LFA 18 is located in southeast England and and includes Kent, East Sussex and south east West Sussex. The Isle of Wight and parts of Hampshire and Dorset are also within the area, although military low flying does not normally take place in these areas. Military facilities in the area include the Royal Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth, the Royal Marine Base at Poole and the Army's Cinque Ports Field Training Centre. It has approximately 3,390 sq km (1,309 sq mls) of airspace available for low flying training, some 1.7% of total usable overland area of the UKLFS.
LFA 18 is cut off from the rest of the UKLFS by the Thames Valley Avoidance Area (some of the busiest controlled airspace in the world), two separate military Dedicated User Areas (DUAs) and a number of airspace danger areas over the English Channel. A relatively large number of built-up areas and some large light aircraft landing sites are also areas to be avoided and significant airspace restrictions above 2,000ft (reducing scope for military aircraft to enter or leave the lower airspace), include the Gatwick Control Zone. All these factors make it difficult for military aircraft, particularly fast jets, to use the area.
Exercises and events taking place in LFA 18
- 22 Mar-1 April 2010 - EXERCISE TAC BLAZE 1
For a complete listing of Exercises and Events across the United Kingdom click the link on the right.