An incident occured at RAF Waddington as a woman was spotted walking across an active taxiway and runway at the Royal Air Force base in Lincolnshire.
The incident, which unfolded on 26 February, led to a swift response from the RAF Police, who detained the individual before handing her over to civilian authorities.
A spokesperson for the Royal Air Force confirmed the breach, stating:
“On the afternoon of 26 February an individual was seen climbing over the RAF Waddington perimeter fence and proceeded to walk towards the taxiway. The RAF Police secured the unidentified person and subsequently handed them over to civilian police. The incident lasted less than ten minutes and did not affect operations.”
Images I was shown picture a woman in a black outfit, casually strolling on the runway whilst on her phone.
Aviation community concerned
The breach has sparked discussion among aviation enthusiasts, particularly those who frequent the area for plane spotting. A post described the situation as “a bit of a weird one”, expressing concern that incidents like this could “ruin it for the people”.
RAF Waddington is a high-security military installation, home to surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, including Shadow R1, RC-135 Rivet Joint, and Protector drones. Given the sensitive nature of operations at the base, any breach of the perimeter is taken seriously, even if there was no direct impact on flight operations.
RAF Waddington and Lincolnshire Police have long provided clear guidance to aviation enthusiasts and plane spotters about safety and responsible behaviour. A notice placed around the base reminds visitors of the risks and legal restrictions, including:
- Jet Efflux Hazards: Advising individuals to maintain a safe distance from runways due to the dangers of jet exhaust.
- Article 240 of the Air Navigation Order: Highlighting the importance of staying within designated areas to prevent trespassing on military property.
- Legal Consequences: Emphasising that violations may result in enforcement action, including Community Protection Notices for repeat offenders.
While aviation enthusiasts are encouraged to enjoy observing aircraft, trespassing on military property is a serious matter, and incidents like this raise concerns about potential restrictions on plane spotting near RAF bases in the future.
Me thinks these places need to up their security game considering the Hybrid war has already started.
Try Halton or Cranwell. They’re the easiest to simply walk into.
Halton has public footpaths through it
Yup
Indeed it is a weird one.
In climbing the fence, she’s hardly straying onto site by accident.
Yet does not act suspiciously after.
Maybe testing for a reaction?
And she got one.
Hi mate, sometimes the RAFP set these up to test reaction times. She might have been in mufti.
Hi mate.
I know SF test certain locations, did not know plod do it too. Cheers.
No problem the police dogs organize it as Snowdrop intelligence is limited 👌 😉
Swings and roundabouts.
Some locations seem lax in security, others you’re not getting into.
Getting over the perimeter fence on many sites doesn’t get one far, assets and places that matter have inner fences and security further within.
At Waddo, from memory, on the A15 side, it’s not far to reach the runway, and she will have been seen by cameras or the motion sensors.
RAF Police are located there.
Reminds me of my ATC days – annual camp at a certain RAF Base,luckily for us it was TACEVAL week,we had to stage a protest at the Gated main entrance,we all played the part a bit too well.The Gates were nearly stripped off of their hinges and a Water Cannon was threatened – much fun was had that week.