Military Activity over Twickenham?
 

Hi,

Monday afternoon about 3pm - stood outside the office at Twickenham Green. Asides from the usual commercial approaches there was a glint in the sky about 20,000ft(?) - looked like a military aircraft doing all sorts of maneouvres and looked like it was deploying flares/ chaff...any ideas? This has puzzled us all.

Cheers

HR

Given the location, it must have been visible to controllers at Heathrow and to aircraft in the vicinity yet nobody has responded. It must also have been visible on radar as anything operating at that altitude would be under radar control. I can't believe that an aircraft operating there would be allowed to drop chaff because of the possible interference to radar.

We shall see....

HD, thanks for the response and totally agree with you. It seemed to come from Richmond and caught my eye because of the sun - it was making odd maneouvres and it was difficult to make out at first as it seemed to "hang" there for ages then it appeared right above the Green and I could clearly see small "lights" or spark like objects "falling" from the aircraft. 3 of us saw it so this is not just me. Extremely curious to find out what it was.

Cheers

HR

I am amazed that no one has responded other than HD!? Any ideas anyone?

I could tell you but I'd have to shoot you first.

At least HD has provided one sensible reply.

Was the 'aircraft' large/small/2 engine/4 engine etc ? Any colour discernible at all ? Shape approximately ? Were the dispersing lights/chaff falling far from the craft and or dispersing in a wide area ? How long was it doing it's manoeuvres and what were they in nature ? Was it fast or slow moving ? How long did it stay on station ?



SHJ

SHJ,

Grey (suggesting military), 2 engine, "chaff" didn't fall far and very quickly disappeared. watched this for 10-15mins. It looked like a military aircraft doing tight maneouvres in slow motion but obviously a lot faster than it appeared!

Cheers

HR

Wasn't bits of Trent 900 was it ? ;)

Sounds more like an Islander doing tight turns and shedding contrails or shards of ice to me, but then how would I know?

I would have to concur with Mr Chevvron on the evidence so far M'lud. Our friends at Northolt generally fly large circuits continuously over various areas of the capital, but i've seen them keep on top of a point (of interest) droning away, seemingly only getting on my nerves :8 the general populace oblivious to the noise. As to the chaff etc, i reserve judgement.



SHJ

WE may be oblivious to the noise but we are watching :cool:

Related to the above but still apologies for slight thread drift, do our friends from Northolt fly at night? I ask because it was a possible explanation for a noisy and slow moving prop plane over my home just east of London one night last week.

This was military IMHO - not an islander - jet

Wasn't there a Harrier doing a farewell tour at Dunsfold that day? Maybe he did the same for the old Kingston factory at the same time??

Red Four - your comment makes the most sense to me - thanks.

Homesick... but I'd be surprised if it was messing around at 20,000 feet in the London TMA!

HD, point taken however, this was not an Islander that's all I am saying and I am not a military expert but it looked extremely like a military aircraft - sort of triangular shaped. Unless someone can categorically tell me exactly what it was, myself, and my colleagues believe it was a military aircraft. Your point is quite right and I totally agree - it was an odd spectacle but surely someone must know!??

I'm sure someone does, but those that do won't be saying anything here :suspect: Perhaps it was one of the super high-tech drones that have been seen in the north-east of the UK by many people ? Who's to say, stranger things have happened....



SHJ

Ah well SHJ - I guess we'll never know...