A small protest against a large amount of noise

Piss Off Biggles!

A low-flying aircraft passes over a hillside, with a sign asking Biggles to clear off.

If, in this green and pleasant land of ours, you escape the crowds and find a quiet place to restore your soul, you can be sure that within minutes Biggles will appear in his plane, helicopter or paraglider to ruin your peace. When he does, the traditional British response is: "Piss off Biggles!"

"TA" wrote: After speaking with the farmer by email, I can add to the story. He painted the Biggles comment in 1986 after months of frustration. Having moved into a farmhouse that had been empty for years, he found that RAF aircraft were using it as a target. Jets flew low over the house day and night, alarming his young children. On one occasion, a Hercules at midnight seemed to be below the level of the house. He informed the Ministry of Defence that he was living there, but received little response.

After painting "Piss off Biggles", he told me that, contrary to the myth, once he stopped complaining to the Ministry and put up the sign, things improved. It seemed to appeal to the pilots’ sense of humour: they flew higher and showed more consideration. A friend in the RAF was even asked by an American pilot, "What’s a Biggle?"

Biggles was the fictional RAF pilot in 104 books by Captain W. E. Johns, spanning the First and Second World Wars and published between 1932 and 1969.

With thanks, ironically, to the unnamed RAF pilot who took the picture, and to the Welsh farmer whose barn inspired us. Credit to TA, who prefers not to be linked, being rather fond of aircraft noise. Additional reference