Military Aircraft Over South-West London

[bjarvi1]

Hi, I was sitting at my desk at about 8.30 tonight and heard a very loud aircraft flying over my house. I looked out of the window and saw a fast moving aircraft in the sky, which I assume was a fighter jet.

It was following the same path as the aircraft do that are flying over my house going towards Heathrow and it was quite low.

This has never happened before and I am curious as to why a military aircraft would fly over my house.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

[Andy Mayes]

Security training for the Olympics.

[757hopeful]

I've just had 5 military aircraft doing low passes over here too (Sidcup, SE London) they looked a lot like typhoons but it was dark and cloudy do could be mistaken

Pardon my ignorance but what would the training involve? Surely if there's an aerial threat it wouldn't take place over London, a densely populated area? I've been watching the apaches and chinooks doing training during the day which is understandable as helicopter can land vertically and deliver troops etc, but I would have thought the RAF would little fixed wing options?

[Andy Mayes]

I don't know 757 but I should have said; they were operating pretty much all round London, not just London itself. I've just had friends ask me what they are doing in Dover and someone else asked me if we are under attack!

[Steve Evans]

I also saw a Mil jet at approx 21:15 over Barking East London, heading in an Easterly direction, thought that was unusual myself.

[Chef]

The uxbridge gazette has reported that during the Olympics there will be a number of typhoons baed at RAF Northolt. During the weekend of the 21/22 Jan they would conduct an exercise over London for crew training

[Big Eric]

Last night's exercise involved 2 x 17sqn Typhoons from RAF Coningby with another acting as an air-spare. It was to familiarise the crews with flying inside London's airspace before a small detachment of Typhoons is based at Northolt during the Olympics.

I hope that helps.

[bjarvi1]

Thanks for the help everyone. I was interested to find out what they were there for.

[togsdragracing]

Likewise thank you Eric. I live a few miles outside Greater London immediately under the approach to LCY and on Saturday night it took me a surprisingly long time to realise that the plane on approach was far too loud and that the noise was going on for far too long

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Interesting to consider precisely what role the fighters play in the overall scheme of things. If an aircraft on the approach to one of the London airports suddenly misbehaves, are they going to shoot it down.... over London? The thought of fighters bombing around the LTMA makes my blood run cold..

[SpringHeeledJack]

That's had me puzzled as well. Perhaps it's to show force in general and if some smaller aircraft were to deviate then they just might fire a few rounds at it ?



SHJ

[bjarvi1]

Just found an article about it on my local newspaper website.

Apocalyptic boom over Kingston and Surbiton not end of the world, RAF say (From Kingston Guardian)

Looks like there might be more.