Quote from: scooter on August 27, 2024, 11:01:13 AM

Quote from: Pellson on August 27, 2024, 09:54:02 AMJust had to duck for a Wokka passing very low indeed. A strange thumping sound drew me out on the lawn, and just a few seconds later, it swept by, barely missing my flagpole.
Can't say whether it was American or British as they all seem equally green these days,,

US Wokkas tend to be more khaki than olive green these days; my bet would be British

Thanks. You may very well be correct, but to be very honest - a dark helo seen for less than three seconds against a partially clouded sky.. I wouldn't bet my life on any firm identification.. 
Anyway - Wokkas are fun machines, and rare in thee parts. Even more rare below 1000 ft, so I'm happy regardless of dialect at the contrrols.   

Here at Chateau Rheged, we are used to the odd RAF Texan trainer overflying, but today we've had six pairs of them in quick succession, each pair at  (I estimate) between 500 and 600 feet.    This late in the month, surely they have already exhausted their allocation of flying hours.......................and there goes the special forces helicopter from the SAS place at Credenhill.  I don't usually bother reporting it here, but I'd guess he was at no more than 300 feet  this time.

I had similar the other day, we get a lot of Grob Perfects. Several went over in a short period, followed by an Embraer Phenom.

If military aircraft flew that low over houses in the US people would scream their lungs out. I however, would love it!

Quote from: kerick on August 30, 2024, 10:44:01 AMIf military aircraft flew that low over houses in the US people would scream their lungs out. I however, would love it!

I remember a story from some US magazine, some decades back. A helicopter unit had a regular route for (whatever). But... they had started taking a detour around a certain property. A lady lived there, and she was in the habit of taking a bath in an old fashioned tub in her yard. Pilots had noticed, and would stop for a better look. Until.... One day, the lady grabbed a revolver from her soap stand and emptied the cylinder in the general direction of the helicopter. From that day, helicopter pilots stayed back from the "Crazy Naked Lady with the Cannon".

Quote from: kerick on August 30, 2024, 10:44:01 AMIf military aircraft flew that low over houses in the US people would scream their lungs out. I however, would love it!

When I lived in my first house in Glos in the 80s it was right on a turning point for one of the RAF's Low Flying Routes and we often had Buccs, Hunters and Tonadoes standing on their wing tips right above the house at around 500 ft. I was well used to such antics of course after living on RAF stations for years, but the late Mrs_PR19 used to jump out of her socks every time it happened. 

https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.70edfd5d3e16e8a9630d4e1aaa1f7123?rik=G%2b25fj2cswDHJg&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.targeta.co.uk%2fimages%2fpiss_off_biggles.jpeg&ehk=cZye1YJk2MyjYpo%2fIkAp7mvLF8gGtSRqYORZRXMYytc%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

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Quote from: perttime on August 30, 2024, 11:11:08 AM

Quote from: kerick on August 30, 2024, 10:44:01 AMIf military aircraft flew that low over houses in the US people would scream their lungs out. I however, would love it!

I remember a story from some US magazine, some decades back. A helicopter unit had a regular route for (whatever). But... they had started taking a detour around a certain property. A lady lived there, and she was in the habit of taking a bath in an old fashioned tub in her yard. Pilots had noticed, and would stop for a better look. Until.... One day, the lady grabbed a revolver from her soap stand and emptied the cylinder in the general direction of the helicopter. From that day, helicopter pilots stayed back from the "Crazy Naked Lady with the Cannon".

Well, she should have realized that was going to be an occupational hazard... or attraction...
Puts me in mind of the sequence in Blue Thunder...

But then, with the stabilized, long focal-length cameras these days, there's no need to hover overhead at 50'...

I don't know if they still do but the AC-130 gunships would cruise the beach enroute back to Hurlbert Field after a night on the range looking for skinny dippers.

Quote from: kerick on August 30, 2024, 10:44:01 AMIf military aircraft flew that low over houses in the US people would scream their lungs out. I however, would love it!

We train for war here, and we've done so since WW2. That means we train as we're expected to fight. For the air force, that means going fast and low, really fast and low.

Mike Rondot, the ex-RAF recce pilot turned aviation artist was interviewed once about a sqn exchange when no 41 sqn went to visit the F6 wing in southwest Sweden. Key quote as follows:
"The first to go up in the Viggen was our boss, Hilton Moses. I remember going out with him to the aeroplane and seeing him laughing and smiling, and then seeing him getting out and coming back to the crewroom looking like he'd just been put through some kind of crazy combination between a fairground ride and a washing machine. Then I went flying in the afternoon, and it changed my life. 'They would fly around at Mach 0.95, 650kt give or take a bit, and they trained at 10m. We flew through firebreaks in trees, we flew all over northern Sweden at 30ft, and we never went below 600kt. All of this, I should add, was done under about a 150 to 200ft overcast with no breaks. In the RAF, anybody who wanted to get old would not have flown in that weather."

>>Full article here<

I think that 208 Sqdn probably would do that, when they flew Buccs anyway. 

Quote from: perttime on August 30, 2024, 11:11:08 AM

Quote from: kerick on August 30, 2024, 10:44:01 AMIf military aircraft flew that low over houses in the US people would scream their lungs out. I however, would love it!

I remember a story from some US magazine, some decades back. A helicopter unit had a regular route for (whatever). But... they had started taking a detour around a certain property. A lady lived there, and she was in the habit of taking a bath in an old fashioned tub in her yard. Pilots had noticed, and would stop for a better look. Until.... One day, the lady grabbed a revolver from her soap stand and emptied the cylinder in the general direction of the helicopter. From that day, helicopter pilots stayed back from the "Crazy Naked Lady with the Cannon".

  

The RAF would have simply used the PR.9 

Quote from: NARSES2 on August 31, 2024, 05:35:18 AMThe RAF would have simply used the PR.9 

From about 20 miles away............ 

And she would have filled the screen!

Another trainer, this time a Royal Navy Avenger (Super King Air). Can't remember the last time I saw anything RN over here.