Planespotting!

[Analogue Boy]

A friend of mine used to live a mile or two from Heathrow, on the approach/take-off path, i swear i could see the pilots and passengers in the windows of the planes as they came in to land, the noise was horrific and the windows would shake in their frames, especially when the A380s were taking off.

Best flight ever was coming back to Heathrow on bonfire night. It was great to see all the rockets and fireworks going off from above.

 

[escargot]

Remember this?
(Safe Targeta aviation photography site)
Piss off Biggles!

'Piss off Biggles', 1989

In contact with the Welsh farmer (see caption above) recently I can add more to the story.

He painted the Biggles comment back in 1986 after months of frustration.

Having moved into the farm house, which had been empty for a number of years, it appeared to him that the RAF were using the house (which stands on a prominent rock outcrop in a deserted valley) as a 'target'.

The jets were flying low over his house day and night alarming his young children.

A Hercules at mid-night on one occasion appeared to be below the level of his house.

He quite properly informed the MOD that he was now "contrary to the myth, once I stopped complaining to the MOD and put up the Biggles sign things got better, it seemed to appeal to the pilots' sense of humour, it was even added to the Hawk simulator. They appeared to fly higher and showed more consideration."

He also added that a friend in the RAF had been asked by an American pilot, "Whats a Biggle?"

 

[RaM]

Aircraft on the March Loop.

 

[escargot]

Aircraft on the March Loop.

Can you speak up? I appear to have gone deaf!

 

[Nosmo King]

I see the RAF and Royal Navy have grounded all of their hawk aircraft, including the Red Arrows, after todays crash

wreckage of the crash

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-56531788

 

[escargot]

This is how the USAF have fun.

 

[Bigphoot2]

Seeing this beastie hurtling towards you could require a change of underwear

 

[Bigphoot2]

 

[RaM]

Photo session with a Hercules, how close do you want me.

 

[escargot]

View attachment 37241

TOP banter!

 

[RaM]

Red arrows or at lest red4 is on its way from Anglesey towards Derby.

Landed Scampton.

 

[Nosmo King]

Red arrows or at lest red4 is on its way from Anglesey towards Derby.

Didnt ground the hawks for long then

 

[RaM]

Authorised one flight to get them home?

 

[cycleboy2]

Authorised one flight to get them home?

Could have hired a lorry for the job! Easy.

 

[maximus otter]

View attachment 37241

There was a lot of Blackadder-related banter during Op. Granby. Seeing this RAF Tornado crew reminded me of reading about one pilot/navigator team whose patter en route to a target always involved this Melchett/Darling exchange:

Melchett: “God, it’s a barren, featureless wilderness out there!”

Darling: “Turn the map over, sir...”

maximus otter

 

[escargot]

Red arrows or at lest red4 is on its way from Anglesey towards Derby.

Landed Scampton.

I saw that on Flightradar and thought it was weird as they're normally seen harassing Welsh sheep and fish.
Hadn't heard about the Cornwall crash then so it's all clear to me now.

 

[RaM]

The RAF are going to retire the Hawk T1 75 of them, they were due to be out of service by 2030,
they have 20 odd T2's this is supposed to be a cost cutting exercise,.
The Navy Hawk in the incident was used by the Navy to simulate missile attacks on ships,
the idea being a civilian aircraft simulates a attacking aircraft and the Hawk the missile.

 

[RaM]

Looks like a U2 on it's way over the uk, it's at 60,000ft so I don't suppose we will see it
first time I have ever seen one with the transponder on
https://www.flightradar24.com/DRAGN86/274a17f6

 

[Nosmo King]

Looks like a U2 on it's way over the uk, it's at 60,000ft so I don't suppose we will see it
first time I have ever seen one with the transponder on
https://www.flightradar24.com/DRAGN86/274a17f6

I didnt know they were still flying the U2

 

[Bigphoot2]

Looks like a U2 on it's way over the uk, it's at 60,000ft so I don't suppose we will see it
first time I have ever seen one with the transponder on
https://www.flightradar24.com/DRAGN86/274a17f6

I've seen a few over southern California on Flightradar.

 

[RaM]

Nasa fly one or two think there are about 30 left they built some new ones some years back.

 

[RaM]

It just passed over here according to flight but cloudy and cant hear anything
not suppressing really it's about 12 miles up.

Loosing Hight so maybe it's coming into the UK.

 

[RaM]

Definitely heading for a UK landing cant see it landing at a civil airport
for all sorts of reasons, heading straight for Brize Norton.

 

[Nosmo King]

Definitely heading for a UK landing cant see it landing at a civil airport
for all sorts of reasons, heading straight for Brize Norton.

Plenty of military air bases in the UK, i use to drive past Northolt evey day on my way to work

 

[RaM]

RAF Fairford it's down.

 

[Mythopoeika]

I didnt know they were still flying the U2

They're still performing, yes.

 

[Nosmo King]

They're still performing, yes.

Unfortunately

 

[RaM]

A sat pic of Fairford that's interesting.
there are 3 B2 in all
https://www.google.com/maps/place/F...x36255f6868f0a4c7!8m2!3d51.707537!4d-1.785135

 

[gordonrutter]

A sat pic of Fairford that's interesting.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/F...x36255f6868f0a4c7!8m2!3d51.707537!4d-1.785135

Three of them!

 

[Erinaceus]

I should have posted this distant Osprey on the 30th March when it flew east over the middle of the English Channel. It didn't show on FR24.