Military AircrewA forum for the professionals who fly the non-civilian hardware, and the backroom boys and girls without whom nothing would leave the ground. Army, Navy and Airforces of the World, all equally welcome here.
Oooh, couldn't possibly say. They're highly classified. No RAF aircraft would ever dare go near there :-) Anyway, no present-day nav kit could ever find UTM 30U 5842055.5 500221.5.
Location: just left of a valley,dorsetestishireland
Age: 44
Posts: 55
Sea King crew must be reading these requests, as a Yeovilton cab came through our valley last night (19.45) very low and slow, but that was just before the space station went over again followed by two FR Aviation? aircraft in formation proceeded in a westerly direction, coming back an hour later.
I should be easy to spot on the balcony, if your looking for a heat source!
"but that was just before the space station went over again followed by two FR Aviation? aircraft in formation proceeded in a westerly direction"
Bl**dy hell those FR Aviation Falcon's must have had some serious mod's to fly that high!!! LOL
I'll also back the need for more FJ acivity, EGPF never see's any oveshoots anymore, occasional C-130 or VC-10 med flts but nought else. Last time I saw a FJ was a pair of Tonka's diverted in en-route to Leuchars, round about this time last year! Was late leaving work and the admin office at our end of the hangar overlooks the tower and runway - Tonka departure was awesome, full reheat, 25-30ft till the "piano keys" then a ball crushing pull on the stick
I remember a childhood holiday in Jedburgh back in '84/85, never seen an F-111 at the same level as me before other than on the deck!, the noise/vibration took a chimney off the farmhouse next to our cottage - that impresses a 9 year old.
Bit late i know...
but anyone having a little low fly jaunt into Devon tomorrow (wednesday) then be sure to come past Okehampton Camp, between that and the town following the A30 after 11am please, preferably below 1000ft
I must agree with some of these "complaints"....imagine, if you will......
A jolly yacht sailing north along the north east coast to Sunderland Airshow. Nice weather, nice and quiet and relaxed sail, with my good self (before my flying days) standing on the deck of a yacht securing some loose ropes at the mast. Then, out of nowhere, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING instantly rattles and shakes, myself, the mast, the boat, the waves, I'm sure the fish felt it. My feet jump uncontrollably into the air, my head ducks down instinctively... I look up, eardrums howling, hands shaking, heart racing, to see a Tornado zooming past, burners on, dead overhead (mast height, 30 ft above sea level, Tornado altitude 31 ft-ish!). The RAF chap pulls into a turn and cirlces back around us. I imagine him laughing into his mask, I couldn't stop laughing and give him a huge wave in ultimate respect. Bravo! Better him there than in a flight simulator or behind a desk!
Just one complaint........there was at least another 12 inches to take off before he'd have hit my VHF aerial at the top of the mast.....now, can you Navy chaps do better?
P.S. 500ft rule??? Bahhhhh humbug .....oh, and best wishes to you all from a Civvy.
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 15,745
Summer of '76 and I had a spell as RSO at Pembrey for the day.
We had to stop activity when a yacht wandered into the danger area. It just seemed to be drifting - so I asked a Hunter in the pattern to 'investigate'. Flown by one 'Kiwi' O'M*****....
"Two people on deck", he replied.
"Doing what - the boat isn't moving", I asked
"Sh*gging!" came the reply...
A couple of lowish passes, then the chap pulled up his pants, pulled up the sail and off they went!
Only other time I had to give a 'STOP STOP STOP' was when a Jet Provost from Learning Command wandered through the range - between the target and the tip in point just after a Hunter had been cleared hot....
Anything would be nice to drown out the sound of the local 'neds' in their 'modified' Corsas, Saxos and the like.
Indeed Jock! Which reminds me of a low flying complaint that wasn't made back some time in the 1940s. My Great-Uncle Fred, serving with the RAF in the Middle East. Granted home leave, he intended to make his return to Strathearn one to remember. The last leg of the journey involved him hitching a flight in a Blenheim from Prestwick to Scone. This provided a chance too good to miss so the pilot was requested to go down low so they could make their presence felt. He was only too happy to oblige and they were soon whistling in from the west, resulting in startling the living daylights out of my Great-grandparents who were left face down in the fields such was their alarm. Just to make sure, they repeated the fly-by before beetling off to Scone where in some sort of prompt karmic cycle, my Uncle managed to disembark from the Blenheim in the middle of a CO's parade. Having been personally escorted from the station by the SWO, berating him all the while on an assortment of apparent shortcomings, he walked the remaining 20 miles back to my Great-Grandparents. On arrival, they rather took the carpet out from beneath his feet by refusing to acknowledge any sight or sound of an aeroplane that day, far less one at 30 feet resulting in them having had to seek shelter in a ditch
How I would have loved to have seen something like that! I was fortunate enough to undertake something kind of similar above the same place 40 or so years later when I was taken up in an Aerobat circa late 80s by an instructor from ATS at Scone (think he may have been ex-Vulcan pilot, P*** C****). After graciously allowing me to undertake a few loops, he went on to demonstrate some quite exhilarating aerobatics.
Thanks to the black painted Hawk that flew right over at 14:06 bang on the coordinates for my roof. I was in the garden pacing out the new lawn. A little but lower next time maybe..
I want to complain. Nothing, nada, stufff all here 51.192N 0.327W. Far too quiet.
Groups of little red jets tend to fly over Dorking when traveling East/West and vice versa. Come further South and enjoy the scenery.
However, 1985/6 sailing back from France and about 5 miles South of the Eastern Isle of Wight, we were aware that we were in the hold area for an airshow (Southampton/Portsmouth?). Think it was a Jaguar that did a low pass over our 50' mast. I saw it coming, but didn't say anything to the rest of the hungover crew. Must have been about 200'. But I waved.
This must have done the trick, because he came back, fast and very, very low. Once again, the hungovers had no idea. Maybe 100 ft.
Thereafter we got buzzed by everything. Never had a personal airshow before or after.
Worth every penny I paid in tax. And more.
The not saying anything dated back to my best crewman and I nodding to each other at about 10.50 when on Channel crossings. Knowing that Concorde was coming. Actually it was us that jumped higher when the bang bang arrived....
Anyway, if any of you remember a trendily beige sailing boat with a red stripe, on a lovely sunny windless day, thank you thank you thank you.
BZ to the crew of Vortex 489 (I think it was) , crossing the A420 at Wick yesterday 16:08 local, heading southbound, working Filton Radar, ".....Navex, currently low-level ..." I'll say you were, made my day that did, but gone all too quickly.
Don't understand what you lot are moaning about, I'm stuck here, in Dahlewitz, just out side of Berlin and the locals havn't seen a Lanc in years. At one time they used to get quite a few daily, don't know what the worlds comming to.
A few years ago I was in a car just reaching the top of the Kirkstone Pass when we were skimmed by a Tornado, much less than 100ft! Didn't hear it coming, it just shot over us with an almighty roar. Thanks guys, very cool, but my mate nearly ran his car off the mountain.
If the guys from the secret Oxfordshire heli-base either PM me, or wait another four weeks or so, the nags will be inside during the day and you can fly under the HT wires next to the house, not three (large) fields away. I'll happily stand you a beer in the Shepherd's Hut
Shepherd's Hut eh? I miss the place and the secret Oxon airbase..mind you, you can probably find more serviceable Merlins near here than there, and they sound better
Bravo!
.....oh, and best wishes to you all 
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