The Mach Loop

Also known as the Machynlleth Loop, the Mach Loop in west-central Wales comprises a series of valleys in the United Kingdom known for their use as a low-altitude training course for fast aircraft, helping military aviators hone their abilities to fly low and accurate missions as close to dangerous terrain as humanly possible.

A Fast Slalom Course

Part of the United Kingdom Low Flying System, which covers much of Wales, the most challenging part of the slalom course sits some eight miles east of Barmouth between the towns of Dolgellau to the north and Machynlleth to the south and is generally utilized by American and British aviators stationed at RAF Lakenheath or RAF Mildenhall air bases.

A Wide Range of Warbirds

Over the years, the Mach Loop has witnessed a wide variety of military aircraft, including most recently the Royal Air Force Airbus A400M, Typhoon and Hawk fighter jets and the C-130J Super Hercules transport plane. Others include the F-15C Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles flown by the U.S. Air Force, the MC-130, V-22 Ospreys, F-16s, F-22s and F-35 supersonic fighters, while other European nations have been seen practicing low-altitude, high speed training flights on the Loop, such as the Belgian Air Component’s F-16 Fighting Falcons and more.

Photographer’s Dream

The Mach Loop also comprises one of the few places on earth where photographers can see fast attack combat aircraft flying at eye level or even beneath their vantage point, which over the years has allowed photographers to capture closeup stills of some of the fastest aircraft in the world. In an age of ever-improved computing capacity, flight simulators such as Microsoft’s Flight simulator platform launched in 2020 now includes the Mach Loop as a signature low-level flight challenge, which employs Bing Maps data to reproduce the contours and appearance of the loop’s surrounding countryside.

Not so Loud!

Combined with repeated calls for noise abatement by the residents of central Wales, in December of 2018, Britain’s Ministry of Defense called for reductions in the number of aircraft training on the Loop, now limited solely to joint training exercises with British aviators, making the Mach Loop, a key training ground in military aviator’s constant need for speed.