RAF C17s
 

I've seen reports of RAF C17s doing touch and gos at Luton and Southend. In both cases local "normals" seem surprised suggesting this is unusal. Is it unusual?

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8388c932f1.jpg

Apparently Manchester has been visited as well..

I’d say it’s fairly abnormal for a military aircraft to get the opportunity to bash the circuit at busy commercial airports.

I grew up down the road from Luton and had plenty of old friends asking what was going on including videos to “prove” they weren’t pulling my leg and there really was a ‘Herc’ circling Luton so it was abnormal enough for ‘normies’ to notice.

Definitely Manchester, did three circuits and appeared to be doing a procedural approach as the outbound leg was bang on down the 05 outbound track, wasn't your normal vectored approach.

A few pictures here

https://www.pprune.org/airlines-airp...l#post10744532

Russ

The obvious follow up questions is............. Why?!

Most likely getting familiar with various airports and their arrival/departure characteristics as part of the govts contingency planning if this virus business should get notably worse.

I was hoping someone actually knew.

Someone did.

So we had to shoot him.

PDR

Let me try to help.

Yes, they definitely meant unusual - unusal isn't a word.

Yes it is - it means "to remove any resemblance to the Kwisatz Haderach" - to de-dib one's muab, if I may slip into the vernacular.

PDR

I’m sure the friendly folks at Brize media and communications team will be able to satisfy your thirst for information.

[email protected]

A C-17 has been entertaining the locals at Exeter and Birmingham this afternoon. Occasionally noticed A400s doing circuits at St Mawgan and imagine it's handy to have the opportunity to do so away from Brize which I imagine is fairly busy anyway, and so demonstrates a little good neighbourliness, particularly in the case of the A400 which make quite a lot of din when they pass over here at 30000' and I should think all the more so when getting airborne from Brize.

Can you really hear them when they're at FL300? That's what I call LOUD!

PDR

It's not that uncommon to have C17's do ILS approaches at Norwich as well.
We've also had A400's and, very rarely F35's , Tornadoes and Hawks have done the same.
Could it be that,due to the reduction in military airfields they do this to make sure hey are familiar with potential diversion airfields?

The Brize A400's are often using Staverton for approach practice, quite a lot this week too really low over town. A few shots a friend took.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....19395d27ce.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6a398c2f68.jpg

A400 doing a bit of circuit bashing at Bournemouth now.

Friend in Worthing had one overfly outbound Brize at around 30000' this morning - he said it was very noisy.

I had a Turkish example overfly me earlier at about 27000' also outbound Brize - the noisy bit is relatively brief as it passes overhead and almost gives the impression of resonance. On occasions it is quite harsh on the ears.

Still rather quieter than the incredible An-22 though which really does rattle one's fillings, even at 30000' plus.

Get a couple droning over west Cornwall daily, approx FL300. They are very distinctive and quite noisy -and always welcome for it.:ok:

Wish something would do circuits at Southampton. Its very quiet since Flybe went under.

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...