Can someone tell me if they know what this is!

[EGNH]

This afternoon driving home, above between Blackburn and Preston (Lancs UK) was an aircraft circling in a figure of 8 pattern then it just went! At first I thought it could be a flight turning round but it went round a few time! It was high enough to produce a trail I would say as it was at least 15,000+ up.

There are no holding patterns above here for any local or international airports so presumed a tanker on refuelling excercise and tanker was holding for the target plane?

Pic below you will see at the edge of the pic is the contrail of another circle it did!

Opinions appreciated.

Can anyone actually tell me how to post an image off my desktop please!!

[JEM60]

More likely to be an Awacs. Seen these doing the same thing north of Cambridge.

[PaperTiger]

Can anyone actually tell me how to post an image off my desktop pleaseYou can't, the photo has to be on a server. Upload it to flickr or somewhere then link to it in your post.

[TSR2]

The ROSUN hold for north and east arrivals into MAN is not that far from Blackburn. I quite often see aircraft in that hold on a clear day from home which is east north east of Preston.

[EGNH]

Thanks TSR2 I forgot about ROSUN normally busy on a weekday morning is that hold. I also live N.East Preston just seemed unusal to get aircraft performing maneouvres for a long period (45min) it was only just visible with the naked eye the aircraft it was that high and could not tell what it was!

I know Warton sometimes hold over the Irish Sea when performing refuel excercise.

Add to edit Leeds is my old location.

[TSR2]

The aircraft I see in the ROSUN hold I would guess are about 7 - 11000 feet but no higher. I am not saying they do not hold at a higher altitude, just that the ones I notice are clearly visible.

[Starter Crew]

Awacs is the most likely. That and Racetrack are standard for those. Tankers deliver in racetrack so there's 2 long legs for joining aircraft to refuel...