Question for the aircraft anorakisti

Why would a Hercules be flying over the M5/M50 junction at only a few
hundred feet altitude this morning?

Freaked me out a tad, that did.

 

(SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

He was trying to read the roadsigns?

 

Don't laugh - a fair amount of aircraft navigation is done with the
help of a road atlas, some of it by private owners.

 

Oh, I know... but I'd kinda hope that the RAF were a bit beyond that.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, SteveH

Because he can.

 

"Visually Follow Roads"

 

Either landing, taking off or simply crashing in the traditional manner.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I initially thought landing or take-off, but can't think of any nearby
military base.

 

That's the beauty of a C130, you don't need a huge miltary base to fly
them in and out of.

--
Lozzo
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

They occasionally fly practice approaches at Bristol.

 

Bad form and all, but they might have been flying an approach at a
civil airfield (Cardiff?, Swansea?).

 

Far too far from both of them.

Bristol is a possibility, I suppose - it was flying away from Bristol
towards Birmingham, pretty much following the M5 north.

 

I have seen them crossing the road below me at Milbury Heath, which is not
that high.

 

Navigation excercise of some sort, I'd imagine.

"Right, the ragheads have shot out all your electronics, and you have to
get these doughnuts to HQ."
--
Dave
GS850x2 XS650 SE6a

"It's a moron working with power tools.
How much more suspenseful can you get?"
- House

 

Hah.

 

Not original, unfortunately, but TMFR was...

 

Poor bugger. Sent to Birmingham.

 

Lots of low flying training going on this time of year[1].
Details for May here:
<http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/31027049-4302-4FAD-9594-B2D9684E02A7/0/ol
f_timetable_may08.pdf>

Low flying areas detailed here:
<http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/AirSafetyandAvia
tion/LowFlying/LFAs/>

[1] Filming Hercules evading 2 jets any day now. The wing flapping is
wonderful to behold.

 

My father used to be navigator / winchman on SAR helicopters out of RAF
Coltishall. [1]

He's done it.[2]
[1]22 Squadron flying Wessex Whirlwinds [3]
[2]Granted it was a blizzard
[3]One of his actual planes is at Hendon. That came as something of a
surprise.

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 145 2.0 Cloverleaf 156 V6 2.5 S2
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

I Follow Roads

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 145 2.0 Cloverleaf 156 V6 2.5 S2
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk