Whitf_c wrote
I'm just curious of what they would be up to for so long given that they were armed QRA jets.
I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Enthusiasts at RAF Coningsby have noted QRA Typhoons being scrambled for QRA missions within UK airspace and then those aircraft not returning for many hours. The QRA would be scrambled as part of a test against simulated hijacked aircraft. Once the test was completed the aircraft would not return immediately to the base. Why not use up the fuel and gain additional flight hours? In the case of the helicopter incident the VC-10 was also up so why not remain airborne to get the full training benefit of the scramble?
Only one Typhoon was authorised to go supersonic
Authorisation was given for one of the Typhoons to transit at supersonic speed over land, which resulted in the sonic boom heard by the public.
Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | RAF Typhoons scrambled over UK