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

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

They have quite a fleet it appears, several more Sea Kings including a pair of ex-Belgian Air Component examples, an ex-RN Wessex, a Lynx and a Widgeon...

Edit: website

The website seems remarkably coy about the identity of the Widgeon (and no photo of it), which seems a bit strange given that it's widely known to be G-ANLW, formerly of the Flixton museum. It's been under restoration for more than a year now.

[Fly-by-Wife]

Curious one - I saw what looked and sounded like a SEP (I really don't think it was a turbine) passing overhead Richmond (west London) at about 5.20 this afternoon, roughly SW to NE, estimate around 3000 feet. Given the built up area and the London TMA, a very unusual sight - a couple of other people also noticed the odd sound and wondered what it was.

[MAC 40612]

Originally Posted by Fly-by-Wife

Curious one - I saw what looked and sounded like a SEP (I really don't think it was a turbine) passing overhead Richmond (west London) at about 5.20 this afternoon, roughly SW to NE, estimate around 3000 feet. Given the built up area and the London TMA, a very unusual sight - a couple of other people also noticed the odd sound and wondered what it was.

Looking at an ADSB Exchange playback, the only aircraft likely was G-BYEM Cessna 182 [Denham based] that crossed the area in your stated direction at 4900 ft @ 16.35Z [so 17.35 local]

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?repl....270&zoom=12.4

[treadigraph]

'YEM's track is pretty much what traffic inbound Northolt via Biggin often does, don't think I have ever seen a piston single use it though.

[DaveReidUK]

From Heathrow's WebTrak:



Must have had an interesting view of the Heathrow ILS..

Went into Denham, where it's based.

[Fly-by-Wife]

Thanks folks, much appreciated. I may have underestimated the height and got the time slightly wrong, but at least I was right that it was a SEP!

[sealo0]

Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard g-CLLK east of BOU 13.30 seems to be an unusual sighting.

Mark you we are winding up to the Air Festival this weekend

[cliver029]

Big hole over Norfolk and Suffolk whilst a “military plane” does racetracks over Thetford Forest, in the meantime all the commercial planes tiptoe clock wise around the Norfolk coast

[treadigraph]

RAF RC-135...

Meanwhile, east of Biggin there lurks a French mil Squirrel, heading NW, possibly into Biggin or perhaps Northolt via the heli lanes?

An Avanti just buzz-sawed over with the intriguing reg 9H-DINKY...

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

An Avanti just buzz-sawed over with the intriguing reg 9H-DINKY...

One of those minimum-repaint changes, previous identity was D-INKY.

[treadigraph]

Thanks Dave!

Last I saw of the French Mil heli-rodent as I wandered home through the woods, it had tracked through the heli-lanes to around Richmond, then headed SW towards Midhurst, then SE towards Worthing/Shoreham. No idea if it landed anywhere but looked like it might be a NavEx/nice day out at the French tax payers' expense!

Edit: looks like it popped into Shoreham for fuel.

[CHINOOKER]

Originally Posted by sealo0

Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard g-CLLK east of BOU 13.30 seems to be an unusual sighting.

Mark you we are winding up to the Air Festival this weekend

Watched this land at Sandown Airport the same afternoon…..looked/sounded nice!!

[SLXOwft]

Rather late report but while I was in a commune (very much) non-fibrée in nothern France I had the pleasure of a low level visit from one of their C-130J-30s. Also several Rafales spread over the rest of the holiday including a pair making a low pass along the line of Rennes' main runway. None of them were visible on ADSB exchange or FR24. Mind you the same was true of my post-dusk double-rotored visitor earlier this week.

Sadly this evening's display at the Air Festival in the occupied territories was cancelled due to the forecast Wx.

[treadigraph]

Weird helicopter sound interrupted my ablutions this morning, not visible out of the window but it apparently was a US registered MD600, a stretched MD520 Notar; can't say I've ever see one. First thought on hearing it was some sort of Mil...

[treadigraph]

Whazzat? Another visit to the bathroom forestalled by noise, blimey, a Vampire whizzing over! LN-DHY, been entertaining the Bournemouth crowd, looks like he started from Marham. ADSB says 900' and 320kts, I wouldn't argue with that, glimpse I got he looked quite low and was fairly shuttling along!

Oh yes, do excuse me...

[SpringHeeledJack]

That's pretty rare and exciting even if it interrupted one's ablutions. A question, why would a 'fast-jet' be allowed to transit the London TMA at 1,000ft and 320kts? I'm all for seeing such a rare beast low-down, but a light twin it is not.

[SLXOwft]

Earlier today, UAE VIP AW-139 2020 flying from Stansted, through the Wallops, just across the Wiltshire border than back across Hants passing just south of me, E/W Sussex, and turning back for Essex near Crowborough up throught Kent an across the Thames at Dartford, did a couple of tight circuits round industrial sites. Site seeing trip?

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

That's pretty rare and exciting even if it interrupted one's ablutions. A question, why would a 'fast-jet' be allowed to transit the London TMA at 1,000ft and 320kts? I'm all for seeing such a rare beast low-down, but a light twin it is not.

He was outside the Heathrow CTR and under the TMA, routing NE between the CTR (SE corner is somewhere between Banstead and Sutton) and Biggin, then north to North Weald via the Dartford Crossing area - probably talking to Farnborough East and Biggin. See the odd Bizjet doing the same from Farnborough into Biggin tho they are probably a bit higher and doing a bit less than 320kts! If indeed he was that fast...

Speaking of Middle Eastern helicopters, think I noticed a A6- or A7- registered S-92 whopping around London a few days ago.

[treadigraph]

AN-12 inbound Brum last night, nice drone and visible against the Cirrus.

Just had a DA-62 orbiting haphazardly overhead, camera port of some type visible in the belly. Owner not one of the usual suspects but a umbrella business that includes a property development company. Spying out potential land opportunities perchance? Give me £500k and six months and you can buy my gaff... Probably get 20 flats at least on our row of cottages.

...and the AN-12 outbound, lovley sound!

[c52]

Close-ish to Lossiemouth

plenty of USAF C-130s
at least USAF & Kuwaiti C-17s
tankers of USAF, RAF, Italy & Canada
an RC-135
a NATO E-3
and fast jets including from Canada (based Romania)