Shoebury range

[Dan Tribe]

Just received this via my sailing club. Might be of interest.

MOD SHOEBURYNESS TESTING
FEBRUARY 27, 2020 BSCADMIN LEAVE A COMMENT
MOD Shoeburyness – Unusual Activity Alert: 4 & 5 March 2020
On 4 & 5 March 2020, from approximately 08:30hrs, QinetiQ will be carrying out activities at the Shoeburyness Range on behalf of the MOD, which may be visible in the vicinity of the Thames Estuary.
The activity involves the use of airborne munitions which are designed to illuminate large areas and therefore, members of the public may report repeated observation of distress signals/flares or similar up to 3km out to sea.
All activity on the Range is conducted in a strictly controlled environment and presents no danger to the public. This work, as with the vast majority of work undertaken on the site, is subject to suitable acoustic forecasts and tide times, which are governed by weather conditions on the day. Consequently, the date of the activity may be subject to change. If members of the public are concerned by Range activity, they can call the freephone Careline on 0800 0560108.

 

[MoodySabre]

The message is also "If you are out on a boat on those dates don't have a problem that leads you to send up a flare - because you will be ignored!"

 

[Old Bumbulum]

The message is also "If you are out on a boat on those dates don't have a problem that leads you to send up a flare - because you will be ignored!"

Most unlikely, I'd have thought.

For a start the area will contain numerous competent observers who will know if it's one of theirs or not and thus flares would probably be far more readily spotted at these times.
Secondly it would take a particularly dim member of the public to misake a lon-lasting and enormously bright military illumination flare (white) for a short-term small red maritime distress flare. Clearly such people exist, and probably in some numbers, but even so.

 

[Dan Tribe]

it would take a particularly dim member of the public to misake a lon-lasting and enormously bright military illumination flare (white) for a short-term small red maritime distress flare. Clearly such people exist, and probably in some numbers, but even so.

We are talking about Essex & North Kent.

 

[PeterWright]

We are talking about Essex & North Kent.

Well said that man from southeast Essex!

 

[Cantata]

....................... it would take a particularly dim member of the public to misake a lon-lasting and enormously bright military illumination flare (white) for a short-term small red maritime distress flare. Clearly such people exist, and probably in some numbers, but even so.

You might be surprised. I was on a CG team in East Kent for 15 years and such events at Shoebury always triggered a flurry of 999 calls, without fail.

 

[oldgit]

We are talking about Essex & North Kent.

Ouch

 

[MoodySabre]

My comment was not supposed to be taken seriously. It was on the lines of "Baby on Board" signs in cars having a sub-text "Caution - Driver easily distracted"

 

[johnalison]

My comment was not supposed to be taken seriously. It was on the lines of "Baby on Board" signs in cars having a sub-text "Caution - Driver easily distracted"

You should know that all comments are taken seriously, except those which are intended to be. I think I've just invented a law.

 

[Old Bumbulum]

My comment was not supposed to be taken seriously. It was on the lines of "Baby on Board" signs in cars having a sub-text "Caution - Driver easily distracted"

I'd always unserstood those to be a warning of soiled nappies being defenestrated.