What flew over your house (yesterday)

[Guest]

Not my photo, but this exact air ambulance:

[ATTACH]514495[/ATTACH]

… registration PH-DOC, flew almost exactly overhead yesterday evening, first circling around and then do something I have never seen one of these do at all: land on top of the sea dyke. Once it was down, I could just still see the rotor over the rooftops of the houses. About three quarters of an hour, it took off again and went on its way.

Normally air ambulances around here land literally kilometers away, patients being brought to them by ground ambulance. I have no idea what the emergency was that made them change this routine, but it must have been pretty bad given that this helicopter is based in Amsterdam, which is a good 150 km away in a straight line.

[Dave Ward]

Air Ambulances in the UK land where thay can - playing fields, motorways - my local landing field is behind a Tesco - they have a permanent access kept clear for it - and all major hospitals have helicopter pads.
Are Air Ambulances state financed in the Netherlands? In the UK, like the Lifeboats, they're funded by Charitble Trusts
Dave

[Guest]

In the Netherlands, it’s almost silly how far away they often land — like I said, the patient is then transported to the air ambulance by a ground ambulance, which seems very much against the whole idea of an air ambulance to me. There’s plenty of room to land around here — I mean, if you can’t set one down on a beach, a farmer’s field or a football pitch, where can you? — and if I watch British or Belgian reality shows about air ambulance services, I see them do that sort of thing all the time.

I get the impression it’s noise regulations more than anything that keeps them from landing where they’re actually needed. Which is silly, they’re not flying these things for fun but for medical emergencies, so maybe, like, give them an exemption? But I doubt our bureaucracy can handle that …

The air ambulance service is run by the ANWB, by the way, which is the Dutch equivalent to the British AA. No idea why, because they don’t operate ground ambulances, to the best of my knowledge.

[Waspie]

In the Netherlands, it’s almost silly how far away they often land — like I said, the patient is then transported to the air ambulance by a ground ambulance, which seems very much against the whole idea of an air ambulance to me. There’s plenty of room to land around here — I mean, if you can’t set one down on a beach, a farmer’s field or a football pitch, where can you? — and if I watch British or Belgian reality shows about air ambulance services, I see them do that sort of thing all the time.

I get the impression it’s noise regulations more than anything that keeps them from landing where they’re actually needed. Which is silly, they’re not flying these things for fun but for medical emergencies, so maybe, like, give them an exemption? But I doubt our bureaucracy can handle that …

The air ambulance service is run by the ANWB, by the way, which is the Dutch equivalent to the British AA. No idea why, because they don’t operate ground ambulances, to the best of my knowledge.

Last time I flew over your neck of the woods Jakko was 30-40 years ago now. (Ex Bold Game). The rules for low flying and landing were very tight then, infinitely more restrictive than here in the UK. (So much so, my flight received a 'red card' from operations after a farmer complained).
I would have thought for a medical emergency they would have a different set of rules!)

[Guest]

There’s a small airfield something like 20, 25 km away from where I live, used mostly by recreational pilots but also as one of the bases for a SAR helicopter. This is operated by Bristow Group that do the same in Scotland, IIRC, and they use much bigger, and therefore louder, helicopters than the previous company — which, IIRC, flew Bell 212s or 214s. They do have a noise exemption for rescue flights, but not for training … Any training flights they do, are counted against the regular allowance the airfield has in regards noise pollution. This came out not long after Bristow started flying here, and it immediately struck me as so stupid, but also so typical of our politicians, to not realise that maybe they also need to train to rescue people.

[Dave Ward]

Noise............................. a friend of mine told me the story of his ex-wife - she got up at midnight to complain about the noise at her neighbours! .........It was the Fire Brigade, putting out a kitchen fire! I thought this was a joke, but one of the ( volunteer ) firemen confirmed it several years later - I wonder why they got divorced?
Dave

[Waspie]

to not realise that maybe they also need to train to rescue people.

Caveat. This relates to the 70's 80's and early 90's. In the 90's SAR changes were afoot!! Things have now moved on but am unaware of the new parameters.)
A huge percentage of my training included rescue work even after being informed that SAR was secondary to our primary tasking. Either ASW or Strike. The reasoning was that even though the Coast Guard and RNLI provided the primary SAR work, military helicopters were to 'aid' civilian rescue units if required.
Whilst all major RN air stations provided SAR for their own aircraft it evolved into providing a quick reaction unit when needed for civilian usage. As a result, all RN rotary wing aircrew trained for SAR. 771 NAS was the first dedicated RN SAR unit. (Obviously the RAF did similar with their SAR Flights spread around the country).
Regards noise. Military aircraft 'try' and avoid all built up areas and have minimal heights they can fly when around habitation and wildlife.

[A_J_Rimmer]

They used to fly over Salisbury daily a few years ago. There was a company that did trips from the West side that usually went east due to the prevailing winds. I do remember back in the nineties while at work (enclosed area Porton Down) we had about half a dozen balloons come down in the field next to us early in the morning. Turned out they had gone for an early launch but the humidity in the cool air caused them to be unable to maintain height and they came down in the nearest flat ground. MOD Security went bananas .

I have fond memories of freezing my backside off at Porton Down (or out in the ranges at least) for a few weeks doing a project for Lockheed. Some nutter arranged the test for the last week in December and it was snowing in all sorts of directions. What made it funny was that the US contingent where all from Texas!

Some good Curry houses in Sailsbury IIRC.

[A_J_Rimmer]

Regards noise. Military aircraft 'try' and avoid all built up areas and have minimal heights they can fly when around habitation and wildlife.

I remember that the next time I see an A400M flying at less than 500ft up the Conwy river/valley lol! (never when I've got my blooming camera!)

I heard a great story years ago, when I bloke I worked with (when I was an aircraft Engineer at Turweston Aerodrome in Bucks) told me his daughter had rung up the station Representative at RAF Lyneham to 'complain about the very low flying C-130 that just went over my house'. Apparently the chap apologised, saying that it was doing an emergency go-around, and she said ' No, No, you don't understand, can you get him to do it again as I didn't have any film in my camera!' LOL!. To be fair, she was an aviation photographer that used to do shoots for magazines and books etc.

[Waspie]

I remember that the next time I see an A400M flying at less than 500ft up the Conwy river/valley lol! (never when I've got my blooming camera!)

I heard a great story years ago, when I bloke I worked with (when I was an aircraft Engineer at Turweston Aerodrome in Bucks) told me his daughter had rung up the station Representative at RAF Lyneham to 'complain about the very low flying C-130 that just went over my house'. Apparently the chap apologised, saying that it was doing an emergency go-around, and she said ' No, No, you don't understand, can you get him to do it again as I didn't have any film in my camera!' LOL!. To be fair, she was an aviation photographer that used to do shoots for magazines and books etc.

Yeah had that a few times. A certain ex Beatle called Paul used to wave at us in a non too friendly fashion when we used to fly over his domicile on the Mull of Kintyre. Until one day our CO answered the phone and reminded him we only did low flying 'that' low when engaged in SAR.
Had many a local of Ayrshire asking us to over fly their houses too!!

[PaulTRose]

Just off the coast from me.....plenty of bromide and hellcat call signs......bromide are dassault falcons that do electronic warfare stuff.....hellcats are L159 that do similar dog fighting stuff......and theres a typhoon coming in to play

[PaulTRose]

Now they have finished playing......back to base for tea and cake......ready for another sortie this afto......captr call sign is a raf hawk

[A_J_Rimmer]

Yeah had that a few times. A certain ex Beatle called Paul used to wave at us in a non too friendly fashion when we used to fly over his domicile on the Mull of Kintyre. Until one day our CO answered the phone and reminded him we only did low flying 'that' low when engaged in SAR.
Had many a local of Ayrshire asking us to over fly their houses too!!

LOL! That doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Personally I'd love to have more regular flybys!

[Lee W]

Had the Moth fly over again today... pic quality is poo but you can see what it is.

[Tim Marlow]

I remember that the next time I see an A400M flying at less than 500ft up the Conwy river/valley lol! (never when I've got my blooming camera!)

I heard a great story years ago, when I bloke I worked with (when I was an aircraft Engineer at Turweston Aerodrome in Bucks) told me his daughter had rung up the station Representative at RAF Lyneham to 'complain about the very low flying C-130 that just went over my house'. Apparently the chap apologised, saying that it was doing an emergency go-around, and she said ' No, No, you don't understand, can you get him to do it again as I didn't have any film in my camera!' LOL!. To be fair, she was an aviation photographer that used to do shoots for magazines and books etc.

They go over my house at about 750ft Arnold, but as I’m at about 450ft to start with that makes them pretty low……impressive, but very noisy.