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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list (a) the average flying hours lost per month at airbases in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland and (b) the flying hours per month lost due to bad weather at (A) RAF Waddington, (B) RAF Lyneham and (C) RAF Brize Norton in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [200269] Mr. Ingram: Records of the average flying hours lost per month at airbases are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Ministry of Defence does not hold records of flying hours lost owing to bad weather. The following table presents the total number of lost flying hours by month since January 2001 at RAF Waddington, RAF Lyneham and RAF Brize Norton when conditions were assessed as red. Red conditions are defined as when visibility is less than 800 metres or the cloud base is less than 200 ft above ground level. In these conditions, flying is unlikely to take place. Other weather conditions, for example high winds and turbulence, might also preclude flying but their incidence is not recorded. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. RAF Waddington RAF Lyneham RAF Brize Norton Month Red Conditions Month Red Conditions Month Red Conditions (Hours) (Hours) (Hours) 2001 2001 2001 Jan 104:00 Jan 27:00 Jan 30:00 Feb 69:00 Feb 57:00 Feb 46:00 Mar 42:00 Mar 31:00 Mar 16:00 Apr 8:00 Apr 6:00 Apr 6:00 May 10:00 May 5:00 May 4:00 Jim 3:00 Jun 0:00 Jun 0:00 Jul 2:00 Jul 16:00 Jul 5:00 Aug 3:00 Aug 14:00 Aug 16:00 Sep 20:00 Sep 12:00 Sep 12:00 Oct 46:00 Oct 14:00 Oct 23:00 Nov 14:00 Nov 23:00 Nov 10:00 Dec 70:00 Dec 59:00 Dec 37:00 2002 2002 2002 Jan 79:00 Jan 66:00 Jan 68:00 Feb 27:00 Feb 18:00 Feb 17:00 Mar 23:00 Mar 2:00 Mar 9:00 Apr 5:00 Apr 10:00 Apr 8:00 May 16:00 May 3:00 May 4:00 Jun 13:00 Jun 13:00 Jun 0:00 Jul 9:00 Jul 7:00 Jul 0:00 Aug 39:00 Aug 4:00 Aug 3:00 Sep 10:00 Sep 8:00 Sep 6:00 Oct 28:00 Oct 17:00 Oct 1:00 Nov 145:00 Nov 47:00 Nov 60:00 Dec 100:00 Dec 104:00 Dec 63:00 2003 2003 2003 Jan 43:00 Jan 13:00 Jan 12:00 Feb 26:00 Feb 31:00 Feb 13:00 Mar 34:00 Mar 28:00 Mar 14:00 Apr 12:00 Apr 7:00 Apr 7:00 May 0:00 May 0:00 May 2:00 Jun 1:00 Jun 6:00 Jun 1:00 Jul 7:00 Jul 6:00 Jul 0:00 Aug 9:00 Aug 3:00 Aug 0:00 Sep 4:00 Sep 2:00 Sep 6:00 Oct 4:00 Oct 11:00 Oct 0:00 Nov 58:00 Nov 38:00 Nov 27:00 Dec 74:00 Dec 57:00 Dec 33:00 2004 2004 2004 Jan 10:00 Jan 12:00 Jan 2:00 Feb 4:00 Feb 2:00 Feb 4:00 Mar 17:00 Mar 24:00 Mar 12:00 Apr 8:00 Apr 1:00 Apr 1:00 May 13:00 May 9:00 May 4:00 Jun 1:00 Jun 1:00 Jun 0:00 Jul 8:00 Jul 8:00 Jul 0:00 Aug 32:00 Aug 17:00 Aug 9:00 Sep 10:00 Sep 5:00 Sep 2:00 Oct 47:00 Oct 25:00 Oct 8:00 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Note: The figures have been recorded over a full 24 hour period because the stations remain open round the clock.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

200269; 428 c161-4W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Air force Military bases Military aircraft Weather Working hours RAF Brize Norton RAF Waddington RAF Lyneham

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk