SPOTTED 2024, what have you seen, on the ground or in the air

Quelle surprise, the Skyvan!

Less usually, this time it was heading South, last seen on course for central Oxford. Possibly heading for Dalton Barracks?

Pitts Special over Kidlington – even gave us a bit of smoke!

This week from Duxford 

The type was operated by the RAF, out of RAF Northolt. The Army also operated a few out of Aldergrove Flying Station.

Both users hid their true use by using designations like “CC2” and “AL1” resp. All had the ability to carry a vertically mounted camera in the cabin. The lens operated throu’ a hole in the floor, in a recce role (ISTAR in modern parlance). Having taken the entire fleet out of service a few years ago. The current MOD type doing the role is the Shadow R1/R1+/R2.

G-INFO says G-BJOH and G-BJEC are both owned and operated by FR Aviation (HQ’d at Bournemouth). 

I would suggest they are employed on some form of photo mapping role these days. However, the rationale for not using MODE-S is I’m afraid, beyond me. The Shadow’s don’t hide themselves, on MODE-S, be it over the UK or the Med.

H

Intriguing, I wonder what they are up to? Especially as it was not taking the normal route into the airport, it was lower and crossing said route. 

Thank you,  Professor_M, that colour scheme looks exactly like what I saw!

Two rather secretive Islanders G-BJOH (ex-ZF573) and G-BJEC (ex-ZH537) are based at Northolt, don’t track on ADSB and pop up all over the place – perhaps it was one of them that you saw?

BN Islander CC2 – G-BJOH (ZF573) – Cambridge Airport – 010523 by Professor M, on Flickr

http://www.eurodemobbed.org.uk/locations.php?location=1974

Bizarre! Something looking very like a Britten-Norman Islander popped out of the murk over Kidlington as I was putting the bins out at about 16:05, but it’s not on FR24 and nothing in the air locally even vaguely resembles an Islander. 

Pongo

I first saw G-BIXL at Dunsfold in 1987 in the hands of Mark Hanna – I believe it was the aircrafts first public display.

I note from G-INFO that she has now passed on from Robert Tyrell (still on the CAA register) to the same chap that owns the Silver Spitfire MJ271 (G-IRTY). 

Hopefully like MJ271 she will spend time over here in the summer months.

Cheers

Paul

The Albatross did go up to Iceland a few months back, but then went south and explored the south of France and Switzerland. It subsequently returned to Southampton. It flew to Biggin Hill and back again from Southampton yesterday.

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=adaa82&lat=51.243&lon=-0.248&zoom=…

Thanks Brad, I remember seeing G-BIXL at Duxford in 1987 at the time it first flew again after restoration. Someone who saw it a low level thought it went to Goodwood for maintenance by Boultbee.

And today a Grumman Albatross sailed majestically past as I was leaving the dentists in Alton, I was excited but not the receptionists, they were completely uninterested when I pointed it out to them. Was it N98TP I wonder, I know it was at Southampton in March this year but thought it had gone.

Then an hour later with the cloud base the same as earlier a P-51 roared overhead, a really evocative sight seeing a wartime combat aircraft being flown in something like operational conditions.

When I looked to see which P-51 this was on RadarBox, it turns out it was G-BIXL (‘Miss Helen’), which according to the CAA G-INFO site is under a change of registered ownership.

It will be interesting to see who the new owner/operator is.

Cheers

Paul

C-FARA spotted over North Oxford. Also subject of a hilariously pointless newspaper “story”:
https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19991611.weird-shaped-noisy-skyvan…

Here in mid Hampshire yesterday it was solid low cloud, only thing I saw was a PA28 go overhead at 400’/500′ but he thought better of it and did a 180 and went back the way he came.  

Then an hour later with the cloud base the same as earlier a P-51 roared overhead, a really evocative sight seeing a wartime combat aircraft being flown in something like operational conditions. 

Lots of fun going on this late in the season is good.

Spot from yesterday, 2 seat Spit E of Braintree, Essex,   very low, possibly 1000 foot heading up towards Duxford I am guessing.

£110 to fly with a Spitfire?

I’d have bitten their arm off! Don’t blame you in the slightest for taking them up on it.

A friend was going up in back back of the Spitfire as a birthday present. Five of us went up in the Spitfires.com chase plane, the Gipps Airvan G-IPPS. £110 each and well worth every penny. 

You can go right off some people!

How did you wangle that,  Tony? Great pic,  BTW.

Another shot for you.

There was also  another Yak 52 present on the airfield last Friday. G-RNAC, the one painted in a Sea Fury colour scheme. It was on the west side of the airfield with the BN Defenders that BN bought back from the MOD.

Not jealous… much!

Spitfire TRIX ML295 G-CLBX has been operating out of Lee recently. It usually operates from Leeds and we get SM520 G-ILDA and/or BS410 G-TCHI.

Last Friday I lucky enough to be able fly alongside it.