CAPTURING THE EXHILIRATION OF FLIGHT
LOW LEVEL PHOTOGRAPHY by AV8-IMAGES.COM
Low Level photography is certainly a rewarding form of aviation photography, purely down to the amount of planning, and sheer luck of capturing an aircraft operating at low level in your view-finder. Finding a suitable valley, with favourable light conditions and attractive backdrop may not sound too difficult, add typical Scottish mountain weather, dwindling modern day military requirements to carry out low level operations and the odds are quite quickly stacked against you. However, this perserverance and patience makes the hobby equally rewarding and frustrating at the sime time.
Having dedicated much of my free time since 2005 in the valleys of the Scottish Borders and the remote wilderness of the Glens in the Scottish Highlands, I have also had the opportunity to take my hobby abroad and photograph low level aircraft in the USA (Death Valley National Park, California) and in the Balearic islands.
The United Kingdom Low Flying System (UKLFS) is the airspace across the UK in which low flying is permitted, to train military aircrew. Low Flying areas (LFA) are designated throughout the country. Low Flying is deemed to be Fixed wing aircraft flying down to 250ft and Rotary (Helicoters) down to 100ft from the ground.
Military aircraft are also allowed to pre book and fly down to 100ft within designated Tactical Training Areas (TTA) which there are three of in the UK.
LFA 7(T) - CENTRAL WALES
LFA 14(T) - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
LFA 20(T) - SCOTTISH BORDERS AND SOLWAY FIRTH AREA
Helicopters are also permitted to fly down below 100ft.