24 replies to this topic

[mvjt]

We were shaken out of our house at lunchtime today by what sounded to be a very close and low flying helicopter.
It was actually a chinook with three helicopters surrounding it flying in the direction of London. Could there there have been some dignitaries visiting Chequers?

[PaulEden]

It's the flypass for trooping the colour.

[PaulEden]

I only saw the Chinook. News footage appears to show a pair of Chinooks, a Merlin and a Seaking. The RAF nickname for the Chinook is wokka, you might not be suprised to learn.

[Eaton]

we saw them in the distance too late to get the camera and were convinced one was a coastguards helicopter and I'm guessing that was the seaking. We did however get photos and video footage of the planes, although I must admit I was a trifle disappointed that we only saw 6...

[ThreeDaysGrace]

Did anyone else see the nimrod and the awacs go over about half an hour after the helicopters?

Beautiful sight

[PeterC]

I was in the excellent Seven Stars just behind the Law Courts and staff and customers all went outside to watch. Choppers, AWACS and escort, another large jet and escorts plus the Red Arrows trailling red, white and blue smoke

[Milton]

We saw 4 helicopters flying low & slow towards London at lunchtime. One was a Chinook, one was a yellow Seaking and the other two were unidentifiable to the amateur eye. One looked especially intimidating- some kind of gunship we thought.

All very impressive. About an hour later a couple of Nimrods and outriders flew up the Misbourne Valley as well.

(Edit for typos)

Edited by PaulEden, 17 June 2012 - 09:23 AM.
duplicate post removed

[David P]

We saw 4 helicopters flying low & slow towards London at lunchtime. One was a Chinook, one was a yellow Seaking and the other two were in identifiable to the amateur eye. One looked especially intimidating- some kind of gunship we thought.

All very impressive. About an hour later a couple of Nimrods and outriders flew up the Mosbourne Valley as well.

All the Nimrods have been scrapped, I believe.

The helicopters were Chinook, Merlin, Puma and Sea King, followed by a VC10 (that must be nearly as old as I am), an E3, a Voyager and the Red Arrows.

[PaulEden]

Oh, I got it wrong. The helicopters were a single Chinook, a Puma, a Merlin and a Seaking. None of them are gunships.

[PaulEden]

All the Nimrods have been scrapped, I believe.

They last flew in 2010. A few examples survive in museums, but none of them fly.

[PaulEden]

a VC10 (that must be nearly as old as I am),

Not quite. The VC10 flew first in 1962.

Aside; The VC10 is an impressive aircraft. Only Concorde was faster across the Atlantic.

[Jinni]

Every year we get a 'Birthday Parade' fly past from the Oxfordshire aircraft - this year we got the helicopters going in to London and all the others coming out - except for the Red Arrows which are Lincolnshire based.

And every year I forget and have not got the camera to hand as I watch them fly virtually over my house. Exceptionally good this year as the sky was clear although clouds about.

[mvjt]

Thank you all.
They were so close, flying over the house and so impressive.
Like Jinni, I forget about the fly past every year, but have been lucky to see them about 3 or 4 times. They always bring a lump to my throat.

[AGHP7]

I saw a large bodied aircraft (probably the size of a 737) flanked by two fighter jets flying very low over Amersham at about 13H05 on Saturday. Heading west(ish). Got a bit of a shock seing them at first, then remembered the Trooping.. Lovely sight

[PaulEden]

That would have been a C130 Hercules. The fighters would be Spitfire or possibly Hurricanes.

[David P]

That would have been a C130 Hercules. The fighters would be Spitfire or possibly Hurricanes.

No, it might have been the Hercules flanked by two King Airs or the VC10 flanked by two Typhoons or the E3 plus two Tornados. The Battle of Britain flight did not take part because of the weather,

[PaulEden]

I didn't see any of it. I only saw a bit on the ITV news website.

No, it might have been the Hercules flanked by two King Airs or the VC10 flanked by two Typhoons or the E3 plus two Tornados. The Battle of Britain flight did not take part because of the weather,

Oh well spotted. I didn't notice the Herc escorts where twin engined.

[hyposmurf]

I remember seeing something similar to this flying over Stoke Mandeville, that day:

http://www.flickr.co...axe/3070182615/

Must have just missed the chinook.

[jkracing]

I have seen a couple of times over head an interesting looking twin engined small plane, not sure what that is. Short but a little bit chunky body to it. Not quite sure how old it is.

[Zoom]

Not quite. The VC10 flew first in 1962.

Aside; The VC10 is an impressive aircraft. Only Concorde was faster across the Atlantic.

I guess that's right if you're only talking about commercial aircraft... but the SR71 Blackbird holds the cross Atlantic air speed record.... 1 hour 55 minutes set in 1974...

[PaulEden]

I saw part of todays flypast as they headed towards the Team GB victory parade. At 1510, while waiting to get my daughter from school, I was treated to the pair of Lynxs, the Sea King and the Puma. I heard the Typhoons, a few minutes later, but didn't see them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19549210

[mvjt]

The Typhoons and the large plane with them (sorry, I can't remember what it is called) flew over the St Mary's school at about 4pm on their return (I am guessing).

[03am]

With Nimrod - i think!

[PaulEden]

With Nimrod - i think!

Close. 'twas an E3 Sentry.

[BoisBoy]

I was at the parade in the Volunteers section right at the top of The Mall. They all came in nice and low! Suprised the Red Arrows didn't transit over Amersham too. The only thing missing was the BBMF.