For those who like Aircraft pictures

[peanuts]

someones been bussy 

 

[St Enodoc]

13 hours ago, Iain.d said:

A Royal Australian Air Force C17 on take off from Broome Airport. 11 February 2023.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Iain

Nice vortices.

[rob D2]

Haha.

I like when they jokingly said there was no evidence it was UFOs. Well clearly not because they wouldn’t have a chance of downing one of those , F22 or otherwise .

[KeithMacdonald]

On 16/02/2023 at 16:08, rob D2 said:

Haha.

I like when they jokingly said there was no evidence it was UFOs. Well clearly not because they wouldn’t have a chance of downing one of those , F22 or otherwise .

 

“Military Intelligence”

 

Quote

A military commander said it could be a "gaseous type of balloon" or "some type of a propulsion system". He added he could not rule out that the objects were extra-terrestrials. The latest object – shot down over Lake Huron in Michigan near the Canadian border – has been described by defence officials as an unmanned "octagonal structure" with strings attached to it.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64620064

 

Maybe Pink Floyd had lost another flying pig?

 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79160/time-pink-floyds-giant-inflatable-pig-floated-away

 

I did wonder what happens if it turns out to be one of our own balloons. Like the weather balloons regularly launched by the US weather service in Alaska. Sure enough, a fews days later...

 

Quote

A small, globe-trotting balloon declared “missing in action” by an Illinois-based hobbyist club on Feb. 15 has emerged as a candidate to explain one of the three mystery objects shot down by four heat-seeking missiles launched by U.S. Air Force fighters since Feb. 10. The club—the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB)—is not pointing fingers yet. But the circumstantial evidence is at least intriguing. The club’s silver-coated, party-style, “pico balloon” reported its last position on Feb. 10 at 38,910 ft. off the west coast of Alaska, and a popular forecasting tool—the HYSPLIT model provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—projected the cylindrically shaped object would be floating high over the central part of the Yukon Territory on Feb. 11. That is the same day a Lockheed Martin F-22 shot down an unidentified object of a similar description and altitude in the same general area.

 

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/hobby-clubs-missing-balloon-feared-shot-down-usaf

 

When In Doubt, Shoot It Down!

 

Call me old-fashioned, but my mates were always taught you need to know what your target is BEFORE you shoot it. But maybe that's just a British thing, give them a sporting chance and all that .. And they used a $400,000 heat seeking missile to shoot down a helium-filled balloon with no heat source and the ambient temperature was minus 60C. But maybe these missiles have a "best before date" and it needed using up?

 

[rob D2]

Quite an expensive exercise that !

[BMacdermott]

Hello everyone

 

I have been watching LHR approaches for many years and am always amazed at how Heathrow Director staff 'knit' the flows from north and south. However, I think my photo taken a couple of days ago shows something pretty unusual.

 

I have seen six 'small planes' lined up on approach, but I have never seen so many 'larger' ones in a row.

 

Brian

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by BMacdermott

[KeithMacdonald]

25 minutes ago, BMacdermott said:

I have seen six 'small planes' lined up on approach, but I have never seen so many 'larger' ones in a row.

 

Good spot. Normally four or five, with the north and south flows merging over Peckham.

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

Just now, KeithMacdonald said:

 

Good spot. Normally four or five, with the north and south flows merging over Peckham.

 

 

 

What's the separation? Is it still 5nm?

[KeithMacdonald]

3 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

What's the separation? Is it still 5nm?

 

Looks like c.5Km at the moment.

 

[rob D2]

Separation depends on what's following what normally , in terms of size as it's primarily about wake vortex .

 

When I flew out of there 10 years back it was a very slick operation . They want you to got a constant descent approach ( ie never level off ) as it's better for noise etc , but sometimes we or them get the sums wrong .

 

I remember turning finals over reading once and ended up levelling off as wasn't expecting to go that far 

[BMacdermott]

Hello everyone

 

Was that line up done by TBS (Time Based Separation)?

 

I still hear controllers instructing aircraft to (for example): Maintain 160 to 4 DME.

 

Is TBS used all of the time??

 

Brian

 

Full_eTBS_PresentationV1.pdf (nats.aero)

 

 

[BMacdermott]

Sorry, file didn't upload.

 

Brian

Full_eTBS_PresentationV1[1].pdf

Edited February 19, 2023 by BMacdermott

[rob D2]

160 to 4 is standard. In America they take the mick all the time , “ maintain 180 to 5”. You soon learn the use of the word “ unable “

[The Pilotman]

7 hours ago, BMacdermott said:

Hello everyone

 

I have been watching LHR approaches for many years and am always amazed at how Heathrow Director staff 'knit' the flows from north and south. However, I think my photo taken a couple of days ago shows something pretty unusual.

 

I have seen six 'small planes' lined up on approach, but I have never seen so many 'larger' ones in a row.

 

Brian

 

Since the EU recategorisation of wake turbulence, the “heavy” wake turbulence category has been spilt into three; super heavy (A380), upper heavy (A330/340, B747, B777 and B787) and lower heavy (A300/310, B757 and B767). Looking at your screenshot, the sequence then is lower heavy, medium, upper heavy x 3 and another lower heavy. 

[Andy7]

On 17/02/2023 at 20:56, KeithMacdonald said:

 

“Military Intelligence”

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64620064

 

Maybe Pink Floyd had lost another flying pig?

 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79160/time-pink-floyds-giant-inflatable-pig-floated-away

 

I did wonder what happens if it turns out to be one of our own balloons. Like the weather balloons regularly launched by the US weather service in Alaska. Sure enough, a fews days later...

 

 

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/hobby-clubs-missing-balloon-feared-shot-down-usaf

 

When In Doubt, Shoot It Down!

 

Call me old-fashioned, but my mates were always taught you need to know what your target is BEFORE you shoot it. But maybe that's just a British thing, give them a sporting chance and all that .. And they used a $400,000 heat seeking missile to shoot down a helium-filled balloon with no heat source and the ambient temperature was minus 60C. But maybe these missiles have a "best before date" and it needed using up?

 

Everything in the military has a use by date, including toilet roll, washing up liquid and bars of soap. It’s good training for them at the very least.

I’m sure that a heat seeking missile has other options after heat to ensure it hits its target.

Edited February 20, 2023 by Andy7
Missile not middle.

[PMP]

2 hours ago, The Pilotman said:

Since the EU recategorisation of wake turbulence, the “heavy” wake turbulence category has been spilt into three; super heavy (A380), upper heavy (A330/340, B747, B777 and B787) and lower heavy (A300/310, B757 and B767). Looking at your screenshot, the sequence then is lower heavy, medium, upper heavy x 3 and another lower heavy. 

Regarding vortex separation the UK (now having to UK’ise’ rules and regs due brexit) is here under Mats Part1

However if specified and authorised under an individual units Mats Part2, these separation standards can be varied, which is probably the case at Heathrow. In simple terms wake vortex isn’t required with like for like categories or heavier types following lighter types. Where it gets sporty is fitting a Cessna etc in the circuit amongst commercial jet types landing and departing.

[Ron Ron Ron]

12 hours ago, BMacdermott said:

 

….I have seen six 'small planes' lined up on approach, but I have never seen so many 'larger' ones in a row.

 

You need to get out of bed much earlier Brian and have a look at 0530 to 0600.

Although today we’re missing the B747’s and A340-600’s of yesteryear and the traffic from China and other Far Eastern places, hasn’t yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, there’s a constant stream of long haul heavies arriving, before the short haul aircraft start arriving from European and domestic departure points.

 

 

.

Edited February 19, 2023 by Ron Ron Ron

[woodenhead]

4 hours ago, Andy7 said:

Everything in the military has a use by date, including toilet roll, washing up liquid and bars of soap. It’s good training for them at the very least.

Im sure that a heat seeking middle has other options after heat to ensure it hits its target.

There are people dying in Ukraine on both sides, but over in Russia itself, the US and other military complexes there are a lot of already rich people rubbing their hands with glee knowing that all that ordinance has to be replaced.

 

A good war is like a warehouse clearance to them and they know it needs refilling quickly.

 

A bit like a good pandemic is good business for hospital supplies and medicine manufacturers.

[BMacdermott]

9 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

You need to get out of bed much earlier Brian and have a look at 0530 to 0600.

Although today we’re missing the B747’s and A340-600’s of yesteryear and the traffic from China and other Far Eastern places, hasn’t yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, there’s a constant stream of long haul heavies arriving, before the short haul aircraft start arriving from European and domestic departure points.

 

Hello Ron Ron Ron

 

I have spent many hours looking at the early arrivals as (pre-pandemic) my son used to arrive from Dubai fairly early and I had to be there to pick him up. But I haven't ever seen six 'big ones' in a straight line. I'll do some playbacks!

 

Brian

Edited February 20, 2023 by BMacdermott

[BMacdermott]

11 hours ago, PMP said:

In simple terms wake vortex isn’t required with like for like categories or heavier types following lighter types. Where it gets sporty is fitting a Cessna etc in the circuit amongst commercial jet types landing and departing.

 

Thanks PMP

 

Is TBS used at LHR? Or still 'manual'? Or both?

 

A Cessna 700 Citation came in last night from Teterboro (TEB) but traffic was fairly light.

 

Brian

[The Pilotman]

1 hour ago, BMacdermott said:

Is TBS used at LHR? Or still 'manual'? Or both?

It is used. My understanding is that when winds are light, aircraft are already sequenced using the minimum allowed separation. When there are significant headwinds on the approach path, aircraft are still flying the same airspeed (speed relative to the air) as on a calm day, but their ground speed (speed over the ground) is reduced. This means that the time gap between landing aircraft is increased even though the distance gap is the same. Therefore fewer landings can occur in a given period. What TBS does is allow the distance gap to be reduced whilst getting the time gap closer to that of a calm day, therefore increasing the arrival rate. The rationale behind this is that the likelihood of encountering wake turbulence is reduced when there is some wind. 
 

[PMP]

4 hours ago, BMacdermott said:

 

Thanks PMP

 

Is TBS used at LHR? Or still 'manual'? Or both?

 

A Cessna 700 Citation came in last night from Teterboro (TEB) but traffic was fairly light.

 

Brian

I’m unaware of the Heathrow procedures. Re Cessna’s I was referring to the 150/152/172 varieties. Biz jet and turboprop driven aircraft are easier to sequence as they are/or can be speed matched with heavier small/medium/heavy category traffic.

[woodenhead]

Interesting watch on passenger Lancasters and how they could be classed as the first passenger jet!

 

[J. S. Bach]

That reminds me of the USN's P2V Neptune; two turning and two burning:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-2_Neptune

 

They were still in active service when I was at NAS Lemoore. Although not based there, one would occasionally come in as a transient and RON. Watching (and listening!) to it when it took off was always enjoyable.

 

[Kris]

2 from today. They were dragged to a hanger entrance for display then put away again. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Kris
Larger photos.