Question for the aircraft anoraks

[Alfa_75_Steve]

Could anyone explain why a Hercules flew over the M5/M50 junction at only a few hundred feet at 8am this morning?

Very odd to see, that.

[Battenburg Bob]

Not odd at all. I live in the area and they've been operating at low level for the last few days. Very impressive sight. It's very common around here, with various types of aircraft.

Just normal training.

[anonymous-user]

Yep, would imagine low level training. There are various areas in the UK designated as low fly areas, Hercules are one of the more common aircraft, along with Hawks and GR4s.

[IforB]

Because they can! Probably on a low level training mission and used the junction as a waypoint.

Always good to see machines like that being used in anger.

[satchbot]

Either lost or saw a decent motor

Could have been low level training.

[Angelique]

Alfa_75_Steve said:

Could anyone explain why a Hercules flew over the M5/M50 junction at only a few hundred feet at 8am this morning?

Very odd to see, that.

Where my parents live in North Bucks thwy get that kind of thing all the time. I can remember looking after thier house once and sunbathing on a nice day, only to find three chinooks flying over very low, luckily the noise awakened me before I saw them to save further embarrasment all round. I think they all came from a base Norfolk way.

[Chrispy Porker]

Quite a common sight north of Bath, as not far from Lyneham.

[Nuclearsquash]

they regularly buzz Devizes as well, real proper low stuff, which is great cos i love military aircraft. Again it's just south of Lyneham and just north of Salisbury plain where they are always arsing about. Lucky so and so's

Edited by Nuclearsquash on Monday 19th May 20:04

[Alfa_75_Steve]

I'm used to seeing Harriers doing low-level stuff, but I've never seen a Hercules that low before.

Very impressive.

[speedtwelve]

There is a Special Forces Flight on 47 Sqn at Lyneham which uses modified C130s in the SF role. Low-level insertion, low-level para insertion, HALO etc. As well as tooling about at low-level during the day as you saw, they do the same at night with the crew using night-vision goggles. They'll land in complete darkness with no lights into unlit strips as well!

All this is in the public domain BTW, so hopefully no black Vauxhall Omegas appearing outside my house in an hour...

[Cheeky Jim]

We're just south west of salisbury plain, see Hercs coming over and also Chinooks (which are very noisy!).

Now and again we get some Tornado's, but very little in the way of fast jets (mores the pity!)... a few Harriers from Yeovilton now and again..

[AndyWoodall]

Back when I was growing up our village was a popular one for buzzing and training. They'd use our small town to do simulations for dropping aid around the time of the Bosnian War. Used to be quite exciting seeing them come low over our school with the ramps down.

[anonymous-user]

I think they are usually dark green and sport a few extra bumps under the cockpit if you ever see one.

[IforB]

speedtwelve said:

There is a Special Forces Flight on 47 Sqn at Lyneham which uses modified C130s in the SF role. Low-level insertion, low-level para insertion, HALO etc. As well as tooling about at low-level during the day as you saw, they do the same at night with the crew using night-vision goggles. They'll land in complete darkness with no lights into unlit strips as well!

All this is in the public domain BTW, so hopefully no black Vauxhall Omegas appearing outside my house in an hour...

I've seen them land on a super secret 800m grass runway at night with no lights in deepest darkest Herefordshire. I didn't realise what was happening until one of the ex-regiment chaps in the bar explained why a couple of land rovers had pitched up full of hairy small blokes and what all the noise was about.

All very exciting. The best bit was watching it whilst having a very good pint of Guinness. Seeing the Herc reverse back down the runway was an awesome sight.

I'm now looking for those black Vauxhalls!
Euan, How goes it?

[Slaav]

speedtwelve said:

There is a Special Forces Flight on 47 Sqn at Lyneham which uses modified C130s in the SF role. Low-level insertion, low-level para insertion, HALO etc. As well as tooling about at low-level during the day as you saw, they do the same at night with the crew using night-vision goggles. They'll land in complete darkness with no lights into unlit strips as well!

All this is in the public domain BTW, so hopefully no black Vauxhall Omegas appearing outside my house in an hour...

One of my flying intructors (Kemble) was booking up for a couple of lessons ahead and when he had to cancel one the week before, I obviously took the piss and asked what was so important that he couldnt make the lesson. 'Bob' said that he was off on a night vision exercise landing on a beach at night without instruments. Only using night vision goggles. He said although he wasnt sure it was more important it was a lot more fun than training muppets like me! Fair point I said. Sounds like fun.

He was out of Lyneham I think?

[mybrainhurts]

Saw one diving down Winnats Pass recently...

They buzz Chatsworth too....

Edited by mybrainhurts on Monday 19th May 22:14

[Andy39W]

Call that a plane, here's a real plane

http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air/English-El...

Best and noisiest jet fighter the UK has ever produced. I once had one fly over the caravan I was staying in and it was a mix of Santapod at x10 and an earthquake. God bless Whitby and the cliffs circa late 1970's early 1980's.

My ear drums are still on a north Yorks beach.

Now thats a mans plane.

Regards

Andy

[Muze ST]

The english eletric lighting,

Mach 3
Used to scare of cold war bombers, 0ft 60ft in a a few seconds.
Mainly unarmed just pilot and engine.

And the hercules,

Only thing i can think of is, Supply Drop Training, Para jump, or special forces jump.

[telecat]

Andy39W said:

Call that a plane, here's a real plane

http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air/English-El...

Best and noisiest jet fighter the UK has ever produced. I once had one fly over the caravan I was staying in and it was a mix of Santapod at x10 and an earthquake. God bless Whitby and the cliffs circa late 1970's early 1980's.

My ear drums are still on a north Yorks beach.

Now thats a mans plane.

Regards

Andy

I cowered at Rufforth when at a race meeting back in the sixties. A Lightning was displaying and it was the loudest thing I have ever heard and I would not have been more than eight at the time.

[Eric Mc]

Muze ST said:

The english eletric lighting,

Mach 3

Not quite. More like Mach 2 and a bit - and seriously short on range as well.

It was always an impressive show performer though.

I would think that its modern equivalent, the Typhoon, would give it a run for its money on the loudness stakes.