Air corridor for military planes
For military purposes, Wolverhampton lies on the western edge of the Lichfield RVC (Radar Video Corridor), a link route for RAF/ USAF/ Nato etc military aircraft to cross the busy North-South civil airways, over this city and region.
Re: FC Washer's letter "Light shone on UFO mysteries" (December 20).
For military purposes, Wolverhampton lies on the western edge of the Lichfield RVC (Radar Video Corridor), a link route for RAF/ USAF/ Nato etc military aircraft to cross the busy North-South civil airways, over this city and region.
This corridor stretches to the East Midlands and allows aircraft of all military types, from their bases in eastern England and elsewhere, to access the military flying training areas of Wales, crossing Wolverhampton at 18,000ft and 11,000ft.
Other military aircraft will be seen operating at these or lower levels - typically the RAF's C-130 Hercules heavy lift transport and the mid-air-to-air refuelling tankers on exercise (Airbus A-330-200, replacing the aged and obsolete VC10s and Tristars), sometimes in pairs or with "attached" fighters.
In uncontrolled airspace over Wolverhampton, that is below 3,500ft, sometimes military helicopters including the Chinook will be seen.
Wolverhampton is also on the western edge of the civil "Chase" holding stack circuit at 3,500ft, for Birmingham International Airport. Again this may be used by military aircraft. Civil air traffic below 1,000ft is monitored by Birmingham International Airport ATC Radar, up to 8,000 feet, over Wolverhampton. Manchester ATC controls airspace over Wolverhampton between 9,000 and 28,500 feet, with Swanwick responsible for all airspace above this.
Steven King, Leicester Street, Whitmore Reans.
