North east London late night plane
Discussion
I type this at 1:00 am. Having woken up I am aware of what sounds like a twin engined plane (akin to Capital Radios Flying Eye if the noise is anything to go by ) cruising around in a low constant radius circle. I am in Chingford and the circle touches us at its eastern edge with the majority being over the Lea Valley. It stayed here for about 10 mins before going off somewhere to the east and I think I can hear it doing the same there.
I think I started a thread about something similar ages ago about a plane doing something similar during the early evening but I can't find it.
What's it doing then do we think?
I think I started a thread about something similar ages ago about a plane doing something similar during the early evening but I can't find it.
What's it doing then do we think?
Could be this lot ??
"The Islander operated by the RAF Northolt Station Flight is a military variant of the Britten-Norman BN-2T Islander aircraft. The Flight operates two CC Mk2 aircraft, registrations ZF573 and ZH537, in the photographic mapping and light communications roles. The aircraft can be configured in a passenger or freight configuration and can also be used for pilot/aircrew training. The Station Flight was formed in August 1991 and currently operates with 8 pilots, 1 navigators and 11 engineers. " " Some minor modifications have been made to the aircraft in order to accomplish their flexible role. "
They also now have ZH536, the flexible role quote and the fact they have more "engineers" than pilots is the telling one. You are right that they are up and about at all times of day and night and will often run relays with one taking off 20 mins or so before another lands. They can often be found operating on Heathrow approach 120.4. The callsigns seen on the Mode-S (ie KRF03) are fixed and do not reflect the individual Rafair callsigns they use on their missions. Their customer is not the RAF and that is about all that needs to be said on this forum.
Fair enough, I'll take one for the team.
But based on nothing other than a passing interest in aircraft and having flown in a fair variety, it didn't feel like an Islander. I think its that communications thingy that I may, or may not have heard about before. Having previously been told it was secret I did the proper thing and forgot it so I could reveal nothing to ze Germans, if caught and interrogated.
But based on nothing other than a passing interest in aircraft and having flown in a fair variety, it didn't feel like an Islander. I think its that communications thingy that I may, or may not have heard about before. Having previously been told it was secret I did the proper thing and forgot it so I could reveal nothing to ze Germans, if caught and interrogated.
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