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

[BSD]

Cheers DR, North Weald isn't too far from where I was. I thought that might be the one but wasn't sure if it was airworthy. Good effort by someone to get one flying.

Playing golf, with a "no mobile on the course" policy I couldn't consult technology.

[treadigraph]

Wasp G-RIMM has visited Kent today, looks like it launched from North Weald. Served with the New Zealand Navy from 1983 till 1999 after a stint with the RN.

[goldox]

Bright yellow Stinson V-77 Reliant passed low overhead while I was washihg car a couple of hours ago.
Really nice looking aircraft.
N69745 apparently.

[treadigraph]

Got a Commander 690 N690CC doing loooong survey runs between roughly Thatcham and Sevenoaks at 12000' - that's a big old swathe! I'll try and spot him on his next pass, haven't seen a Twin Commander in yonks.

Edit: couldn't even hear him about 5 miles south of here...

[JEM60]

Lovely looking Isaacs Fury glistening in the afternoon sun past my bungalow in Chedburgh . Great afternoon to be in that, oh, a Chipmunk in R.A.,F colours doing a couple of PFLs this morning. Nice to see.

[treadigraph]

Lots of balloons airborne in Europe this morning, particularly Switzerland. I can see at least 21... None over the UK, though conditions seem perfect. Maybe a bit early still or they are just shy.

[wub]

Two USAF Global Hawks operating at 54,000 ft over Ukraine this afternoon Forte 10 and Forte 12

[treadigraph]

Bloody hell, just bailed out of the loft at a rate of knots as what sounded like a formation of Extras flew over - no, it was a Fatlass. No build up, very little after drone, just short and quite loud. Maybe effect of the clag...

Good job I needed to come down to get a tape measure!

[c52]

An A-300 into Heathrow - what an odd shape its wings are!

[dixi188]

Originally Posted by c52

An A-300 into Heathrow - what an odd shape its wings are!

What's odd about them?
I spent 14 years on B4 and never thought anything odd unless you mean the winglets on the -600.

[goldox]

Heard an "Antonov drone" last night just after 10 as heading for bed. Just looked it up on FR24, was an AN-26 heading south but no other details?

[SpringHeeledJack]

I looked up this morning and saw what I thought was an indistinct airliner coming into LHR, possibly Thai Airlines. It turned out to be that private 787 that flew a 20hr leg a while ago. No idea where it came from, or why. Pretty rare.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by SpringHeeledJack

I looked up this morning and saw what I thought was an indistinct airliner coming into LHR, possibly Thai Airlines. It turned out to be that private 787 that flew a 20hr leg a while ago. No idea where it came from, or why. Pretty rare.

Operated by Comlux Aruba, hence the P4 reg. Arrived this morning from Madrid, first visit to Heathrow for it since its Aeromexico days.

[750XL]

5 x USAF Blackhawks at 11,000ft... Never seen that before

[togsdragracing]

Air Force 2 just crossing the south tip of Eire, or at least the plane is. Given that it is visible on FR24 I am guessing that the VP isn't on board.

Addition: landed at STN.

[pax britanica]

Not that I could clearly see the actual aircraft but any ideas on close parallel identical relatively small contrails (assume same/similar altitude) overhead Frome Somerset at 1720 today. Assume Mil as nothing on FR24 at that time. almost horizon to horizon like railway lines in the sky.
PB

[roger4]

They were a pair of US Marine Corps F-35B (169678 coded CF-05 and 169587 coded CF-02 both of VFMA-211) routing from Lakenheath direct to HMS Queen Elizabeth off the south coast (Plymouth area?).

Earlier in the afternoon there had been two pairs of RAF F-35B from Marham, followed by two pairs of USMC ones from Lakenheath, before the pair you saw at 17:20. Another 8 aircraft (4 RAF, 4 USMC) are expected to join the boat tomorrow to give a total of 18 on board.

[treadigraph]

Only things I can see are a west bound RCAF Challenger out of Luton around 1720, and a NetJets Phenom out of Stansted a few minutes later - both up in the 30000s and to the north of Frome.

Ah, Roger has the answer! Good spot!

[pax britanica]

Roger4

Many thanks, they did have that mil sound and were louder at FL3XX than normal civilian stuff.

Whats with all these carrier jet movements and odd shared deployments or is it just that we havent got enough F35s to be of any use. personally I am not sure what use a medium size carier is in todays world except as a base for fighting anti guerilla type wars on coastal states. They arent going to frighten anyone serious are they and in real modern war surely carriers are just big easy targets for drone swarms or anti ship weapons .

Still even if they were just dots in the sky I have now seen an F35.

[TheFrenchConnection]

HEADS UP ; EXPECT A LOT OF TRAFFIC IN NE AND NW SCOTLAND FROM THIS WEEKEND 7TH / 8TH UNTIL 21ST MAY ; ( Roger4 / Pax Britanica )
Scotland to host part of Strike Warrior military exercise involving 31 warships and 150 aircraft : more details here ;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...trike_Group_21
https://news.usni.org/2021/05/03/mar...ise-deployment
https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles...ons-for-csg21/
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-an...strike-warrior
https://www.scotsman.com/news/defenc...rcraft-3219656
Enjoy TFC.