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

[The AvgasDinosaur]

Originally Posted by Less Hair

Why would they go that high? VVIP overwater flight safety regulations?

Maybe winds and fuel saving ??

[UnderASouthernSky]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

The E-4B that was refueled lifted off from Aviano AB in Northern Italy, flew to Vilnius(area) and then westwards towards the Atlantic, so perhaps it needed a top up for safety regulations etc ?

Perhaps not comfortable in uplifting at VNO, so safer to uplift their own "vetted" supply air-to-air?

[treadigraph]

Viking-built Twin Otter from Fairford just droned over here, Romanian AF AN-26 looks to be following.

Spitfire XIV G-SXIV returning to France from Legends at Leeds East (or Church Fenton) all at - allegedly - very low level. Passed underneath Spitfire 19 G-RRGN en route, which was being pursued by a German Beech 200! 'GN on way home from Fairford... G-SXIV now boring across Kent.

Edit: nice view of the Romanian AN-26! The Cessna 408 thingy now heading this way...

[caiman27]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

Thanks, I had a look at BigJetTV (first time since the lockdowns) and he was on good form roaring away at certain moments to much hilarity. Unfortunately he started later than the arrival of the Etihad flight, so that was that. I have a sneaking suspicion that they've made a tactical PR move due to the x-winds at LHR and the possibility of go-arounds/diversions and decided to keep their powder dry for better optics, and I can't say I blame them.

Apparently put back to 22 or 25 July?

[SLXOwft]

15+11 A321 made a 5000ft pass over Fairford en route from Cork.

[kcockayne]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Viking-built Twin Otter from Fairford just droned over here, Romanian AF AN-26 looks to be following.

Spitfire XIV G-SXIV returning to France from Legends at Leeds East (or Church Fenton) all at - allegedly - very low level. Passed underneath Spitfire 19 G-RRGN en route, which was being pursued by a German Beech 200! 'GN on way home from Fairford... G-SXIV now boring across Kent.

Edit: nice view of the Romanian AN-26! The Cessna 408 thingy now heading this way...

The 408 was on its way down to us in Jersey. I saw it about 40 mins later. Showing my ignorance, but I had never heard of it before.

[treadigraph]

Yeah, I think it heard I was planning on eyeballing it from my garden, and made a sharp right hand turn around Basingstoke... didn't see where it went after that!

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by kcockayne

The 408 was on its way down to us in Jersey. I saw it about 40 mins later. Showing my ignorance, but I had never heard of it before.

Wannabe Twin Otter

[c52]

An A340-600 with a Cubana flight no, Brussels - Havanna.

[bobbytables]

Originally Posted by c52

An A340-600 with a Cubana flight no, Brussels - Havanna.

It’s a Conviasa A346. The same aircraft has previously flown Cuban government flights eg for the state visit to China last year.

Currently moseying along at FL280 three hours into its Atlantic crossing. No RVSM?

[treadigraph]

Hmm, just saw a long gleaming thing curving round on to Heathrow 27L approach, apparently it's A350-1000 G-XWBO, freshly minted at Tolouse. Seems like yesterday BA got their first one, have they really got 15 now?

[MAC 40612]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Hmm, just saw a long gleaming thing curving round on to Heathrow 27L approach, apparently it's A350-1000 G-XWBO, freshly minted at Toulouse. Seems like yesterday BA got their first one, have they really got 15 now?

Yes, and I suspect if they could get them quicker they would. BA got caught out big time with a lack of long haul capacity post-covid after being too over eager to offload all the Boeing 747-436 fleet. Lufthansa sensibly parked up their remaining B747-430 and has brought a number of them back into the fleet

[SpringHeeledJack]

......not forgetting all their A346's in storage whilst the A343's were worked here there and everywhere. The Teutonic psychology is pretty impressive in such matters and it seems to be paying off in spades. Whilst it was difficult to predict when things would normalise and how much real demand would exist, you'd have expected a more nuanced response from BA and IAG,

[MAC 40612]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

......not forgetting all their A346's in storage whilst the A343's were worked here there and everywhere. The Teutonic psychology is pretty impressive in such matters and it seems to be paying off in spades. Whilst it was difficult to predict when things would normalise and how much real demand would exist, you'd have expected a more nuanced response from BA and IAG,

Unfortunately the IAG group is a separate entity and is just in the business of making as much profit as possible from all the airlines in the group. All decisions regarding expenditure above a very low amount [something in the region of £1000] have to be okayed by IAG finance and I suspect they didn't like the cost of keeping the Boeing 747s on the ground. BA had a check regime drawn up by Boeing, so the aircraft could be put back in service within a day but the trade off for that was a fair amount of work on the aircraft and systems and regular engine runs etc. all of which cost money especially when they were hardly flying them at all. BA also offloaded approx one third of it's engineers at the same time as the withdrew all the B747s as the engineers 'weren't needed' and put all the remaining ones on 'new' less favourable contracts. They are still struggling to try and recruit engineers now to get back up to full strength, as in a tight labour market BA are nowhere near the top of the league in the UK as regards salary...Showing how desperate they are to recruit one of the 'benefits' listed by BA engineering in a recent job advert was free parking at work

[treadigraph]

Watching Oshkosh on ADSB and webcam, entertaining! Mass arrivals of Mooneys then Bonanzas on 36, a 172 causing havoc before arriving on 27 (numerous unanswered calls!), everything arriving via Ripon has been turned back at Fisk for the last few mins! Looks like Fisk has now returned to normal. Wish I woz there...

Blimey... Tripacer with a Lear 35 up his jacksy on short final!

Edit: another pause, looks like some nasty weather heading through.

[treadigraph]

Another quick look at Osh, Howard 500 N500LN inbound, Brits might remember her living at Exeter with Duncan Baker for many years.

[Mr Mac]

Osprey North Bound low level at around 16.00 over West Yorkshire returned South bound about 70 minn later. Not a frequent visitor on low level around here.

Cheers
Mr Mac

[SWBKCB]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Another quick look at Osh, Howard 500 N500LN inbound, Brits might remember her living at Exeter with Duncan Baker for many years.

And Coventry and Staverton before that?

Flickr Slideshows (Photostreams)

[SpringHeeledJack]

The return of Etihad's A380's in the UK occured this morning. Seemed a bit early for PR purposes imo, but what do i know. That's 6 operators of the type into LHR now, that's got to be the most worldwide.

[treadigraph]

New one on me, 747-400 TF-AMU just thundered overhead out of Heathrow in Network colours... seems they are a UK outfit based in Crawley.