an unusual sighting

[rifruffian]

an unusual sighting from the ground in south Lanarkshire. Overhead at about 2000 feet height and in good VMC I saw an airplane, about the size of a small airliner, heading West in the direction of Glasgow or Prestwick. It looked and sounded like turbine propeller driven. The airframe had conventional layout. The 2 engines with props mounted one on each wing....each at the extremity of the wing (i.e. at wing tip.) Does anyone know exactly what I was looking at ?.......High- wing layout I think......

[MG]

Sounds like a V22

[G-ARZG]

'Knife71`, a V22, was knocking around the Forth Estuary around 1725h, looks like finals at Mildenhall as we speak (thanks ADSB Exchange)

[rifruffian]

thanks for these replies and I think that both of you have identified my sighting.

[gums]

Salute!
Interesting....
Back in the day, "Knife" was the callsign of USAF special ops helos that carried troops to strange and dangerous places in SEA. When they flew CSAR, they were called "Jolly". When I flew escort for the Knives, I was called 'Hobo". On the CSAR, I was a "Sandy". Guess they have kept the traditional callsigns.
Knives flew the last combat missions of the whole steenkeeng war at Koh Tang Island off the coast of Cambodia in 1975. Lost several plus a buncha USMC folks See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh_Tang
My squadron covered the debacle, but the all-knowing folks at 7th/13th AF HQ knew better and did not assign us the helo escort mission that we had practiced and flown with the same helos many times. So we held overhead as the first two helos were slaughtered. We were supposed to be CAS, but there was no FAC there. A grand CF, if you ask me. We were the only dedicated helo escort attack unti in the theater and not assigned to get the Knives in for the troop insertion. That part of the story is not told or documented.
My roomie was the one that fired the rocket that stopped the boat, and my senior wingman sank a patrol boat with a 2.75 in rocket!
=====================
The V-22 sounds like a multiple helo formation, if you have one fly close to you. After a bit, you can tell the difference from a coupla Apache or Blackhawk helos. Their twin tail is also a giveaway with a visual, duhhhh..

Gums sends...

[Airbubba]

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1280x853/880a47c507c116ea74d1390fe48d40f7_97cce97d634f08193500753d860 d35bf7ea41c41.jpg

Did it look something like this?

[Airbubba]

'Knife71`, a V22, was knocking around the Forth Estuary around 1725h, looks like finals at Mildenhall as we speak (thanks ADSB Exchange)

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1166x836/knife_71_2_2f9c96a1527a08feacaa8bacdececc0273874955.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1181x852/knife_71_15607bbfc9755de93eadd1800700093c5f15535f.jpg

[superplum]

=====================
The V-22 sounds like a multiple helo formation, if you have one fly close to you. After a bit, you can tell the difference from a coupla Apache or Blackhawk helos. Their twin tail is also a giveaway with a visual, duhhhh..

Gums sends...

The two fans help as well!

[matkat]

It landed at Leuchars for a short while. Amazed to see it as I was sitting in my garden enjoying the sunshine.

[mabmac]

It also flew over Carlisle. I agree with "gums" about its sound, I stuck my head outside expecting to see a couple of helicopters.

[dead_pan]

It also flew over Carlisle. I agree with "gums" about its sound, I stuck my head outside expecting to see a couple of helicopters.

A few years back one flew in to Brize at night - it sounded like the school scene from Apocalypse Now...

[NutLoose]

Yup a few about in the UK

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48013455007_8b9c339f98_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2g9MvpM)

[Vendee]

We live a few miles from Mildenhall so we get to see them most days. They look amazing at night at low level in forward flight with their green rotor tips:-

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/799x533/tilt_rotor_lights_v_22_osprey_1_90dcd6d459ae4706aa1673c7a59e fd25b79774ce.jpg