Hunter over Harwich 27.07.2004

[Hilico]

Yes, the inimitable Hawker Hunter. Came out of the south west at about 12:10pm, turned to approximately north using my house as a pivot point. Quite possibly below 3000' but I'm not used to guessing the height of such things. Heard it going back at about 12:30 same day. Wonderful noise (those Spey-engined F4s are so coarse).

1. Who?

2. Why?

3. Next time can you give us a roll just before making the turn?

4. Thank you!!!!

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I believe the Hunter which displayed at Farnborough departed late morning but I do not know to where. If it's based in east Anglia that could have been the one you saw?

[Megaton]

If the Hunter had tanks it was almost certainly from Scampton on an extended air test to check the serviceability of the tanks and fuel system. www.hunterteam.com

[Hilico]

Thanks for coming back so quickly. I think it did have tanks on it.

And, now I do bethink me, this isn't the first time it's happened. As I remember, it happened earlier this year too (quite a lot earlier, nothing to do with a summer season display - tends to bear out the extended range testing theory).

[Megaton]

Wasn't testing extended range as such. Just checking that the tanks worked since they'd had some problems with them before.

[Hilico]

If it's assymetric tank draining he's experiencing, then it should make that roll I asked for in the first post really easy. Stopping the roll on the other hand...