lt Higgins was teaching trainee pilot Bombardier Henry Luck low-flying manoeuvres over farmland at Wootton Rivers on December 9 2009.
The helicopter had taken off from the Middle Wallop airbase in Hampshire and flown towards Pewsey on a route used by the Army Air Corps every three months.
Lt Higgins said he was just about to descend to 5ft when Bmdr Luck raised the alarm.
"He suddenly said 'stop' at about 10ft as we started to descend," the officer said.
"As soon as he said stop I looked to the direction he was looking and about half a second later I saw a Land Rover driving underneath the helicopter.
"It moved forward towards the other side of the field and stopped, and the occupant gesticulated for us to depart."
Lt Higgins added: "It was a bit of shock at the time. However, he was vigorously moving his arm out of the window."
The pilot maintained that had he not take evasive action the helicopter would have struck the Land Rover.
"In the worst case the tail rotor would have hit the vehicle and it would have resulted in the vehicle crashing," he added.
After being arrested, Hughes told police he had never driven under the helicopter and the closest he had been was 300 metres (984ft) away.
He said he had driven towards the helicopter because he wanted to get close enough to take the aircraft's serial number and report it to the authorities for low flying - just as his employer had told him to do.
Hughes left court today without commenting.
Pewsey gamekeeper Malcolm Hughes