Circles in the sky
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Farm strip on the Fens in South Lincs
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Circles in the sky
From time to time from my strip in South Lincolnshire I observe the contrails of a large jet flying a circular route over an area of 50 miles or so.
These flight sometimes go on for an hour or more which leave concentric circles in the sky which show there is little deviation from the circular route flown.
I've identified the aircraft type as E-3 Sentries and can only assume they are on flight test and possibly out of Lakenheath, as the circular route would encompass that base.
It's been bugging me for sometime now and I'm sure there's someone knowledgeable out there that can put me right.
Thanks
These flight sometimes go on for an hour or more which leave concentric circles in the sky which show there is little deviation from the circular route flown.
I've identified the aircraft type as E-3 Sentries and can only assume they are on flight test and possibly out of Lakenheath, as the circular route would encompass that base.
It's been bugging me for sometime now and I'm sure there's someone knowledgeable out there that can put me right.
Thanks
Do you mean like this?
It caused widespread panic back in mid January as people thought it was a hijacked airliner and they called their local radio stations, etc. However, it was just another routine E3 Sentry training sortie.
Please excuse the quality, but I had to shrink them down in size for the mods...
SB
It caused widespread panic back in mid January as people thought it was a hijacked airliner and they called their local radio stations, etc. However, it was just another routine E3 Sentry training sortie.
Please excuse the quality, but I had to shrink them down in size for the mods...
SB
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There are various E-3 orbit areas in the UK and abroad. The crew will generally pick whichever orbit fits in best with the nature of the sortie.
The E-3 will be set to fly a ground track, prevailing winds aloft will carry the contrails away from the orbit area.
RAF E-3s are based at Waddington.
The E-3 will be set to fly a ground track, prevailing winds aloft will carry the contrails away from the orbit area.
RAF E-3s are based at Waddington.
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Thanks, I thought it was something of that nature but should have considered training sorties as an alternative to my assumption of lengthy flight tests following maintenance.
Quite used to seeing Waddington based Sentries letting down/climbing away north of my location, I'm naturally assuming these are Lakenheath based, given their positioning well to the SE of my place!
Quite used to seeing Waddington based Sentries letting down/climbing away north of my location, I'm naturally assuming these are Lakenheath based, given their positioning well to the SE of my place!
Rogcal,
If you saw the aircraft on the 16th January then it was a NATO E-3 Sentry from Geilenkirchen, Germany. This is the aircraft in the great images posted by Sunshine Band.
Link to image of NATO E-3 on 16th January.
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...rige/199pb.jpg
The chemtrail loons were getting all worked up over the sighting. These are the people that believe that persistent contrails only appeared in the late 1990s and that they are being poisoned by the 'spraying'.
Circling aircraft revealed to be from NATO - Local - Louth Leader
NATO AWACS
If you saw the aircraft on the 16th January then it was a NATO E-3 Sentry from Geilenkirchen, Germany. This is the aircraft in the great images posted by Sunshine Band.
Link to image of NATO E-3 on 16th January.
http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...rige/199pb.jpg
The chemtrail loons were getting all worked up over the sighting. These are the people that believe that persistent contrails only appeared in the late 1990s and that they are being poisoned by the 'spraying'.
Circling aircraft revealed to be from NATO - Local - Louth Leader
NATO AWACS
Ah forget crop circles, they have now reached a new height 
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Do they orbit the other way south of the equator?
If they don't the ground crew get very unhappy as they have to tow it round in circles, as appropriate, on the ground after they've landed.
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"Circle in the Sky" - wasn't that a song by Belinda Carlisle?
Oh, hang on, it was "Circle in the Sand".
I remember now, "Circle in the Sky" was by the Bangles (who might have been doing circles in the sand when they sang "walk like an Egyptian).
Mister B
Oh, hang on, it was "Circle in the Sand".
I remember now, "Circle in the Sky" was by the Bangles (who might have been doing circles in the sand when they sang "walk like an Egyptian).
Mister B
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Do they orbit the other way south of the equator?
Y_G
Do they orbit the other way south of the equator?
They have to orbit clockwise half the time, anti-clockwise the other half, on every sortie no matter where in the world they are.
If they don't the ground crew get very unhappy as they have to tow it round in circles, as appropriate, on the ground after they've landed.
They have to orbit clockwise half the time, anti-clockwise the other half, on every sortie no matter where in the world they are.
If they don't the ground crew get very unhappy as they have to tow it round in circles, as appropriate, on the ground after they've landed.
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And have the new dispersal nozzles been fitted?