High level C17's

[Kronenburg]

Have noticed a stream of what I think are USAF C17 aircraft at high level transiting from east to west and vice versa on a line roughly Oxon - Cambs - Norfolk. On most clear days, several can be seen at intervals of a few hours and sometimes crossing. Are there any wise PPRuNe'rs out there with knowledge of where these aircraft are going? :confused:

[forget]

Close enough? But keep it to yourself. :)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/dover.jpg

[Taildragger67]

Middle England is not far from the GC track (http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=KDOV-ORBI%0D%0AKDOV-OBBI%0D%0AKDOV-OTBD%0D%0AKDOV-EDDF%0D%0A&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=red&PATH-UNITS=mi&PATH-MINIMUM=&SPEED-GROUND=&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=navy&MAP-STYLE=) for Dover AFB to various Middle East points (eg. Baghdad, Bahrain and Doha). I've chucked in Frankfurt for good measure (I know the Yanks closed Rhein/Main a while ago but I've thrown it in as a proxy for a central European field) - even closer to the track you mention.

[CDN_ATC]

That track is actually a little north on the western side of their regular air-refuelling area over Canada

[Simtech]

There is a TACAN route that runs between Marham and Brize Norton. This passes about a mile north of my house and I often see C-17s, C-5s etc both east- and west-bound.

[Taildragger67]

Brize = Oxfordshire; Marham = Norfolk. That would seem to fit Kronenburg's bill.

TACAN... thought that went out with the Ark! (Then again, there are lots of Ark-vintage Hercs still pottering about so one supposes it still gets some use!)

[kevrockjockuk01]

Try Ramstein AFB too. was over there saturday and sunday and logged 15 Mooses (C17) and a big selection of Gemini`s , Kallita , Tower Air 747 & DC-10-30F.
Also on TDY was two kentucky C-130`s.
The civies hall the stuff into RS and then the Mooses lift them into theatre.
Hope that helps

Long haired kev