Interesting Flypast

[Mick F]

I was outside less than an hour ago and just happened to look up at the sky to the south.
I saw an "airliner" heading west to east, and a jet fighter next to it. Shadowing it, plain as day.
Both going quite fast.

I went inside to grab my phone to take a photo, but by the time I'd got out again, they couldn't be seen from here. Hills, trees etc in the way.
They looked to be at 30,000ft and probably less, certainly not higher.

Checked on Flight Radar.
https://www.flightradar24.com/53.78,-1.75/7
Nothing there.
Yes, there were airliners heading west to the north and even a Eurofighter heading west, but nothing of interest to the south in either direction.

Goodness knows what's going on.

[Jdsk]

I saw an "airliner" heading west to east, and a jet fighter next to it.

Sounds like this A330 MRTT and Typhoon:
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornw ... er-6260269

Jonathan

[rjb]

Lucky it didn't go into your ear.
viewtopic.php?t=148780

[Mick F]

Found this, but it's not what I saw.
What I saw was south maybe over the north side of Plymouth, not over North Devon and was flying west to east, not towards Truro or Falmouth.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-ne ... er-6260269

[rjb]

I've noticed an increase in military aircraft in the last couple of days. We have a firing range in the Bristol Channel but they weren't heading in that direction.
A pair of jets flew overhead yesterday, so low I didn't see them but heard them. They put the wind up the pigeons and crows. Are they practising for an invasion, Ukraine for instance.

[al_yrpal]

On Tuesday we were travelling north on the M5 in the early afternoon two black fighter aircraft streaked across at very low level in front of us. Something going on?

Al

[DaveReading]

I was outside less than an hour ago and just happened to look up at the sky to the south.
I saw an "airliner" heading west to east, and a jet fighter next to it. Shadowing it, plain as day.
Both going quite fast.

I went inside to grab my phone to take a photo, but by the time I'd got out again, they couldn't be seen from here. Hills, trees etc in the way.
They looked to be at 30,000ft and probably less, certainly not higher.

Checked on Flight Radar.
https://www.flightradar24.com/53.78,-1.75/7
Nothing there.
Yes, there were airliners heading west to the north and even a Eurofighter heading west, but nothing of interest to the south in either direction.

Goodness knows what's going on.

At that altitude, the RAF's airtankers are indistinguishable from the civilian Airbus aircraft on which they are based. Almost certainly the fast jet accompanying it was on a real or simulated refuelling mission.

The fact that it didn't show up on FlightRadar24 is another indication that it was military.

[philvantwo]

Two American B1 bombers flew over here at around 8pm one night last month, they made a right noise!
Flying from Fairford apparently!
Fuel consumption at cruising speed is 20 tons per hour!

[pwa]

We get a lot of RAF activity centred on St Athan, west of Cardiff, and I have seen some of their large aircraft flying low recently. Perhaps there is a connection. Some sort of exercises going on. I was once on a ride that way and spent a few minutes watching them practice aborted landings, where they come in as if to land, but simulate changing their minds at the last possible moment and throttling up. By air, from St Athan to South Devon / Cornwall takes no time at all. You can see Exmoor from the St Athan area when the weather is clear.

[Pebble]

Plenty low flighing jets here in the scottish borders this week - may be we're getting tuned up for a rumble with Putin in the Ukraine.... No doubt we will be first in, we seem to like wars.

[kylecycler]

Anyone else find the use of the word 'interesting' in the thread title (potentially) worryingly ironic? Not blaming Mick for that, just concerned that 'interesting' could turn into something a lot more sinister - y'know, like, that 'interesting' mushroom-shaped cloud...

Make the most of it while you can, folks, that's what I tell myself.

[Mick F]

At that altitude, the RAF's airtankers are indistinguishable from the civilian Airbus aircraft on which they are based. Almost certainly the fast jet accompanying it was on a real or simulated refuelling mission.

The fact that it didn't show up on FlightRadar24 is another indication that it was military.

That's what I guessed I suppose.
The news report must have been something else .............. but similar.

Interesting for me at least!

[Jdsk]

There are recent comments from NATO about Belarus and Bosnia as well as Ukraine.

And Biden rather than Trump as President might have a big effect on how this plays out.

Jonathan

[rjb]

Couple of days ago driving north towards Taunton, as we were approaching the top of a ridge we were treated to the view of an unusual large aircraft flying very low and slow across the Somerset levels. When I got home I searched online and it may have been a Reaper. Has anyone else seen one.

[reohn2]

Plenty low flighing jets here in the scottish borders this week - may be we're getting tuned up for a rumble with Putin in the Ukraine.... No doubt we will be first in, we seem to like wars.

My thoughts too.