My letter about the increased aircraft noise over our area ('Training planes shatter peace', Letters, December 31) touched a raw nerve, but much of the response is ill-informed and hostile.

I am neither anti-American nor anti-RAF, but that does not prevent me believing our armed forces exist to serve the nation, rather than the other way around.

They need appropriate resources for the world we live in - not some fantasy world of dog-fights and invasion from the skies that some readers wallow in. It is 50 years since we were attacked from the air and the Empire has gone.

We are all about to pay for many new Eurofighters. The RAF will put on a brave face, but they and we know Eurofighters were designed to defend us from Soviet MIGs.

That money could have bought a new rail system or funded a new hospital in every major city.

Some of the RAF's present planes should be in museums, but that does not excuse buying dozens of incredibly noisy new aircraft solely for training and then basing them in what was a very quiet county.

Over much of North Yorkshire it was possible to go for weeks at a time without hearing a Jet Provost, but hardly anywhere seems to escape the Tucanos.

The RAF top brass is not required to pay any attention to the people they affect, so they don't. That should change.

The Tucano is too noisy to be used extensively over populated areas, especially when there are quieter basic trainers available. If it cannot be made quieter, then it should be restricted in the number of flights and areas affected.

John Reed,

Willow Grove,

Heworth, York.

Updated: 11:39 Saturday, January 08, 2005