What is this aircra...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] What is this aircraft doing?

22 Posts
17 Users
0 Reactions
63 Views
Posts: 9201
Full Member
Topic starter
 

A large multi engine aircraft has been flying in clear skies above me all morning. Not appearing on flight radar app so I assume it is military. The aircraft is at high altitude and flying in massive sweeping loops, taking about 10 mins to go round each loop. The contrail look almost like a spiral.

Apart from the obvious purpose of spraying chemicals to subdue the masses, what (non conspiracy) reason might there be for this sort of flying pattern?

Flying over eastern part of Scottish Borders, North Sea, possibly as far down as Northumberland.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 9:52 am
Posts: 34376
Full Member
 

Air to air refuelling pattern?


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 9:58 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

AWACS?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_E-3_Sentry


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 9:59 am
Posts: 2344
Free Member
 

AWACS patrol. Coordinating a military exercise on the ground in Northumbria, or an incident/exercise over the sea, looking for Ivan bears or just practising patrolling.
If it was really doing something sneaky it would have chosen a level to fly at where there would be no contrail.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 9:59 am
Posts: 9201
Full Member
Topic starter
 

That makes sense. It would be over Otterburn, not too far from Spadeadam and also covering North Sea so could be involved in an exercise in any of those areas.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:02 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

How many engines?

AWACS = 4

Voyager (AAR) = 2

A


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:19 am
 Nico
Posts: 4
Free Member
 

Hard Brexit monitoring. Boris and Gove at the helm.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:24 am
Posts: 9201
Full Member
Topic starter
 

It is too high to clearly tell how many engines. Definitely two contrails but could be four if able to see closer


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:26 am
Posts: 17273
Free Member
 

Big Cat population aerial survey.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:26 am
Posts: 9201
Full Member
Topic starter
 

perchypanther - Member
Big Cat population aerial survey.

Are you hiding under tinfoil then Perchy?


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:30 am
 core
Posts: 2769
Free Member
 

Yup, AWACS, get them round my way sometimes displaying similar behaviour.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:30 am
Posts: 23277
Free Member
 

Is it near jivehoneyjives house?


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:31 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Flying in circles usually means a recce platform like E3 or one of the others.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:33 am
Posts: 17273
Free Member
 

Are you hiding under tinfoil then Perchy?

Never take the hat off. Never


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:34 am
Posts: 3834
Free Member
 

Radar calibration is another possibility.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:35 am
Posts: 2598
Full Member
 

.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:36 am
Posts: 143
Free Member
 

There was an AWACS down that way,
https://global.adsbexchange.com/VirtualRadar/mobile.html#


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 10:58 am
Posts: 13356
Free Member
 

AWACS....Aircraft With A Camera System. 😉


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 11:03 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Training?


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 11:20 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Broken sat nav?


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 11:35 am
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

It'll just be biding it's time before the slaughter

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 11:46 am
Posts: 3834
Free Member
 

Used to watch those things circling overhead and pooping off with the 105 gun.


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 12:02 pm
Posts: 9201
Full Member
Topic starter
 

pooping off with the 105 gun.

Should that be in the weird dreams thread?


 
Posted : 14/11/2017 12:07 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!