Not sure what I have just seen

[Ian Titcombe]

I have just caught a sighting of what looked like a cross between a U2 and a Canberra flying low over Swindon heading towards either Fairford/Brize Norton. Fairly sure it was not a U2 as wing lengths looked relatively shorter than I remember (having seen the odd one many years ago around this neck of the woods) and very certain it was not a Canberra as wings were too narrow. No doubt there are people out there who can tell me what I saw!

[OntimeexceptACARS]

Maybe a WB-57?

WB-57 Home (http://jsc-aircraft-ops.jsc.nasa.gov/wb57/)

[DaveReidUK]

A pair of U-2s have been active at Fairford today.

[Ian Titcombe]

A U2 is obviously what it was then, that is the trouble with getting older the eyesight and memory are not what they used to be!

[Big Eric]

They use Fairford regularly as a stop-over between the US and a certain Eastern hot and sandy country to the East. The airframes going West are going home for maintenance and those going East are just out of maintenance.

[Ian Titcombe]

As Fairford is only 5 miles North of me as the crow flies, it is still quite rare to see any aircraft movement from home as the runway/flight path runs parallel to Swindon, but can often hear low flying jet engines and seemingly often under the cover of darkness. I knew that U2's were at Fairford during the Gulf conflicts and it follows that in the current climate they would use the base again.

[Big Eric]

They've been doing a regular stop-over at Fairford for years, nothing to do with any conflicts (another 3 arrived today and 2 left) !

They always arrive and depart in daylight by the way.