Big BANG U.K

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by joolz68, Apr 12, 2012.

  1. longk

    longk Total Gardener

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    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17697328

    For once I have to agree with Dim and say that we're having the wool pulled over our eyes here.
    A chopper not in distress is flat out at about 200mph (ish?) so they scrambled two supersonic aircraft that would almost fall out of the sky at 200mph??
    Something in flight that was not identifying itself/following a flight plan maybe?
     
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    • ARMANDII

      ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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      Excuse me for asking, but what good would Typhoons be in a Helicopter situation???
      The lowest speed they can fly at without falling out of the sky is around 200 mph, answering a rescue call is not within the activities of a Fighter Squadron. Sending an aircraft that is designed to fly at around Mach 3.5, carry weapons, etc to answer a Helicopter incident is not what the RAF would even think of doing, believe me. They have plenty of suitable aircraft on standby that could and, would, do the job. So the answer that Typhoons were answering a distress call sounds like a load of Bovine Excrement, I'm afraid.:dunno::snork:
       
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      • ARMANDII

        ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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        Our Early Warning Radar coverage on terra firma from the UK covers right up to Russia, and that's without the RAF AWACS, therefore it wasn't an aircraft intruder scare as all unidentified aircraft are intercepted well beyond the coast.:scratch:
         
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        • Phil A

          Phil A Guest

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          Therefore, what ever scared them enough to go supersonic over land must have come from above rather than flying in from the side.
           
        • joolz68

          joolz68 Total Gardener

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          Do you think they could of just been doing test flights while its was thundering hopin no1 would notice ? maybe a naughty tom cruise relation was the pilot n tried a fly by uk like top gun:heehee:
           
        • joolz68

          joolz68 Total Gardener

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          ALIENS:runforhills:
           
        • Trunky

          Trunky ...who nose about gardening

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          Just a thought.
          There have been quite a lot of thundery showers around in the last couple of days.
          Or is that far too simple an explanation?
           
        • Sheal

          Sheal Total Gardener

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          Apparently such signals can indicate an aircraft has been hijacked or gone rogue. Had that been the case they would have taken the appropriate action, but before they got there the pilot of the helicopter realised he was transmitting on the wrong frequency and switched to the correct one.
           
        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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          It is possible that a "Steely Eyed Killer" did "accidently" break the sound barrier due to weather conditions. but it doesn't explain the wide areas where the "BANG" was heard. Sonic booms are focused ahead of the aircraft and behind the aircraft, a case of natural physics.:snork:
           
        • Phil A

          Phil A Guest

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          Sounds like my radio training was pointless then. Should have just pressed any old button.
           
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          • clueless1

            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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            I think there are a number of possible explanations. A helicopter wandering off its flight path perhaps? I saw a documentary a while ago suggesting that all sorts of early warning, automated response systems burst into action if a military aircraft strays outside of a 'box' that has been defined for them to fly in.

            Could it also have been a simple case of an over excited fighter pilot getting a bit carried away on an exercise? I remember years ago there was much fuss not far from my way because of fighters straying into air space already cleared for civvy use, and all sorts, and while I'm not in any position to know for certain what a sonic boom sounds like, I know a few parts of the North York moors where the RAF do low altitude combat training, and on at least a couple of occasions I've heard what sounds like an explosion, and one time I was in a hostel when from nowhere all the windows nearly blew out. They are not meant to go supersonic over land I believe, but there's going to be times isn't there? You're not meant to take your car over 70 on the motorway, but it happens. Surely the RAF pilots make mistakes/get a bit carried away just like everyone else.

            But my favourite explanation so far is the alien one.

            One last thought, if the reports spanned from the west midlands to the south west, can we assume they were heading over to france?
             
          • joolz68

            joolz68 Total Gardener

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            Does any1 understand this ive read???
            • The QRA Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The VC-10 air-refuelling tanker supporting was from RAF Brize Norton.

              The two Eurofighter Typhoons were monitored all the way from scramble to interception by radio enthusiasts in the UK. Eurofighter Typhoon call signs were 5KG41 and 5KG42. They were tasked to intercept a civilian registered Westland Gazelle helicopter. The radio enthusiasts monitored the Pilot of 5KG42 reporting that he was flying at Mach 1.2 during part of the flight to reach the area.

              All radio intercepts at Fighter Control website. Some of the sections you have to register to gain access to such as the radio monitoring section.

              www.fightercontrol.co.uk...
             
          • ARMANDII

            ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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            Sorry, Sheal, but if a Pilot inadvertently transmits on a wrong frequency [which is very hard to do as the gear is pre-set to Military bands and/or Civilian Authorities], the only "appropriate action" taken is that he'd get a rollocking from the CO, the mickey taken out of him by his Squadron, and possible retraining of radio procedures. I do know there are no "Hijack" codes installed .. the MOD has taken 40 years just to put in foam filled flame proof tanks into our Hercules aircraft, and the Air Force has to fight for any new equipment going.:sad:
             
          • clueless1

            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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            I thought radio communications were encrypted these days on military kit.
             
          • Sheal

            Sheal Total Gardener

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            Fair enough Armandii. But it makes you wonder what exactly went on out there, after all, the helicopter was civilian. It all sounds a bit like a cover up to me. What do you think was going on?
             
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