---

Ministry of Defence

Answer

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flying days were lost due to bad weather at (a) RAF Kinloss and (b) RAF Lossiemouth in each month since January 1997; and if he will make a statement. [194893] Mr. Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not hold records of whole flying days lost owing to bad weather, which are very rare. The following table presents the total number of lost flying hours by month since January 1997 at RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth 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, might also preclude flying but their incidence is not recorded. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. RAF Lossiemouth RAF Kinloss Month Red conditions (hours) 1997 January -- 1:00 February -- 1:00 March -- 0:00 April -- 0:00 May -- 12:00 June -- 3:00 July -- 31:00 August 0:48 22:00 September 0:26 0:00 October 0:00 0:00 November 2:43 8:00 December 0:00 3:00 1998 January 0:33 0:00 February 0:08 0:00 March 0:24 0:00 April 0:00 5:00 May 3:04 13:00 June 3:00 14:00 July 0:00 3:00 August 0:10 12:00 September 2:30 20:00 October 0:41 0:00 November 0:30 4:00 December 0:00 0:00 1999 January 0:00 2:00 February 1:49 2:00 March 0:00 1:00 April 10:59 30:00 May 0:23 13:00 June 0:24 1:00 July 2:13 13:00 August 0:00 10:00 September 10:18 3:00 October 0:00 1:00 November 0:00 2:00 December 0:00 0:00 2000 January 0:00 0:00 February 0:00 0:00 March 1:02 0:00 April 2:56 8:00 May 3:31 4:00 June 0:00 0:00 July 0:00 25:00 August 0:00 1:00 September 0:00 1:00 October 0:00 1:00 November 0:06 1:00 December 0:00 16:00 2001 January 3:55 17:00 February 2:04 7:00 March 0:00 1:00 April 0:00 1:00 May 6:39 17:00 June 0:00 2:00 July 0:53 21:00 August 0:00 0:00 September 0:00 0:00 October 1:31 4:00 November 2:38 7:00 December 1:19 21:00 2002 January 1:41 5:00 February 1:46 1:00 March 0:00 0:00 April 1:13 0:00 May 0:00 1:00 June 0:00 6:00 July 9:08 20:00 August 2:27 17:00 September 1:11 15:00 October 0:00 0:00 November 0:00 1:00 December 0:08 0:00 2003 January 0:30 1:00 February 1:36 6:00 March 11:09 33:00 April 1:44 8:00 May 0:00 6:00 June 0:00 8:00 July 3:16 7:00 August 5:58 19:00 September 0:00 0:00 October 2:57 2:00 November 0:00 0:00 December 9:30 13:00 2004 January 7:11 3:00 February 1:39 4:00 March 0:00 2:00 April 2:15 8:00 May 0:00 0:00 June 0:00 0:00 July 0:00 4:00 August 8:15 27:00 September 1:45 3:00 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. Owing to the different nature of their flying operations, RAF Lossiemouth records colour states on a minute by minute basis while RAF Kinloss records the situation hourly. 2. The RAF Lossiemouth figures have been recorded over the time period 0750 to 2150 daily, which is the time period within which the majority of the flying programme takes place. The RAF Kinloss figures have been recorded over a full 24 hour period because the station remains open round the clock. 3. No records are available for January to July 1997 for RAF Lossiemouth.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

194893; 426 c1051-3W;426 c1055-7W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Military aircraft Weather Training RAF Lossiemouth RAF Kinloss

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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