Mass Aircraft movement high altitude, NATO?

So my friend who lives in Northern England UK was visiting today...

We were out for a meal with the family when Ukraine popped on the TV behind us, chat turned to Ukraine and my friend said him and his wife spotted at least 50 aircraft moving from west to East which would have given a trajectory towards Norway and Denmark, obviously I jumped up and said WHAT!!!... Seriously?

I said which aircraft where they as he's quite good with identification of aircraft, he is quite an aircraft lover himself tbh... he said he couldn't tell as they was so high up... I said did you count them, how did you count them? how could you be sure of the numbers? was they in formation? to which he replied yes they was in formations and all had contrails streaming from them, he also said there looked like there where others which he didn't count because they didn't have a contrail stream

So can somebody help me out here

Are there any know mass movements of UK or possibly US aircraft on the record?

Can ATS help piece this together... airbases nearby etc

The location was Consett Newcastle England UK

I gotta keep an eye on this movement. That actually does not seem normal to have that many planes moving at the same time.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I gotta keep an eye on this movement. That actually does not seem normal to have that many planes moving at the same time.

Exactly what I thought

I forgot to add, he also told me they both rushed inside afterwards to see if anything was on the news about Ukraine... As you do

Two possibilities IMO

They was going to intercept A large formation of Russian aircraft approaching UK airspace or They was going to bolster NATO in the East

a reply to: rickymouse

I would agree, since if we are talking military aircraft, in terms of UK forces as far as I am aware they simply don't have that many aircraft. Quite a few RAF stations are either closed now or not flying operationally.

That would leave NATO and US forces I suppose.

Unless they were civilian.

a reply to: TritonTaranis

Probably a buildup somewhere. You wouldn't think they would send them bunched up that way, unless they actually want Russia to see them. That isn't going to bother Russia, they have good defense systems and many planes.

Seems like childish games to me.

I noticed a lot of air traffic today, I'm about 12 miles from Cheltenham GCHQ and we don't get that much traffic really coming over but today was really busy.

originally posted by: korkythecat
a reply to: rickymouse

I would agree, since if we are talking military aircraft, in terms of UK forces as far as I am aware they simply don't have that many aircraft. Quite a few RAF stations are either closed now or not flying operationally.

That would leave NATO and US forces I suppose.

Unless they were civilian.

Tbh I don't think civilian aircraft is in the picture here, not that many

He's quite the WWII buff and he likened it to

originally posted by: Stemo
I noticed a lot of air traffic today, I'm about 12 miles from Cheltenham GCHQ and we don't get that much traffic really coming over but today was really busy.

I also forgot to mention this was on Wednesday 30th April

a reply to: TritonTaranis

Could be a large flock of geese with bad gas also...bad enough to leave contrails.

a reply to: TritonTaranis

www.disclose.tv... Quite a few, but they're all Russian

originally posted by: 13th Zodiac
a reply to: TritonTaranis

www.disclose.tv... Quite a few, but they're all Russian

I wouldn't of thought this was at all related to a fly over/air show in Moscow tho the video is dated 5th march

originally posted by: TritonTaranis

originally posted by: 13th Zodiac
a reply to: TritonTaranis

www.disclose.tv... Quite a few, but they're all Russian

I wouldn't of thought this was at all related to a fly over/air show in Moscow tho the video is dated 5th march

That video plays choppy on my computer ( linux / firefox ) ... HOWEVER

I agree with the posting as today's date BUT when was it really recorded AND someone on ATS should do an interpretation of the folks talking in the video.

I saw fighters, tankers, bombers and communication planes in the video ... ( i.e. sizeable fleet all military ).

SUMMARY: Just an Observation and Opinion.
.

originally posted by: FarleyWayne

originally posted by: TritonTaranis

originally posted by: 13th Zodiac
a reply to: TritonTaranis

www.disclose.tv... Quite a few, but they're all Russian

I wouldn't of thought this was at all related to a fly over/air show in Moscow tho the video is dated 5th march

That video plays choppy on my computer ( linux / firefox ) ... HOWEVER

I agree with the posting as today's date BUT when was it really recorded AND someone on ATS should do an interpretation of the folks talking in the video.

I saw fighters, tankers, bombers and communication planes in the video ... ( i.e. sizeable fleet all military ).

SUMMARY: Just an Observation and Opinion.
.

It's the fact they're flying low and slow which kinda gives it away as an air show parade

I don't think these two incidents are related tbh

This sighting was reported at high altitudes numbering 50 odd aircraft or visible contrail streams, the other report is of Russian aircraft supposedly in Russia in what looks like a air show parade

Ok so I found this

Canadian jets left Canada on Tuesday (29 April) for deployment to Romania as part of the NATO efforts to reassure Allies in Central and Eastern Europe.

I guess it's possible they met up with US and UK fighters and other aircraft

Fighter jets from Poland, the United Kingdom, Denmark and France take over NATO air policing duties over the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Thursday (1 May 2014) as part of enhanced collective defence measures agreed to by Allies earlier this month

www.nato.int...

If it did happen it is the U.S. obviously sending over more support to NATO nations that have been asking for it.

They would try to fly over together for safety in case one plane has trouble they can easily mark its position and dispatch a rescue team so the airmen are not lost.

They also have to be in one area for refueling as it takes three or more to cross the Atlantic in military jets.

It would also have to be fighters and not bombers because everyone would see them leave their bases in the U.S. and it would be on every news site with people crapping their pants thinking that nuclear war is on with Russia.

a reply to: TritonTaranis
In many European countries, they reverse the month and the day when a date is presented.
It's actually May 3rd...

The European date format is something that creates a lot of confusion with visitors from the US. Being essentially ‘backwards’ by American standards, European date format can cause mix ups and problems with everything from arranging meeting times to running software. Most Americans will be used to the date format that puts the month before the day. As such the third of December would be written as ‘12/03/2010’. In the European date format however the month and day are the other way around, e.g. ‘03/12/2010’. This then causes difficulty for those arranging to meet on that day, as an American visiting from overseas might write it in their diary under the 12th March and thus be very early for their appointment.

Source

Photos or it didn't happen

originally posted by: Aloysius the Gaul
Photos or it didn't happen

I agree. 50 aircraft as described would set the aviation enthusiast community alight. Such a massive movement as described wouldn't go unnoticed within the community.

a reply to: TritonTaranis

The Canadian Hornets and their support tankers flew over the UK on the 1st May.

forum.scramble.nl...

If 50 aircraft, as described by your friend, had flown over then the whole of the aviation community would have been set on fire. Think about Air Traffic Control communications? Think about NOTAMS and all the other aviation that would have to be routed around and away from such a formation?

The Canadian deployment on the 1st May that transited over the UK set the aviation enthusiast community a buzz, so think about this claimed formation of 50!

Then you have to think about all the other aviation enthusiasts in the rest of Europe. It isn't going to go unnoticed.

I suggest Fighter Control forum for monitoring of activity.


www.fightercontrol.co.uk...

a reply to: 13th Zodiac

"4.5.2014" ... I choose to translate this to 05/04/2014.

Witnesses said also that observed in the sky and a few jet bombers Tu-22 m.

Also at the airport at Sevastopol Belbek observed landing at least a dozen military transport Il-76 with landing and technology on board.

"Due to recent developments in southeastern Ukraine, it is possible that increasing group in Crimea, Russia styskuvatyme armed ring, threatening the southern and eastern region," - said the expert.

This MAY Connect-a-Dot to the earlier LINK by 13thZodiac.