Noisy thing with large wingspan over Wiltshire
Discussion
We often get the USAF bombers over when they're at Fairford so used to noisy stuff, on the edge of Keevil Airfield too so C17s and A400Ms are frequent visitors.
However, today at 14:20, noisy thing but not USAF bomber noisy appears, beautiful clear day so I look up and see a very large wingspan aircraft. It was shiny so presumably not military, but it was moving slower (and slightly lower) than an airliner, no contrails and noisy. Wingspan to body ratio was like a glider but it was much bigger, but it was too high up to identify anything else.
Any ideas? ADSB gave me no hits. I would've guessed a U2 (but bigger) but we've had them over before and they are much louder (and not shiny).
However, today at 14:20, noisy thing but not USAF bomber noisy appears, beautiful clear day so I look up and see a very large wingspan aircraft. It was shiny so presumably not military, but it was moving slower (and slightly lower) than an airliner, no contrails and noisy. Wingspan to body ratio was like a glider but it was much bigger, but it was too high up to identify anything else.
Any ideas? ADSB gave me no hits. I would've guessed a U2 (but bigger) but we've had them over before and they are much louder (and not shiny).
Edited by ukaskew on Sunday 27th August 14:39
Are we being blessed with an arrival of one of NASA's WB-57s?
Did it look like this? - https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=944&bih=92...
A previous visit to Prestwick, Scotland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHtD0A32Q0Q
Did it look like this? - https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=944&bih=92...
A previous visit to Prestwick, Scotland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHtD0A32Q0Q
FourWheelDrift said:
Are we being blessed with an arrival of one of NASA's B-57s?
Did it look like this - https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=944&bih=92...
Hard to say for sure but that's as close as anything I've found. There was actually an airliner up above it and further west so that was a good comparison and confirmed to me that it was definately something unusual. Moving unusually slowly.Did it look like this - https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=944&bih=92...
As mentioned we see pretty much anything here with our proximity to Salisbury Plain, Keevil and flight path in/out to Fairford, so I can ID most things from noise/ visual no bother.
I think the PH sleuths are correct as always. B-1 told to hold out West at 4:45, so would line up nicely.
We usually see them on approach or powering out to head home (when they're really loud) so it was unusual to see one just cruising around so slowly. Also very surprised at how much a essentially dark aircraft reflected the sun.
We usually see them on approach or powering out to head home (when they're really loud) so it was unusual to see one just cruising around so slowly. Also very surprised at how much a essentially dark aircraft reflected the sun.
Trevatanus said:
My thoughts when I saw your post, I felt confident it wasn't a B-1.
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