What flew over your house (yesterday)

[Guest]

… and a CH-47 Chinook just now, flying very low. I guess the exercise isn’t quite over yet.

[Nicko]

Unfortunately I'm away on my travels, but for those in the UK.....
I would have been right under it tomorrow afternoon.

Nick

[adt70hk]

No photos, but I was sitting on the sofa yesterday late in the afternoon and heard a noise as if somebody was using heavy power tools on masonry. Since there’s scaffolding against a house further down the street, I figured they were hard at work there. Then I noticed one of the neighbours’ daughters standing on the pavement outside, looking up at the sky. When I went into the back garden to see for myself, I was greeted by the sight of three AH-64 Apaches in formation, flying almost directly overhead in the direction of the sea.

The mystery was solved by this morning’s paper, which had an article about how yesterday, 11 Airmobile Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army held an exercise some 20 km east of here.

Not quiet are they. My office for 14 years was just off the Thames in Central London, not far from MI6 HQ and there is a helicopter flight path down the river.

One came down the river but was initially hidden by a tall building. I wondered what on earth was causing the racket, when it came out from behind the building. Saw them occasionally for years after that first sighting.

Also used to regularly see Chinooks too.

[Waspie]

Not quiet are they. My office for 14 years was just off the Thames in Central London, not far from MI6 HQ and there is a helicopter flight path down the river.

One came down the river but was initially hidden by a tall building. I wondered what on earth was causing the racket, when it came out from behind the building. Saw them occasionally for years after that first sighting.

Also used to regularly see Chinooks too.

The Thames is part of a low level route to avoid mil helicopters interfering with Heathrow.
If you infringe any of their tight parameters they red card you!!

We had a Wildcat overfly my place last evening at 1724.
It was either a Navigation exercise or they were doing trips round Portland Bill!!!
Heading 180 then after the turn at the Bill, headed off about 03-040!!

[Guest]

Not quiet are they.

Not exactly, no I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Apache in the flesh, and certainly not flying, so I didn’t recognise the sound. CH-47s come by here occasionally and they have a very distinct sound, so I can usually hear it’s one of those before I ever look (as I proved to myself again the day after the Apaches ).

One came down the river but was initially hidden by a tall building. I wondered what on earth was causing the racket

Now I think about it, I suppose it’s the tail rotor. That has blades specifically not at 90° of each other:

[ATTACH]483922[/ATTACH]

… in order to reduce the noise and/or not make it sound like a helicopter so much (more on that here for anyone interested in the hows and whys). I think that succeeded fairly well, I didn’t fully recognise it as a helicopter until I saw someone else looking up at the sky …

We had a Wildcat overfly my place last evening at 1724.

A Grumman F4F?!

[Waspie]

A Grumman F4F?! :smiling3:

Errrr not exactly!!! :smiling3:

[stillp]

Why is the Hercules doing a farewell flypast? Are they being pensioned off?
Pete

[Nicko]

Why is the Hercules doing a farewell flypast? Are they being pensioned off?
Pete

I would guess they're now happy enough with the A400 despite its para-dropping limitations....

Nick

[Waspie]

I would guess they're now happy enough with the A400 despite its para-dropping limitations....

Nick

Not forgetting SF ain’t too pleased with the A400 either!!

[Waspie]

1328, Heliops Sea King Mk5 just flown over heading South followed 2 minutes later by Wildcat, (that’ll be a Lynx Mk10 to some of us)??
Tis busy on Fraggle Rock this lunchtime!!

[Ian M]

We had the usual F-16 rattle the windows yesterday as it went off to shoo someone away. Most likely a Russian somewhere he's not supposed to be. Again... Its almost bi weekly. lol
Then there is the weekly border patrol. But normally a bit more relaxed pace. ... Sometimes if you catch their eye and wave they drop a wing and wave back. lol.

[peterairfix]

Armed forces day here in Taunton and I was lucky to see one lone Lancaster fly by

[minitnkr]

Out w/dog about 8AM & heard a bunch of Pratt/Whitneys but only caught a glimpse between the trees of a B17 & B24 flying low & slow. Must be a 4th July celeb at Wright/Pat.

[Waspie]

Out w/dog about 8AM & heard a bunch of Pratt/Whitneys but only caught a glimpse between the trees of a B17 & B24 flying low & slow. Must be a 4th July celeb at Wright/Pat.

Did they have B17's and B24's in 1776??? No wonder the British lost!!!!:smiling5:

[minitnkr]

Any excuse to roll out the old dogs. It was the same in San Diego where some rich guys had a restored Zero & Corsair they used to buzz the beaches & canyons on holidays.