U2 Spotted Flying Near Oxford UK

I was fishing a lake south of Oxford UK yesterday when a U2 flew over heading south. Was low and climbing so assume it had just taken off. Took photos on mobile but are rubbish.
Wondering where it was based?

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

Perhaps RAF Fairford.


Cool sighting.

a reply to: gortex

Thanks. Looked like it had just taken off as was v low and Fairfield is a way away.

Lots of Galaxy's coming and going too.

Was cool!

a reply to: gortex

Fairford and RAF Brize Norton, This is where I see them around on the radar. But you're most likely correct, I'm confident in that. Looks like they cancelled the big airshow.😑

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: gortex

Thanks. Looked like it had just taken off as was v low and Fairfield is a way away.

Lots of Galaxy's coming and going too.

Was cool!

If you saw it when it was low, it might have been staying in the pattern to practice touch-and-goes. When they take off on a long range mission they climb at almost a 45 degree angle at full power. Given the 10,000 ft runway at Fairford, it would have been at 10,000 ft altitude by the time it reached the end of the runway.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

It was probably either 80-0083 or 066.

a reply to: 1947boomer

Wow. You guys know your stuff! It was very low and under the low clouds though. Def not 10000 ft though.

By the way, blanked on the carp fishing. 70acre gravel pit and fish were half a mile away down the other end of the lake.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Oldcarpy2

It was probably either 80-0083 or 066.

Ah. What does that mean?

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

Those are the tail numbers (registration) of the two U-2s that were flying out of Fairford at the end of last month. It's usually a several month deployment, with two other aircraft occasionally joining them as they rotate aircraft in the Middle East. The aircraft rotating usually only stay overnight, or a day or two though.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks guys. Was a cool sighting.

The real question here is...what do you do with the carp when you catch them???

I have a great recipe for carp, but I think everyone in the World has heard of it...

Nail the carp to a board
Season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic, butter, and every other spice you have
Preheat oven as hot as it will go
Cook fish in oven for 6-8 hours
Remove fish from oven and discard
Eat board

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
The real question here is...what do you do with the carp when you catch them???

I have a great recipe for carp, but I think everyone in the World has heard of it...

Nail the carp to a board
Season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic, butter, and every other spice you have
Preheat oven as hot as it will go
Cook fish in oven for 6-8 hours
Remove fish from oven and discard
Eat board

Ah. No, here in UK we just weigh and photo them. We take great care of them and use padded unhooking cradles. Sometimes they have scales missing etc usually caused during spawning so we carry special antiseptic to treat any wounds. Some of them even have names.
All released.
No, we don't eat them.
I also do catch and release with Sea Bass.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
The real question here is...what do you do with the carp when you catch them???

I have a great recipe for carp, but I think everyone in the World has heard of it...

Nail the carp to a board
Season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic, butter, and every other spice you have
Preheat oven as hot as it will go
Cook fish in oven for 6-8 hours
Remove fish from oven and discard
Eat board

As oldcarpy said carp fishing in the U.K. is catch and release. Unless you’re a European national, they tend to make carp go missing and some lakes have problems with poachers.

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
I was fishing a lake south of Oxford UK yesterday when a U2 flew over heading south. Was low and climbing so assume it had just taken off. Took photos on mobile but are rubbish.
Wondering where it was based?

As others have said they are based at Fairford they are great to watch take off because they have great climb rate and they loud. I think there are two at Fairford at the moment although on some Facebook groups some have said there have been three spotted yesterday or the day before but that could be due to an airframe swap for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus I believe one U-2 operates from there

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

Eastern Europeans, indeed......

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

Wow! I did not know this! Are carp rare there? Or, any other fish species? Carp are here in the US by the billions. When people catch them here they usually throw them back, but not due to conservation. I was just kidding with the recipe; it's a really old joke. I guess some people here do eat carp, but I've never tried any.

There are currently four airframes at Fairford.
68-10336, 80-1066, 80-1083, 80-1085

Not seen one myself yet, but a pic was posted to the local Facebook group yesterday and I understand they've been spotted several times flying low over the Vale of Evesham

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Oldcarpy2

Wow! I did not know this! Are carp rare there? Or, any other fish species? Carp are here in the US by the billions. When people catch them here they usually throw them back, but not due to conservation. I was just kidding with the recipe; it's a really old joke. I guess some people here do eat carp, but I've never tried any.

Not rare but the big ones live to a ripe old age.

Bit like recipe for artichokes - wash, peel, discard....😉