Any closet plane-spotters?

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DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
We had a couple of Typhoon Eurofighters go full speed over the house a couple of weeks back, the noise was phenomenal, apparently it was a QRA from RAF Scampton, they escorted a non responsive aircraft to land at Leeds/Bradford (Yeadon) Airport.
Then last weekend a Spitfire going west to east.
https://www.sherburnaeroclub.com/restaurant-bar
And if anyone is cycling round Sherburn in Elmet, the cafe stop here is good for watching planes with a cake and a coffee. :okay:
 
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Bromptonaut

Rohan Man
Location
Bugbrooke UK
I fancy having a crack at aircraft pyotograpyy from my garden here at Drago Towers.
Much to see?
 
When I used to work in a tall building in Liverpool we could set our clocks by the daily Hawk from Valley

now that I live within a bike ride of the airport - I sometimes see Hawk do an approach and at the last minute up wheels and turn the engine up
On one occasion I was on a back path round the airport and a Hawk came in from the North (unusual wind) and turned right over me to turn right over the control tower
He repeated it a few times - using rather a lot of fuel judging by the noise

If I am lucky I get to see them doing circuits in newer aircraft
lockdown was great for that - the RAF seemed to use it to catch up with and advance a lot of trainng
I saw a few Atlases and a Poseidon
as well as a load of Hawks from time to time
they were pretty much the only thinsg flying from Liverpool except for the compulsory flights from the Isle of Mann
 
A coupla months backmI was cleaning the car and I heard a big multi engine piston-prop job approaching. I looked up expecting to see a Lanc or maybe even a Shackleton, but it was a liveried up B17 coming in from the NW at only a few hundred feet. It was a glorious sight to behold.
Ah - Shackleton

I heard it once referred to as
40,000 rivets flying in close formation

a former pilot corrected him to
relatively close formation

there was a rumour that the planes were retained on the northern radar coverage detail for so long was to ensure a good supply of pilots for the Lancs in the BBMF
in spite of the only thing in the SUPER IMPORTANT major early warning radar coverage for the whole of NATO that was older than the Shakleton was the WW2 Radar that is was using to detect the incoming aircraft from a major SuperPower with modern technologies
only a rumour of course :eek:

still - we never got blown up
 

classic33

Leg End Member
We had a couple of Typhoon Eurofighters go full speed over the house a couple of weeks back, the noise was phenomenal, apparently it was a QRA from RAF Scampton, they escorted a non responsive aircraft to land at Leeds/Bradford (Yeadon) Airport.
Then last weekend a Spitfire going west to east.
https://www.sherburnaeroclub.com/restaurant-bar
And if anyone is cycling round Sherburn in Elmet, the cafe stop here is good for watching planes with a cake and a coffee. :okay:
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/new...nd-guide-it-to-leeds-bradford-airport-3345099

https://uknip.co.uk/breaking/news-2...after-losing-radio-contact-in-leeds-airspace/
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Much to see?
Since you ask, yes, quite a lot.

I'm under the great circle route for transatlantic flights going to and from Luton, so a lot of commercial big bird traffic.

Im close enough to both Sywell and Cranfield that I get a lot of light aircraft activity including, for some strange reason, a lot of aerobatic aircraft practicing.

A lot of military traffic. I have been informed that i am close to the crossing of 2 fairly busy routes between various military airfields.

We see a lot of Apaches for some reason, and they use the road on the ridge between Roade and Hartwell to shadow cars, doubtless praticing picking them up with TADS.

And lately ive seen a lot of those 2 seater Spitfires that one can pay to have rides in. I don't know what they're doing up my end, but here they are.

So quite a bit of aerial activity round Drago Towers.
 
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DaveReading

Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
Location
Reading, obvs
I don’t think there are any Shackletons flying now are there? I used to live in Lossiemouth in the 70s so they were a constant presence in my youth.

The last time a Shackleton flew in the UK was about 30 years ago.
 
I saw a video of the last time one was on patrol with its normal fighter jet escort (probably a Tornado???)
The new AWAC came along to take over. Up to that point the escort fighter had beenstruggling to keep down to the right speed to maintain formation - when the AWAC came along it dipped its nose and accelerated to a more normal speed and attitude as the Shakleton turned for home .
 

Bromptonaut

Rohan Man
Location
Bugbrooke UK
Since you ask, yes, quite a lot.

I'm under the great circle route for transatlantic flights going to and from Luton, so a lot of commercial big bird traffic.

Im close enough to both Sywell and Cranfield that I get a lot of light aircraft activity including, for some strange reason, a lot of aerobatic aircraft practicing.

I'm in broadly the same neck of the woods hence the interest in what you might see.

As you say there's a lot of airways traffic overhead both out of the London area airports and northwards towards the northern airports like Manchester or Leeds. Birmingham inbound from south and east traffic comes over between 9 and 13 thousand feet depending on which runway is in use. Casteldon inbounds similar but a bit further east; behind my house rather than overhead.

The Daventry Corridor for military traffic crosses east/west and FL100. Ospreys, US and UK Hercules and the A400M are over pretty much daily.

Modern cameras with image stabilising etc seem capable of capturing cruising dots in surprisingly good resolution; a facebook group for Leeds Bradford airport I use has somebody posting there from time to time.

Aerobatting practice out of Sywell is usually the resident Blades team.

Sywell would be good for pics this weekend it's the Light Aircraft Association's Annual Rally. Lots of home built and historic types as well as the mass produced 'spam cans' of Messrs Cessna and Piper etc. Years ago when it was at Cranfield one could get airside passes, probably not possible now due H&S but one could walk around pretty much at will.
 

DaveReading

Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
Location
Reading, obvs
Interestingly, the organised flight tracks over the North Atlantic, which are nominally Great Circle (i.e. shortest distance) can vary quite a bit from day to day, depending on the winds.

For example one day a flight from Heathrow to New York might depart heading due west over the Bristol Channel and South Wales, and the next day head up north towards Manchester and Liverpool before turning westwards to start the Atlantic crossing.
 
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