Fighter planes over Whitstable just now (Monday 13:50)
 

Any idea what this was? My father says four fighters just went over his house, estimate FL010 (if that exists!) heading up towards Essex.

He thought F-15 or F-22. Tremendous noise apparently, I'm a few miles away and heard nothing.

Also said a Provost went over about the same time.

Just curious as to where they're off to

4 F15s just overhead.

that'll be they!

FL10 would be a thousand feet. No wonder they were noisy. :O

Yes that was my Dad's estimate.

I've no idea why they might be flying low - he is a seasoned spotter but could have been off.

Mais ou menos.

FL010? Flight level 010??????

Seriously? Better stick to stamp-collecting!

Oh, this is spotters corner. Perhaps FL010 makes sense here....
;(

Are people not allowed to make mistakes on this forum?

Nothing wrong with people making mistakes, and I think education is better than ridicule.

I believe Transition Altitude in the UK is 3000ft, so there are no "Flight Levels" below that altitude,

Cheers,

Jon.

<<I believe Transition Altitude in the UK is 3000ft>>

Not everywhere. It's 6000ft in some places.

Four Saab Grippens in loose formation over my house in North Yorkshire yesterday - about 500ft. May have been on their way to RAF Leeming. Is there a NATO exercise on, or imminent?

Sweden isn't a NATO member.

But they have indeed sent a gaggle of Gripens to Leeming to participate in this autumn's Joint Warrior exercise, which starts tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/TonyS1525/status/784018776475987969

Thanks HD!

Cheers,

Jon.

You're welcome, don't mention it.

To be fair, Gripens are operated by some NATO countries.

Not strictly true JDJ. As Flight Levels are based on the pressure a fixed datum of 1013mb (HPa), if the atmospheric pressure is high enough then you can get FL025.
If my maths is correct: (neck on the line here ;-) ) with an RPS of 1047mb , as you climb and level at 3000ft RPS and set 1013, your altimeter will read ((1047-1013)x 30)=1020ft less than it did before ie 1980ft.
Rounding up to the transition level of FL020, add 500ft foot to get Minimum useable flight level of FL025.
Extremely rare but it can, and has, happened.

(I do hope I remembered that correctly, it is some 14 years since I was last given a pressure question)
(I make the assumption of 1013 and not 1013.25, and that 1mb is roughly 30ft)

A lot of the spotters "radar tools" tend to have a single datum on the display and report all heights/altitudes/flight levels in the same format.

Back on topic, I believe there are 13 Gripens operating out of Leeming and taking advantage of our facilities, certainly Donna Nook and a couple have flown high through the Lake District.