C-17 around St Albans
 

There has been a C-17 around Hertfordshire today at lowish level, 1,500-2,000' at a guess. I've heard that it was doing touch and goes at Luton airport, is this likely/true?

Yes, an RAF C-17 was indeed doing some circuits at Luton this afternoon.:ok:

Cheers Chris, so for once my mates' missus' social meeja spoke the truth!

We've had the A400M the past few days doing low level over Cheltenham with practice circuits into Staverton. Does it quite often but was pretty low turn over the house at one point.

Sorry to dredge up a slightly old post - the Manchester Airport thread got my mind back to the C17's that have been doing circuits at BHX, MAN and others over the last few weeks. Last thursday, from memory, we had one do a low pass at about 2000ft directly over the house - was a surprise when i looked out the front window and saw it heading right for me. And we are in Solihull, about 2 miles perpendicular to a point about 500yds past the end of the runway, so fairly unusual to see.

Anyway, i wondered if anyone know the reason for these landings? Clearly these airports are now essentially empty and can easily accommodate military (i assume training?) flights compared with usual schedules. But why? I hypothesis that this might be because most of the RAF strips around the country either 1) cant take a C17 or 2) dont have the full kit to practice IFR approaches - perhaps a simulated night landing on an ILS with CATIII visibility to very low height? I would assume that the kit at BHX/MAN/LTN is all substantially better than RAF runways? Perhaps it also gives them a chance to practice SIDs that they may not otherwise get the opportunity to?

Grateful for any thoughts

There are numerous RAF airfield that can take a C17 - it has quite an impressive STOL capability. I don't know if it has Cat 3 ILS capability (or even Cat 2) - certainly nothing I flew in the RAF was better than Cat 1.

However, RAF Air Transport aircraft routinely visit Civilian airfields both in UK and abroad. Civilaian proceedures may well vary from Military procedures (and often do), hence the training requirement.

CAT II but no autoland. Can also do MLS but never used. Crash cat in our risk adverse world usually the limfac.

Trying to find Radlett or Hatfield to do some circuits.

Training and testing requirments still exist for both crews and ATC. 'Flying the Flag' is no bad thing either.