Unusual contrail over UK

[sprite1]

Question for London ATCO's:-

I was flying in and out of Heathrow today and with the clear blue skies could see what looked like a 'B' shaped contrail between London and TNT being formed over and over again.

It was at a good height, >FL400 and was in the air from around 11am until at least 1:30pm.

Do you guys and girls know what aircraft it was? What were they doing?
Or can't you say?!

Thanks.

[NazgulAir]

Didn't you take a picture?

[Flying Wild]

Other threads have mentioned E-3 AWACS activity in the area today.

[BOBBLEHAT]

I would guess that it was an AWACS type of thing........They sit up there in the FL400's around that geographical area doing funny shapes.

[ZOOKER]

From the Mt. Belzoni area this morning, a clearly defined holding pattern contrail was visible, which looked like an aircraft holding high at Honiley, (using extended legs). A perfect race-track it was and the time correlates nicely, but sadly I didn't have the camera with me.

[DaveReidUK]

RAF Sentinel (GLEX) doing whatever it is that they do.

Active on Mode S for a good two-and-a-half hours.

[sprite1]

Thanks for the info. Certainly was interesting to look at. It was a small aircraft alright. GLEX-sized.

[WorkingHard]

It looked more like the Boeing E3 Sentry

[qwerty2]

My wife drew my attention to it .. and she never looks skyward
Surprised these boys in blue don't check the contrailing levels before starting their ops.

[10W]

E3 Sentry will normally operate a lot lower than 40,000' in the UK AEW areas.

I expect in a real conflict situation, they will indeed take account of the contrail level, or operate far from any threat.

[BOAC]

Originally Posted by qwerty

Surprised these boys in blue don't check the contrailing levels before starting their ops.

- as 10W says, they do if necessary - it is normally briefed, but I guess the fighter threat was low over Nottinghamshire that day.

[NorthSouth]

Surprised these boys in blue don't check the contrailing levels before starting their ops

[Caution: Old Git Mode ON] Reminds me of the 60s when you would see endless circling contrails from Vulcans and Victors almost anywhere in the UK. I guess the Russians knew we were planning to incinerate them, and if they didn't, it was a good way of reminding them
NS

[niknak]

At least one E3 (a NATO one) was on exercise from the Wash down to the Channel for about 4 hours yesterday.
Good to know that, after so many years of joint cooperation, those foreign Jonnys have reached the letter B in the English alphabet.

[Lon More]

I don't think the Luxembourg registered ones can get that high

[dagowly]

They're usually FL300 ish and sat in the lobes. Without the charts near me, i couldn't have a guess as to which one it was in.

[750XL]

Sentinels usually operate upwards of FL470

[055166k]

Both right! Sentinel higher up and E3 lower down and slightly to the West....same time frame.

[GeeWhizz]

The one that half the country saw was an E-3 at FL310

[055166k]

sprite 1 was correct in his estimation....however 750XL could be a little out, and I suggest FL410/FL430 might be more realistic. DaveReid correct and 10W correct.

[BwatchGRUNT]

never seem them above 410/430, typically 410 negative RVSM so blocking three levels if you include 420!

U2's drop in to upper radar cover passing 470 out of 660 ish to land occasionaly