Interesting aircraft - what have you seen on your computer today?
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Here's yesterday's C-5 - wish it still had TF-39s! Digital zoom on my bridge camera is great but... digital.
Very pixelated image shot with my phone at around 1620 yesterday on my local common looking SSW across the valley and over Kenley Aerodrome ( the two large trees are just on the edge of the airfield). The upper white streak is a Lufthansa A350, the lower one just above the horizon and emerging from the centre tree is an Emirates A380. They are both at 38000' and straddling Jersey between them; when the A380 eventually disappeared behind the treeline it was about 2/3rds of the way between Plymouth and Roscoff. 200+ miles from me. Picture of no particular merit except I still find it slightly amazing that on a superb clear day one can see an aircraft so far away - or at least, its contrail!
The third trail towards top left is a Jet2 B738 inbound Newcastle at approx Cherbourg... There was an Iberia A350 behind which I hoped to eyeball before it began its descent into Heathrow, but no cigar. Haven't sat up there on such a winter's evening for a while, probably nearly two years as there was bugger all traffic last year!
Once had a Britannia (Bristol) tail on to me (in Guernsey) visual through binoculars over IBY, before it turned for MID. That’s about 80+ miles. Also, have regularly seen jets well south of the Brittany coast from Jersey .
Back in my Dot Spotting days we used to hear aircraft checking in on London Airways (133.6?) when passing Lands End and, on a clear day, the con trail could be seen from Hurn about 180 miles away.
Lots of MAC callsigns in those days.
Lots of MAC callsigns in those days.
My office window, several floors up, near to Heathrow, facing westward, gives a nice view on clear summer contrailing evenings of westbounds, often to them being over the Brecon Beacons. What was that about extreme air pollution ?
In the reverse, one evening on Glasgow to London, overhead Blackburn, the lights of Hull were visible on one side and, crossing the aisle, of Dublin on the other. And I've commented here before that on Glasgow to London City, the descent track is so convoluted nowadays that France is regularly visible on the left.
In the reverse, one evening on Glasgow to London, overhead Blackburn, the lights of Hull were visible on one side and, crossing the aisle, of Dublin on the other. And I've commented here before that on Glasgow to London City, the descent track is so convoluted nowadays that France is regularly visible on the left.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Hot air balloon drifting from Belgium into France at the mo. Isn't it still night there as well?
My similarly early bird colleague Angela and I used to sit in our east facing office with the lights off around 7am on sunny winter mornings, eating our breakfasts and watching trails heading into Europe and the other way, lit by the as yet unseen sun - "where's that one Treadders?" "Over Dunkirk", etc, etc.
Riddlesdown, my local common, affords great views in most directions and I have identified trails as far down as Truro and out over the Irish Sea west of Strumble, sometimes using turns to be certain of which aircraft on ADSB I was looking at. Some of them were BA flights out of Heathrow. One thing was some shallow turns didn't show up and it eventually dawned on me that I was watching the aircraft reach top of climb! On one occasion a distant trail west of Lundy was a Ryanair flight from Cork to Gatters... descent was over Dorset where it disappeared and a few minutes later I saw its lights turning final over East Grinstead as I scurried home along the muddy tracks listening to the owls preparing to breakfast!
MAC flights! Ah, no ADSB, just an air band and a bit of luck...
I once managed to spot an Irish Air Corps Beech 200 overhead Woodley at 28000' or something from maybe 30 miles to the south (a few miles west of Dunsfold) - it was was just a tint dot glinting in the sun but my 12x50 bins managed to magnify it enough to confirm the "pot". Ah, memories...
My similarly early bird colleague Angela and I used to sit in our east facing office with the lights off around 7am on sunny winter mornings, eating our breakfasts and watching trails heading into Europe and the other way, lit by the as yet unseen sun - "where's that one Treadders?" "Over Dunkirk", etc, etc.
Riddlesdown, my local common, affords great views in most directions and I have identified trails as far down as Truro and out over the Irish Sea west of Strumble, sometimes using turns to be certain of which aircraft on ADSB I was looking at. Some of them were BA flights out of Heathrow. One thing was some shallow turns didn't show up and it eventually dawned on me that I was watching the aircraft reach top of climb! On one occasion a distant trail west of Lundy was a Ryanair flight from Cork to Gatters... descent was over Dorset where it disappeared and a few minutes later I saw its lights turning final over East Grinstead as I scurried home along the muddy tracks listening to the owls preparing to breakfast!
MAC flights! Ah, no ADSB, just an air band and a bit of luck...
I once managed to spot an Irish Air Corps Beech 200 overhead Woodley at 28000' or something from maybe 30 miles to the south (a few miles west of Dunsfold) - it was was just a tint dot glinting in the sun but my 12x50 bins managed to magnify it enough to confirm the "pot". Ah, memories...
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Ah the love call of an amorous A220 echoing through the mist and trees! Yep quick.orbit in the Biggin hold, assume it was a stage or two of flap deploying. Sounds like the love child of a fog horn and a goose with laryngitis...
Hah there it is again, more flap as it proceeds along its downwind leg...
Hah there it is again, more flap as it proceeds along its downwind leg...
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treadigraph
As the Yorkshire house is high up it is possible to see AC outbound from East Midlands Airport when they turn North, if on Easterly departures with landing lights on, when they are at around 5000ft. Inbound to Manchester from the south we can see the landing lights when AC are over the North Midlands, but as you say its is the high altitude trails which can be quite surprising with views of AC as far south as Rutland, and East and West well out into Irish and North Sea. We can not see the Northern sky, as there is the top of the moor behind the house, which precludes the view in that direction some what , unless walking up into the top field in which case you can see AC up to and over Scots border. I do not like winter particularly, but the winter sunsets and sunrises we find are some of the best on a cold and clear day.
Cheers
Mr Mac
As the Yorkshire house is high up it is possible to see AC outbound from East Midlands Airport when they turn North, if on Easterly departures with landing lights on, when they are at around 5000ft. Inbound to Manchester from the south we can see the landing lights when AC are over the North Midlands, but as you say its is the high altitude trails which can be quite surprising with views of AC as far south as Rutland, and East and West well out into Irish and North Sea. We can not see the Northern sky, as there is the top of the moor behind the house, which precludes the view in that direction some what , unless walking up into the top field in which case you can see AC up to and over Scots border. I do not like winter particularly, but the winter sunsets and sunrises we find are some of the best on a cold and clear day.
Cheers
Mr Mac
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Blimey, have they fitted silencers to AN-12s? UR-CNN just went over and while I heard it, it did seem muted. St John's, Keflavik, Prestwick and on its way to the Continent...
Edit: landed at Hahn.
Edit: landed at Hahn.
Last edited by treadigraph; 18th Jan 2022 at 19:18.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Down in the west Country, different to see a Gatwick-bound BA 777 pass overhead at 40000' still a few miles from top of descent...
Wandering around Tavistock yesterday, gaze directed skywards by loud jet noise, kind of assumed it would be a pair of Culdrose Hawks, too many buildings to see. ADSB revealed a pair of F-15s out for a jolly.
Wandering around Tavistock yesterday, gaze directed skywards by loud jet noise, kind of assumed it would be a pair of Culdrose Hawks, too many buildings to see. ADSB revealed a pair of F-15s out for a jolly.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Faint drone passing overhead turned out to be a Danish AF Herc heading home for medals and tea. Surprisingly quiet...
I saw a swept wing smallish aircraft heading into LHR just now. If I was to put money on it i'd say it was a Dassault Falcon 10 or 20. If so there can't have been one in Heathrow for a good many years!
I don't know whose arm one has to twist nowadays to get a slot, but LHR saw around 300 movements last year by bizjets, the most common being assorted Globals, Gulfstreams and Challengers.
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Rare sight from my bedroom window, currently in the Kenley Aerodrome o/h - sharing it with a 615 VGS Viking!
Last edited by treadigraph; 30th Jan 2022 at 17:21. Reason: 617 VGS? Whoops...