Intense Military aircraft activity UK
Thread Starter
Intense Military aircraft activity UK
Hi, I know especially as airspace is quieter, more military flights are flown, but can anyone tell me why there is so much RAF/USAF activity over the UK over the last few weeks? Day and night, from Hawks to Globemasters, Sentry aircraft and Airbus all together last night and today?!
Cheers!
Rob
Cheers!
Rob
Avoid imitations
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We’re going to invade Europe, but keep that to yourself....
Gnome de PPRuNe
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I keep an occasional eye on ADSB in case anything interesting is lurking and I can't say mil traffic appears any more busy than usual - maybe stands out more as there is less civvy stuff cluttering everything up?
I don't pay much attention to tactical stuff, but my app that captures daytime high-level traffic over SE UK is currently seeing around half-a-dozen per day, which is pretty usual
Today's haul so far has been only 4: an RAF Voyager, USAF C-17, German AF A319 and a US Navy Clipper.
Today's haul so far has been only 4: an RAF Voyager, USAF C-17, German AF A319 and a US Navy Clipper.
There's something going on this week. This afternoon there were 4 QID KC-135Rs out of Midenhall and MDS39 Voyager from Brize all running racetrack refuelling patterns over the North Sea and at least 3 TASMAN Cobham Falcon 20s operating in the same area.
It's probably a few flights to Scotland to pick up some lobsters, and other stuff that the Scottish fishing folk can't export to France at present.
It's easy to tell - if the planes have unnecessary spare fuel tanks, then they are for the Mess.
It's easy to tell - if the planes have unnecessary spare fuel tanks, then they are for the Mess.
Sounds like a throwback to the days when Luftwaffe Starfighters used to return from Lossiemouth with bottles of Scotch stuffed into the empty gunports.
Generally speaking, there does seem to have been a marked increase in military aircraft activity over the UK in the past couple of years, but I haven't been able to determine whether this is down to a genuine increase in activity or just that they are getting easier to track online. Could be a bit of both.
It looked to me like we were being invaded by the Dutch
Was out and about (legally, M'lud!!!) earlier today on the Suffolk/Norfolk border when there was a sharp bang. Must have been about 1030-1100-ish or thereabouts .... possibly........ I wonder if that was someone getting slightly "overenthusiastic" over the N Sea. Had a couple of F15's enjoying themselves yesterday(?) South of Norwich. Not that unusual - but always nice to see peeps having fun! A few Apaches out later too. Anyway, just in case anyone else heard the "bang"! Just curious.
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A lot of military aircraft still do not show up on any of the flight tracking sites (including globalADSB) so you never see the true amount however recently more have started to appear on these sites that didn’t previously so that may account for an apparent increase.
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Brize was very busy with transport types showing up on ADS B mostly travelling north, looking at movements log many long duration, also activity supporting campaigns in North Africa
Was the contrails equipment fitted ? Was it being used ? Be very careful that stuff can ruin the waterproofing on your anorak ,
and has been known to absolutely destroy some folks sense of humour and haha
and has been known to absolutely destroy some folks sense of humour and haha
Living near Yeovilton I've been surprised how little traffic I've been seeing. I know, it's quiet over Christmas and the New Year but it's only been in the last few days that operations seem to have picked up. Mind you, that's just from personal observation, not any of the ADS-B sites so i suppose weather may well have had something to do with it (but it doesn't usually they launch in every direction).