IN response to the article in the May 15 edition of The Hereford Times regarding the complaints of low flying by Mr Eastgate and Ms Phillips, I live on the edge of the Wye Valley towards Hay, and experience the same low flying aircraft.

The reality is that aircraft come over maybe one or two days a month, hardly low enough to read the aircraft markings, let alone see the pilots' faces - in any case, the noisy jets are usually gone before one can look up.

On those days, there might be two or three flights; hardly a life ruining experience.

What is potentially more life ruining, at least for the pilots and their families, is not being allowed the facilities to practise the skills they will require when we, as a nation, expect them to put their lives on the line in order to defend us.

Mr Eastgate, Ms Phillips and others should bear in mind that the occasional bit of noise is a small price to pay for the freedom that we enjoy as a result of the efforts and bravery of our armed forces. We owe it to the pilots to give them all the help possible.

Instead of complaining, we should admire the skill involved in flying an aeroplane in such conditions, the big Hercules transports being particularly impressive, and remember that, in a real war, the pilots are required to fly not at 500 ft, but at 50ft, or lower.

Hence, environmental considerations are already considerably compromising their ability to survive.

It is strange, is it not, that nearly all complaints one reads about low flying aircraft contain a NIMBYish sentence that goes something like: "I know that they have to practise somewhere, but why do they have to do it near me?"

The answer is quite obvious. This area of Herefordshire has one of the lowest populatiion densities in the country, and has the sort of terrain that is necessary for low flying practise.

If you don't want low flying aircraft, then go to live in Birmingham or London.

PETER WATTS,

The Salt Box,

Brilley