UK PILOTS ADMIT THEY HAVE US IN THEIR SIGHTS

[tigershark]

PILOTS ADMIT THEY HAVE US IN THEIR SIGHTS

Monday June 23,2008
By David Scott



FIGHTER pilots use civilian cars and homes as practice targets while on low-level training missions across rural Scotland, the Ministry of Defence has admitted.

The pilots routinely buzz cars, rowing boats and farmers working in  fields to prepare crews for attacking real targets in Iran or Afghanistan.


Rural communities have been outraged by the low flying. Two vast areas – one in the north of the country and one in the south – have been designated Tactical Training Areas where jets can fly as low as 100ft.


In the past five years, nearly 56,000 hours of low-flying have taken place, mainly in the north, the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. 
Now the SNP has demanded the MoD review its policy. Rob Gibson, Nationalist MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said: “Targeting people in their homes and cars is unacceptable. The MoD is a blight on our economic lives and on our everyday lives.”
He was speaking after he received a reply from Derek Twigg MP, Under-Secretary of State for Defence, in response to a constituent’s complaint.
Mr Twigg wrote: “Air-crew are required as part of their training to select practice targets.

“This may include vehicles (in simulation of military vehicles) as well as buildings.”
An MoD spokesman said: “Low flying is rigorously controlled and monitored. Since 1988 the total number of sorties has been reduced by a third, and those by jets by more than half.”

Source
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/49448

[Gripen]

Is it just me, or is this really dangerous? What happens if the plane is using a bus or something for target practice, and the plane or pilot stuff up and they crash into it? You'd have injured/dead pilots, the people from the bus and the people that were around! Doesnt the military have whole ranges set up for this kind of thing?

[alyster]

Unlike Australia UK doesn't have a lot of land, however they have a quite a population. It's pretty hard to find alot of ranges big enough. I mean I've personally seen signs like "Give way to tanks" on english roads.

[Gripen]

Yes, but isnt England have land overseas that they can bomb the crap out of? Or, put targets in the ocean and bomb those?

[alyster]

Yes, but isnt England have land overseas that they can bomb the crap out of?

A yes, the British Empire?

[MightyHunter]

Well i live in Scotland at the top bit where they fly as low as they want to go , its not uncommon to be driving down the A9 (main road from inverness to down south ) and you look out window and have a Tornado in a valley below you , the press taken well out of context to what the aircraft are doing , they just pickeling targets like they would in the sunnier regions , ther eis no danger no weapons on board nothing , these choosing targets are done from miles away and its not as if they overflying these rargets at like 20 ft , press blowing it all out of context yet again thats the problem in the UK , every story is such drama and somebody has to be right and somebody has to be wrong . Im sick of it , so dont think too much on this subject

[MKopack]

Yes, but isnt England have land overseas that they can bomb the crap out of? Or, put targets in the ocean and bomb those?

You train like you fight, an unless you plan to go to war against a 'target in the ocean' there just isn't a lot of training in sinking old barges.

Mike