Leeds has had both C17 and A400 do practice approaches before the current Covid19 issues started. They've used Birmingham regularly but not frequently for casualty evacuations during Afghan/Iraq operations.

One overflew my area heading about 110 degrees -Camberley/Sandhurst yesterday very distinctive noise compared to the C130 steady thrumming noise .

Seemed to vanish off FR 25 5 n=minutes later although it was over head me at FL270. They could come and play at LHR all day if the almost complete absence of LHR traffic is anything to go by which adds to the general air of stillness and boredom

The noise is utterly distinctive. They route over here 2-3 times a day around FL100 going in or out of Brize towards N Sea or mainland Europe. I presume FL100 keeps them, in normal times, above BHX or EMA inbounds and below traffic routing north out of the London TMA or from Med etc sunspots usually in general direction of Trent>Pole Hill.

Not usually visible on FR24 but ADS-B exchange shows then up nicely.

Two Qatar C17s just departed Stansted heading west.

Used to see two Qatar C17s at Milan Malpensa once a month in about 2011/12.
They were picking up Italian super cars.
I wonder what they are collecting from the USA.

An RAF C17 just now passed over my house at around 1700 ft. Although the engines sounded obviously "heavy" they weren't particularly noisy. What was unusual was the destination; RAF Odiham. Seems to have originated in Cyprus. Perhaps a "Here's your broken Chinook. Get it fixed" mission?

I think the noisy references started when the thread got hijacked and posters started talking about the A400. :O

Was any activity of this sort seen/heard at Exeter yesterday? Friends of mine in the area, close to the airport, said there was something big and heavy circling around but they weren't able to give any details.

Dave: Thanks for that. I had to wonder yesterday when a BA 787 passed fairly close overhead my place and despite it being a lot higher, it was a lot more noisy than the C17!

The RAF C-17s into RAF Odiham have been airlifting Chinooks that have been on exercise. The flights came in from Akrotiri, Cyprus.

Another Qatari C17 heading from STN westwards yesterday and today a Kuwait AF steed heading over the UK NW presently.

Canuck C-17 just bustled past my place at altitude...

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f9dff9455b.jpg

The advantage of not going near the pub in the present times is having steady hands ;-)

Four weeks since I last had alcohol! With that amount of digital zoom on my Olympus, just breathing makes it hard to stay framed - the trail makes it easy to pick up again!

Edit: USAF C-17 belted south past me a little while ago out of Mildenhall, just noticed it. Quite rare over my manor, the USAF C-17s & C-5s inbound Germany give Belgium a wide berth...???

Going back to the big Airbus Atlas any one know where the distinctive noise comes from-I would guess its the unusual propeller shape but there is probably more to it than that??

Eight blades and also the inboard and outboard engines counter rotate, maybe those both affect the acoustics? Quite a distinctive whistle when throttled back in the descent as well.

HI

177705 CFC 4003 CC-177 Globemaster III (C-17A) Landed Belfast i was told

Two Qatar Amiri Flight C17's, one after the other floated in over LHR into STN earlier this morning, (before 8am).

Very early movements

A7-MAP Boeing C-17A Globemaster III C/N F-279 Qatar Emiri Air Force

A7-MAN Boeing C-17A Globemaster III C\N F-275 Qatar Emiri Air Force

That's the one - it did go into Belfast - Canadian A310s and C-17s seem to use Belfast for tech stops...