About 2 weeks or so ago, I heard a jet aircraft with a rather unusual engine noise. It was around the middle of a cloudless sunny day with a clear blue sky. I went into my back garden where I saw the white underside of an aircraft with a slim fuselage and most noticeably, a rather extensive wingspan. The wings were quite narrow and had what looked like a pod in each. This aircraft has heading in Easterly direction over Bedford, Bedfordshire.
Did I see a Lockheed U2 or am I going mad?
If not a U2, what else looks very similar?
By: Vahe.D - 22nd August 2024 at 20:15
The letter “ER” in ER-2 stands for “Earth Resources”, and the ER-2 is tasked with collecting data about the Earth’s resources, celestial observations, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and oceanic processes. Also, the ER-2 carries out electronic sensor research and development, satellite calibration, and satellite data validation.
This month, one of the U-2R/S aircraft built as TR-1As (serial number 80-1069) was flown to Edwards AFB for the eventual display at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) museum, and a number of parts are slated to be taken from this aircraft by NASA to keep the two ER-2s flying.
https://dragonladytoday.com/2024/08/17/keep-the-u-2-by-downsizing-the-o…
By: djcross - 23rd June 2020 at 04:30
NASA has two white ER-2s. While they were built at the same time as the U-2s, the ER-2s have older navigation and communications systems as NASA opted to not pay for the upgrades found on USAF’s U-2S. ER-2 is not wired to carry sophisticated USAF sensors either.
By: SqL Scramble. - 29th May 2020 at 13:50
Deffo not a Grob G520 Egrett as the aircraft I heard and saw was definitely jet propelled and the pods wewr furthe away from the fuselage.
By: pogno - 29th May 2020 at 12:05
A bit of a puzzle, the nearest I can think of is a Grob G520 Egrett, not sure whether one is even operational at the moment. You say it was a jet yet sounded unusual, the Grob is a turbine so would not sound like a jet but it does have pods, is white/grey and capable of high altitudes.
Richard
By: Arabella-Cox - 28th May 2020 at 21:55
NASA have 3 ER-2s in service I think, might be what you saw. Back in the 1980s I’m sure there were a pair of 2 seat TR-1Bs operating out of Alconbury which were painted white for some reason. If memory serves they were known as the White Whales.
Noted a NASA WB-57 on ADSB departing Mildenhall a couple of years ago.
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May 28, 2020 at 4:19 pm