Bleeding Choppers!!

[chykensa]

Aaaargh!! I hate it for the two nights a month that RNAS Culdrose, which trains our Navy's helicopter pilots, are allowed to undertake night flying.
Now, I have every possible respect for these brave and dedicated young men and women who, once they have qualified, may find themselves in any global conflict and flying to the utmost of their abilities, and I accept that they need to train both by day and night.
But why do they have to train right over my house!!? There are thousands of acres of fields and uninhabited land in West Cornwall, and they decide to fly at the regulation minimum height of 500' over the high hill at the rear of my road, which means they are no more than 750' when they pass over my humble dwelling.
I was just nodding off when a succession of choppers milled around in the sky overhead - in disgust I have got myself back up from a promised early night and am now pounding the keyboard again to vent my frustration!!

Mind, they do look quite dramatic with all their nav lights on

[decoy]

get a high power lazer from fast tech and point it at them
i recon it will take about 30 secs for all your probs to be gone including yer ass

tiss ruddy annoying having loads of noise when trying to sleep

[chykensa]

decoy - the helos from Culdrose are Seakings (being phased out gradually) and Merlins, including the new Mk 3, now coming on stream. They are (fortunately!) unarmed, and have new jocks in them getting to grips with navigation, low-level flying, and co-ordinate patrols. We see them every day at 3-5,000 feet following the A30 up and down the county, and in long lazy circuits over Truro, as well as coastal patrols and the well-worn routes out over St. Ives and over us heading for the north coast.
Much more exciting for me are the Hawk T4s from the FRADU which fly out to the Western Approaches and pretend to be incoming missiles to train naval ship crews in rapid reaction and radar detection. They are mostly flown by civilian (ex-RAF and FAA) pilots, who delight in maintaining the closest formations possible at all times!

[OliverB]

I thought this was going to be a thread about gingivitis.

[Q]

We get a lot of training exercises over us as well, its the Chinooks that really make the ground rumble, night flying seems to be confined to Hercules who do a low level pass over us a couple of times a year, first time I saw one was a bit of a worry, all I could see were these lights coming at what looked like chimney height, yes I did duck, it was around midnight and I was just coming back up from the cattery doing my usual pre bedtime check

[prr]

Is pounding out at my keyboard a euphemism for something that shouldn't be discussed on an ecig forum?

[igual]

Oct 8, 2014 23:55:39 GMT prr said:

Is pounding out at my keyboard a euphemism for something that shouldn't be discussed on an ecig forum?

Cheers BUD just choked on my beddy byes drink 
Still least I wasn't chokeing something else 

Bk on topic Iggy 
I was airlifted in a sea king after my accident, bloody incredible machines and the personnel that operate them are amazing peeps.

[tomj777]

Huge amount of respect for NAS folks flying Sea Kings - Anecdotally (from Cliff Rescue and RNLI folks, as well as common knowledge), their bravery has astounding during some of our more inclement weather. Many lives saved.

I feel your pain, though, chykensa

The low level stuff Hawks... I look back and wonder if our Cross Country runs were timed according to their training flights - doubt if it would happen these days but, as a teenager, watching them skimming the stacks beneath us as we ran along the top of Kenidjack was awesome.

Lasers and helicopters - not even in jest.

[chykensa]

tomj777 - you are right - lasers would be just immoral and beyond sensible thought.
The ASR guys are amazing, we sit at home in the middle of a gale and hear them heading off towards the north coast in truly awful conditions, and marvel at their pluck and courage. And that's not including the winchmen who bob around like pendulums as they rescue sailors, animals, and humans in peril no matter what the weather.
Sadly, the Navy loses control of Air Sea Rescue this month, so we won't see the hardy souls off 771 Squadron any more. Bristow have taken on the contract from the Government, and will fly from Newquay instead. I wonder how the quality of service will be maintained . . .
Those Hawk pilots are proud beyond belief. I was parked up in a layby near Culdrose back in June and two came in at around 200' before breaking for the d/wind leg, and I swear that there was no more than 10' between wingtips. Impressive control in what was quite turbulent conditions.

[lynxkat]

When I was in Bosnia, the staff manning the phones, replied to irate farmers and the likes complaining of the noise of low flying aircraft, "that is the sound of peace".

[Ron]

You have my sympathy I live just up the road from Middle Wallop and they fly every night with low level Tommahawks and they are very fast and very noisy

[tomj777]

Oct 9, 2014 22:41:51 GMT chykensa said:

tomj777 -  Bristow have taken on the contract from the Government, and will fly from Newquay instead. I wonder how the quality of service will be maintained . . .

 I fear not as well maintained as contractual minimum profit. 

[Phoenix .]

Oct 9, 2014 23:01:59 GMT lynxkat said:

When I was in Bosnia, the staff manning the phones, replied to irate farmers and the likes complaining of the noise of low flying aircraft, "that is the sound of peace".

Ah! I remember it well 1945 era.

[lynxkat]

Oct 10, 2014 15:37:31 GMT Phoenix . said:

Oct 9, 2014 23:01:59 GMT lynxkat said:

When I was in Bosnia, the staff manning the phones, replied to irate farmers and the likes complaining of the noise of low flying aircraft, "that is the sound of peace".

Ah! I remember it well 1945 era.

No, Some 50 years later 

[Phoenix .]

Oct 10, 2014 21:49:49 GMT lynxkat said:

Oct 10, 2014 15:37:31 GMT Phoenix . said:

Ah! I remember it well 1945 era.

No, Some 50 years later 

Maybe, but the same sentiments apply.