Discussion
On the ferry recently we were sitting on the top deck when we were interrupted by a loud noise as an aircraft passed from bow to stern of at a hight about the same as the top deck and not too far from us, we watched as the plane banked out and returned to pass astern of us.
Here's a link to the video,
https://youtube.com/shorts/gvHbrG91D_s
Not sure about the regs and rules but this felt a bit risky to me, I pulled the family down off the top deck after that as the plane was turning round to pass astern again.
Thoughts?
Here's a link to the video,
https://youtube.com/shorts/gvHbrG91D_s
Not sure about the regs and rules but this felt a bit risky to me, I pulled the family down off the top deck after that as the plane was turning round to pass astern again.
Thoughts?
Pilotguy said:
Nice safe couple of hundred feet ahead or astern of the vessel, no problem with minimum height or separation. Fisheries patrol aircraft by the looks of it. UK waters? Could be British or Irish.
That was my first thought. Maybe Airtask's Caravan II?https://www.airtask.com/surveillance-and-enforceme...
Thoughts? It would be a much better video if you turned your phone sideways.
Here's one of my favourite videos - a Spitfire low pass. Some swearing, so may be NSFW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iOoiEbtf2w
Here's one of my favourite videos - a Spitfire low pass. Some swearing, so may be NSFW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iOoiEbtf2w
some bloke said:
Thoughts? It would be a much better video if you turned your phone sideways.
Here's one of my favourite videos - a Spitfire low pass. Some swearing, so may be NSFW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iOoiEbtf2w
Cracking video. NSFW - back in the day we used that one at work for teaching air law. Sadly Mr DeCadenet passed away a few days ago.Here's one of my favourite videos - a Spitfire low pass. Some swearing, so may be NSFW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iOoiEbtf2w
Edited by MarkwG on Friday 22 July 19:30
pete_esp said:
Not sure about the regs and rules but this felt a bit risky to me, I pulled the family down off the top deck after that as the plane was turning round to pass astern again.
Thoughts?
Genuinely intrigued as to what you thought might happen? Presumably you thought it may impact the ship? Seems an extreme reaction to me in that circumstance.Thoughts?
Assume this was The English Channel? Every week the media announces another migrant surveillance initiative in that area with both manned and unmanned, civil and military air assetts. And Frontex (European Border Agency) regularly have aircraft of that type along there, did you not consider it might be connected to that? Disregard that idea though if this was off Fishguard (although there probably is a punchline there somewhere!)
Yeah it's a bit unusual, unusual enough for the captain to seek me out to view the video. I don't think he was best impressed with the aircrafts antics and the crew got a bit excited about it too.
I would've thought the pilot would've been on comms to the captain but he was as clueless as the rest of us.
As for fisheries? Maybe they were checking the French ship wasn't dragging a net behind it?
Location was in the Bay of Biscay so if it was looking for migrants it was for ones that are either REALLY ambitious or really lost.
I just thought it was a bit of a weird one, the plane spotter in me was loving it but the over protective dad bit was "if he gets this wrong we're mince".
Also I am impressed that the separation distance and height can be judged from this video.
I figure it was either a Brittany Ferries Exec out showing their new ship off or a pilot who'd been watching too much Maverick and felt inspired.
I would've thought the pilot would've been on comms to the captain but he was as clueless as the rest of us.
As for fisheries? Maybe they were checking the French ship wasn't dragging a net behind it?
Location was in the Bay of Biscay so if it was looking for migrants it was for ones that are either REALLY ambitious or really lost.
I just thought it was a bit of a weird one, the plane spotter in me was loving it but the over protective dad bit was "if he gets this wrong we're mince".
Also I am impressed that the separation distance and height can be judged from this video.
I figure it was either a Brittany Ferries Exec out showing their new ship off or a pilot who'd been watching too much Maverick and felt inspired.
During the Gulf war, I was working on the cross channel ferries. A couple of times we were "buzzed" by a pair of Tornados. The skipper did come on to the PA and warn everyone first though. Amazing sight to see and experience as they barely cleared the mast tops and werent hanging about either..
pete_esp said:
Yeah it's a bit unusual, unusual enough for the captain to seek me out to view the video. I don't think he was best impressed with the aircrafts antics and the crew got a bit excited about it too.
I would've thought the pilot would've been on comms to the captain but he was as clueless as the rest of us.
As for fisheries? Maybe they were checking the French ship wasn't dragging a net behind it?
Location was in the Bay of Biscay so if it was looking for migrants it was for ones that are either REALLY ambitious or really lost.
I just thought it was a bit of a weird one, the plane spotter in me was loving it but the over protective dad bit was "if he gets this wrong we're mince".
Also I am impressed that the separation distance and height can be judged from this video.
I figure it was either a Brittany Ferries Exec out showing their new ship off or a pilot who'd been watching too much Maverick and felt inspired.
OK, thanks for that additional info, can't offer much insight to what goes on in the Bay of Biscay! I did think the Channel operators were a bit more professional than that. I don't think it was anything "official" and suspect his (more likely) ego was indeed writing cheques, etc.... I would've thought the pilot would've been on comms to the captain but he was as clueless as the rest of us.
As for fisheries? Maybe they were checking the French ship wasn't dragging a net behind it?
Location was in the Bay of Biscay so if it was looking for migrants it was for ones that are either REALLY ambitious or really lost.
I just thought it was a bit of a weird one, the plane spotter in me was loving it but the over protective dad bit was "if he gets this wrong we're mince".
Also I am impressed that the separation distance and height can be judged from this video.
I figure it was either a Brittany Ferries Exec out showing their new ship off or a pilot who'd been watching too much Maverick and felt inspired.
Have you tried the replay facility on FR24 for that date/time/position (remember it's UTC) - it may come up in the general area as it is very unlikely the whole sortie was done at that height!
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