MQ-9 flies to RIAT 2018

[chopper2004]

A surprise for RIAT 2018:

The MQ-9 will fly from North Dakota - to Fairford in the summer....

https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/historic-trans-atlantic-flight-planned-for-new-royal-air-force-aircraft/

cheerrs

[Heathrow Harry]

do they come to breed??

[BEagle]

Quite a few temporary danger areas are being established to enable this drone to fly in to Fairford, some at short notice.

Presumably the populations of towns such as Penzance, Helston, Camborne, Redruth, Hereford, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Cirencester have been made aware of this?

Operated at all times by a fully qualified pilot, Protector is the World’s first RPAS drone to be designed, built and certified against stringent NATO and UK Safety Certification standards equivalent to manned aircraft.

Oh good....:hmm:

[camelspyyder]

Quite a few temporary danger areas are being established to enable this drone to fly in to Fairford, some at short notice.

Presumably the populations of towns such as Penzance, Helston, Camborne, Redruth, Hereford, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Cirencester have been made aware of this?



Oh good....:hmm:

Oh a lighter note, the aircraft will be under the control of a multi-billion dollar corporation (GA) so if it falls on your house there'll be plenty of compo to be had.

Mind you, given that most of the towns you mention are in helicopter country, the risk from the RPAS is substantially less than the daily rotary traffic.

[Mil-26Man]

Mind you, given that most of the towns you mention are in helicopter country, the risk from the RPAS is substantially less than the daily rotary traffic.

Except that the person at the controls of the helicopter has an interest in not crashing into your house.

[ORAC]

https://youtu.be/SdSj0_Fd4ds

https://youtu.be/t8-kNPKNCtg

[Warmtoast]

Given that President Trump is also flying to the UK at about the same time (13th July) I hope no one presses the wrong button!

[AndoniP]

The moment bloody drones start being flown at airshows is the moment I stop going. Hopefully this one won't be part of the flying display.

[Less Hair]

They have been flying at airshows for years.

[ORAC]

https://youtu.be/VnTQTm7vNbY

[AndoniP]

They have been flying at airshows for years.

I don't remember one being flown at RIAT before. Farnborough maybe once? That was the point where everyone went to the toilet or got some food IIRC. It really is boring watching them amble around the sky.

[TBM-Legend]

The Germans flew drones over the UK years ago so nothing new in this>>>

[incubus]

It really is boring watching them amble around the sky.

That reminds me of the B52 display I saw at Leuchars. The B1 display was dull too, but noisier.

[AndoniP]

That reminds me of the B52 display I saw at Leuchars. The B1 display was dull too, but noisier.

The B-1 is worth watching for the sheer noise alone even though it doesn't do much. Same can be said for the Thunderbirds though :}

[Less Hair]

Will the MQ-9 come to Farnborough as well? I'd love to see it coming in low over the Swan.

[Mil-26Man]

No. It's on static at RIAT and then returning to US to continue trials.

[BEagle]

I remember seeing both the B-52 and B-1B displays at Griffiss AFB one year when I was there on static display with a VC10K.

The B-52 came in very fast and low and was closely followed by lots of synchronised pyrotechnics on the ground - very well done!

Then came the B-1B. Even faster, of course, but then it pulled up surprisingly steeply, conducted a shallow wing over and visual circuit to land. It was rather an energetic arrival display by Uncle Spam's new bomber, I thought. After landing it parked behind us and was immediately surrounded by ropes and barriers manned by humourless air force police in chrome-plated coal scuttle helmets. Out climbed the crew, led by some lantern-jawed, RayBan wearing racing snake of a young Major.

Once the initial interest had waned, I wandered over and met a grizzled old maintenance chief of the old school who was looking after the Bone. His first comment was "Damn young asshole overstressed the bird with that hot dogging - we'll be stuck here for days!". But I was allowed to have a look inside - what a magnificent aeroplane. The RAF should have had some to replace the Vulcan!

Some years later I was again in the US with a VC10K, this time at McConnell AFB. We'd had to move from our first hotel and were in what was then the Holiday Inn, enjoying a free (yes, really!) Happy Hour on the roof terrace. Then the whole building shook as a number of B-1Bs took off and flew directly overhead in max burner almost deafening us all - epic!

[chopper2004]

I remember seeing both the B-52 and B-1B displays at Griffiss AFB one year when I was there on static display with a VC10K.

The B-52 came in very fast and low and was closely followed by lots of synchronised pyrotechnics on the ground - very well done!

Then came the B-1B. Even faster, of course, but then it pulled up surprisingly steeply, conducted a shallow wing over and visual circuit to land. It was rather an energetic arrival display by Uncle Spam's new bomber, I thought. After landing it parked behind us and was immediately surrounded by ropes and barriers manned by humourless air force police in chrome-plated coal scuttle helmets. Out climbed the crew, led by some lantern-jawed, RayBan wearing racing snake of a young Major.

Once the initial interest had waned, I wandered over and met a grizzled old maintenance chief of the old school who was looking after the Bone. His first comment was "Damn young asshole overstressed the bird with that hot dogging - we'll be stuck here for days!". But I was allowed to have a look inside - what a magnificent aeroplane. The RAF should have had some to replace the Vulcan!

Some years later I was again in the US with a VC10K, this time at McConnell AFB. We'd had to move from our first hotel and were in what was then the Holiday Inn, enjoying a free (yes, really!) Happy Hour on the roof terrace. Then the whole building shook as a number of B-1Bs took off and flew directly overhead in max burner almost deafening us all - epic!

Beags,

In Chapter 8 of "Project Terminated" by Erik Simonsen - discussions took place between U.S. and British officials on the possible procurement of the B-1.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/922/43010688212_a6c851455b_b.jpg

[camelspyyder]

Bone was somewhat less entertaining as it reached Vr 200 yards from our tent at 0600 every morning in the sandy place. Like being woken up by an earthquake every day.

[Nige321]

It’s on its way...

[TEEEJ]

MQ-9 on flightaware

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N190TC/history/20180710/1753Z/KRDR/EGVA

[oxenos]

The Germans flew drones over the UK years ago so nothing new in this>>>

What proportion of them landed safely?

[LowObservable]

What proportion of them landed safely?

They met the warfighter's requirements.

[Wycombe]

The B1 display was dull too, but noisier.

This was a slightly more exuberant B1 display, which I was lucky to witness at RIAT Cottesmore in 2001

B1 rolls

The main event is at around 7.00 mins.

[camelspyyder]

FR24 showing it SW of Llanbedr now.

[99 Change Hands]

Being filmed air-to-air by G-PDGT it would seem.

[Chris Kebab]

...maybe find a chase aircraft is a part of the formal approval for the overland bit to Fairford?

[99 Change Hands]

Spent time in a racetrack in the ranges with the helo, coasted-in together then helo disappeared, now holding north of Cirencester.

[Wycombe]

That thing has some endurance!

[Lima Juliet]

...maybe find a chase aircraft is a part of the formal approval for the overland bit to Fairford?

No, G-PDGT is a camera ship helo from a company specialising in such things :ok:

[Lima Juliet]

That thing has some endurance!

Don’t forget that she is ‘clean’ so hang some PW-IV and DMBs on her and that will reduce. Better than MQ-9 Reaper though so still very impressive and needs 3-4 crews to man a single mission.

[camelspyyder]

Don’t forget that she is ‘clean’ so hang some PW-IV and DMBs on her and that will reduce. Better than MQ-9 Reaper though so still very impressive and needs 3-4 crews to man a single mission.

Stays up 40 hours, you're going to need nearer 10 crews for that.

[Roger the cabin boy]

God, I love Pprune. Almost every post about innovative or exciting updates about modern RAF Air Power, and there are a number of people dripping almost immediately. Be it this one (“I’ll never go to an Airshow again”, (great, don’t) or F-35 (massively unserviceable.....) or whatever, a bunch of crusty old nay sayers immediately chip in, followed shortly thereafter by Beagle regaling us with exciting tales of life on VC-10s or people whose spirit he crushed on the UAS, decrying it all.
Seriously, please, do one. The modern RAF has a bucket load of problems, but people, the people of today’s RAF, are trying to make it work and are doing fantastically well. You should be proud, delighted and envious of today’s RAF, not a sad old b’stard living in the past. Please, stop

[heights good]

God, I love Pprune. Almost every post about innovative or exciting updates about modern RAF Air Power, and there are a number of people dripping almost immediately. Be it this one (“I’ll never go to an Airshow again”, (great, don’t) or F-35 (massively unserviceable.....) or whatever, a bunch of crusty old nay sayers immediately chip in, followed shortly thereafter by Beagle regaling us with exciting tales of life on VC-10s or people whose spirit he crushed on the UAS, decrying it all.
Seriously, please, do one. The modern RAF has a bucket load of problems, but people, the people of today’s RAF, are trying to make it work and are doing fantastically well. You should be proud, delighted and envious of today’s RAF, not a sad old b’stard living in the past. Please, stop


:ok: If only I could like this post, well said that man! Some people could get a £20 note for £5 and would complain it was folded in the middle :O

[The Oberon]

:EGod, I love Pprune. Almost every post about innovative or exciting updates about modern RAF Air Power, and there are a number of people dripping almost immediately. Be it this one (“I’ll never go to an Airshow again”, (great, don’t) or F-35 (massively unserviceable.....) or whatever, a bunch of crusty old nay sayers immediately chip in, followed shortly thereafter by Beagle regaling us with exciting tales of life on VC-10s or people whose spirit he crushed on the UAS, decrying it all.
Seriously, please, do one. The modern RAF has a bucket load of problems, but people, the people of today’s RAF, are trying to make it work and are doing fantastically well. You should be proud, delighted and envious of today’s RAF, not a sad old b’stard living in the past. Please, stop


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmforum.com-vbulletin/1000x1000/my_generation_frnt_2_8a1f60e3eeeb5f19b4813db9237f44d131f61eb 5.jpg
Maybe one of these?

[Mechta]

No, G-PDGT is a camera ship helo from a company specialising in such things :ok:


They probably weren't allowed to use fixed wing, to avoid the temptation of getting wingtip under wingtip just to see if it would...

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmforum.com-vbulletin/569x237/spitfire_tipping_v_1_flying_bomb_870656a3aee889c50fe2063d975 e7ceb1d2ce5f1.jpg

[dead_pan]

Question is, did it land on the piano keys exactly on the centreline? ''cos if it didn't I'm not interested.

Seriously though, an epic bit of kit and ballsy play by GA. It did disappear off Flightradar for a brief moment, but I think that was more to do with the 4G coverage hereabouts...

[wub]

From Fairford's web page describing the Breitling presence at the show:

Brietling's RAF100 Series feature the Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 46, Avenger GMT II, Aerospace and Colt Skyracer models. All four pieces include the RAF crust on the dial and engraved case-back exhibiting the commemorative RAF100 logo alongside the unique edition number of each piece.

[Geordie_Expat]

God, I love Pprune. Almost every post about innovative or exciting updates about modern RAF Air Power, and there are a number of people dripping almost immediately. Be it this one (“I’ll never go to an Airshow again”, (great, don’t) or F-35 (massively unserviceable.....) or whatever, a bunch of crusty old nay sayers immediately chip in, followed shortly thereafter by Beagle regaling us with exciting tales of life on VC-10s or people whose spirit he crushed on the UAS, decrying it all.
Seriously, please, do one. The modern RAF has a bucket load of problems, but people, the people of today’s RAF, are trying to make it work and are doing fantastically well. You should be proud, delighted and envious of today’s RAF, not a sad old b’stard living in the past. Please, stop


It keeps up their post count ! Check the numbers of the main protagonists !

[BATCO]

Camel
You replied to LJ
Stays up 40 hours, you're going to need nearer 10 crews for that.

Or how about 4 crews each doing 2 x 5hr shifts?

Regards
Batco

[camelspyyder]

Or how about 4 crews each doing 2 x 5hr shifts?

Regards
Batco

Not exactly.

Try one take off crew, one landing crew (guestimating mission length at around 36 hours puts them on opposite shifts), and lots of mission crews for the 35 hours in between.