Heavy turboprop over London 2300 each night

[WHBM]

Just a trivial question, not being into airband radios or that stuff.

Many nights a heavy turboprop rumbles over my house, right by London City, at about 2300, having crossed eastbound over Central London, and sounds like it is in a full power climb. I would guess it is at about 10,000 feet. No jets ever seem to take this track. It just went over now. My hunch is it is heading for Detling VOR and beyond. I sometimes hear it (presumably) coming back about 0400.

Anyone any idea what it is? I guess it's a night freighter to somewhere.

[A Very Civil Pilot]

Perhaps its one of those old Russian frieghters flying out of Manston or Southend. I guess they'd need to get as far as LCY before getting 10,000'

[a bristolian]

I thought TNT have used Lockheed Electra L188 on their CWL - Liege freight service, times would be about right. CWL eastbounds on G1 would go over Central London -ish .

[Buster the Bear]

How about the DHL Convair 580 that operates from Luton at night?

It's route is BPK-DET I think?

[Red Four]

I would think the Air Contractors C130 from Stansted to Paris.

[slingsby]

I have noticed a DC6 trundling around west of EGLL lately, superb sound, lasts for ages.

Plenty of C130's floating around, both Military and civilian. AIr Algerie use one into EGLL every now and then, backing in under its own power.

[opsjockey]

IN OUR OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT WE HAVE ACCESS TO LOTS OF SEXY FLIGHT PLANNING SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE EUROCONTROL SLOT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CFMU). CHECKING TONIGHTS FLIGHTS VIA DETLING I HAVE FOUND A CONVAIR (DESIGNATOR CVLT) GIVING AN ETA OVERHEAD DET OF 2303z. THIS AIRCRAFT OPERATES LUTON-BRUSSELS, CALLSIGN BCS1092. ROUTES TO DVR-UG1-KOK MAX FLT LVL 190. TONIGHT THE AIRCRAFT REG IS EC-GKH.
BRGDS
OPSJOCKEY

[WHBM]

Thanks for the info so far. Time is 2300 Local, not UTC (sorry, should have made clear). Not home last night, but tonight it rolled over right on 2300 Local, 2200Z.

When visual heading appears 090 along the Thames by LCY. A/C has nice clear nav lights for its height. Therefore feel the Convair from Luton, if routing via BPK-DET, would be too far north of here. DC6? Not the noise of a big piston (too bad), hear that come over about once a year. STN-CDG? wrong heading I feel. CWL - Liege? Probably my favourite. Does the old Electra fly unpressurised and therefore at lower level? Listening tonight, it could actually be at cruise, not climb power.

It's a tedious little query but here in the street I am regarded by the neighbours as the "flyer" and am therefore expected to know the answer to all such questions - the rest of you probably familiar with this scenario too.

[Hwel]

The electra operates FL180 - 220 by the time its near london on the TNT routes currently from Liverpool. Timing would be about right but I would be suprised if you could hear it from the ground. More likely the Herc.

[chiglet]

Slingsby
FWIW. the DC6 is a "piston" a/c [TOTALLY] different sound.
When I woz at Brum [1969/70] the VC9 Vanguard LHR-EDI??? was very noticable
I live East Manch, and the DLH/BCS L188/Electras were very obvious from EMA-EDI in the "Early hours"
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

[Buster the Bear]

How about a direct route from just before BPK to either Dover or Koksy (Belgian coast), thus missing out Detling?

When Luton are on 08, it trundles past me and it sounds great, but no where near as good as the Tynes of the Guardsvan, or the Britannia Proteus.