Puzzle Pic for the Aviation Enthusiasts

[chris p bacon]

We've just come back from a trip around the North East and downloading the camera remembered I'd snapped this but have no idea what it is or what it was doing.

 

Location was Flamborough Head  (Just north of Bridlington) and the date was Wednesday 19th April. I only had a 105 lens on so the pics aren't brilliant, whatever it was came in at very low altitude from the East/South East.

Here is the original pic.

It shows just how low the aircraft was.

 

A cropped version.

 

As it came in the view for us was obscured by the cliff in front but it climbed and then turned over Bridligton or just to the South of Brid.

 

It then dropped height back over the sea and returned in pretty much the direction it came from.

 

After visiting Bridlington the day before we did wonder if it was on a bombing run for improvements........

 

Anyone any idea what it was we saw and what it was doing? It certainly had everyones attention on the clifftops as we were looking across at it rather than up.

[Metr0Land]

It looks to me like this:

 

G-OSRB by Lee Adcock, on Flickr

[chris p bacon]

It looks to me like this:

 

G-OSRB by Lee Adcock, on Flickr

Thanks.

 

That would fit with the height and location as that part of the North Sea is a very busy shipping lane and there are still ships at sea that clean tanks and dump overboard without a care.

[fozzy280472]

Ooooh 727 ......lovely aircraft ....proper shape , proper amount of proper engines.....

A proper aircraft really ....last one I worked on was in Liege for TNT......miss these old skool aircraft (so does my bank balance ...plenty of overtime on them )!!!!

 

Cheers Paul

[RANGERS]

Its one of a pair converted specifically for oil spill dispersant operations, the story can be found here https://www.oilspillresponse.com/news--media/news/osrl-boeing-727/

 

They're based at Doncaster airport so training flights would likely be over the North Sea off the Lincs/ Yorks coast.