E3 Sentry Question
Heading back to work after lunch, I saw the distinctive large arc contrail remains of an E3 orbiting over the Borders, and sure enough, following the curve I saw it, just as it started to trail again. A couple of things I pondered over, that you guys may be able to answer. Is there an "orbit switch", that sets the aircraft up in a pre-planned orbit, or does it have to be flown manually? Everytime I have seen these over the Borders, apart from once, they are always in a right hand, (clockwise), turn. I always thought that the Captain of an aircraft, sat in the left hand seat and therefore it should be in a left hand turn/orbit, as the Captain is in charge and would need to see where the aircraft was heading. So why do the E3's, that I've seen anyway, go round in a right/clockwise turn?