Night flying from RAF Wittering to take place from tonight

Night flying and large aircraft activity is expected at Royal Air Force Wittering from tonight (Tuesday, June 7) until the evening of Thursday (June 9).

RAF Wittering is reaching out to its neighbours and the nearby equestrian establishments to inform them of a change to the usual pattern of flying activity. There will be day and night flying from 5pm until 2am.

Operating under the cover of night is essential in modern military operations. Night Vision Goggles (NVG) are a real tactical advantage and enable crews to land and take-off safely during the hours of darkness for combat, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions.

Night Vision Goggle training is a method of conducting night flying without lights on an airfield. Crews wear equipment which enhances ambient light conditions, allowing the RAF to operate into hostile or sparsely populated areas.

To simulate this, NVG training sometimes needs to be conducted later at night, particularly during the summer months when the hours of darkness are shorter than in the winter.

Wing Commander Jez Case, Station Commander at RAF Wittering, said: “We are aware that night flying can be disturbing but it is an essential part of the training required by RAF aircraft to support operations. All military airfields in the UK take their share of NVG training and we will do our best to minimise the disruption and disturbance caused by visiting aircraft to our local community.”