Trip Report June 2025

In June I had a three‑day military low flying photography trip to the Lake District LFA17.

Wednesday 18th ‑ Today I visited Dunmail Raise (west side). I made the steep climb up to my chosen vantage point and was in position by 08:10. It was a warm day with unlimited visibility. The morning was very quiet with little transmissions heard on the scanner. Just after midday I heard the distinctive roar of a jet engine as a Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4, ZK331 from RAF Coningsby appeared routing up the valley towards my location. Thankfully I heard the aircraft before I saw it, as I had little time to pick up my camera and find the Typhoon in the viewfinder due to part of the hillside blocking my view of the aircraft approach.

Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4, ZK331 passing through Dunmail Raise, LFA17.

Early afternoon a lot of paragliders started soaring on the hillsides above Rydal and Grasmere. This was not good, as it meant there was probably a NOTAM for the area which would put the kibosh on any military low flying activity. At 15:30 I decided to leave the hill and walk down to my car. Nearing the bottom of the hill I noticed lights twinkling on the side of Loughrigg Fell. I suddenly realised it was the lights of an approaching aircraft, as a Grob Prefect T.1 routed towards Dunmail and passed overhead ‑ Typical! Just to add insult to injury, when I was back at my car changing out of my walking gear another Grob prefect T.1 passed overhead.

Thursday 19th ‑ With all the paraglider activity yesterday around Grasmere, today I decided to play safe and visit Arnison Crag, which overlooks Greenbank Farm, Bridgend, near Hartsop. The morning was quiet with no aircraft seen. At 14:28 whilst looking towards Kirkstone Pass, I observed an aircraft break the skyline and route down the valley towards my location. It was a BAE Systems Hawk Mk. 167, ZB137 of the Joint QEA/RAF Hawk Training Squadron from RAF Leeming. Ten minutes later at 14:38 a Eurofighter Typhoon T.3, ZK379 of RAF 41(R) Squadron from RAF Coningsby passed overhead at approximately 1000ft above the valley floor. I left the hill at 16:00.

Friday 20th ‑ From 08:05 to 13:30 I was located at Smaithwaite Banks Crag, overlooking Thirlmere Reservoir. No aircraft routed my way, but a Juno HT.1 helicopter, Hawk T.2 and two Phenom T.1's routed from Windermere to Ullswater via Kirkstone Pass. Only after I returned home, I learned there was a Lakes Charity Classic 2025 Paragliding competition being hosted at the Grasmere showground which would account for the lack of traffic. Again, as luck would have it, after I returned to my car two Hawk T.2's passed overhead.

Not the most productive days I've had on the hills, but its something you come to expect when you partake in this hobby. I've learnt from experience that when you do get a good day with plenty of passes, it compensates for the bad days and makes you appreciate the experience more.

Photographs from my trip can be viewed at: 2025 ‑ UK Military Low Flying.

Saturday 21st ‑ Today was the summer solstice, or the day with the most hours of daylight for 2025 and as a change I decided to do something different from any aviation related activities. Having been born and raised in the north of England, in my younger years I had done a lot of hillwalking in the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District when I was doing my bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards with the Appleby‑in‑Westmorland 2192 Squadron of the Air Training Corps. I must admit during those days I had never climbed Helvellyn, so I was determined I was going to do it on this trip. I couldn't have picked a warmer day to attempt the ascent with the country experiencing a heatwave. I made an early start at 07:30 hoping to make good headway before the temperatures started to soar. It looked like everyone else had the same idea as the route was very busy. Starting in Glenridding I took the route following Mires Beck via the ‘Hole in the Wall’ stile to Striding Edge. Following the path up Mires Beck it was hot and tiring, but once up onto the open fell there was a welcoming cooler breeze.

Following the path up Mires Beck towards Little Cove.

View from the Hole‑in‑the‑Wall with the path leading towards Striding Edge and the summit of Helvellyn beyond.

Approaching Striding Edge with the view of Helvellyn and Red Tarn. On the far right can be seen the path leading off Swirral Edge.

Striding Edge was busy with people beginning to queue on the harder sections where a little climbing was required, but once these sections were completed there was only one final steep area to ascend till you were onto the relatively flat summit.

Walkers on Striding Edge.

Striding Edge and the final climb up to the summit of Helvellyn.

Looking back at Striding Edge with people negotiating the final difficult section.

The weather on the exposed summit was the total opposite to when walking up Mires Beck. Here it was cold and windy with the threat of rain, but thankfully there was a ‘crosswind shelter’ built from stone in the shape of an ‘X’ where I was able to shelter and have my packed lunch in the company of fellow walkers. To the east, I could look down onto Ullswater and to the west onto Thirlmere, but the visibility was not good and it was just too windy to take any photos.

Ater finishing my lunch I started my return journey down Swirral Edge, which is generally considered an easier section than Striding Edge, but I must disagree. Care must be taken as it is still a scramble and there are steep drops on the left into Brown Cove so you must have hands‑on‑rocks to navigate down the steep rocky slope.

Before descending Swirral Edge. View looking down on Red Tarn with Catstye Cam to the left and Ullswater in the distance.

The view looking down on Swirral Edge.

Once off Swirral Edge I followed the track down to Red Tarn, from where I followed the track down Red Tarn Beck over Glenridding Common to the Bury Jubilee Outdoor Pursuit Centre. Here the track joined the Greenside Road which I followed all the way into Glenridding.

View looking back as walkers descend on the track off Swirral Edge (The summit of Helvellyn is top left of the photo).

I returned to my car at approximately 15:45 after a most enjoyable eight‑mile walk. Not the fastest time to complete the route because I was taking my time due to the high temperatures, whilst stopping occasionally to take photos of the stunning scenery.

Sunday 22nd ‑ In the morning I visited the Solway Aviation Museum which is located adjacent to the Carlisle Lake District Airport, Cumbria. Since my last visit the museum has acquired the last surviving Blackburn Beverley, XB259 which was formally exhibited at Fort Paull, an attraction near Hull that closed in 2020. The museum launched a £60,000 fundraising campaign to provide a permanent new home for the Beverley to prevent the potential dismantling and scrapping of the historic transport aircraft. In April 2024 the museum announced it had hit its fundraising target and since then the large transport aircraft had been arriving in sections to be restored and assembled on a purpose‑built display area. In late 2024 the museum also acquired an ex‑RAF Panavia Tornado GR.1, ZA475 from RAF Spadeadam where it was either to be used as a gate guardian or a static target.Through negotiations with the RAF Heritage Team and its subsequent funding the aircraft was donated to the museum and is currently on‑site undergoing restoration.

During my visit it was raining too heavy to view the new aircraft and as any photography was out of the question I decided to leave early and start my journey home.