Interesting aircraft - what have you seen on your computer today?
Interesting variation on NATO's ISTAR fleet which we've seen swanning around Russia and Ukraine during the present "unpleasantness".
This morning's Jake21 is a WC-135R Constant Phoenix (64-14836), out of Mildenhall, just dropped down to 5500 ft over the Baltic around Kaliningrad. Rather than Electronic Reconnaissance, its normal mission is to collect atmospheric samples to monitor radiation fallout. Wonder what it's sniffing?
This morning's Jake21 is a WC-135R Constant Phoenix (64-14836), out of Mildenhall, just dropped down to 5500 ft over the Baltic around Kaliningrad. Rather than Electronic Reconnaissance, its normal mission is to collect atmospheric samples to monitor radiation fallout. Wonder what it's sniffing?
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
Lancaster up for a bimble earlier, air test or crew training I suppose. Saw both BBMF Hurricanes out and about round Coningsby a few days ago. Spring is in the air.
The WC-135R came back from its Baltic mission earlier, wonder if it has been sniffing for anything from Chernobyl; south easterly recently winds maybe?
The WC-135R came back from its Baltic mission earlier, wonder if it has been sniffing for anything from Chernobyl; south easterly recently winds maybe?
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
Lithuanian AF C-27J droned over east-bound earlier, not sure where it departed...
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
Ah... might have seen it if I hadn't been walking through Selsdon Woods.
Gulfstream 5 heading across Kent at 47000! Out of Scottsdale AZ...
Gulfstream 5 heading across Kent at 47000! Out of Scottsdale AZ...
Orbiting right now at 27,000 ft over the start of the London Marathon, for TV coverage is French King Air 200 F-HFRF of operator Aero Sotravia. Doing this has them in direct contact with all the various camera positions round the course, and they then downlink the signals to a central point. I first noticed this approach in the London Olympics Marathon in 2012, again with a King Air, which was orbiting at altitude over Lambourne VOR during the race.
However, a French operator for the London Marathon ? Can you honestly see the Paris Marathon chartering in a UK operator ?
AS-355 G-INTV is doing the low level pictures underneath it at 1,700 ft. Notably, from just a couple of miles away across the river Thames, the King Air's PT6s are more audible than the chopper.
However, a French operator for the London Marathon ? Can you honestly see the Paris Marathon chartering in a UK operator ?
AS-355 G-INTV is doing the low level pictures underneath it at 1,700 ft. Notably, from just a couple of miles away across the river Thames, the King Air's PT6s are more audible than the chopper.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
Sort of service I'd have thought 2Excel would offer...
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
ADSB-Ex is down... so frustrating! 
Thought it seemed a bit syrupy this morning, I was keeping a weather eye on the WC-135 which headed south at 0.Cornflake hours this morning...
Thought it seemed a bit syrupy this morning, I was keeping a weather eye on the WC-135 which headed south at 0.Cornflake hours this morning...
It was, the few times I looked various glitches were apparent. That said, my innernet was also having issues earlier on, as though someone was squeezing the pipe. Perhaps all affected by the solar flares emitted on Friday by our friendly neighbourhood sun ;-) Btw, can one set alerts for particular aircraft on adsb-ex ?
The WC- ended up in the M.E, so no day return...
The WC- ended up in the M.E, so no day return...
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
All good today... and the formating season is well under way off Great Yarmouth. Is there some special event coming up?
Rolls Royce's Spitfire XIX
Airborne for 1 hour ex EMA on 23rd. Todays offering an unusual occurrence for Nottinghamshire formation of 4 Defence Helicopter School cabs swung round Mansfield
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
Nigerian AF C-130H just wafted over me, inbound Marshalls by the looks of it. Assume an H as it was quite quiet, the 130Js seem to have an insistent whine even when throttled back and descending as this one was. Remember seeing them at Gatters a few times in the 70s/80s...
Edit: might be some second hand Js available soon, one careful owner, not many miles on the clock, Guv. Come wiv new boots and blood...
Edit: might be some second hand Js available soon, one careful owner, not many miles on the clock, Guv. Come wiv new boots and blood...
Last edited by treadigraph; 26th Apr 2023 at 09:29.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ruislip Middlesex,England
Age: 69
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Northbound over France, returning to Mildenhall from Bahrain is WC-135R 64-14836 as “ATOM36” being followed by RC-135W 62-4139 as “OLIVE39 which is routing over Southern Germany….both should route over southern England later
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
I noticed the WC earlier just after it had passed by these parts - would have been too cloudy for a visual though!
Something Antonov-ish just droned east over London, not identified on ADSB but has a VKA callsign, so assume an AN-26.
Something Antonov-ish just droned east over London, not identified on ADSB but has a VKA callsign, so assume an AN-26.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,662
Received 320 Likes
on
178 Posts
Just saw a comment from Mark Jeffries - Nigerian Herc is at Cambridge to pick up the Global Stars Extras - they are doing a display out there.
Yes, An-26 UR-CQZ, probably out of Birmingham judging from the altitude.
I see G-ilda been up today just landed at Lee on Solent
G-ILDA is a Spitfire Mk T1X and is quite offen around the Needles
G-ILDA is a Spitfire Mk T1X and is quite offen around the Needles