Fighter jets scrambled over Peterborough UK

Good evening fellow ATSers

I live in Peterborough, UK and this afternoon between 1pm and 2pm there was an enormous boom which frightened the life out of me.
I thought maybe an aircraft had crashed nearby.
A check on the local news sources revealed this -: local news report

Fair enough but since then there has been overflying by helicopters, and a general increase in aerial traffic.

I cant help feeling we are not getting the full story......are there any fellow UK ATSers in the East that can corroborate???

As Im typing there are further sounds of helicopters in the area, and itś now 22:13 here in the UK!!

thanks

a reply to: korkythecat

Since helicopters were, and still are involved, it makes this quite interesting.
We'll probably never know, unless we figure it out ourselves.

scrambled jets probably meant the russians came into bleeping range of our detectors and will be ushered out of the way as they have probably been done the same every day for the last 2 years

The Russians have been feeling frisky lately, testing some new things out. I wouldn't be surprised if they were flying some of it near the UK and around Europe. I heard that they were near Japan recently on a test flight.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I agree this sounds more likely. I just thought it odd they would deploy a whole squadron when one aircraft would easily be able to check out a civilian plane.

This used to happen all the time here in the East during the cold war when Russian Bears would skirt the edges of UK airspace over the North sea and test the response of the RAF.

That said it might just be what they say it is.

Interesting times...

a reply to: korkythecat

If what I'm hearing about what happened last week is true, then there were several Russian aircraft involved.

Although it is pretty common for fighters to intercept aircraft that are communications out.

There was a loss of contact with what appears to be a commercial aircraft is what the article says. I suppose they were worried it was hijacked and it was going to be crashed into some English landmark. It is common, as Zaphod said in the post before me.

a reply to: rickymouse

Depending on if they were in the ADIZ or not, that's a standard intercept. Any aircraft that enters the ADIZ radio out, or without a flight plan automatically has aircraft launched to intercept and identify it.

a reply to: korkythecat

I have copied this comment from a poster on a political blog i comment on, you may find it interesting:-

" There was a huge bang here in north Cambs just after 1pm. Nothing on the BBC site about it, or on here, so I guess it must have been a clap of thunder, or perhaps a sonic boom? "

a reply to: Zaphod58

Up here in the UP if communication is lost to a plane comming in for a landing, we send mosquitoes to intercept the plane. Sometimes we have to use moths if the mosquitoes are busy at an outdoor social event..

There is really not much to worry about here. The only thing that gets crashed here is wedding receptions and parties.

More than common, its required by aviation rules. Usually 3 jets are scrambled to intercept civilian aircraft that do not respond to communications from UK authorities. Sometimes two, but never less than two, so I am reliably informed.

The helicopters make it, somewhat odd, but the jets are standard operating procedure.

The red arrows have been flying about today all over south of England. I think they are now at fairford also i can't remember the name but there is a big NATO exercise going on (not sure when). B52s have landed at fairford and rumours of a few b1s floating about

a reply to: alldaylong

Yes very interesting!

It was a weird noise, had a cracking sound to it, like a very close thunderstorm. Someone told me there are two booms if itś sonic but I am not sure about that.

I have a disco mirror ball in the room I was in at the time, and it made it sway a little side to side, thats some boom. The strange thing is I noticed it swaying two days ago but couldnt ascertain a cause unless it was a small ground movement.
We have had significant ground movement here recently, only last week a water main broke in the middle of the road just outside my house, and further down the road a gas main fractured about a month ago. Anyone would think this is California! we are not used to it round here.

And thats before they even start fracking in the UK.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Testing what exactly ?

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Some fairly scary modifications.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Can you drop any links or clues .. Sorry for the one liners

Also I heard b1s being in Spain. Could the US and RAF just being practising intercepts ?

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Links no, clues, it's related to the new missiles under development.

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

If these were active alert aircraft, no. Those NEVER launch for less than an actual intercept.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Cheers thanks much appreciated. Again sorry for the short answer don't really have much to add