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

[Twitcher]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Apparently the deep drone that just overflew me was a German P-3!

Edit: down to a couple of thousand feet heading west off St Ives - a German AF Global Wotnot has just performed a flyby at St Mawgan/Newquay-Galactic-Fishing-Port...

Just arrived at Northolt for a photographic night shoot apparently.

[SimonPaddo]

It flew over Saltash this morning, well I assume a 4 engined prop that wasn't on FR24 heading West was what I saw, though not strictly on my computer!

[treadigraph]

Real life sightings trump PC spots any day. Too damn cloudy here this morning.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Excuse the curious mind, but why would a German Marine P-3 be doing a photoshoot in the UK of all places ? There must be enough photographers and airfields in Germany.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

Excuse the curious mind, but why would a German Marine P-3 be doing a photoshoot in the UK of all places ? There must be enough photographers and airfields in Germany.

Roster for tonight's shoot:

Pilatus PC-12, Irish Air Corps
CASA 295, Irish Air Corps
EC135, Irish Air Corps
Embraer Xingu, European Defense Airlift School 00.319, French Air and Space Force (40th anniversary tail)
Merlin HC4, 846 Sqn, Royal Navy
Lockheed P-3C Orion, MFG3, German Navy
Sea King HU5, HeliOps Portland
Bulldog T1, privately owned
2 x Pilatus PC-21, French Air & Space Force from Cognac
Airbus A400M, RAF

[SpringHeeledJack]

Thanks, quite the roster. But why ?

[SLXOwft]

Just went out for a breath of fresh air having finished a long telephone call with lawyers to hear then see in the distance between me and Goodwood what looks like two singele-seaters indulging in a tail chase - lucky b's.

[Double Hydco]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

Thanks, quite the roster. But why ?

”October saw the second RAF Northolt Night Photoshoot of the year supporting the restoration of Building 27, the historic pre-war Sector Operations Building. This was the 29thphotoshoot and saw an impressive line-up of military and civilian aircraft from across Europe lined-up on the southern apron of London’s military airport.”

[SpringHeeledJack]

Originally Posted by Double Hydco

”October saw the second RAF Northolt Night Photoshoot of the year supporting the restoration of Building 27, the historic pre-war Sector Operations Building. This was the 29thphotoshoot and saw an impressive line-up of military and civilian aircraft from across Europe lined-up on the southern apron of London’s military airport.”

So this is a calendar (?) to raise money for the restoration of a historic building ? Who buys the images in whatever form and in such numbers to make a meaningful contribution ? I guess the costs of all the aircraft coming in is covered under some operational budget, but still.....I am a fan of aircraft and images thereof, but find this all a bit puzzling.

[The Flying Stool]

It's not puzzling at all. It's quite common and many museums and airfields etc host similar events in the darker months. Enthusiasts buy tickets to take photos of aircraft that are usually flood lit to give shots that they usually wouldn't be able to take. It appeals to both aviation enthusiasts and amateur photographers who usually do it for the pleasure of doing it. The rarer or more unusual the aircraft, the more people will buy tickets to attend.

[Ohrly]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

Roster for tonight's shoot:

Pilatus PC-12, Irish Air Corps
CASA 295, Irish Air Corps
EC135, Irish Air Corps
Embraer Xingu, European Defense Airlift School 00.319, French Air and Space Force (40th anniversary tail)
Merlin HC4, 846 Sqn, Royal Navy
Lockheed P-3C Orion, MFG3, German Navy
Sea King HU5, HeliOps Portland
Bulldog T1, privately owned
2 x Pilatus PC-21, French Air & Space Force from Cognac
Airbus A400M, RAF

That would certainly explain the Sea King and Merlin which flew overhead yesterday afternoon!

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

So this is a calendar (?) to raise money for the restoration of a historic building ? Who buys the images in whatever form and in such numbers to make a meaningful contribution ? I guess the costs of all the aircraft coming in is covered under some operational budget, but still.....I am a fan of aircraft and images thereof, but find this all a bit puzzling.

I don't know how many photographers are admitted to each event, but they are all paying (around £30 each, I think) for the privilege.

[Wycombe]

Yesterday afternoon I was treated to the sight of G-LUXE (a 40+ year old 146) as METMAN1 making nice circular trails at FL340 over North Hants/West Berks. On another "air sniffing" mission no doubt.

[WHBM]

Nice rumbly Antonov 12 heading north over London (actually tracking north-west over Lambourne VOR) at 20k feet, quite audible inside the house. It's Cavok Air UR-CNN, orange and blue livery, apparently running eastern France to Reykjavik, and doubtless on over the Atlantic from there..

[treadigraph]

I forgot that I noticed UR-CNN heading SE over London yesterday morning, didn't hear her tho!

Had the Biggin Falco orbiting my house yesterday afternoon while waiting for Biggin ILS traffic to do the break off and fly thd visual downwind to 03. Lovely sight!

[DuncanDoenitz]

For the second time in under a week, our sleepy Cumbian seaside town is reverberating to the thunder of 2 Typhoons (Sparta11 and wingman) hunting for 2 Chinooks which are dashing around the fields and hiding behind the occasional copse or farmhouse. The Typhoons are rarely above 2000', Chinooks rarely above the hedgerows. Its like jack-russels and rats, and lots of energy being expended by both hunter and prey.

If this is where my tax-dollars are going, and if the persons responsible are listening; SEND MORE PLEASE!!!

[Ohrly]

Originally Posted by DuncanDoenitz

For the second time in under a week, our sleepy Cumbian seaside town is reverberating to the thunder of 2 Typhoons (Sparta11 and wingman) hunting for 2 Chinooks which are dashing around the fields and hiding behind the occasional copse or farmhouse. The Typhoons are rarely above 2000', Chinooks rarely above the hedgerows. Its like jack-russels and rats, and lots of energy being expended by both hunter and prey.

If this is where my tax-dollars are going, and if the persons responsible are listening; SEND MORE PLEASE!!!

It's not fair is it? Here over the home counties the only time we get something that isn't slow and fat or a helicopter is after a flypast in London. There are far more places for Chinooks to hide here too. Just close Heathrow for a few hours and let rip, I'm sure everyone will understand . . .

[Big Eric]

Originally Posted by DuncanDoenitz

For the second time in under a week, our sleepy Cumbian seaside town is reverberating to the thunder of 2 Typhoons (Sparta11 and wingman) hunting for 2 Chinooks which are dashing around the fields and hiding behind the occasional copse or farmhouse. The Typhoons are rarely above 2000', Chinooks rarely above the hedgerows. Its like jack-russels and rats, and lots of energy being expended by both hunter and prey.

If this is where my tax-dollars are going, and if the persons responsible are listening; SEND MORE PLEASE!!!

Spartan 11 & 12 (ZK304 & ZK350 of 2 sqn, Lossiemouth) landed at Newcastle airport at about 15.05 and departed at 17.20.

[AES]

Yesterday (Monday 11th March 2024) "seen" on Flightradar24 at approx midday local time, almost directly above my home (ca. 20 Km S.E. from Basel/Mulhouse):

Antonov 124-100 (says Fr24) at FL300, GS ca. 400 Kts.

Apparently en-route from Leipzig Halle tracking towards Geneva (until I stopped looking).

NO registration. NO Flt No: NO routing/timing. NO call sign. NO photo. Nor any of the details shown on Fr24 by a "normal commercial flight".

???

[SpringHeeledJack]

Most likely one of the upgraded stealthy versions, there, but not there ;-) Most likely one of the UKR regd examples and just being more discrete these days.