baby 737 intercepted
 

Just hearing news that a RAF Typhoon intercepted a Baby 737 over London last night after radio contact was lost. The aircraft was also forced to hold for identification before finally being allowed to land at Manchester, it's intended destination.

And ??? Your point being ?

My point being that this is an aviation rumour and news website and this constitutes some aviation news. What content would you expect to see?

Okay....I'll bite....whose 737 was it? Was it loaded with jihadists or what ?

The Typhoon
 

or A Typhoon, I am surprised that one manage to go operational.

Defending Manchester. Thats some challenge.

I bit. OK.

glf

Gulfstream

Maybe the one at Hendon is back in the air.

Hi Capt - Chaos,

Baby refers to BMI Baby, a UK low cost operator.

Cheap flights to Europe with bmibaby.com

:ok:

I'd be totally astounded if this was true...... so I wait patiently to be astounded.

Good Lord..... I am now totally astounded!! I bet the BMi Captain was busy typing for sometime afterwards..

What exactly astounded you HD? Intercepts following prolonged loss of R/T contact is quite the norm in my part of Europe. Or were you meaning something else?

Well, I'd never seen it happen and the idea of fighter interceptions in busy airspace worries me somewhat. Show how things have changed since I retired.

The grading for a current threat of a terrorist attack in this country is classed as 'severe'. An aircraft over or near a major city in the UK loses comms for what ever reason. Those in the know that have the power to launch a QRA did it by the book and all most of you can do is take the p$$$. Some of you have short memories.
Gentlemen, it's a rumour & news site. This is news and am I glad we are in safe hands!!

almost a every day event heading down over France, aircraft out of contact for a few minutes. you hear the French controller try to call aircraft xxx, 5 mins later you hear them call on guard, followed by them giving you a turn onto heading xxx due military activity! by this time aircraft xxx contacted on guard and told he will be intercepted. Airline then gets big bill and French air force training budget covered!. Not that common in the UK but i believe the airline still gets the bill.

- no wucking furries, mate - there are competent controllers looking after it all. You should be more worried about a hijacked 737 crashing into a midlands city?

Is this report of 'turning west across the airways' correct?

Sounds like a good job done by IAF (showing my age!) and Command - well done!

<<Is this report of 'turning west across the airways' correct?>>

Where does that come into the UK radio failure procedures?

It was text book from start to finish. The RAF response would put a Klingon Warbird to shame......couple of blinks and they were there. Everything by the book....superb.....well done all.
NO need for any other aircraft operator or passengers to be alarmed or even concerned.....a whole spectrum of carefully rehearsed procedures ensures safety throughout.
uksatcomuk: not exactly accurate, however I can say that the turn you describe was towards the very end of the situation, and was merely a descent manoeuvre to lose some height......and the A/C was completely separated from other traffic using standard ATC procedures.

The way things are going, all the RAF will have left are Airfields full of "cloaked" Warbirds

Agreed 055166k , the left turn must have been on the instruction of ATC or the interceptor t 1950 as the Typhoons scrambled around 1930 and the BMI would have been just about to cross the N Sea to Southend around 1924 when it possibly lost contact with ATC.

Pretty well normal to me. However, cut out the snide remarks please.

They practice this quite often at Durham Tees Valley the Typhoons or Tornados escorte one of the resident FRA DA 20s back to base to simulate this situation.

I heard it all unfold as well, and it happened as described. I thought they'd managed a relay through a Speedbird successfully before the fighters got there though, guess they were airborne by then so might as well go say hi.

Off thread a bit but I was remembering a story about a couple of American guys who got intercepted over the UK, when the fighters were about to peel off, the crew asked if they could get a couple of pictures? Anyone remember the actual details?

This explains why London asked me to do an orbit in the cruise due to 'emergency traffic near LAM' last night. Took 9 mins to complete the orbit and used up all nearly all our excess fuel. Was wondering why they didn't slow us down but now understand!

Why do they have to orbit suspected terrorists over the Midlands? Couldn't they do it over the North or Scotland next time please?

What remains of our oil is in the north sea. What, of any value, is in The Midlands? :E

Couple of things come to mind, closer proximity to the Typhoon base reducing intercept time would be a possibility. Also would look a bit odd to suspected terrorists to be heading back out to sea?

Lucky it wasn't R/Air they would no doubt find a way of charging for the free airshow.

to heathrow director
 

Military intercepts unusual ?

You obviously were not at Sopley in the 60`s !!

Dave

No, Dave, I was in Libya. Let's say I'm not unfamiliar with mil intercepts!!

Lots of reports of loud bangs in the north west Essex area (Saffron Walden and surrounding villages), around 2000 on Sunday evening. I heard it myself and it shook the windows.The police and fire brigade investigated but no apparent cause was found - one local paper is suggesting that it was possibly the sonic boom from the jets intercepting the BMI Baby flight.