Unusual air activity over UK

Originally posted by Shminkee Pinkee
It was definately over 30 planes

27 would do the actual flypast, but there are always extra ones called whips who keep the formation together, given that the hawks operate solely as trainer aircraft they probably needed a few of them. Well, mostly trainers, they can be used as Air Defense fighters, but only sidewinders and they have to be talked onto target as they have no radar.

In any case, can't find a link but i am 100% sure that, this was the display on it's way to/from the display.

Originally posted by Alternative4u
If you have £450 to spare you as I have can buy yourself the latest home radar system to see whats going on yourself.

As do many of the other aircraft enthusiasts in Europe and also post on the enthusiast forums that I linked to. Why are they not all screaming that 'something is up'? Did you also note the B-1s routing through Europe recently? There is nothing going on but routine aircraft movements. The transits over the Atlantic and onwards over Europe are monitored in the clear by enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. Explain why these thousands of aviation enthusiasts and aviation radio amateurs are not freaking out? Where are all the reports in the aviation press alerted by all the monitored military activity that you think is out of the ordinary?

Join for example Fighter Control website and note that nobody else is getting excited.

reply to post by Alternative4u


Are they not just for mode s transponders thou? iirc military dont use that type

Yes your quite right, those Trainers I am sure would be from the flypast, I certainly have not seen any large amounts of planes in this area of UK since I moved here, even in local air shows you only see the Red Arrows in a group over my area, and it has been very quite this week over here in and out of Norwich Airport too.