Interesting aircraft - what have you seen on your computer today?

[wub]

[treadigraph]

I do hope you were smiling, WUB! Love to have seen and heard the AN-22...

Biggin were using all three of their airworthy 2 seat Spits today, got several nice views of them taking off while abusing my feet in the countryside to the west of the airfield.

Bit of a shock to see Heathrow arrivals in both the Biggin and Ockham holds this afternoon and noted some were having a turn about Lambourne as well - things are starting to pick up!

[wub]

I’ll never forget the AN-22 ‘arriving’ at Farnborough in 1988 😮

[treadigraph]

Also reminded today that piston-engined Islanders always sound unsynchronised - Trislanders even more so!

[WHBM]

A microlight of some sort coming past LCY to Canary Wharf, etc this afternoon. Class A space ?

[SpringHeeledJack]

For those enamoured with the Antonov Grande Dame, gool ol' YT has a video of it yesterday.

You Tube

[treadigraph]

It's heading ESE out of Ostend now - shame it's not coming this way...

[SpringHeeledJack]

Indeed... Anyone know when it was last in the UK ? Was it MAN or EMA if memory serves ?

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

Indeed... Anyone know when it was last in the UK ? Was it MAN or EMA if memory serves ?

Came out of Brize Norton a few years ago late evening, Came right across London on climb power heading SE. Audible for about 10 minutes. Went outside, as always it was IMC.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Thanks, I wonder if I was in situ when it went over ? Pretty distinct sound, so probably not!

[Newforest2]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

As good a reason as any to invite one in! Convair 990?

Have see the odd exec 727 around in recent years, any still flying apart from the sprayers here? I get the impression most of the remaining flyers are hauling freight until they break or are wrecked in the parts of the world where propliners previously ruled the roost (other than North America!).

XT-BBE is a regular visitor, for maintenance, to Lasham!

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by Newforest2

XT-BBE is a regular visitor, for maintenance, to Lasham!

Are you sure you don't mean R722 XT-BFA (22430)?

AFAIK, B721 XT-BBE (18990) was retired about 15 years ago, although it has certainly visited Lasham prior to that.

[treadigraph]

Kingdom of the Netherlands AF A330 MRTT T-055 descending back to base from Aalborg - noticed it doing circuits somewhere earlier today and it defied identification - maybe at Eindhoven.

Loads of gliders up today!

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Kingdom of the Netherlands AF A330 MRTT T-055 descending back to base from Aalborg - noticed it doing circuits somewhere earlier today and it defied identification - maybe at Eindhoven.

First A332 for the NATO Multinational MRTT fleet, delivered last month, and it would have been heading for its base at Eindhoven.

Airbus delivers first A330 MRTT to NATO Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Fleet

[Newforest2]

Thanks Dave, correct, I sit corrected!

[WB627]

A U2 inbound to UK and a Raptor over Shleswig Holstein

[esscee]

U2 landed at Fairford a short while ago.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by WB627

A U2 inbound to UK and a Raptor over Shleswig Holstein

I'm intrigued as to how the flight tracker knows it's an F-22, in the absence of a tail number.

Incidentally, "MMF80" is the NATO MRTT T-055 that we were discussing yesterday.

[Big Eric]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

I'm intrigued as to how the flight tracker knows it's an F-22, in the absence of a tail number.

Incidentally, "MMF80" is the NATO MRTT T-055 that we were discussing yesterday.

'Raptor' is the callsign, ADS-B works from HEX codes in the database and not directly from aircraft serials.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by Big Eric

'Raptor' is the callsign, ADS-B works from HEX codes in the database and not directly from aircraft serials.

Ah, right. The F-22s probably use "Raptor" as a callsign to fool the enemy.