Strange goings on

Many thanks. A colleague of mine seems to think the aircraft was working for the Environment Agency so what you say makes perfect sence. UKWMO

The areas to the northwest of Horsham around A281/Rudgwick or on the A272 between Bllingshurst and Wisborough Green have sufferred from flooding at various times in past few years. Various small streams in that area often burst their banks after prolonged periods of wet weather, and then flood large areas of the flood plains. Drive past/over the small rivers and streams in mid summer and you would barely notice them, but in a wet winter they can flood large areas for days/weeks.

There are also various plans being considered/implemented for new residential developments in the area (e.g “Dunsfold Park” just north of the “search area”, and large new housing developments to the west of Horsham), so they may be running surveys or hi-res mapping to see how such development may impact on flood risk etc.

And of course, there is always the chance that they are involved in some form of survey related to fracking/shale gas industry.

I wouldn’t see anything sinister in the fact that the mission was flown at night – that is probably more down to the close proximity of Gatwick, as Gatwick arrivals or departures (depending on which runway direction is being used) pass through or close to the area in which G-MIND was being flown.

Paul F

Paul F

Thanks for that. I think you’re spot on. Googled the registration and found out quite a bit. Oh and yes it was at night. Thanks again for your reply. UKWMO

Was this at night? Another forum reports Cessna 404 G-LEAF over Cambridge and Ely for hours in the early hours of 28th February before returning to base at East Midlands. ICAO ‘REV’, call sign ‘Endurance’ belongs to RVL Aviation, part of RVL Surveys, in full the company name(and relevant to the next paragraph) Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd. The company was formerly (or still is?) a part of the Air Atlantic Group/Air Atlantique.

Almost certainly on some form of photographic or sensor survey. At night very likely using infra-red sensors looking for heat ‘hot spots’ of energy wastage. The FR trace shows multiple parallel tracks – classic ‘box’ survey pattern. At one time flown by compass and stopwatch, today Sat Nav plots the track with great accuracy. Aircraft acting as tv signal relay eg car rally or cycle racing fly an orbit that gradually moves as the orbits repeat, following the race on the ground progresses, while those operating for the security services fly repeated orbits, not parallel lines. In my experience radar calibration tends to involve orbits of the installation (rather than repeated parallel tracks), while crew training shows as repeated regular tracks around an airfield (either left or right handed). Surveys are not only over land, but also coastal regions. There are other companies too around Britain conducting specialist survey work with sensor or camera equipped aircraft – the Partenavia P.68 particularly is a popular vertical camera mount, while Navajo and twin Cessnas are favoured by other companies.

A little more on RVL Surveys, Reconnaisance Ventures Ltd on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RVL_Aviation

The company website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RVL_Aviation

Radar calibration maybe ?