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

Military jet has near miss with paragliders in Wiltshire

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.

Military jet has near miss with paragliders in Wiltshire

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 1st Jun 2018, 18:22
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Military jet has near miss with paragliders in Wiltshire

Military jet has near miss with paragliders in Wiltshire - BBC News
A military jet had a near miss when it flew through a group of paragliders in Wiltshire.

The incident happened when the Royal Navy Hawk T1 was on a practice bombing run at a nearby military range in January.

An official investigation found the jet pilot had not been briefed that paragliders were in the airspace prior to his flight.

watching the video from one of the para gliders they don't seem too concerned
Heathrow Harry is offline  
Old 1st Jun 2018, 18:39
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Posts: 628
Received 193 Likes on 108 Posts
Full Airprox report
pasta is online now  
Old 1st Jun 2018, 20:24
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: A better place.
Posts: 2,319
Received 24 Likes on 16 Posts
Jaysus - that is close and had the potential to be nasty for all parties concerned! The paraglider assn makes pretty pointed comments in the air Prox report about their members nav kit being better than the Hawk’s!!!
tartare is offline  
Old 2nd Jun 2018, 11:53
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, New York, Paris, Moscow.
Posts: 3,632
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Heathrow Harry
Military jet has near miss with paragliders in Wiltshire - BBC News

watching the video from one of the para gliders they don't seem too concerned
That's because he never checked for a no2!!

Didn't something similar happen to a jag mate with a nimrod a decade or so ago??
glad rag is offline  
Old 2nd Jun 2018, 12:06
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: One Three Seven, Disco Heaven.
Age: 65
Posts: 2,538
Likes: 0
Received 34 Likes on 17 Posts
We seem to be getting these hill jumpers regularly in the Selkirk - Moffat valley. The times for TTA's are known well in advance, yet they still seem to turn up at the same time! There are also plenty of other sites in the area these "aviators" could use, but they insist on using the same valley, the low jets use. Also noticed a recent increase in drones being used in the area around St Mary's Loch/Loch of the Lowes.
Dan Gerous is online now  
Old 2nd Jun 2018, 17:35
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SW England
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Heathrow Harry. The report states that the paragliders weren't in the exercise airspace. the Hawk speared out of the airspace and the pilot thought he was still inside. Hence the comments on nav kit; all the PGs would have been flying with moving map displays or similar airspace alerts.
Incipient Sinner is offline  
Old 2nd Jun 2018, 18:06
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,809
Received 135 Likes on 63 Posts
Originally Posted by Incipient Sinner
Heathrow Harry. The report states that the paragliders weren't in the exercise airspace. the Hawk speared out of the airspace and the pilot thought he was still inside. Hence the comments on nav kit; all the PGs would have been flying with moving map displays or similar airspace alerts.
Or, alternatively, insuffient airspace for what Mil jets need to do the job?

An unfortunatate juxtaposition of incompatible activities, compounded by less that stellar communications. ... oh, and a Hawk pilot pushing the boundaries on his map, at high speed in a turn.
MPN11 is offline  
Old 2nd Jun 2018, 18:25
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 192
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Incipient Sinner
Heathrow Harry. The report states that the paragliders weren't in the exercise airspace. the Hawk speared out of the airspace and the pilot thought he was still inside. Hence the comments on nav kit; all the PGs would have been flying with moving map displays or similar airspace alerts.
Note - I’m not apportioning blame, but just because you CAN fly to the very edge of NOTAM airspace, doesn’t mean you should!

It is patently obvious that D123 is too small for CAS regardless of altitude. The hawk driver was always going to spill into class G.
flighthappens is offline  
Old 2nd Jun 2018, 18:45
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: The Wild West (UK)
Age: 45
Posts: 1,151
Received 6 Likes on 3 Posts
The times for TTA's are known well in advance, yet they still seem to turn up at the same time! There are also plenty of other sites in the area these "aviators" could use, but they insist on using the same valley, the low jets use.
It's been a long time since my hang-gliding days, but good flying sites are precious, and the sites that can be used on a given day are very much dependent on wind direction and speed - to the extent that asking people to put in NOTAMS the day before seems unrealistic. That said, we used to have a Tornado pilot in the hang-gliding club. Seems he found that gliding scratched an itch that bombing about at 500mph didn't.

Last edited by abgd; 2nd Jun 2018 at 23:15.
abgd is offline  
Old 3rd Jun 2018, 10:54
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SW England
Age: 77
Posts: 3,896
Received 16 Likes on 4 Posts
Re the remarks about the Hawk's nav kit. Is the fact that its GPS is 20 years old actually relevant? Still pretty accurate I would have thought.
Tankertrashnav is offline  
Old 3rd Jun 2018, 11:24
  #11 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Incipient Sinner
Heathrow Harry. The report states that the paragliders weren't in the exercise airspace. the Hawk speared out of the airspace and the pilot thought he was still inside. Hence the comments on nav kit; all the PGs would have been flying with moving map displays or similar airspace alerts.
I was quoting the BBC article.........................
Heathrow Harry is offline  
Old 3rd Jun 2018, 11:25
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: The Wild West (UK)
Age: 45
Posts: 1,151
Received 6 Likes on 3 Posts
I would imagine that it's accurate, but does it have the same features as more modern consumer systems such as showing airspace boundaries and topographical charts?
abgd is offline  
Old 3rd Jun 2018, 12:11
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Wherever it is this month
Posts: 1,789
Received 75 Likes on 34 Posts
The quality of moving map doesn't have a bearing here because airspace boundaries would have been almost irrelevant to the Hawk pilot anyway. The danger areas at UK weapons ranges over land are designed to keep other aircraft away from weapons effects; they are not big enough to enclose all manoeuvring between attacks by aircraft engaged in activity on the range. Of course they could be made so, but recreational flyers would be up in arms. The 'so whats' are that normal 'see and avoid' lookout needs to be carried out during most range work, only in the final stage of an attack giving full attention to targeting; and aircraft operating just outside a danger area should not assume aircraft in it will stay inside.
Easy Street is offline  
Old 3rd Jun 2018, 12:41
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: 51.50N 1W (ish)
Posts: 1,141
Received 30 Likes on 13 Posts
The location of the Paragliding site which the Hawk overflew at low level is clearly marked on the 1:5000,000 chart, but apparently from the AirProx Board discussion not briefed or considered. The Hawk pilot apparently believed he was inside the danger area at all the relevant time, and that does have a bearing on his situational awareness, as provided by the pathetic (in current technology) display.

I do understand Military Procurement budgets, Timetables and constraints, and the problems of operating fast jets in the geographically limited Salisbury Plain operational area.
Fitter2 is offline  
Old 4th Jun 2018, 07:03
  #15 (permalink)  
Tabs please !
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Biffins Bridge
Posts: 951
Received 339 Likes on 199 Posts
The White Horse site is one of the most frequently used. There is another at Combe Gibbet west of Newbury which was not marked on the 1:500,000 maps IIRC. I have flown there with at least 20 other gliders in the air. Hopefully, that site is now marked however could someone with the latest map please confirm ?
B Fraser is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



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.