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Post by Biggles on Jan 21, 2015 23:51:38 GMT 1
On FR today 16.15 hrs was showing an RAF Airbus 400 Atlas, seria; ZM404, the aircraft departed Brize and I tracked it visiting several airfields appeared to be ILS overshoots, the places included Exeter, Newquay, Cardfif and then North and appeared to visit the Wirral and LPJL ? there is now mention on the forum I can find as I am sure at least one Meerkat would have seen or heard it.
There was also a Military c/s "RAGE4100" which having reached the southern end of the I,O.M heading to what I suspected was a pond crossing, just vanished from the screen. Another Glitch or ? time was around 18.25 hrs.
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Post by viscount on Jan 23, 2015 1:36:39 GMT 1
Biggles, an interesting post that so far has evoked no comment. This is likely due to the 27 Meerkats, in cold 09 weather, after dark being deep underground in sound insulated burrows. I did hear a turboprop, but somewhat later than the time you mention - I presumed that it was the final Flybe of the day departing 09 with an early, tight left hand turn after departure climbing hard. It will be a couple of weeks before we know what, if any, record was entered in the ATC log. I'm surprised that you having followed the track until over the Wirral, then turn towards LJLA (where 09 was the active) did not continue to follow the subsequent route and height readouts. Certainly RAF Atlas aircraft are out and about around the UK on training flights, given that LJLA is used by C-130Js and recently a C-17 for training, one would hope that it will not be too long before we see one slipping down the ILS, hopefully in nice sunshine daylight conditions on a Saturday morning! OK Dream On, but we can live in hope!!
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Post by Beemer on Jan 23, 2015 10:41:00 GMT 1
I can assure you the Airbus A400 Atlas is never out of our minds and the Meerkats are forever looking skywards, cameras poised hoping for it's first visit and it's arrival will be well recorded when it does, unless that is, if it is during the hours of darkness.  Regards Beemer. |
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Post by Biggles on Jan 23, 2015 21:11:53 GMT 1
Brian
Thanks for the only reply to what I hoped would have raised more interest. Maybe if I had uploaded something more mundane like EZY or RYR.
Regarding the departing track I recall it was more or less an RTB (BrzNtn)
I am on my phone so cant check previous flight routes to see if it is still able to be seen.
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Post by Beemer on Jan 24, 2015 15:45:36 GMT 1
With regards to the above A400 Atlas it did do two approaches to 09 at LJLA on 21-01-2015.
ZM400 A400M-180 Ascot 402 ILS 09 @ 09:45/09:54hrs. Regards Beemer.
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Post by viscount on Jan 25, 2015 1:18:29 GMT 1
Kicking myself (metaphorically) that I did not rush out to see if I could make out the profile of the swishing turboprop, rather than assume it was the Dash 8 because the time fitted even if sound didn't quite! Mind you the idea that it was an A.400M Atlas passing overhead in the dark never even occurred. I'm taking that "Beemer's" times, quoted as passed onto him, are 9pm rather than 09 (am).
Hopefully next time, the A.400M Atlas will use LJLA airspace in daylight - and with a little warning too!
A quick google around the web shows that ZM404 has not flown yet, so ZM400 is far more likely as the serial.
Well done "Biggles" for spotting on FR/PP what we all missed in the air.
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Post by Beemer on Jan 25, 2015 10:49:46 GMT 1
The times I was given were 09:45/09:54hrs and as no one saw it at all I assumed my informant meant 21:45/21:54hrs so I posted as such. He has since said that the first times stand so I reverted back to the original. There was no one on the mound on that day as, if I remember correctly the weather was atrocious, to witness it and I find it hard to believe that no one saw it or does it have stealth capabilities.  Regards Beemer. |
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Post by Biggles on Jan 27, 2015 1:29:37 GMT 1
The times in my original upload are correct as (sounding more geeky)I copy the sighting onto my email account at the time I catch an interesting flight. So the time of 16.14 is not far from the time I was watching the track ? The serial of ZM404 WAS definately the ID presented on id panel for this flight, not ZM400.
So possibly a first visit of type and also first for 404 ?
Since the Military have started to become visible even at times only fleetingly as they appear and just as fast vanishy again, some interesting stuff is showing.
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Regards Beemer.
Regards Beemer.