low circling twin tuboprop over portsmouth, hants

[spitfire747]

i live just outside portsmouth on the coat and every so often at any time of the day but most commonly after 11.00pm and around 03.00am there is a twin tubo-prop aeroplane flying around and around in circles for hours at a time, serving no real purpose.
I have tried to find out what the plane is, maybe Police but i wonder why it tends to circle for endless periods of time over my house and the surrounding area.. which is away from the city.
No one seems to know and it is to high to get the reg details

ANYBODY KNOW ???

Cheers Spitty

[eyeinthesky]

It's the Hants Police turbine Islander which is based at Lee on Solent. It was up my way at 0130 on Friday night for a while at about 800ft AGL.

[HZ123]

Interesting because I live near LHR and there often appears to be an Islander or similar flying at some height around and around hour after hour particularly at weekends. Are they one of the same and if so are they surveying using thermal imaging for a potential terrorist site. Though that hardly applies to Portsmouth or does it ?

[eyeinthesky]

I think the one over London is operated on behalf of one of the more secretive government agencies and ATC are not allowed to ask what it's doing. It does get a higher flight priority than scheduled flights, however, so it must be something they consider quite important.

[HZ123]

Reckon you are right. I suppose the same could go for Portsmouth with the Naval Base and a number of military establishments within that area. Perhaps they are taking threats more seriously.

[newswatcher]

There was a similar aircraft circling about 3 miles NE of Basingstoke on Saturday evening, just before dark. Did about 6/7 circuits before moving on. There was also a "noisy" party with fireworks etc. These two events may be related.

[paulc]

Spitty,

the reg is G-SJCH - after Sir John Charles Hodinott a ex Chief Constable of Hampshire.

hope this is of use.

[freightdoggy dog]

NotSoFantastic, you live near Portsdown hill and don't reckon that there is anything interesting up there! Its not whats on the hill old boy, its what underneath and I am not saying anymore than that.

[newswatcher]

FDD, trouble with you is you've got a "bunker mentality"!

[freightdoggy dog]

Especially when I am playing a round of golf. Try getting your ball back when it goes down one of those bloody vent shafts.

[Harrier46]

Hello FDD, you must have a damn good swing to get the ball all the way from Mudeford to Portsmouth!
Regarding the a/c over LHR these flights used to be carried out by FR Dornier 228s, not sure if they still are. The Hants Police Islander pitches up just about everywhere (has been over twice today so far), as is usually the case however with the police most sorties concentrate on traffic duties and the M27 is like a magnet.

[spitfire747]

thanks for those answers, seems my thoughts were correct, still confused as to what they are looking for at 01.30 on a saturday morning while circling over Waterlooville area for over an hour....... unless we are all being kept in the dark by the Government as to the UKs Area 51 beneath Southern Hampshire.........
or perhaps they are spending £600 an hour to fly the twin to catch the 14 yr old who has knicked the push bike from outside the sweet shop again..

cheers all
spitty

[freightdoggy dog]

H46,Lived in Pompey for 20 years,still got mates that I play golf with there. So you see, I know whats under there as me old man was a sparky and worked on the contract to fit "it" out. PS HRH Randy Andy plays golf just over the hill at a Navy establishment, perhaps they were sent up to find his lost balls

[Speedbird252]

tell me about it guys, I live in Drayton and the thing is almost as good as counting sheep, count in seconds from when its in my overhead to when it comes overhead again and see if I can work out its bank angle - works everytime

If youve got a scanner you can find out what its up to, it uses the callsign "Boxer 1"

Evening all

Speedy

[spitfire747]

i did not know so many fellow aviators lived in the Portsmouth area !!! my dad was head of catering at ASWE "under the hill" many years ago and remember going there when i was a nipper.... no one really knows what a big setup there is under good ol portsdown hill !!

[HZ123]

I posted the issue on the ATC thread and someone answered with a similar theme. On the subject of Dorniers the Ministry of Ag & Fish or whatever it is known as used G-MAFF which operates out of SEN and indeed has underwing pods and a couple of other bits. It might be that over LHR as suggested.

[5milesbaby]

what's one of the biggest uses of Police Air Support? Be it helicopters or fixed wing the're out chasing criminals that normally try to escape in fast moving cars. Portsmouth has its fair share of areas with these undesirables, and the times are peak crime.

2 plus 2 really...

[spitfire747]

yes i guess you are right although never really here on local news or in the paper of this "high crime time".. a twin aeroplane chasing criminals around Portsmouth at 01.30 in the morning at 800ft AGL i am sure would be of interest to the majority of residents as it is a rarety, or used to be.

Also the portsmouth area has 6 very large council run housing estates, full of un-desirables, maybe they are just keeping them in-check

[Oscar Duece]

If it's in the northern harbour area, you can be sure they're keeping an eye on that Paulsgrove lot.
Had the missfortune to live there at one time (bought a council house a relative was living in (later sold for a 360 % profit)).
If it's over the loo, it's cathching more scum on the Leigh park estate.

But on a positive point. At least it's not a noisy egg beater and a s a coucil tax payer in the area £ 600 an hour for an islander isd better than £ 2k an hour for a egg beater.

Regarding egg beaters: I have offices near the town centre in Hedge End (Southampton). A few months back somewone held up the local HSBC branch (very brave as the local nick is only 200 yards away). Within minutes of it going off we had a police egg beater (Md 600, no tail rotor) I think. Circling the back gardens at about 100 ft.
Have never seen it before or since, and didn't even think Hampshire had one. Anyone know where it came from or why so quick..

[VectorLine]

What's under Portsdown Hill then?

I live near the harbour and recently got a Government document through my door on 'what to do in the event of a radiation emergency'