RAF Lyneham
About RAF Lyneham > Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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You may find your question listed below. If so, click on the link to take you to the answer, or the contact details of the person who could help. However, if you cannot find the answer to your query please phone 01249 890381 and ask the operator to connect you to the appropriate person. |
I would like to pay my respects to fallen service personnel as they pass through Wootton Bassett; how do I find out when a repatriation will take place? I am posted to RAF Lyneham; what facilities are available in the local area? I am thinking of buying a house in the area; how often will you be flying? How do I contact someone who used to be based at RAF Lyneham? How can I get in touch with friends or relatives who are serving in theatre? Can the Hercules deliver parcels to personnel who are serving overseas? Can I purchase any RAF memorabilia from the Station? How do I complain about low flying or noise from aircraft? Who do I contact in the event of a suspected UFO sighting? How do I arrange a visit to RAF Lyneham? I have my date for OASC/IOT - can I visit RAF Lyneham before I go? Can I do work experience at RAF Lyneham? Can I arrange for my Air Cadet Sqn to visit RAF Lyneham? Can I use RAF Lyneham as a filming location? How do I obtain information under the Freedom of Information Act? I'm thinking about joining the RAF; where can I find information? I used to serve in the RAF; where can I find information and advice for veterans? I would like to land my aircraft at RAF Lyneham; is this possible? |
Q. I would like to pay my respects to fallen service personnel as they pass through Wootton Bassett; how do I find out when a repatriation will take place? |
Visit the Wootton Bassett Town Council website at the following link: www.woottonbassett.gov.uk |
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Q. I am posted to RAF Lyneham; what facilities are available in the local area? |
A. Contact the HIVE co-ordinator on 01249 897385 or email them on lyneham@hivegb.co.uk. The HIVE staff are able to provide you with a wealth of information regarding the local area or answer any specific questions you may have. Additionally, see the Hive Information Sheet. |
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Q. I am thinking of buying a house in the area; how often will you be flying? |
A. RAF Lyneham is an operational unit flying 24/7 so there will be some noise at times. We try to keep disturbances to a minimum and we will advise the local community via the Flying Information area of the website if there is any excess flying planned. If you have real concerns, your new neighbours or your surveyor may be able to provide you with details of how often we fly near your village. |
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Q. How do I contact someone who used to be based at RAF Lyneham? |
A. Have a look at the Lyneham Old Boys Association website at www.loba.org.uk or the Forces Reunited site at www.forcesreunited.org.uk |
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Q. How can I get in touch with friends or relatives who are serving in theatre? |
A. You can look on the British Forces Post Office website at www.bfpo.org.uk and register for their e-bluey facility. This facility will enable you to write a letter on an e-mail facility online and it will be printed as a letter at the recipients location. |
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Q. Can the Hercules deliver parcels to personnel who are serving overseas? |
A. Yes, but this is not the aircraft's primary role and the free postal service offered by Royal Mail should be utilised. |
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Q. Can I purchase any RAF memorabilia from the Station? |
A. I am afraid we are unable to supply memorabilia or rank badges for current or past uniforms. You might find what you are looking for in the Classified Adverts in RAF News at www.rafnews.co.uk or through the RAF Museum at Hendon at www.rafmuseum.org.uk www.rafmuseum.org.uk. |
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Q. How do I complain about low flying or noise from aircraft? |
A. It is the MOD's policy that we do all we can to minimise the disturbance caused by its flying activities, but there are inevitably times when people on the ground are subjected to aircraft noise. Our policy at RAF Lyneham is to seek to minimise any disturbance, but it must be understood that we are a 24 hour, 7 day a week military airfield playing a vital role in support of ongoing military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. As such, training must continue by day or night to prepare our crews for flight in hostile skies. Where possible, we limit the extent of local flying and the ground-running of aircraft engines during antisocial hours. Generally speaking, between about midnight and 7am, RAF Lyneham is a fairly quiet place. The Hercules aircraft based here regularly conduct low flying training in the UK for crews to learn and maintain essential skills regularly required on operations overseas. With the exception of direct overflight of heavily populated areas, and certain other exclusion zones, low flying training is conducted over the whole of the UK landmass, and varied routes are planned to avoid continual overflight of the same points on the ground. This is, however, a double-edged sword: because it is usually an infrequent occurrence, people can often be surprised and concerned on the odd occasion when an aircraft - particularly a large one like the Hercules - flies by in close proximity. We have found that the majority of people who have contacted us with concerns about low flying, are doing so for a 'first time' event. Very few people feel the need to contact us again. We would ask you to bear this in mind and accept, with our apologies, the inconvenience of the instant, confident in the knowledge that it is unlikely to be a recurring pattern. However, if you feel that disturbance from our activities is becoming increasingly frequent, please contact us to let us know. This should be done in one of the following ways: Noise and Low Flying Disturbance Within 10 mile radius of RAF Lyneham. Please contact the Duty Operations Controller on 01249 896536 if the complaint is pressing. This desk is manned 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. If you would prefer to write or e-mail in slower time, please address your correspondence to the Station Flight Safety Officer at the normal RAF Lyneham address, or e-mail sfso@lyneham.raf.mod.uk. Noise and Low Flying Disturbance Outside 10 mile radius of RAF Lyneham. Complaints originating from outside the 10 mile radius of RAF Lyneham should be addressed directly to the MOD at the following address: Minstry of Defence Directorate of Air Staff (Lower Airspace) Telephone: 020 7218 6020 |
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Q. Who do I contact in the event of a suspected UFO sighting? |
A. The MOD maintains a register of unusual or unexplained aerial sightings. If you are concerned by anything you have seen in the skies in North Wiltshire, please contact the Duty Operations Controller on 01249 896536 (24hr). You will be asked a series of quite specific questions, so it is best if you make first contact as soon as possible after witnessing the event. The form that the Duty Operations Controller has to fill in with you takes about 5 minutes to complete. It is then sent to the MOD in London. We regret there is sometimes little, if anything, we can explain to you about the occurrence at the time, and there may be some activities we are unable to discuss in detail with you. However, the majority of such sightings do have a simple explanation, so we will tell you what we can. |
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Q. How do I arrange a visit to RAF Lyneham? |
A. The faesability of visits taking place is depenedent upon current policy. It is not always possible to accommodate individuals or groups due to the high operational tempo and the resultant necessity to prioritise output. However, if you would like to register your interest in visiting RAF Lyneham, please send details of your request, by email, to the Officer Commanding General Duties Flight or write to: Officer Commanding General Duties Flight If you wish to arrange a OASC/IOT visit, or a Work Experience placement, or an Air Cadet Squadron visit, please see below, for contact details |
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Q. I have my date for OASC/IOT - Can I visit RAF Lyneham before I go? |
A. We run one visit each month for potential Officer /Airmen candidates. The purpose of the visit is to allow candidates to better understand the output of a typical RAF Station so they are better prepared for selection. For more details and dates of visits, please email the Training Development Advisor or write to: Training Development Advisor |
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Q. Can I do work experience at RAF Lyneham? |
A. We do run work experience schemes for people up until you have completed your GCSEs. Applications should be made, in writing, no later than 1 month prior to commencement of the placement. Please email the Force Development Coordinator, or telephone 01249 897431. Alternatively, you may write to: Miss K Hockham If you have left compulary secondary education (eg. you are currently at 6th Form or College), you are not eligable for the work experience scheme. We suggest that if you want to speak to someone about any aspect of careers in the RAF, please call our careers advice line on 0845 605 5555, between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., 7 days a week or check out the RAF Careers website at: www.raf.mod.uk/careers/. Alternatively, why not visit your local Air Force Careers Office (AFCO). The closest AFCO to RAF Lyneham is Bristol. |
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Q. Can my Air Cadet Squadron to visit RAF Lyneham? |
A. RAF Lyneham runs a busy programme of camps and visits for Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force Cadets. If you would like to arrange a visit for your cadet unit, please contact the Stn Air Cadet Liaison Officer (ACLO), or his deputy, by writing to the following address: ACLO |
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Q. Can I use RAF Lyneham as a filming location? |
A. We welcome film companies on Station for large or small projects. Some of the sites on Station that are suitable for filming are shown at www.filmlocations.mod.uk. If you wish to contact someone about any media events on the Station, or come and look at the site as a potential film location please contact the Media Communications Officer or write to: Media Communications Officer |
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Q. How do I obtain information under the Freedom of Information Act? |
A. All questions under the Freedom of Information Act have to be raised in permanent form, ie: by letter, fax or e-mail. Please send your questions by post to: The FOI Officer or by e-mail to the Media Communications Officer, clearly marking your message “FOI Query”. That will enable us to deal with your questions as swiftly as possible. |
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Q. I am thinking about joining the RAF; where can I find information? |
A. The RAF Careers Service has a website at www.raf.mod.uk/careers/ where you can get all the information you need, and find the address of your nearest Armed Forces Careers Office. |
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Q. I used to serve in the RAF. Where can I find information and advice for veterans? |
A. Contact Veterans Welfare Service: Freephone: 0800 169 22 77Website: http://www.veterans-uk.info |
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Q. I would like to land my aircraft at RAF Lyneham; is this possible? |
A. The Station Operations Centre is responsible for all aircraft movements at RAF Lyneham. Email : operations@lyneham.raf.mod.uk Fax : 00 44 (0)1249 891597 24 Hour manning. For response within 24 hours please fax. |
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