Interesting or unusual planes?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Flying ‘below the hills’ doesn’t mean that it was flying unusually low - or doing anything wrong, which is the implication of your statement that it was at ‘175ft altitude’. The 250’ MSD limitation means that 250ft is the closest the aircraft can be to any land, water or man-made obstruction. It does not mean that it must be 250’ above any land within a few miles. The whole point of low-flying training is to use the land to obscure your presence - and not just from electronic detection, but visual detection too.

I remember as a youth looking down on a Hercules as I walked on the Malvern hills, as it was on the west side I imagined that the SAS were practicing jumping into haystacks.

What you see was actually trials of a totally top secret new system whereby electromagnetic trampolines, disguised as haystacks, were used to catapult SAS members up into the sky and through the open door of said Hercules.

[TimC]

It's a Eurofighter Typhoon.

Indeed. In fact it's a Tranche 1 aircraft which will leave service early next year, along with 29 others, and will be 'reduced to spares' (ie scrapped). That will leave just 107 Typhoons in service, along with around 47 F-35 Lightning 2.

[Hot Flatus]

The SBS were more fun to drop, as their tasking was basically loopy, whereas the SAS (and other Special Forces like 2 Sqn RAF Regt) at least considered survival as a potential benefit. But most of that kind of crazy stuff no longer happens. However, exposure to real warfare tends to bring it back...

Oddly enough it seems the opposite has happened. My neighbour (until last summer) was a former officer in the SBS. He told me that there was real concern that the SBS were losing their maritime skills as a result of such a heavy commitment in Afghanistan for such a long period of time.

[TimC]

What you see was actually trials of a totally top secret new system whereby electromagnetic trampolines, disguised as haystacks, were used to catapult SAS members up into the sky and through the open door of said Hercules.

You joke, but the Americans had a system known as Skyhook colloquially (the Fulton recovery system) which could pick up troops from the ground while flying at around 120kts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_surface-to-air_recovery_system

[TimC]

The SBS were more fun to drop, as their tasking was basically loopy, whereas the SAS (and other Special Forces like 2 Sqn RAF Regt) at least considered survival as a potential benefit. But most of that kind of crazy stuff no longer happens. However, exposure to real warfare tends to bring it back...

Oddly enough it seems the opposite has happened. My neighbour (until last summer) was a former officer in the SBS. He told me that there was real concern that the SBS were losing their maritime skills as a result of such a heavy commitment in Afghanistan for such a long period of time.

I was never involved in that theatre (it seems crazy that it's 26 years since I retired and a lot of wars have happened since then!), but I imagine that it didn't call for many of the SBS's specific maritime skills. One of the sillier things SF (47 Sqn Special Forces Flight) did with them was dropping a troop of guys in a large Zodiac-style semi-rigid speedboat into the sea from very low altitude (around 7-10ft), using a little drogue chute to pull them out. Barking, and unlikely to have ever been tried in Afghanistan.

[Mr Larrington]

It's a Eurofighter Typhoon.

But photographed from?

[Adam]

It's a Eurofighter Typhoon.

Indeed. In fact it's a Tranche 1 aircraft which will leave service early next year, along with 29 others, and will be 'reduced to spares' (ie scrapped). That will leave just 107 Typhoons in service, along with around 47 F-35 Lightning 2.

That makes me feel very old!  Years ago, I was lucky enough to have a walk around the Tornado production line at BAe Warton, and it just seems bizarre that the Tornado's replacement is now starting to be phased out.

[TimC]

It's a Eurofighter Typhoon.

But photographed from?

A Canberra, of course.

[TheLurker]

Anyone know if there was a P51 flitting about (Old Warden perhaps) today?

*Possible* sighting at 1610 over Rushden heading N/NW at about 1000'.  Merlin engine and the plan form was very like.

[TimC]

Highly likely - the weather's been crap for so long that most private aircraft owners are itching to get back in the air! For the warbird fraternity, the first Duxford airshow of the season is 1/2 June, and there have been one or two other shows already, so they'll be out and about at any opportunity now.

[GdS]

It's a Eurofighter Typhoon.

But photographed from?

it's based at RAF Coningsby. It's also scheduled to be the new display aircraft at airshows this year. Hope my 200k in August arrives in Eastbourne at the same time.

[Hot Flatus]

Talking of airshows, I've attended a hill near Fairford most years for the past 18.

I think last year might be my final. I don't know why, but I've finally got bored of them. The standard fare of Red Arrows, Typhoons, F16s, Gripens etc  are just too samey. 

If there is an F18 flown by the Finnish, Swiss or Spanish, or if the Italian or Korean military display teams are there then it's fun. B52s and B1, B2 are worth the trip, but they are infrequent flying guests.

[Jaded]

Vulcan..

Although the surprise (scheduled, not scheduled then scheduled) F35 at Cosford last year was short, but impressive. The way it just stopped, entirely still, was uncanny, if a little noisy.

[Hot Flatus]

Vulcan..

Yes. I think you were there with me for the final Vulcan flight at RIAT.  I was told a few months later by a Vulcan captain that the pilot in question got a massive bollocking* 

TimC might have some inside info because the pilot was Kevin Rumens, who worked for Virgin on 340s

[Jurek]

I saw the Vulcan at Shoreham Air Show in 2014.
I was due to see it again at the same location in 2015 on the Sunday.
The Saturday before was the date of the crash.

[PaulF]

Vulcan..

Yes. I think you were there with me for the final Vulcan flight at RIAT.  I was told a few months later by a Vulcan captain that the pilot in question got a massive bollocking 

What did he do?

[Hot Flatus]

Vulcan..

Yes. I think you were there with me for the final Vulcan flight at RIAT.  I was told a few months later by a Vulcan captain that the pilot in question got a massive bollocking 

What did he do?

Well...it started with this:

https://youtu.be/tXh3tZT-Pfk?si=GDqgHa2iA4_miLX_

Later he did a wing over that looked more like a barrel roll.

[Jaded]

[JonBuoy]

Pulling too hard in a Vulcan while you are rolling is a bad idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbn3FXjRmB8

[GdS]

I saw the Vulcan at Shoreham Air Show in 2014.
I was due to see it again at the same location in 2015 on the Sunday.
The Saturday before was the date of the crash.

I would have been standing in the exact spot the Hunter came down (as I had in 2014) but went to Bournemouth instead. The Vulcan flew past Bournemouth out of sync no display, the commentary was very funereal as we all knew XH588 only had a few weeks flying left. They didn't say anything about the Shoreham crash over the PA. Found out from my brother after the Typhoon closed the show.

There's a memorial on the wooden bridge over the Adur at Shoreham

[PaulF]

Wow! Although I’ve seen closer passes on a display - look for the 1987 Cranwell Graduation flypast. I wasn’t on parade but exercising on the fields behind and saw them pull up to avoid hitting the College

[TimC]

Vulcan..

Yes. I think you were there with me for the final Vulcan flight at RIAT.  I was told a few months later by a Vulcan captain that the pilot in question got a massive bollocking* 

TimC might have some inside info because the pilot was Kevin Rumens, who worked for Virgin on 340s

Yes, I know Kev well, along with Bill Perrins who was one of the other Vulcan display captains and a Virgin captain on the 747 (and a mate since we went through training at the same time). As far as I know Kev got a bit of a bollocking from the CAA and told not to do it again. As the aircraft was grounded after that flight, it was a condition he found easy to comply with.

[Jaded]

It had a few more flights after RIAT, including a two leg tour of the country.