PDA

View Full Version : Military Flight across S berks


pax britanica
26th May 2019, 15:01
Idling away half an hour watching helos at Blackbushe I was surprised to see a large dark grey aircraft emerge from the overcast north of the field heading sort of WSW. Hard to judge heights of course but this was way way below the height of HR in bounds which pass to the north of Blackbushe inbound to LHR on easterlies. Of course by the time I got some binoculars it was back in the cloud but it looked like a 707 and the colour was very military (uniform dark grey). As the cloud thinned a bit to the west i kpt watch and could clearly see a tail on silhouette showing four large diameter engines convincing me it was a KC/EC 135. It turned further north for a whine and then turned back to w westerly heading before disappearing. Any ideas what it was and why it did appear to be down in the preserve of the Cessnas etc I am off course aware that we have a visit from the nameless one in a couple of weeks but even then it seemed a very odd thing to be doing

DaveReidUK
26th May 2019, 17:15
A date (today?) and reasonably precise time would help with identification.

ploughman67
26th May 2019, 19:37
Around 3pm (give or take 30 mins) today (26th) heard, then saw a similar-sounding grey quad jet in and out of the cloud, would guess about 250kts/3000’. Just south of Dunsfold, Surrey and heading north/northwest. Only caught a tail-on glimpse and thought it was a 747, sufficiently out of the ordinary for me to have a look at a flight tracker but nothing obvious. LGW on westerlies but definitely not a LGW outbound.

chevvron
26th May 2019, 19:43
According to another person, it was a KC135 carrying out the annual memorial flypast at Brookwood Military Cemetery just west of Woking.

DaveReidUK
27th May 2019, 06:52
KC-135R 62-3551 from 100th ARW at Mildenhall.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/827x492/brookwood_3d30c0f1aac5ddcc92b7604bd8b2246785f1b92b.jpg

Track courtesy of ADSB Exchange.

treadigraph
28th May 2019, 13:03
Just walking through Kingswood between Selsdon and Warlingham in Surrey, very heavy drone of something coming out of Biggin: Hercules? Indeed, USAF C-130H 96-1003. Unusual visitor. Saw a Belgian AF Embraer outbound last week, I know Polish transports are common. Is Biggin preferred to Northolt now?

96-1004 just departed as well!

chevvron
28th May 2019, 13:55
Just walking through Kingswood between Selsdon and Waingham in Surrey, very heavy drone of something coming out of Biggin: Hercules? Indeed, USAF C-130H 96-1003. Unusual visitor. Saw a Belgian AF Embraer outbound last week, I know Poliah transports are common. Is Biggin preferred to Northolt now?

Probably; something to do with there being no runway at Northolt while they re-surface.https://www.pprune.org/images/icons/46.gif
NOTAM U1566/19 refers.
Don't know why they're bothering though; WHEN the third runway at Heathrow 'happens', they'll probably discover Northolt is too close and have to close it.https://www.pprune.org/images/icons/winksbuddie.gif

treadigraph
28th May 2019, 15:53
Thanks Chevvron, that might explain it!

96-1003 looks like its inbound again from Mildenhall, just passing Petts Wood. Something to do with London becoming Trumpton shortly? And I see 1004 is airborne again from Mildenhall.

SpringHeeledJack
28th May 2019, 19:21
Apparently to do with forward planning for next weeks festivities.

treadigraph
28th May 2019, 19:55
I gather there are several US helicopters there now.