Royal heir force blamed for disturbing the peace
PRINCES William and Harry may have piloted low flying helicopters blamed for disturbing the peace over a quiet, rural village.
Eccleshall Parish Council summoned officers from RAF Shawbury to its meeting last night following complaints over noise caused by trainee pilots practising manoeuvres.
And it was revealed the Royal brothers, pictured below, could have been hovering over villagers' gardens.
Group Captain Warren James, station commander of RAF Shawbury in North Shropshire, told The Sentinel: "Prince Harry finished his training in December and Prince William finished in January. So it could have been them. They were both fantastic. They were treated exactly the same as everyone else, because they had to be. They were both known as Flight Lieutenant Wales."
Group Capt James was invited to the parish council meeting after residents wrote letters of complaint about the noise from low flying helicopters.
Alan Brys, of Stone Road, Eccleshall, was one of the villagers who complained.
He said: "It is annoying. At times it has seemed as if every time I went out of my house there was a helicopter hovering above me. They are quite noisy and often they would be hovering directly above with the lights on, often at night. I then went fishing at Baden Hall and you just want a bit of peace when you are fishing, but again there was a noisy helicopter hovering above."
Parish councillor Phil Baskerville said: "I was in my garden recently and I counted 17 helicopters passing above. But we realise the RAF is not doing this for a laugh, there is a reason."
Group Capt James promised the parish council he would try to establish if helicopters were using areas above Eccleshall for regular training exercises.
He also promised to investigate every complaint received about low or night flying.
RAF Shawbury, which has been training pilots since 1917, teaches about 1,000 recruits every year.
Group Capt James said: "We are doing more low flying and more night flying. The quicker I can get the cadets trained, the quicker they are ready for combat situations in places like Afghanistan."
For information or complaints about low flying call RAF Shawbury on 01939 250351, using extension 7572 during daylight hours, or extension 7232 at night.
26 Comments
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by Alan Brys, Eccleshall
Sunday, March 21 2010, 3:49PM
“The point that Ex Raf misses is choice. Members of the armed forces choose to join, to my knowledge there is no conscription. I would think that they may realise that this may involve being shot at.
I know about the training school but do not choose to have a helicopter hovering over my house day in and day out and carrying out low level straiffing
everyday.
There are a lot of brave people going about their business day after day without seeking praise or being paid for it.
Ex Raf wants to try being a copper walking around their beat at 3am and dealing with an armed burglar with just their uniform and a truncheon between them and serious injury or death. That's courage.
As for MISS B, at least the staff at Baden Hall segregate the activities so that no-one encroaches on the other. If her little son drove around the lakes on his quad bike it wouldn't be long before he was taking a swimming lesson.
Perhaps you ought to let him ride around you back garden or one of the local housing estates and see how long that lasts.
To finish I am pleased that so many of you have an opinion on something that is not affecting you. Please supply your names and addresses so that they can be forwarded to RAF Shawbury so that they can visit you day in and day out perform low level hovering and flying, it will certainly do me a favour.”
by Me, In the countryside
Friday, March 19 2010, 3:56PM
“I'd have asked them land in the field opposite and come over for a brew and cucumber sarnie!”
by Me, In the countryside
Friday, March 19 2010, 3:55PM
“I can't believe people are actually complaining about this! What on earth is happening to the citizens of this country.....all they seem to do is complain about trivial things....they'd be blinking complaining if war broke out over here and there were no armed forces to protect them!!”
by Mick Penning, newcastle, staffs
Thursday, March 18 2010, 9:41PM
“Darren, Darren, cool it man...
If you saved all your energy for studying (carefully) and addressing other's comments -before 'letting loose' with your abusive tendency, you will get your point of view over far better.
Your approach to debate is too concentrate on 'how to offend the person you don't agree with' -rather than calmly collecting your thoughts -and then making an attempt get those you oppose, to see things your way.
Doesn't man you will always be successful, but at least it keeps us all from joining in to squalid slanging matches. No?
Anyway, sleep tight. Maybe it's just a phase you're going through.”
by Warren, Meir
Thursday, March 18 2010, 9:08PM
“Just a bunch of right wing nutjobs, thats all you are.”