Hi all,

What appeared to be an RAF Nimrod was seen circling the "south Sheffield" area at about 5pm today. It seemed to make 3 or 4 wide circuits of the "Dronfield" area at approx 3000 feet, before clearing the area at low altitude (approx 3000ft). The aircraft flew directly over the centre of Sheffield and cleared the area on a northerley heading.

It seems very strange that an aircraft of this size would be observed at such low altitude.

Anyone have any info on it - i.e what it was doing, where from, where to and what it actually was?

Regards

Big05

Unidentified submarine on the River Sheaf apparently...

I thought they'd demolished the eggboxes already

good one Heathrow Director, but I would like a serious answer to a serious question........... twoz very low and kind of filled me with excitement. Can the controller (I assume Manchester ATZ) who authorised this send some more this way - and can I also request Ottringham to Upton/denby westbound arrivals into MCR be vectored about 20 miles south of the airway (so I can see em' from my living room northerley facing window).... ta. Sad i know, but seriously sad.

i am still wanting information on rodney nimrod....if indeed it was....

what it was doing (ok it wasnt sailing was it), where from, where to and what it actually was?

Having flown on a number of 'Dimsod' sorties over the years, I know exactly what the crew were really trying to sniff out. Curry.

This part of Yorkshire is famous for its curries. RAF 'Dimsod' aircrew like curries, that is why they are all fat.

You will find E3D and VC10 crews are much the same, so keep on spotting if you live in Yorkshire.

.........chapati anyone?

arrrh, come on gang... whats this.... an assembly of bored ATC Officers on their coffee break, taking the schmichael! at least you guys have proved you has a sence of humour for once (owww, sorry bout that).... but come on gang - i wanna know why the Rodney Nimrod was circling at 30 this afternoon............................ surely bradford would have been better for curries?

Maybe it was awaiting transition through sheffield city airport zone - maybe the police helicopter was in the way (SY99) or maybe there was a lot of a/c westbound into manchester/westbound out of DSA or eastbound into DSA?

please please please someone must know what Rodney the Nimrod was up 2!!!

Do you honestly expect a straight answer, given that it was a military aircraft......?

Nimrod MRA4 ZJ518 on its way to Woodford I would guess.

JT

I did a dimrod sortie back in '03 and we did a low level transit over the north east testing and training with a new "piece of kit".

WIWON we went to some trouble NOT to tell everybody what we were doing, so who is Bigflesh that he expects to be told?

Actually, that's one of the reasons I got myself posted to the 'rod - I wanted to find out what they were doing. Didn't really work, though, most of the time I'd no idea what was going on - as FE Hoppy , JimNich , Skeleton and possibly others will testify!!

"Can the controller (I assume Manchester ATZ) who authorised this send some more this way - and can I also request Ottringham to Upton/denby westbound arrivals into MCR be vectored about 20 miles south of the airway (so I can see em' from my living room northerley facing window)"


Was that just some humour or were you really asking Manchester to re-route inbounds past your window??

JimmyTAP

Why was it circling first though..? very odd.. thank you for filling me in anyway Jimmy and thanks to all of you who tried your best to "not tell me"... the truth will out!

My request to Manchester ATC was serious, although I doubt it will be upheld. Sometimes, just sometimes (especially in the summer at 2am onwards) I get westbound arrivals doing a direct to MCR and I see them coming over south sheffield desending through fl50 for 40, usually in a line with Eckington, Norton, Edale, Castleton for an 8 mile 24R/L arrival. But never at other times.

Still keen to know why the Nimmy was doing circuits over my head for 15 minutes? was it waiting to transit through SHEFFIELD CITY AIRPORT airspace as it was only at 3000ft....and MCR ATZ, send some more 20 miles south of Upton - for me - for a laugh. Go on as I will see from my living room north facing windows in my house. If its getting a bit dark I will see the lights on the aerocrafts flashing, and that will be simply brilliant for me.

WIWON we went to some trouble NOT to tell everybody what we were doing, so who is Bigflesh that he expects to be told?

Who is WIWON - has his post been removed as it shed further light on the Nimrod that was circling above my head?..... I just wanna know because I share a joint facination in aerocraft. I am a harmless plane lover thats all. PLEASE HELP me.

Ha ha ha -

WIWO[Insert initial here]: the first clue that someone is about to tell you something either
a) that happened before you were born
b) irrelevant
c) more commonly, both of the above


Most frequently used with:
T:Tridents (Ahhh) or L:Lightnings (for those in the Military)

Or as perfectly demonstrated by keithl. Textbook stuff.

No idea really. Only that a Nimrod arrived at Woodford late afternoon and they often go over Sheffield on the way to Woodford.

JT

Purleez do NOT mention Tridents or they'll all come out of the woodwork

PS Lightnings

Why do Nimrods park with their bomb bay doors open?

It makes it easier to empty out all the sweet wrappers and crisp bags.

Nice one and thank you. It went northbound at 5.15pm after circling for 15 mins. Deffo looked like a Nimrod due to the wing thingies. It must have turned left westbound shortly after passing directly over the city centre at 3000ft, or gone up to Upton.

Nice one but would love to know why it was in the "random hold" nowhere near a VOR or NDB. Do you think it came from Waddington?

The ManchesterSpotters2 mailing list has a report of a Nimrod landing at Woodford at 17:28.

If the Manchester zone was busy it would have needed to hold just the same as any other aircraft.

~ lee ~

TimBrown, Is that the old St Mawgan joke from when the hemp ( When I say hemp I mean Sh1tty brown!!) bombers used to park on South?

Probably worked Waddington LARS before being transferred to Manchester.