Identifying an overflying aircraft at night

Atlantic phased out all the pure pistons on regular charter work quite a few years back due to the problems of getting avgas dispensed in sufficient quantity (or rather flow rate) at the major airfields across Europe – hence the Electras

Moggy

At night, when it’s quiet, a TP can make quite a buzz when it’s just the deep prop noise heard.

Only two of the Atlantic ATP’s has Mode S so perhaps if it is an ATP and one of those two is used you’ll get to know

Most of the night freight aircraft and in fact almost all the older jets and TP won’t show on the radar trackers and they don’t have the box.

The trouble is that night time freight flights bring in all kinds of things to the UK. Anything from An12’s and ATP’s to Swearingen Metro’s and Shorts 360’s. Even smaller types like Beech C90’s do cargo runs at night.

An ATP? It’s a turbo-prop aircraft, isn’t it? If that’s what it was, apologies for mis-identifying what I heard as piston-engined. I confess I was hoping for something a bit more exotic!

I was thinking ATP as well. There’s a few of them flying about during the night.

The Atlantic ATP would seem to fit the bill alright.

http://www.google.com/search?q=pc%20aircraft%20tracker

Try one of these,

Atlantic Airlines flight NPT502 ATP G-BTPH passed over Cheshire at approx 12.30-45 haeding for Dublin/Isle of Man

cheers

Shane

Due to being nocturnal 😉 I see on flightradar24 an Atlantic BAe ATP flying over quite a bit?

Back in the mid 80s, whilst on holiday in Cyprus visiting a serviceman friend of mine, we saw one of those beasts contrailing up from the south, over the Med, you could hear it coming for miles It was a ‘twitchey’ few days that week, in the Eastern Med, as the then Egyptian President, Sadat was assassinated. I doubt the two things were connected, but you never know;)

It would be wonderful if it was a DC-4!

Mr Kilkenny, I know exactly what you mean. These aircraft fly at very high altitudes and their much lower airspeed is very noticeable.

There are a few Russian prop transports that fly about, or they could be military aircraft possibly (and, if they are, I doubt tracking websites would be much use).

Wouldn’t it be fun if they were TU-95 Bear bombers buzzing our airspace, as they have been known to in the past? Mr Putin, if you are going to do that, just say when and where so I can have a pair of binoculars at the ready.:)

— My mate flew on the Nimrods at Kinloss before their retirement and said it was frightening what visits our seas/airspace. Tu-95’s and Russian subs and were talking monthly visits at times though mainly ‘friendly’ hellos nowadays.

Going back a few years, I think that flew out of Southend a few times, on early morning flights. The noise it used to make, I thought it was coming through the bungalow, rather then flying over.

Oh, but what a lovely sound it was:) We have occasionally heard, very late at night, the Ruby Aviation An12 at high level over us, but it has a very unique high pitched drone sound to it. It always shows up on Flightradar24. It will be interesting to see what the answer to this mystery will be.

Thanks everyone for the responses. Let me know if you find anything Shane!

If you can wait until Wednesday,Iwill have a look on planeplotter and see what shows up.

cheers

Shane

Some years ago, we used to hear the good old Air Atlantique DC6 most week nights, alas no more. .

Going back a few years, I think that flew out of Southend a few times, on early morning flights. The noise it used to make, I thought it was coming through the bungalow, rather then flying over.

Be very surprised if it was a DC-4! :D;)

Hah, you might be right there!

The Antonov is a turboprop and they don’t sound like piston engined types, more like C-130s. Sounds like a DC-3 to me. Air Atlanique used to fly newspaper flights out of Luton back in the late 1970s and the engine noise was very noticeble even ten miles away at 8000 feet.

‘Propliner’ didn’t have any space in the latest issue for Independant News so can’t answer the possibility of a DC3. Outside chance it could be an Antonov which used to do night freight duties? 🙂

Some years ago, we used to hear the good old Air Atlantique DC6 most week nights, alas no more. I can’t think of anyone in Europe, who would be operating a large piston transport these days. Is there anyone still operating DC3s on revenue flights at the moment? I don’t know the present status of the Atlantic Cargo ones these days.

It would be wonderful if it was a DC-4!

Mr Kilkenny, I know exactly what you mean. These aircraft fly at very high altitudes and their much lower airspeed is very noticeable.

There are a few Russian prop transports that fly about, or they could be military aircraft possibly (and, if they are, I doubt tracking websites would be much use).

Wouldn’t it be fun if they were TU-95 Bear bombers buzzing our airspace, as they have been known to in the past? Mr Putin, if you are going to do that, just say when and where so I can have a pair of binoculars at the ready.:)