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

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Old 13th Nov 2021, 11:35
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Yes what a difference 57 years makes ;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_(1964_TV_series)
2021 " Stingray " both brilliant - but the USAF refuel is just in another league for drone technology IMO fascinating as an engineer ;
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/20...-tanker-f-35c/
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...tealth-fighter
Wish the USAF and / or Boeing had music to accompany this ( 2021 ) , like the " magic " of the Barry Gray Orchestra in 1964.. this series was a year BEFORE Thunderbirds - Gerry Anderson .... TFC
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Old 16th Nov 2021, 09:10
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Beluga is heading for Chester, currently (1009Z) N of Cromer
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Old 16th Nov 2021, 12:13
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Hornet Moth bashing the Biggin circuit at the moment...

Walking home earlier I noticed a large trail NE of London, heading towards Clacton. "Must be a C-5!" I thought... close, AN-124!
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Old 18th Nov 2021, 20:00
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AN-26 UR-CQD just went over here making a funny old racket - would never have guessed it from the sound. Very loud.
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Old 19th Nov 2021, 08:17
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I heard that as well, had a look on a couple of trackers, nothing showing and convinced myself it was something in the next street making a racket!
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Old 19th Nov 2021, 09:26
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It was on ADSB Exchange but not Plane Finder. Out of Shannon and went into Ostend (or somewhere along the Belgian/Dutch coast, I didn't look that closely!). Definitely sounded strange, rather a grinding noise. I actually thought it was a much lower piston engined aircraft at first - got a glimpse of its lights through the odd gaps in the cloud!

Islander G-BLNI came past on its way into Biggin a short while later... they always sound slightly out of synch!
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Old 19th Nov 2021, 18:44
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The sound I heard was like one of those large tree branch shredders, which was what made me think it was at ground level somewhere close-by. Maybe they need to change the oil in those engines.
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Old 21st Nov 2021, 15:26
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I saw an A380 coming out of LHR this morning and it wasn't an EK, nor BA example. I couldn't quite make it out, but it was a Singapore Airlines example! I hadn't realised that they were still flying them, save for domestic roundtrip pleasure flights. Also, I thought they had started scrapping/parting out their A380 fleet. Anyone know what's going on with the future plans of these behemoths ?
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Old 21st Nov 2021, 15:45
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I believe there are 5 A380s active with SIA at present, with another dozen or so that have up to now escaped the breaker's axe.
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Old 21st Nov 2021, 17:23
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Singapore Airlines re-introduced A380s on one of their three daily flights to Heathrow on 19th November.
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Old 22nd Nov 2021, 11:58
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Two C-5s came over here a little while ago, Clacton - Lands End, walking home musing about me not noticing any Heathrow traffic, missed the first one, noticed the second on ADSB and saw the trail somewhere past Guildford! A C-17 was accompanying him... Send us another trhat I can see properly this time!

UAE AF C-130 into Stansted just now...
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Old 23rd Nov 2021, 08:50
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Recently, the USAF seem to have abandoned the routing Navpi-MAM-Gitus,(basically over Norfolk-Marham,then out west), for Clacton-Biggin-Southampton-Lands End routing!. Not sure of the reasons for this, but is great for sightings….been around 30 transits of both C-5 and C-17s on this route in the last 3 weeks. Happy days😁
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Old 23rd Nov 2021, 09:12
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I assume weather conditions are dictating a more southerly route at present?
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Old 23rd Nov 2021, 10:21
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RCH 590….C-17A. 98-0057 just passed Biggin for SAM fl320 trailing!
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Old 23rd Nov 2021, 17:35
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Certainly been a few over in the last few days, see another one just whistling over, lights showing up nicely against the frosty sky.

Recall the old days when C-141s and the odd C-5 trundled eastwards from Strumble or Lands End towards Dover... I recall spotting six one day, trusty airband getting me the serials (I was recently told that if a substitute airframe flew the mission, they still used the serial submitted on the flightplan...)
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Old 24th Nov 2021, 12:48
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Seen on a tracker, Swiss AF Puma tracking up the East Coast of the UK flying from Switzerland.
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Old 25th Nov 2021, 08:34
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The 3 Swiss Cougars were heading to Leeming to join the 9 F-18s already there for exercise 'Yorknite2021'.
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Old 25th Nov 2021, 22:38
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Noticed a BA A380 tracking on a route between Heathrow and Frankfurt this morning.
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Old 26th Nov 2021, 11:28
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Tuesday night we had an extremely low flying helicopter type unknown, but assume military tracking down the Pennines, which flew slightly to the west of our house, (elev 1100ft) and dropped down into the valley in front and did the same all the way south as far as we could see ( about 15 miles). We are on low flight route but this was 21.30 and as I say very low and east of normal track. Nothing on Flightradar24 radar. Anybody got any ideas what it was ?

Last edited by Mr Mac; 27th Nov 2021 at 10:51.
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Old 26th Nov 2021, 13:08
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Can't see anything on Plane Finder but there were several RAF Hercs playing around in various UK locations that I noticed on several evenings earlier in the week.
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