A-400M trailing - what?

Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 952
A-400M trailing - what?
Living quite close to Brize, we see a lot of Voyagers, Atlases, and, for the time being, Hercs. Today, something rather odd: an A-400M, flying a standard orbit pattern at 7000ft (according to Flightradar24) aligned roughly 280 (degrees) over Little Rissington, for about an hour. The odd thing is that it was trailing what looked like short contrails. At 7000ft?
A rather poor pic - but you can see the trails.

Looking through binoculars, I could see the trails emanating from the wing trailing edge, between the outboard engines and the wingtips - i.e. not wingtip vortices, nor engine exhausts.
I even rang Brize ops to ask if it was dumping fuel. A very nice duty ops officer told me it was definitely not dumping, but that it was doing a trial. No more details.
Anyone else think it’s rather odd? Any ideas?
Yes OK, I’ll try and get out more, soon as Covid is over.
airsound
A rather poor pic - but you can see the trails.

Looking through binoculars, I could see the trails emanating from the wing trailing edge, between the outboard engines and the wingtips - i.e. not wingtip vortices, nor engine exhausts.
I even rang Brize ops to ask if it was dumping fuel. A very nice duty ops officer told me it was definitely not dumping, but that it was doing a trial. No more details.
Anyone else think it’s rather odd? Any ideas?
Yes OK, I’ll try and get out more, soon as Covid is over.
airsound

Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 952
Thanks beardy, and Nutty - though I couldn't see any pic in your post Nutty. But I did find it on my phone, and for other peeps that couldn't see it, yur tiz

Interestingly, beardy, according to Flightradar it was doing about 155kts. Would that warrant some flap?
airsound

Interestingly, beardy, according to Flightradar it was doing about 155kts. Would that warrant some flap?
airsound
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 828
OMG !!!
...
Airsound -
Whatever you do, don't go out again. It's a CT trial. Go immediately to your understairs shelter and gulp a handful of them potassium iodide tabs you nicked when you de-mobbed. If you think you have already been exposed, the last ditch remedy apparently is Prussian Blue. Unfortunately the Chemists are mostly now closed and they will already have your number unless you used a burner. Call back here tomorrow morning if you haven't already been spirited away overnight.
I will light a candle.
LFH
...
Airsound -
Whatever you do, don't go out again. It's a CT trial. Go immediately to your understairs shelter and gulp a handful of them potassium iodide tabs you nicked when you de-mobbed. If you think you have already been exposed, the last ditch remedy apparently is Prussian Blue. Unfortunately the Chemists are mostly now closed and they will already have your number unless you used a burner. Call back here tomorrow morning if you haven't already been spirited away overnight.
I will light a candle.
LFH
...

Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Bourton-on-the-Water
Posts: 952
Thanks very much, Mr Flasheart, sorry, m'lord, for your timely warning. I'm hoping you get this, because here under the stairs the connection isn't great. If you don't see me in the morning, remember me to the Mods please - especially Mod Rob. Thanks
Don't worry about me though, I'll be fine. But thanks for the candle.
airsound
Don't worry about me though, I'll be fine. But thanks for the candle.
airsound
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: UK
Age: 39
Posts: 450
Thanks beardy, and Nutty - though I couldn't see any pic in your post Nutty. But I did find it on my phone, and for other peeps that couldn't see it, yur tiz
/snip
Interestingly, beardy, according to Flightradar it was doing about 155kts. Would that warrant some flap?
airsound
/snip
Interestingly, beardy, according to Flightradar it was doing about 155kts. Would that warrant some flap?
airsound
Yes, I think if she's a heavy girl and relatively slow speed the high lift devices will be working hard, so it seems fairly normal.
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Gnome de PPRuNe
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I do recall a formation transport team the last time I went to RIAT - might have been four Polish Let 410s? Long time ago now, I remember a sort of Prince of Wales Feathers as finale...