If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
"Graeme Carrott" wrote in message ... In article , Anonymous writes The skies are surprisingly busy round here, considering that the nearest RAF bases are each over 80 miles away. Not surprising at all, since you're inside LOTA Alpha, one of the RAF's main low-level training areas, and just outside LFA 14(T). Also, live bombing still takes place at Garvie Island just off Cape Wrath, which isn't many minutes flying time west of you. Incidentally, the A9 in the Pass of Drumochter is allegedly named 'Star Wars Valley' by RAF pilots - as is a much narrower valley between Selkirk and Moffat in the Borders - the latter being one of my favourite places to see really low-level training taking place. There are loads of places in Britain to see aircraft coming down into the weeds to play.... I make a point of visiting them on a regular basis to see a free airshow every so often! Was walking on the North York Moors last week and saw Tornado fighters flying low several times. Best was seeing three (3) Jaguars in a line fly over a ridge and then turn down the valley right in front of me as I sat on the other side of the valley (Bilsdale, above Urra on the B1257). Day after that I witnessed a loaded F-15 closely followed by an F-16 as I walked near Osmotherley. Brilliant stuff! On Monday on the way home I stopped near Cottesmore and saw the noisy buggers... ahem!...Harriers flying around. Nick |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
In message , Nick Pedley
writes "Graeme Carrott" wrote in message ... In article , Anonymous writes The skies are surprisingly busy round here, considering that the nearest RAF bases are each over 80 miles away. Not surprising at all, since you're inside LOTA Alpha, one of the RAF's main low-level training areas, and just outside LFA 14(T). Also, live bombing still takes place at Garvie Island just off Cape Wrath, which isn't many minutes flying time west of you. Incidentally, the A9 in the Pass of Drumochter is allegedly named 'Star Wars Valley' by RAF pilots - as is a much narrower valley between Selkirk and Moffat in the Borders - the latter being one of my favourite places to see really low-level training taking place. There are loads of places in Britain to see aircraft coming down into the weeds to play.... I make a point of visiting them on a regular basis to see a free airshow every so often! Was walking on the North York Moors last week and saw Tornado fighters flying low several times. Best was seeing three (3) Jaguars in a line fly over a ridge and then turn down the valley right in front of me as I sat on the other side of the valley (Bilsdale, above Urra on the B1257). Day after that I witnessed a loaded F-15 closely followed by an F-16 as I walked near Osmotherley. Brilliant stuff! On Monday on the way home I stopped near Cottesmore and saw the noisy buggers... ahem!...Harriers flying around. Try the A49 north of Ludlow for 6 Hercules in series 400ft over your head... Mike -- M.J.Powell |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
"M. J. Powell" wrote in message ... In message , Nick Pedley writes "Graeme Carrott" wrote in message ... In article , Anonymous writes The skies are surprisingly busy round here, considering that the nearest RAF bases are each over 80 miles away. Not surprising at all, since you're inside LOTA Alpha, one of the RAF's main low-level training areas, and just outside LFA 14(T). Also, live bombing still takes place at Garvie Island just off Cape Wrath, which isn't many minutes flying time west of you. Incidentally, the A9 in the Pass of Drumochter is allegedly named 'Star Wars Valley' by RAF pilots - as is a much narrower valley between Selkirk and Moffat in the Borders - the latter being one of my favourite places to see really low-level training taking place. There are loads of places in Britain to see aircraft coming down into the weeds to play.... I make a point of visiting them on a regular basis to see a free airshow every so often! Was walking on the North York Moors last week and saw Tornado fighters flying low several times. Best was seeing three (3) Jaguars in a line fly over a ridge and then turn down the valley right in front of me as I sat on the other side of the valley (Bilsdale, above Urra on the B1257). Day after that I witnessed a loaded F-15 closely followed by an F-16 as I walked near Osmotherley. Brilliant stuff! On Monday on the way home I stopped near Cottesmore and saw the noisy buggers... ahem!...Harriers flying around. Try the A49 north of Ludlow for 6 Hercules in series 400ft over your head... Mike I work at Epping hospital, just two miles from North Weald. Saw a Hunter do a low flyby today, couple of weeks ago it was the Catalina with a US-style flag on the tail doing circuits. Everyday something different goes overhead. Nick |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
I can still remember, in the early seventies, coming over a pass into
Teesdale (I think), only to find a Vulcan flying up the valley /below/ me. It was almost surreal to look down on that great camouflaged tin triangle, looking like some unlikely ocean ray swimming across the landscape. I simply had to stop and watch it till it was out of sight. |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
In article , Alan Dicey
writes I can still remember, in the early seventies, coming over a pass into Teesdale (I think), only to find a Vulcan flying up the valley /below/ me. It was almost surreal to look down on that great camouflaged tin triangle, looking like some unlikely ocean ray swimming across the landscape. I simply had to stop and watch it till it was out of sight. I heard a wonderful story, no idea how authentic but here goes: One RAF Harrier squadron had a lot pilots who were also very keen bikers, when not flying fast and low, they liked to ride the country lanes close to base very fast. The local police heard about bikers riding fast and started to set up speed traps. One day they pulled over the CO for speeding. One Sunday morning a few weeks later, a policeman was manning one of these speed traps, all of a sudden the quiet was broken by a Harrier doing 450 knots at 40 feet directly over his head. The speed gun was making a strange sound, flashed an error condition and was later found to be un-repairable. The police chief constable wrote to the squadron CO, explaining the incident and requesting payment for the broken speed gun. The CO wrote back, saying the aircraft's threat receiver had identified it as hostile and jammed it, the damage was unfortunate but they wouldn't be paying for it. He finished the letter by suggesting that to avoid further similar incidents, the police should inform him when/where speed traps were going to be setup. -- John |
#16
|
|||
|
|||
On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 01:00:33 +0100, John Halliwell
wrote: In article , Alan Dicey writes I can still remember, in the early seventies, coming over a pass into Teesdale (I think), only to find a Vulcan flying up the valley /below/ me. It was almost surreal to look down on that great camouflaged tin triangle, looking like some unlikely ocean ray swimming across the landscape. I simply had to stop and watch it till it was out of sight. I heard a wonderful story, no idea how authentic but here goes: One RAF Harrier squadron had a lot pilots who were also very keen bikers, when not flying fast and low, they liked to ride the country lanes close to base very fast. The local police heard about bikers riding fast and started to set up speed traps. One day they pulled over the CO for speeding. One Sunday morning a few weeks later, a policeman was manning one of these speed traps, all of a sudden the quiet was broken by a Harrier doing 450 knots at 40 feet directly over his head. The speed gun was making a strange sound, flashed an error condition and was later found to be un-repairable. The police chief constable wrote to the squadron CO, explaining the incident and requesting payment for the broken speed gun. The CO wrote back, saying the aircraft's threat receiver had identified it as hostile and jammed it, the damage was unfortunate but they wouldn't be paying for it. He finished the letter by suggesting that to avoid further similar incidents, the police should inform him when/where speed traps were going to be setup. I love this story. So British (a compliment, not a snipe). There's a similar story, which I think I read in Straight and Level, about a couple of policemen out on the moors (or something) laying a radar speed trap for motorists. A Harrier whipped by overhead (shades of the Falklands penguins) and the policemen, for kicks, acquired it with their radar. The Harrier pilot unleashed some kind of countermeasure, breaking the radar, and the local police complained to the RAF, only to be told that they were very lucky that the pilot had not pickled off the SEADS ordnance (HARM?) that had pinpointed them and was begging, figuratively, to be set free. Mary -- Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer "A MiG at your six is better than no MiG at all." Anonymous US fighter pilot |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
In article ,
Mary Shafer wrote: police complained to the RAF, only to be told that they were very lucky that the pilot had not pickled off the SEADS ordnance (HARM?) that had pinpointed them and was begging, figuratively, to be set free. ALARM I would think, but yes, that would really have done some damage to police equipment. :-) -- ____ ___ ____ ____ ___ ____ | _ \|_ _/ ___| / ___| / _ \/ ___| /| Patrick Bean, My site is at | |_) || |\___ \| | | | | \___ \ / | www.btinternet.com/~pdbean/ | _ | | ___) | |___ | |_| |___) | /__|__ Using Risc OS4 on a Windows free |_| \_\___|____/ \____| \___/|____/ | System. See www.riscos.org/ |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
In article , Mary Shafer
wrote: I love this story. So British (a compliment, not a snipe). There's a similar story, which I think I read in Straight and Level, about a couple of policemen out on the moors (or something) laying a radar speed trap for motorists. A Harrier whipped by overhead (shades of the Falklands penguins) and the policemen, for kicks, acquired it with their radar. The Harrier pilot unleashed some kind of countermeasure, breaking the radar, and the local police complained to the RAF, only to be told that they were very lucky that the pilot had not pickled off the SEADS ordnance (HARM?) that had pinpointed them and was begging, figuratively, to be set free. I think that one is an urban legend. In a similar vein, though: The local constabulary near one of the Harrier stations had received reports of cars driving fast at night without headlights - well, more so that the local population of 18 year old boys could sustain. So they set out to catch the villains. And they did - harrier pilots with their new helmet-mounted NVG, out to see how well it worked before they had to fly with it. Aetherem Vincere Matt -- To err is human To forgive is not Air Force Policy |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
"Matt Clonfero" ] wrote in message ... In article , Mary Shafer wrote: I love this story. So British (a compliment, not a snipe). SNIP I think that one is an urban legend. In a similar vein, though: The local constabulary near one of the Harrier stations had received reports of cars driving fast at night without headlights - well, more so that the local population of 18 year old boys could sustain. So they set out to catch the villains. And they did - harrier pilots with their new helmet-mounted NVG, out to see how well it worked before they had to fly with it. On that note, here's a story I heard while in the USA 5 years ago. After a new highway was built somewhere near a border, Police patrols got into the habit of visiting a local cafe for a takeaway snack and taking their breaks parked on an unlit stretch of the old highway. One night the cops were surprised by the sound of a car screaming past at high speed but couldn't see anything go past in the pitchblack moonless night. This happened a few times over the next few months leading to ghost stories of the 'Haunted Highway'... When it was found by chance one night that this 'ghost car' registered on a speed camera at 140mph it was decided that it might not be a phantom. A few weeks later, one high speed helicopter chase and a roadblock later revealed it was a blacked-out sports car (with taped out reflectors, lights, matt paint etc) driven by a pair of young drug smugglers wearing NVG's! Nick |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
FS: 1986 "Fighting Jets" Hardcover Edition Book | J.R. Sinclair | Aviation Marketplace | 0 | October 10th 04 11:27 AM |
FS: 1986 "Fighting Jets" Hardcover Edition Book | J.R. Sinclair | Aviation Marketplace | 3 | January 22nd 04 05:01 PM |
FS: 1986 "Fighting Jets" Hardcover Edition Book | J.R. Sinclair | Aviation Marketplace | 0 | December 2nd 03 05:10 AM |
FS: 1986 "Fighting Jets" Hardcover Edition Book | Jim Sinclair | Aviation Marketplace | 0 | September 8th 03 07:43 AM |