FJJP

On several nights recently (about 0115), there has been a big multi-piston flying over western Cambridgeshire, seemingly flying west .

Anyone any idea who and what type?

BEagle

Something from http://www.airatlantique.co.uk/ based at Coventry perhaps?

FJJP

Could be. I was definitely not a DC3, but sounded as though the DC6 is a possibility - overnight freight ops... The engines sounded soooo powerful.

Lowtimer

I'm pretty sure it's the DC-6. I've heard it recently at nght (from Ely) and it make my ears prick up to hear that big-piston sound at night... very rare these days though we hear it quite a bit during day in the air display season. We used to live in North Staffordshire some years ago and we often heard what I believe was the same aeroplane overhead at a higher altitude. Saw it a couple of times and it looked like a DC-6. Mrs Lowtimer used to say "There's the ghost plane"....

Pontius Navigator

Same in the Coningsby area.

Mail service or papers perhaps?

More exotic, drug smuggling into a disused airstrip?

VP8

Deffo Air Antiques DC6 out of STN on runs for DHL

VEEPS

treadigraph

Have occasionally heard one out of Heathrow heading towards Dover in the small hours... if the road traffic dies away, I can hear those radial reverberations gradually diminishing into the distance: a wonderfully evocative sound. I hope Air Atlantique keep them going forever!

Sliding member

Mostn likley is Air Antiques DC6, has recently been operating STN-EXT on mail services, though I thinks it was a temp arangement. Lovely sound, maybe not for those sleeping though.

Daysleeper

I belive the six has been covering for the electra as Exeter ground handling decided the electra looked better without a main cargo door and tried to rip it off with a hi-lo. Should have an icelandic 737 covering the route soon so normal sleeping may be resumed.

steamchicken

Heard one of those Air Atl-Antiques heading over near Heathrow in the dead of night not so long ago...

FJJP

Back again last night - lovely to hear...