The Mach Loop (short for Machynlleth, a town on the edge of the Loop), is the name
given to a part of Low Fly Area 7 in Wales. LFA 7 is one of the officially designated
areas in the United Kingdom where military aircraft are authorised to fly as low
as 250 ft above ground level. As far as aircraft low level training is concerned,
the Mach Loop is a circular anti-
The Loop sees a variety of military aircraft, the majority being from the RAF ranging from “frontline” aircraft such as the Tornado GR4 and Typhoon to training aircraft such as Hawk T1 and T2 twin seat jet trainers. In addition propellor driven Hercules, King Air, Tucano and Grob also use the Loop. The USAF are also frequent visitors flying predominantly the F15E "Strike Eagle", although they refer to the Loop as the “Roundabout”
The Loop is a popular location for aviation enthusiasts providing a rare opportunity
to photograph these aircraft as they practice low level flying at speeds of up to
500 knots and as low as 250 feet. By climbing up to natural vantage points in the
hills it is possible to photograph the planes as they fly literally beneath your
feet. It is however a hobby akin to fishing -
As mentioned in the introduction, being retired means I can spend a couple of days a week in the Loop and I’ve accumulated a large number of photographs since my first visit in August 2010. Below are a selection of my favourites.
The Mach Loop