A few dozen geese heading south.

An ADF Leonardo AW139 hovering directly over my shed this morning (no transponder - didn't show up on the tracking app).  It then slowly circled the street.
I feel this may possibly be connected to the son of a close neighbour having just passed out as a RAN Helicopter Technician.
Or maybe not.  I thought he was at Nowra.  I shall have to ask his mother if he passed  by to say hallo...

Quote from: zenrat on October 09, 2024, 04:40:17 AMAn ADF Leonardo AW139 hovering directly over my shed this morning (no transponder - didn't show up on the tracking app).  It then slowly circled the street.
I feel this may possibly be connected to the son of a close neighbour having just passed out as a RAN Helicopter Technician.
Or maybe not.  I thought he was at Nowra.  I shall have to ask his mother if he passed  by to say hallo...

Would be surprising to have a helo turn up at his home, as tech's don't have much sway with the brass, & unless he took some leave on completion of his training he should definitely be in Nowra.

From what I can gather neither the RAN nor Army actually own/operate the AW139 (RAAF does not operate rotary wing at all) & the AW139s are all contract aircraft owned & flown (as leased assets) for the military as air-sea rescue units.

Quote from: Old Wombat on October 09, 2024, 11:31:10 PM

Quote from: zenrat on October 09, 2024, 04:40:17 AMAn ADF Leonardo AW139 hovering directly over my shed this morning (no transponder - didn't show up on the tracking app).  It then slowly circled the street.
I feel this may possibly be connected to the son of a close neighbour having just passed out as a RAN Helicopter Technician.
Or maybe not.  I thought he was at Nowra.  I shall have to ask his mother if he passed  by to say hallo...

Would be surprising to have a helo turn up at his home, as tech's don't have much sway with the brass, & unless he took some leave on completion of his training he should definitely be in Nowra.

From what I can gather neither the RAN nor Army actually own/operate the AW139 (RAAF does not operate rotary wing at all) & the AW139s are all contract aircraft owned & flown (as leased assets) for the military as air-sea rescue units.

Thanks Womby.  I did find that the 139s are leased from Toll and agree he wouldn't have that much sway.  But the fact remains that it was hovering in the perfect location for someone seated in it to look down obliquely onto his house while ringing on the mobile and saying "hey mum, come outside..." and when it moved away from directly above my shed it did seem to circle his house.
We're not far from Cerberus after all - just the other side of The Peninsula.

Today I had a warbird going over.  Probly from Tyabb.  Just loping along taking it easy.  Sounded great but was too far off to identify.  Inline engined low wing monoplane is all i got without my bins (which are still in storage). 

RotorSport UK Cavalon autogiro, this one:

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I snapped it earlier this year at nearby Leven airfield while taking a lesson in a Cessna, thought it was funky.

Next doors cat wasn't impressed though, she was in our garden and glared at it and flicked it's tail as it passed over. Cats eh? 

Quote from: Mossie on October 13, 2024, 07:44:15 AMNext doors cat wasn't impressed though, she was in our garden and glared at it and flicked it's tail as it passed over. Cats eh? 

That's 'cos she couldn't flick it off the nearest edge as it was airborne.