Cool things seen on FlightRadar

[MikeGTi]

PRTVR said:

Did read that one was operating over the Baltic near Russian airspace.

Story here

[2fast748]

Suspect this info may be innaccurate!:

[3.8 MOD]

So what was this about?
Every time I clicked on it, this came up:

[PRTVR]

3.8 MOD said:

So what was this about?
Every time I clicked on it, this came up:

Because it a surveillance aircraft
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raytheon_Sentinel
If that's over your house you might expect a knock on the door anytime soon.

[MarkwG]

3.8 MOD said:

So what was this about?
Every time I clicked on it, this came up:

It's a glitch in the system, somewhere I guess, it's overlaying lots of tracks & confusing itself.

PRTVR said:

Because it a surveillance aircraft
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raytheon_Sentinel
If that's over your house you might expect a knock on the door anytime soon.

very good, normal GLEX are quite popular there, though, more likely one of those

[DavieBNL]

Stationary on the ground with the kit switched on but not being used. Looks like power to the GPS is going on and off, as it gets an updated position it brings the position output back to where it is after drifting off.

[Zad]

My guess is that the aircraft is in a hangar and GPS signal levels are poor, with a lot of scatter from surrounding objects. This makes it think it is all over the place when in reality the receiver hasn't moved.

[DavieBNL]

True - probably more likely than the power tripping on and off, although someone could always be disconnecting and connecting the antenna! Makes you realise how quickly these things drift off without the GPS aiding.

[tangerine_sedge]

Spotted on Friday night doing circuits over North Somerset a few miles away from Bristol Airport, a loud aircraft of unknown type (from the sound of it a helicopter?). It did a number of circuits for an hour or so before moving away.

Its not unusual to be woken during the night by helicopters following the M5, but they've never loitered before. Nothing on flightradar24, it was displaying port and stbd lights, but no strobes.

I have my suspicions (of aircraft type and purpose), but thought I'd canvas ideas before opening the tin foil...

[Charlie1986]

tangerine_sedge said:

Spotted on Friday night doing circuits over North Somerset a few miles away from Bristol Airport, a loud aircraft of unknown type (from the sound of it a helicopter?). It did a number of circuits for an hour or so before moving away.

Its not unusual to be woken during the night by helicopters following the M5, but they've never loitered before. Nothing on flightradar24, it was displaying port and stbd lights, but no strobes.

I have my suspicions (of aircraft type and purpose), but thought I'd canvas ideas before opening the tin foil...

Military.

[RobbyJ]

Go on then, stop teasing and tell us

[Trevatanus]

tangerine_sedge said:

Spotted on Friday night doing circuits over North Somerset a few miles away from Bristol Airport, a loud aircraft of unknown type (from the sound of it a helicopter?). It did a number of circuits for an hour or so before moving away.

Its not unusual to be woken during the night by helicopters following the M5, but they've never loitered before. Nothing on flightradar24, it was displaying port and stbd lights, but no strobes.

I have my suspicions (of aircraft type and purpose), but thought I'd canvas ideas before opening the tin foil...

[tangerine_sedge]

RobbyJ said:

Go on then, stop teasing and tell us

I've always assumed its the gentlemen from Hereford (or similar double hard bds) on training flights down towards the south coast. Previously I've seen and heard Chinooks and some Merlins, but this was different - maybe an Osprey...

[RobbyJ]

N235BH a G650 landed at Heathrow this afternoon. Strange to see a corporate jet smaller than a BBJ or CJ landing at Heathrow?

[RobbyJ]

tangerine_sedge said:

I've always assumed its the gentlemen from Hereford (or similar double hard bds) on training flights down towards the south coast. Previously I've seen and heard Chinooks and some Merlins, but this was different - maybe an Osprey...

Ahhh OK that makes sense, just sounded like someone was in the inner circle;)

[djc206]

RobbyJ said:

N235BH a G650 landed at Heathrow this afternoon. Strange to see a corporate jet smaller than a BBJ or CJ landing at Heathrow?

Not strange. Not exactly a daily occurrence but I’ve worked quite a few gulfstreams into Heathrow.

[RobbyJ]

Thanks, didn’t realise they had the available slots. You’d surely have to be pretty dead set on needing to land at Heathrow as a location vs Farnborough to pay what I assume would be higher landing and ramp fees.

[djc206]

RobbyJ said:

Thanks, didn’t realise they had the available slots. You’d surely have to be pretty dead set on needing to land at Heathrow as a location vs Farnborough to pay what I assume would be higher landing and ramp fees.

You’d imagine so. Normally they’re VIP flights but not always, signature have a few spots over by T4 for them to park up.

Gatwick takes a few private jets too, you’ll notice they park over by the old tower if you go there.

[couzens]

RobbyJ said:

Thanks, didn’t realise they had the available slots. You’d surely have to be pretty dead set on needing to land at Heathrow as a location vs Farnborough to pay what I assume would be higher landing and ramp fees.

We had a challenger fly out from Farnborough to Heathrow yesterday. Even smaller!

[MissChief]

djc206 said:

RobbyJ said:

Thanks, didn’t realise they had the available slots. You’d surely have to be pretty dead set on needing to land at Heathrow as a location vs Farnborough to pay what I assume would be higher landing and ramp fees.

You’d imagine so. Normally they’re VIP flights but not always, signature have a few spots over by T4 for them to park up.

Gatwick takes a few private jets too, you’ll notice they park over by the old tower if you go there.

So do they need to increase separation between the big jets and these private jets due to size?