Originally Posted by
Thrust Augmentation
This should maybe go in the spotters section, but;
Heard something early this morning (00:15 ish), flying low (2000 ft or less), relatively slow & heading East up the Great Glen, It sounded very much like something from the "Very Light Jet" category. First thought was a GA or commercial flight, but this low, in this area & in darkness just doesn't happen, hence wondering if it was an RAF Phenom 100.
I've had a look at the low flying schedules & no mention of anything - any ideas?
Given that it was the night after a public holiday (in England, anyway) and well after the cut-off time for low flying training, you can be assured that it was not a Phenom. Also, I’m no multi-engine expert but I’d be very surprised indeed if there was any night low flying training carried out except on the front-line types. Equipping the Phenom with a NVG-compatible cockpit would be a ridiculous waste of money...
The combination of ‘slow’ and ‘jet’ makes me suspect that your height estimation is awry. It’s very hard to judge distance from sound alone, especially if it’s otherwise quiet and terrain effects are involved (both seem likely in that part of the world).