Seen Over Your House Today

[perttime]

A few dozen geese heading south.

[zenrat]

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...

[Old Wombat]

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...

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.

[zenrat]

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...

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). 

[Mossie]

RotorSport UK Cavalon autogiro, this one:

You cannot view this attachment.

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? 

[PR19_Kit]

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? 

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

[Rheged]

Well, actually seen over a car park in Leominster, an A400 travelling South and very low. I think he/she was following the railway line. Fairly quiet when approaching, remarkably loud once past us.

[PR19_Kit]

Flying VFR obviously.

'Visually Following Railways'................... 

[Rick Lowe]

As compared to 'I Follow Railways'.

[NARSES2]

  

One of the earliest forms of airial navigation "Follow the railway tracks" 

[PR19_Kit]

Fairly quiet when approaching, remarkably loud once past us.

I've noticed that about A400Ms too. It must be something to do with those VERY weird props.

The other thing about them from the rear is how difficult it is to tell them from a C-17. Usually the distinctive sound is way to do it as you can't see the prop blades from a distance.

[Rheged]

 

One of the earliest forms of airial navigation "Follow the railway tracks" 

Is there any truth in the old rumour that the RAF raised objections to Dr Beeching closing down a fair amount of the British rail network in the 1960's because it would make RAF navigators jobs so much more difficult?

[scooter]

 

One of the earliest forms of airial navigation "Follow the railway tracks" 

Is there any truth in the old rumour that the RAF raised objections to Dr Beeching closing down a fair amount of the British rail network in the 1960's because it would make RAF navigators jobs so much more difficult?

Definitely would have made the task of Bucc drivers way more difficult trying to get to Salisbury for practice runs.

[PR19_Kit]

Definitely would have made the task of Bucc drivers way more difficult trying to get to Salisbury for practice runs.

NO problem! They could have dropped down to their normal cruise altitude and read the road signs! 

[NARSES2]

 

One of the earliest forms of airial navigation "Follow the railway tracks" 

Is there any truth in the old rumour that the RAF raised objections to Dr Beeching closing down a fair amount of the British rail network in the 1960's because it would make RAF navigators jobs so much more difficult?

Well whilst he closed down the services the tracks were retained for a fair few years, mainly because they were still being used for freight but not always, and even after those services were closed you could still quite often see the layout of the routes. So maybe there is some truth in it ?