Friday, April 26, 2013

AirForces Monthly Special Edition - UK Low Fly

SITUATED IN LFA17, the M6 Pass, or Lüne Gorge as it's officially known, is a flowed valley running south to north at Tebay in eastern Cumbria. In the early 2000s this valley reverberated to the sound of frontline fast jets and was one of the best places to catch them. Sighting ten to 20 aircraft a day was not unusual, and more often than not they were frontline types. In particular the valley was well used by Tornado F3s from RAF Coningsby and RAF Leeming, while Jaguars from RAF Coltishall in Norfolk were an almost daily occurrence. In fact the only aircraft to have been scarce there over the years were C-130s and F-15s, as both of these types tend to go further west into the Lake District. Today this valley has seen a reduction in traffic probably greater than any other, but Tucanos, Hawks, Tornado GR4s and Typhoons can still be observed as well as the occasional helicopter. However, expect no more than half-a-dozen movements on a good day.

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