Interesting or unusual planes?

[Torslanda]

Forgot until now (reading the XH558 thread reminded me!) on Saturday afternoon, coming up the M11 passing North Weald (?) - anyways a bit South of Stanstead - what appeared to be two Vampires heading North East before breaking right, over the motorway and coming in to land. I didn't know there were any in private hands . . .

[Wombat]

I had an idea that there were several based at Hurn (Bournemouth).  I may be talking utter bollocks, or be out of date, but I'm convinced I heard that somewhere plausible.

[Steph]

I had an idea that there were several based at Hurn (Bournemouth).  I may be talking utter bollocks, or be out of date, but I'm convinced I heard that somewhere plausible.

http://www.aviationmuseumguide.co.uk/news-june-2010/news_bmouth-vampire.php

http://www.vampirepreservation.org.uk/ownership.htm

[spesh]

Out on a DIY 200k today, I saw this bimbling about south of Cranfield:
Airlander 10: Longest aircraft damaged during flight

Later, chilling out in the back garden, a pair of what looked suspiciously like Gloucester Meteors flew over, east-to-west, low and in close formation. One all black, one grey with orange wing tips and tail.
Saw them later, returning at higher altitude and further south but the same rorty noise 

Are these things still airworthy? Tell me it wasn't an hallucination.

Martin-Baker, bangseat manufacturers of note, operate two of the four airworthy Meteors in the UK, out of Chalgrove Airfield in Oxfordshire. One is all-black, the other is natural metal with day-glo orange bits. It's a good bet that they were what you saw.

Google image search

[Jaded]

[Steph]

Passing Hawarden airfield by train, what looked like two Su 17 or similar.

ETA: SU 17 and SU22.

[hulver]

Saw a couple of Ospreys flying over Derwent water a couple of weeks ago. Noisy things.

[PeteB99]

Passing Hawarden airfield by train, what looked like two Su 17 or similar.

ETA: SU 17 and SU22.

There is/was a plane scrapping business at Hawarden. Cycle round on the back road from Saltney ferry and you would often see some interesting stuff when someone was selling off surplus bits of its airforce.

[clarion]

I happned to drive past Biggin Hill Aerodrome earlier. Heard a ddistinctive noise, and looked across to see a Spitfire taxiing!   Unfortunately,  it wasn't convenient to stop

[fuzzy]

A brace of Battle of Britain beauty just now, Spitfire with Hurricane flying wing man just did a couple of passes over the school and White Waltham before the Hurricane made a landing approach.

[TheLurker]

B1 over Cirencester mid-morning.

[cycleman]

A spitfire over Warwick yesterday afternoon .beautiful 

[Wombat]

Recently my Spitfire spotting has got almost boring, 'cos they've been filming for the film "Dunkirk" near us (using a 1944 Griffon engined Spitfire  )
However I was leaving the office last week, and just starting to cross the road and heard a Merlin, looked up ad I'm sure it was a Hurricane, which then proceeded to do a victory roll, and carried on.  I nearly collided with the central refuge of the crossing, as I was looking up, not forward...

I just wish the bloody Chinooks were a bit more unusual, I hate the bloody racket they make, like a Harley Davidson in the sky.  Apart from the extensive MOD usage of them around us, the servicing place is just up the road a bit.

[trekker12]

I took for granted the Spitfire based on the airfield behind the office window (we are on an old USAF base in Suffolk) and failed entirely to take any close up pictures (well apart from the day I sat in it but that's another story and before I worked here). The NIMBYs finally managed to upset their operations so much they have now moved on to another airfield half way across the country.

Enjoy it whilst you can. Dunkirk filming won't last for ever.

We still get chinooks practicing on the army base behind though

[clarion]

Chinooks ...a Harley Davidson in the sky. 

Priceless!  We get them chugging past my work on a regular basis.

[Andrij]

Chinooks ...a Harley Davidson in the sky. 

Priceless!  We get them chugging past my work on a regular basis.

Following the Thames so they don't get lost? (Assuming they're the same ones I used to see.)

[spesh]

Chinooks ...a Harley Davidson in the sky. 

The difference being that a Chinook is actually faster, more manoeuvrable and runs more smoothly than a Harley 

A more apt wobblycopter/bike comparison can be made between the USMC's Sea Knights or Sea Stallions and vintage British motorcycles - the copious fluid leaks are a good thing because you know there's still oil or hydraulic fluid in the system. The time to worry is when the leak stops!

[Moose57]

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A Yak, not sure what model.

[Mr Larrington]

Front end of an A-7 Corsair has just gone past on a low-loader.

[Pingu]

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A Yak, not sure what model.

[TheLurker]

Chinooks ...a Harley Davidson in the sky. 

The difference being that a Chinook is actually faster, more manoeuvrable and runs more smoothly than a Harley 

Quieter and better looking too.

While I'm here... 09:30  - 10:00 y'day.  One (1) B52 and two (2) B1s taking off from Fairford.  Managed to get a few seconds footage of a B1, but it is too indistinct to be worth posting. Just a grey blur and _lots_ of engine noise.

[Hot Flatus]

I heard a B52 coming in to land early morning either today or yesterday.

[Jurek]

Chinooks ...a Harley Davidson in the sky. 

Priceless!  We get them chugging past my work on a regular basis.

Following the Thames so they don't get lost? (Assuming they're the same ones I used to see.)

My bold
Not too far from the truth, as it happens.
They're also are quite noisy (everything in the Portakabin-on-stilts that is my office vibrates in a not-too-unpleasant way) when they're up and down the Lee Valley.
Serves to remind me of 'Nam
Not really

[Andrij]

[ReducedShakespeareCompany]

Vietnam?
No, Tottenham.

[/ReducedShakespeareCompany]

[fuzzy]

Last Sunday afternoon, whilst seated (and sweating my cloons off) in Sports Authority Fielad at Mile High Stadium, awaiting Denver Broncos starting their thang, the stadium was buzzed by a brace of F16's