They normally fly a continuous Hold over Lambourne VOR, this being the nearest one to the course. At 28,000 ft they can be direct-sight to dish transmitters at all the camera positions around the circuit. Must be an interesting hold position, above all the Heathrow inbounds circling there. From there they downlink all the signals to the TV control room somewhere. Done this way certainly for the 2012 Olympics Marathon, I don't recall if it was done before.

At least 3 USAF KC135S coming up from the Azores direction & over Cornwall at the moment. Another, rare one for us in Jersey, earlier in the day.

They were en route from Ascension Island and five KC-135s were involved.

Here it is:-
F-HFRF

https://globe.airplanes.live/?icao=3...19&trackLabels

F-HFTV, does same kind of work.
https://globe.airplanes.live/?icao=399675

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f7969e7df8.jpg

Strange return on ADSBEx claiming to be AF3425, B777 F-GZNU, apparently inbound Heathrow from Geneva at 7000' having done the service the other way last night. It's moving very slowly - very slowly! - and when nipped outside there is nothing there. Other tracking sites show nothing. Obviously a spurious return but how?

(I see AF3425 is more usually Mexico City to Veracruz... :})

Edit: it's got as far as Windlesham! Biggin to Windlesham in about an hour... Just been overtaken by two Aer Lingus flights, the speeding hooligans!

Edit 2: It disappeared overhead Binfield while on base for 09L. Just as well...

Procedures obviously changed. They are now flying their hold directly overhead the runners, still at 28,000. Unfortunately cloudy, but faintly audible on the ground. The days of needing a VOR to do the Hold over are clearly passed.

I thought that AI was closed for a few years due to a major upgrade in the aviation facilities ? Also, curiosity piqued, what were they fuelling 'down there' ? Was Tommy Boy taking his new DarkStar out for a test drive ? ;-)

Not so much an unusual type, but an interesting source and sortie?? C130 "Super Hercules", Oman Air Force, "Reg." 506, heard & "seen" (FR24), climbing >21,000+ ft, close to Basel (Switzerland), en route from Zürich to Bournemouth, "midday-ish", Saturday 20th April 2024.

KC-135’s we’re supporting B-1B’s on a mission out of Moron Airbase, apparently over Ghana!

Saw four (Army/RM/RN 🤷‍♂️) Wildcats do a formation fly thru at Duxford this lunchtime. I notice from the NOTAM’s that there’s an Exercise at Wattisham for the next few days, so perhaps they were on their way there?

​​​​​​​Omani Hercules have been regular visitors to Bournemouth for many years, usually to load up with luxury goods. I was watching one take off some years ago when there was a loud crack and flames from the r/h outer, followed by the noise of the remaining engines going into reverse to stop before the end of the runway. There couldn't have been much damage because it left the next day

SATA Azores Dash 8 just passing over London out of Norwich - presume it's been undergoing maintenance there.

Omani AF aircraft used to be maintained at Bournemouth didn't they? Sure I recall seeing several aircraft there with Airwork (?) back in the day - and the 1-11s with Dan-Air at Lasham.

Just noticed a German civvy PZL M-28 Skytruck operating out of Sculthorpe along with a French AF C-130 (cunningly disguised with an RVCH callsign - thought it was a typo!). The M-28 flew in from East Midlands and has done several dozen circuits of various shapes all at pretty low level. French Herc's outta Mildenhall and also landed at Sculthorpe, allegedly thundering over my sister's house at 500' or so en route. Presumably exercises with ground forces.

The callsign of the French C-130 is 'Revanche 27'.

About 6 months ago I saw a US regd PZL M28 flying over northern Germany. It seemed to have arrived from across the pond and landed near Berlin. Might that be the same aircraft ?

This is D-CPDA and seems to have been flying as such for about 10 years.

Italian Air Force C130J just flown over Guernsey & Jersey on its way from St.Johns to Pisa. Looked very nice as it came eastwards out of the setting sun & into the dark.

I watch ADSB Exchange, this morning 8.00ish I am watching something plotting as G-XLEA A388 Hex 40688B over county Durham starting in Barcelona. Also displays 342 kt at 9000ft ish, its speed is also wrong. I believe the real one is near Singapore! Any thoughts. It doesn't show on FR 24.

Looks to be a very similar phenomenon mentioned in my post on Sunday... Seems to be replicating a route flown by something else between Barcelona and Newcastle...

Interesting I didn't scan the full Pprune at the weekend.