Prestwick renditions

[sugden]

I'll put this in the spotters thing coz I'll probably be jumped on if I put it in R&N (even though it is).

Lots in the national news re US flights going through Prestick carrying munitions to Israel and also, according to the Times today, Israeli military aircraft using the airport, presumably for similar military purposes. And all allegedly without the knowledge or permission of the UK government.

Does anyone who spots there have anything to say re these reports ie flights you've seen, unusual activity etc?

Does anyone in the flying community have any take on this, stuff they heard on the airways, from a friend of a friend etc?

Thanks

[Heavy Metal!!]

Hey Sugden,

I was about to write the same post but you beat me to it! I don't live near prestwick or scotland at all for that matter but I have had growing interest of the news on the matter. I believe the Isreali air force have operated through prestwick for many years now but these other US flights are susspect.

Check out this site http://flightaware.com/live/ and type in the Airport code EGPK (prestwick). This clearly shows both Evergreen International and Atlas air flying From USAF bases to Prestwick. Just seen some of these exact flight details on Chanel 4 news!

Can't seem to find details of where these aircraft are heading to next, but the informations probably out there somewhere.

Hope this helps.

HM!!

[oldlag53]

I've logged Polar Air Cargo and Atlas Air 747s staging through PIK on a regular basis, often from Dover AFB in US (massive logistics base) and then on to Ramstein in Germany. This has been happening many times a week for months now.
Re the Israeli 707, it did indeed pass through PIK last week (see http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/egpkpik/ (http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/egpkpik/) ). It arrived on 25th and left on 26th. A search for the airframe on www.airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net) reveals that they are fairly regular visitors to PIK, usually nightstopping. In fact the airliner photo sites are a really useful way of getting a feel for where particular aircraft have been over a period of time.
Amazing what you can find on the net!!

EDIT: The first link does not seem to work.

EDIT 2: S'OK - I've corrected it

[ALLDAYDELI]

The Atlas & Evergreen B741/B742 flights have been techstopping in PIK for MANY MANY years. They are connected with the US Mil flights to/from Europe and the Middle East. These are and have been regular movements and nothing to do with events in Israel.

[sugden]

Thanks Alldaydeli.

I guess it's the unscheduled (as in not publicly broadcast) movements that are the interesting ones.

Which is not to say Atlas and Evergreen are not now carrying stuff that's headed for Israel.

But really I'm interested in the rumours about Prestwick being used for rendition of "enemy combatants", those non-persons who are neither prisoners of war nor prisoners of civil society.

Gotta love the land of the free.

[AlphaWhiskyRomeo]

According to the Beeb, PIK will now not be used again for such "hazardous" cargo.

I know that Atlas flew out of Mildenhall on Monday to LLBG with Class 1 goods onboard.

[sugden]

So will Prestwick be suing the government for lost landing fees?

[Skipness One Echo]

PIK has been a mecca for transit stops for years. (like Shannon)
The journalists mistook a Canadian A310 and then the scheduled Atlas 747 for the aircraft carrying munitions to Israel. The Kalitta and Evergreen 747s from and to Israel went oddly unmentioned until much later.
As for extraordainary rendition, perhaps yes, perhaps no. I don't know. Ask the ramp agent.......

[oldlag53]

On this subject, does anyone know why PIK and SNN are being used as transit stops by the US?? Why do they not save a load of hassle and just go through Mildenhall??

Or is it deliberate policy to ensure that the UK and Ireland are 'involved' whether we like it or not. I am particularly puzzled as to why SNN is used, considering the Republic is not only against the Iraq conflict, but has been avowedly neutral since its inception...

(I should state that although I live in Ireland now, I am a British 'refugee'!!)

[Frankfurt_Cowboy]

"I am particularly puzzled as to why SNN is used, considering the Republic is not only against the Iraq conflict, but has been avowedly neutral since its inception..."


Is it (or rather was it) perhaps due to money?? It's amazing how quickly you can compromise your principles when large wads of banknotes are waved under your nose.

[Rainboe]

You are all assuming that such traffic is against our interests. Having lived my life under the umbrella protection of an ally like the US, I am happy and content, along with the majority in this country, to trust the US to send whatever it likes through our airports- it is nothing less than we owe them for their loyalty to us for the last 100 years, and more recently in particular. So don't assume your anti-Americanism is an emotion felt by the majority. If it is felt that Israel needs support following the assaults and kidnapping is was recently subject to, and needs to eliminate that threat to its people, then that's just fine by me. Unless terrorists are stood up to at every appearance, then they will proliferate. The Hamas way of politics we can all do without.

[oldlag53]

Frankfurt Cowboy, I doubt it's money...it causes amazing hassle here in Ireland, people are really p***ed off about it...

Rainboe, I accept your point, but does it really make sense to rub people's noses in it, especially when you've got military bases perfectly capable of handling large transport/cargo aircraft???

[Gulf4uk]

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Does anyone who spots there have anything to say re these reports ie flights you've seen, unusual activity etc?

Does anyone in the flying community have any take on this, stuff they heard on the airways, from a friend of a friend etc?

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HI

I Sincerly hope Spotters do not pass on this sort of info to anyone
requesting it . Spotters have a difficult time at some airfields as it
is and am pretty sure life at prestwick must have got Difficult in last
few days for them . Spotters should and in the main Do concentrate
on the Aircraft not whats in them or where going Even if asked its
seems easy enough to find out anyway but Surely its better to ignore
all requests from outsiders for WHO\WHAT.
Lets keep the Anti American\anti war sentiments out of Spotting and spotters even if meant in Humour . Spotters need friends at Airfields giving the wrong people Info wont Help