View Full Version : Nov 5th - what the bl00dy hell was that??!
big.al
7th Nov 2007, 11:21
8pm(ish) on Monday - just near J30 of the M1. I was at a bonfire display, and a largish twin-turbine a/c came flying by at probably no more than 200ft AGL. Was about 1/2 mile way from me but in the dark all I could see where the (many) rows of windows lit up from inside, and the anti-collision lights (top and bottom). That was how low it was - I could see BOTH a/c collision lights (rotary older type, not strobes).
It wasn't a jet - sounded like a turboprop. It crossed the M1 west-east and was so low everyone watching was convinced it was coming down. Scared the willies out of me.:eek:
And before everyone jumps on the "I'll bet it was at least 1500ft AGL" bandwagon, let me say that it was so low I could see the a/c lights blinking through the trees nearby and it appeared to be struggling to climb UP the valley towards the motorway.
Was somebody doing some daft low-level charter to watch the fireworks? Had it been a mil fast jet I could've understood but a largish (say DH3 size) commercial aircraft at that altitude? Certain breach of rule 5. Anyone know anything about it, rather than speculation or the usual accusations that I was hallucinating about the low level?
S-Works
7th Nov 2007, 11:25
Are you sure it was not military, brize have twin turboprops C31 or something like that operate low level all the time.
gcolyer
7th Nov 2007, 11:50
Brize is miles away from Jct30 of the M1 though. And the C31 does not have lots of windows along the side.
GalleyTeapot
7th Nov 2007, 11:54
AN RN Jetstream on a low level navex??
http://www.targeta.co.uk/pages/031_1826_RJa.htm
Or an Andover C.1 with the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) from Boscombe Down??
http://www.targeta.co.uk/pages/071_4241w5.htm
S-Works
7th Nov 2007, 11:59
Or an RAF Kingair or jetstream on a navex. The mil are the only people that fly the big stuff low level and I would bet anything it was mil.
Must be something in the water this week! Just last night on my way home spotted big helicopter just south of Flitwick in Bedfordshire going east to west and quite low.
It had no lights on it apart from two on the tail a big red one and a smaller white strobe I think, anyway, the helicopter was very long and quite narrow if you know what I mean, I think it looked great, really low and just slowly going about it's business.
gcolyer
7th Nov 2007, 12:07
I get a big mil heli skim my roof most nights at about 21:00 heading south. I think it is heading to RNAS Yeovilton.
big.al
7th Nov 2007, 12:12
Jetstream - yes possibly - but over a built up area? And it seemed to have more rows of windows than the one in the photo. Must've missed our church spire by a whisker! Had there been any kind of unlit tower or mast, it would've made quite a mess of our village...
It disappeared just over the top of some trees on the higher-side of the M1 and everyone was waiting for a fireball to erupt - thankfully it never came. It was like prelude to an episode of Emmerdale - not that I ever watch such :mad:!
Andover C1 - again possible, but a long way from Boscombe and not exactly heading in a direction I'd expect. I guess they could've been heading for Waddington - roughly in that direction.
I seem to recall that the a/c beacon on the top of the fuselage was asymetric to the one below the fuselage, but I can't for the life of me picture which was was further forward - top or bottom....
Probably was mil, either that or someone having fun dodging air bombs...
airborne_artist
8th Nov 2007, 11:14
The closest based would be an RAF King Air (http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/kingair.cfm) which are based at Cranwell
The Jetstreams from 750 at Culdrose would have been quite a long way from home. The RN has a couple more Jetstreams at Yeovilton for VIP transport, but I doubt they'd have been at 200' in the cruise.
S-Works
8th Nov 2007, 11:59
Cranwell has Jetstreams as well. I went to a CAA safety evening 2 weeks ago and was talking to one of the Jetsream Instructors. They do a lot of low level work. J23 from Cranwell is nothing in a Jetstream.
airborne_artist
8th Nov 2007, 12:26
If Cranwell has Jetstreams then they must have returned since this (http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2004/jetstream/jetstream.htm) was written, or the writer was wrong.
rjay259
8th Nov 2007, 13:30
45R Sqn used to fly the Jetstream for multi engine training but they now fly the king air, they may still have a couple in the hanger and bring them out to give them a bit of a work out.
Cranfield university have a couple of research jetstreams that they use and they go out at all sorts of times to collect flight data at all sorts of altitudes.
Just some added info make of it what you will.
259
harrogate
8th Nov 2007, 13:43
A Warton Jetstream was up in this area on 5th.
Have a squiz at my post in the Mil forum.