E-4B just crossed the pond, approaching Brest - three KC-135s just passed Nantes southbound as well.

Spotted this about same time as you did. 3 x KC-135's over SW England obviously already refuelled the "beast", looks like the other 3 x KC's are pre-positioning for 2nd top-up W of Italy. Hope it's not pre cursor to something "silly".

Also 2 x Chinooks have landed at RM Poole, if needed for that "situation E of IOW.

Reportedly enroute to India with the US Defense Secretary.

Yes, it ended up at Delhi - I inadvertently left it selected on ADSB overnight!

St Helena
 

Titan 757 inbound nearing top of descent

Swiss HB-ZUD Bell 429 GlobalRanger of Lions Air Skymedia AG with AP3 titles very nice at 1500 feet in blue yellow livery. Skimming London Control N>S , [ Blessed here with that @ West Bracknell ] Off then into London via Thorpe

4 x MC-130J's and 2 x V22 Ospreys have assembled over W England and now on their way S over the English Channel W of the Channel Is. Planned exercise or something else afoot?

It's 4 of each and they're heading to Rota in Spain for training.

The E-4 is on its return journey to the US, just routing up the Italian coast past Rome. On its present course, might give the UK a flypast in a couple of hours. Never have managed to see one thanks to bad haze or unhelpful cloud cover which is what we have here just now...

On a more WNW heading now!

3 (yes THREE) KC-135s from Mildenhall are on their way to top it up with fuel. Don't ask!!

I've just got back from a stroll round the block - 10/10ths cloud - and see he resumed NNW until Fontainebleau and then a sharp left towards St Malo.

Can see one tanker abeam Taunton and a further three just aloft and climbing overhead Norfolk.

The one abeam Taunton is going to Moron and isn't involved with the E-4, the three that have just departed Mildenhall will refuel the E-4 to get it over the Atlantic. SIX KC-135s to get ONE E-4 back to the USA from Tel Aviv !!

Quite an effort but I suppose it's good peace time training for the unthinkable...

In other news, I'm looking at a Belgian AF A400 on ADSB. Didn't know they were getting any... edit: first of seven, freshly delivered. Replacing the C-130Hs I I presume...

Interestingly, the first aircraft (CT-01) actually wears "Luxembourg Armed Forces" titles, denoting that Belgium's 15 Air Transport Wing is a bi-national unit. I suspect it's the only one of the seven that will be so marked.

Airbus delivers A400M to Luxembourg’s Armed Forces

Just had a pair of Australian light aircraft sail over in very loose formation - ok, say 20 miles apart! - and eastbound at 15000', VH-WJI and VH-VWK. Type not identified on ADSB sites but from the engines I'd say they were Diamond DA-42 or 62s, very distinctive sound. En-route from Shannon, Canadian built examples?

It appears to have been a bit more than exercise! Bit of subterfuge perhaps...

https://theaviationist.com/2020/10/3...an-in-nigeria/

Thought something was "in the process of happening" somewhere!

A friend who was in the Med last week saw USN hercs flying at 10,000ft atnd 230kts with two large helicopters in tow with a KC-135 also at the same altitude/speed following behind. This was a few days earlier than the above mentioned operation heading westwards across the Med to Rota etc.

If that's the case, then they must have been training for it in the days before.

Typhoon doing circuits at Odiham. Did wonder if he was heading in my general direction - last low level fighter jet I saw over here was a MiG-15 - honest!