Anyone else like Birds AND planes? (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

I was at the National Trust Bodnant Gardens yesterday (North Wales).
Absolutely stunning scenery and a free impromptu aerobatic display from a Beech Texan T1, that Flight Radar said was from RAF Valley.
Not low enough for iPhone photography but “showed well” through my pocket binoculars

Had my first, low pass by a 'Herc' here in Cyprus and I've found out why I see them so rarely. It's because the UK aircraft don't fly over us at all, despite the close proximity to us of Akrotiri and I'm confidently informed that the low one the other day was Greek and going in to the base at Paphos.

Unlike the UK, there are signs at airbases here (certainly non UK bases) warning agaisnt photography and you risk arrest if you get caught.

 

[MJB]

Two Ospreys**, in loose echelon port, flew north at c200kt 500ft over the town yesterday...
MJB**No, not Pandion haliaetus...

 

[PYRTLE]

Unlike the UK, there are signs at airbases here (certainly non UK bases) warning agaisnt photography and you risk arrest if you get cacaught.

We were "interviewed" by Cypriot police when in the hide overlooking Larnaca pools / Airport who insisted on viewing the image's on my camera. British Army landed their Super Puma on Akrotiri gravel pits area and marched over menacingly to give us advice - we also offered them some, given the opportunity. Whilst a UK security patrol near Bishop's Pool ( next to taxiway / runway RAF Akrotiri ) chatted quite amicably once we explained our activities.
Meanwhile my local skies have offered F15s / F16s and F35s all week. Rumour has it some A10s may come over later this year ( needed for garden tick ).

 

[Farnboro John]

We were "interviewed" by Cypriot police when in the hide overlooking Larnaca pools / Airport who insisted on viewing the image's on my camera. British Army landed their Super Puma on Akrotiri gravel pits area and marched over menacingly to give us advice - we also offered them some, given the opportunity. Whilst a UK security patrol near Bishop's Pool ( next to taxiway / runway RAF Akrotiri ) chatted quite amicably once we explained our activities.
Meanwhile my local skies have offered F15s / F16s and F35s all week. Rumour has it some A10s may come over later this year ( needed for garden tick ).

British Forces have never operated Super Pumas and the RAF has always been the operator of the two squadrons plus OCU of Pumas (fewer now of course) that we have operated: the Army does not operate large helicopters such as Puma, Merlin and Chinook. I expect the "Army" personnel you exchanged views with were from the "elite fighting force"* known as the RAF Regiment.

John

* This phrase was included some years ago in RAF Regiment recruiting material, causing some hilarity in the other Services.

 

[PYRTLE]

Thanks John, I'll alter my notes accordingly.

 

[Prestdj]

5 f-35 and Air Force One over bempton yesterday very high up

 

[Stonefaction]

5 f-35 and Air Force One over bempton yesterday very high up
View attachment 1437649

F-15s on their way back to the USA, rather than F-35s. Heard them go over Dundee but view blocked by clouds.

 

[Conwy Birder]

5 f-35 and Air Force One over bempton yesterday very high up

Is that not a re-fueling tanker?

 

[Farnboro John]

Is that not a re-fueling tanker?

Yes, it is a Boeing KC-135R tanker, not the Boeing 747-based Air Force One. Well spotted.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Speaking of contrailing AAR tankers - and for that matter garden ticks - here's my first ever Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, taken from the back garden as it was heading South-west at 30,000 feet at the start of its return journey to Southern Spain where some are deployed as part of the USAF tanker support to Eastern European ops. It was lead of a pair that came up across Biscay, nipped across the Cotentin peninsula, entered the UK just East of the Exe estuary and then went via Southampton before describing a track round London to return via my house. I missed the second as a bank of cloud got in the way at the last minute!

John

 

[Prestdj]

F-15s on their way back to the USA, rather than F-35s. Heard them go over Dundee but view blocked by clouds.

cheers

still quite a sight, first time ive seen anything like it

 

[Farnboro John]

cheers

still quite a sight, first time ive seen anything like it

I for one am quite envious!

John

 

[Stonefaction]

Speaking of contrailing AAR tankers - and for that matter garden ticks - here's my first ever Boeing KC-46A Pegasus, taken from the back garden as it was heading South-west at 30,000 feet at the start of its return journey to Southern Spain where some are deployed as part of the USAF tanker support to Eastern European ops. It was lead of a pair that came up across Biscay, nipped across the Cotentin peninsula, entered the UK just East of the Exe estuary and then went via Southampton before describing a track round London to return via my house. I missed the second as a bank of cloud got in the way at the last minute!

John

View attachment 1437789

I've only managed to see one KC-46A so far. One was operating out of Prestwick in January and thanks to a heads-up from my pal who was at Prestwick I was able to catch this tanking practice in the first pic to the north of Dundee back in mid-January.
Being relatively close to (formerly RAF) Leuchars we do get quite a few tankers and chicks passing over and sometimes I'm in the right place at the right time to catch them. (pics in addition to the KC-135 & KC-46 pics are - KC-135 & USAF F-35s, KC-135 & C-17, KC-10 & F-35, KC-135 & RC-135, KC-135 & F-15s).

 

[Farnboro John]

I've only managed to see one KC-46A so far. One was operating out of Prestwick in January and thanks to a heads-up from my pal who was at Prestwick I was able to catch this tanking practice in the first pic to the north of Dundee back in mid-January.

Being relatively close to (formerly RAF) Leuchars we do get quite a few tankers and chicks passing over and sometimes I'm in the right place at the right time to catch them. (pics in addition to the KC-135 & KC-46 pics are - KC-135 & USAF F-35s, KC-135 & C-17, KC-10 & F-35, KC-135 & RC-135, KC-135 & F-15s).

Excellent set! We don't normally catch very much at all but the current situation in Eastern Europe has changed that in respect of tankers and transports, though not fast jets.

John

 

[Stonefaction]

I miss more than I actually catch, John (through either being at work, or too much cloud in exactly the 'wrong' place). I've yet to get an F-22 at all, but have seen USAF/USMC and Italian AF F-35s with tankers at various times and had a pair of B-2s together (no tankers) when they were deployed to Fairford last year - have managed to get B-2 a few times as they route over here inbound/outbound for RIAT.

EDIT : Found another couple of pics. KC-135 & USAF F-16. KC-10 & Luftwaffe Tornado ECRs.

 

[PYRTLE]

Cheesed off with cloud cover this morning as I would have had a visual B52 garden tick. Those tanking shots are making me a tad envious.

 

[KenM]

Don’t know if there’s enough on these images to get to ssp?😂 NELondon.👍

 

[Farnboro John]

Don’t know if there’s enough on these images to get to ssp?😂 NELondon.👍

Apache. British military helicopters use several routes through and around London, often following the windings of the Thames all the way through, but sometimes they will come down the line of the Walthamstow reservoirs to get onto the river line, depending where they are starting from.

John

 

[KenM]

Apache. British military helicopters use several routes through and around London, often following the windings of the Thames all the way through, but sometimes they will come down the line of the Walthamstow reservoirs to get onto the river line, depending where they are starting from.

John

Interesting, virtually all military helicopters I see outback, appear to follow the same NE/SW trajectory.👍

 

[Stonefaction]

Cloudy and windy conditions here made it look unlikely I'd catch the USAF tankers I saw online heading up the coast towards Leuchars today. Thankfully, I checked when they were close enough and found the cloud had almost cleared as they turned over Leuchars. There was a thin layer of cloud below them most of the time they were in view meaning the pics weren't quite as good as I'd like, but still they'll do. 2 KC-135s, 1 KC-10 and 5 F-15s including one almost 'on the boom' refuelling.