View Full Version : Spotter type question
Noeyedear
18th Mar 2020, 23:04
I entered the Edmonton FIR today around 1500z and after touching base with centre, I heard "Dragon 21" giving a position report at FL600.
The guy on the radio was clearly pressure breathing.
My curiosity has got the better of me and I have to ask, what aircraft type would it have been?
Cheers.
NutLoose
18th Mar 2020, 23:13
https://henney.com/chm/callsign.htm
unmanned_droid
19th Mar 2020, 00:40
Most likely a U2.
N707ZS
19th Mar 2020, 07:32
F 15s use Dragon.
Chris Kebab
19th Mar 2020, 10:11
Have heard U2s operating in the UK use Dragon more than once, so, given it's at 600, it probably is as suggested above a U2.
Downwind.Maddl-Land
19th Mar 2020, 10:56
Especially as the the U2/TR1 is known colloquially as the 'Dragon Lady'
Rhino power
19th Mar 2020, 17:05
F 15s use Dragon.
F-15s don't (routinely) operate at FL600...
-RP
Airbubba
19th Mar 2020, 20:57
From the callsign link above: DRAGON U-2R 9th RW, Beale AFB, CA
TEEEJ
19th Mar 2020, 23:27
Dragon 21 was U-2S serial 80-1085.
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/7358086
Noeyedear
20th Mar 2020, 15:11
Thanks Folks.
My colleague at the time suggested U2, but I thought they were no longer operational. Silly me.
BirdmanBerry
20th Mar 2020, 20:32
They most certainly are. 2 went out of RAF Fairford last week and the sky was alive with the noise, crazy!
Herod
20th Mar 2020, 21:19
"Dragon Lady" I lived with one for a while, many years ago. Sadly, more "Dragon" than "Lady"
chevvron
21st Mar 2020, 09:07
They most certainly are. 2 went out of RAF Fairford last week and the sky was alive with the noise, crazy!
Akrotiri 1986 you certainly knew when it departed about 7 am local time.
Herod
21st Mar 2020, 11:43
Akrotiri 1986 you certainly knew when it departed about 7 am local time.
It was never there!! There is a thread on here somewhere about that.
chevvron
21st Mar 2020, 12:12
It was never there!! There is a thread on here somewhere about that.
Yes I know; I (didn't) start the thread after finding the GE image on that day showed an aircraft lining up at Akrotiri which wasn't there!
I was there with cadets on Easter camp and we went to the beach near the little harbour at the east end of the SBA where there was a perfect view of aircraft on final; when the aircraft which wasn't there came into view, one hundred odd cameras were pointed at it and the ACLO was running round saying 'you can't take a photo of that'.
Herod
21st Mar 2020, 16:08
the ACLO was running round saying 'you can't take a photo of that'.
There would only have been pictures of blue sky, since it wasn't there!!
pr00ne
21st Mar 2020, 16:13
The Russians knew that it was there, the Egyptians knew that it was there, the Syrians knew that it was there, the Iraqis knew that it was there, local Cypriots knew that it was there, what on earth was the point of trying to convince Air Cadets and the public that it was not there?
Herod
21st Mar 2020, 17:30
pr00ne. I don't think you understand the humour. Check out the original thread.
Yellow Sun
21st Mar 2020, 17:51
The Russians knew that it was there, the Egyptians knew that it was there, the Syrians knew that it was there, the Iraqis knew that it was there, local Cypriots knew that it was there, what on earth was the point of trying to convince Air Cadets and the public that it was not there?
It’s purpose was to distract people from the Nimrod without a MAD boom taking off in the opposite direction :mad:
YS:)
chevvron
22nd Mar 2020, 01:33
It’s purpose was to distract people from the Nimrod without a MAD boom taking off in the opposite direction :mad:
YS:)
Well there might have been a Nimrod with 'unusual appendages' there during my stay but I couldn't possibly say could I?
I might (not) even have a photo of it somewhere.Wink
chevvron
22nd Mar 2020, 01:34
The Russians knew that it was there, the Egyptians knew that it was there, the Syrians knew that it was there, the Iraqis knew that it was there, local Cypriots knew that it was there, what on earth was the point of trying to convince Air Cadets and the public that it was not there?
So the Libyans didn't know? (The USAF bombed them 2 days after we left)
Pontius
22nd Mar 2020, 06:06
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/720x570/198387_210557585628101_589563_n_2_81beb6f86894dcf29792474ed6 71d3933bc55f54.jpg
Definitely NOT going back to Akrotiri in 1991, having definitely not been taking snaps of Baghdad. (We waited at 40 000 for him to come down to us).
Herod
22nd Mar 2020, 09:29
Nice picture of a Harrier, Pontius, but why so much blank area?