Apache

mudslide73

We get a few Chinooks a week by us as I live close to MOD Stafford. I still run out into the garden to see them - a fantastic sound that never gets old. I saw 4 or 5 Apaches in formation during the pandemic. They landed for a bit at the base then set off at 2-3 minute intervals. I'd always thought they were a US only helicopter so was surprised and pleased to see them. 

Deadman

I'm working at Odiham (Home of the Chinook) tomorrow. Even after all these years even I can't help but have a quick glance if one is doing a display. The office I work out of when I'm there is directly next to the airfield too so I don't even need to get up 

Dominic

About 20 years ago a Chinook landed in my mother's garden at 3a.m. on a moonless night waking her up in a fright.
She watched from the window as a load of troops jumped out ,started to run around and then quickly jumped back in and it took off.She lived in a farmhouse quite close to an area of desolate Saltings and Sea Marshes / backwaters.
At 7.30 two very polite officers knocked at her door with flowers and chocolates to apologise for an awful mistake and a request not to talk to the local paper ..........she didn't tell anybody and that was an end to it .
About 3 months later some top brass knocked at her door and explained that they were investigating an incident concerning a helicopter and mentioned taking statements for a court-martial proceedure .
She told them she couldn't remember anything.

HAL9000

ICBM said:

I was once on a walking holiday with a school friend in North Wales, and we were sitting on what was the old glacial moraine at the end of a high lake in a 'hanging valley', having our lunch and facing out towards the fine view of the big main valley in front of us, when we became aware of a strange hissing noise behind us, getting louder...

Turned around to see two Tornados coming straight at us, so low they were leaving wakes on the water. We actually threw ourselves on the ground as they passed over what seemed like only a few feet above us (probably more like 50) and the noise at that instant was absolutely staggering - they then dived into the main valley and turned so we were looking down on them as they disappeared into the distance. "Terrain following practice."

Where in Wales? Military aircraft use the Mach (Machynlleth) Loop for low-level terrain-following in west central Wales.

ICBM

HAL9000 said:

Where in Wales? Military aircraft use the Mach (Machynlleth) Loop for low-level terrain-following in west central Wales.

Can't remember exactly. Somewhere north of Blaenau Ffestiniog I think. Must have been over forty years ago now!

Sporky

mudslide73 said:

I saw 4 or 5 Apaches in formation during the pandemic. They landed for a bit at the base then set off at 2-3 minute intervals. I'd always thought they were a US only helicopter so was surprised and pleased to see them. 

There's an Apache training school in the UK. I redesigned the classrooms.

I'm not allowed to know where they are though. So if you know, don't tell me. 

mo6020

Yeh, the AAC have had Apaches since the early 00s..

boogieman

VimFuego said:

living in Devon for 11 years it was a common sight to see military aircraft of various descriptions fly over the house. They'd use Dartmoor for low level training and loop North over us back to wherever it is they started from. Hercy birds used to quite regular fly low over us. But the weirdest thing was a few years, back about when Russia invaded Crimea and for about 2 hours a jet fighter flew over us heading west, 1 about ever 5 mins or so. The typhoons were f*cking loud, much louder than anything else.

I used to go to the Farnborough air shows with my dad back in the day. I thought the Lightnings were loud, then one year they had Phantoms. When they did a low pass and stuck the afterburners on, holy crap, it was like Armageddon. 

Brio

Vulcan going almost vertical after a low pass. You didn't hear it, you felt it.
It was at RAF Abingdon back in the 60s after my first ever flight in the morning on a DH Dragon Rapide.
I flew again on the same Rapide at Abingdon about 15 years ago.

HAL9000

boogieman said:

VimFuego said:

living in Devon for 11 years it was a common sight to see military aircraft of various descriptions fly over the house. They'd use Dartmoor for low level training and loop North over us back to wherever it is they started from. Hercy birds used to quite regular fly low over us. But the weirdest thing was a few years, back about when Russia invaded Crimea and for about 2 hours a jet fighter flew over us heading west, 1 about ever 5 mins or so. The typhoons were f*cking loud, much louder than anything else.

I used to go to the Farnborough air shows with my dad back in the day. I thought the Lightnings were loud, then one year they had Phantoms. When they did a low pass and stuck the afterburners on, holy crap, it was like Armageddon. 

I remember seeing Lightnings, Phantoms, Starfighters, etc at Biggin Hill when I was a mere slip of a lad. The Phantoms were just brutal compared with everything else around at the time.

At Duxford there used to be (and may still be) a Cold War section with a MiG 19 Displayed next to a Phantom. The MiG looked slim and elegant; the Phantom looked like it fell out of the ugly tree hitting every branch on the way down. The design brief was probably along the lines of ‘make it look scary’ (same goes for MiL24 gunships).

drofluf

This was quite an impressive flypast by a pair of Phantoms

https://youtu.be/N3yV7pL1p24?si=bDz3WBopJ8DDTxJH

I wasn’t on parade but lugging pine poles behind the large building (College Hall) they were very low and very loud

TimmyO

drofluf said:

This was quite an impressive flypast by a pair of Phantoms

https://youtu.be/N3yV7pL1p24?si=bDz3WBopJ8DDTxJH

I wasn’t on parade but lugging pine poles behind the large building (College Hall) they were very low and very loud

I always thought if they wanted the pine poles at the top of Cardiac Hill they should KEEP them at the top of Cardiac Hill! 

ESBlonde

I live close to Wattisham where the army have a few choppers. It is not unknown for them to hover 1metre above a field just behind someone’s house and hold for 15 or 20 minutes throwing dust and debris about and making a racket. 

Night time low level flying is quite common, indeed normal. They are impressive machines for sure, just a bit noisy. I’m glad they are on our side!

Offset

I used to live near RAF Coltishall when I was a kid.  Lightnings, Phantoms, Jaguars and then finally (I think) Tornados used to fly over our house regularly.  My Dad waas ex-RAF (WW2) and we both got massively excited.  Lightnings were easily my favourites - two feck-off engines with some poor bugger strapped onto them and hanging on like grim death.  Brilliant!

Heartfeltdawn

HAL9000 said:

Yesterday Mrs9000 and I went for a walk along Martinsell Hill when we heard the distinctive rumble a military helicopter close by. Scanned the sky and saw nothing, then realised that it was an apache barrelling along below us! Bearing in mind that the hill at its highest point is less than 120 (edited - I mistakenly previously said 70) metres above the vale I have to say that it was a pretty awesome sight. (Am I allowed to say ’awesome’ if I’m not actually American?)

The Apaches from Middle Wallop have been very busy over the last week. I'm a bit further west over here in Trowbridge. Last few nights they've been doing relatively high altitude sweeps in a circle from Middle Wallop out to Trowbridge and back, a circle covering the whole perimeter of the Plain. Plenty of Merlins and Wildcats, nice low A400M shot over today about 500ft. 

VimFuego said:

living in Devon for 11 years it was a common sight to see military aircraft of various descriptions fly over the house. They'd use Dartmoor for low level training and loop North over us back to wherever it is they started from. Hercy birds used to quite regular fly low over us. But the weirdest thing was a few years, back about when Russia invaded Crimea and for about 2 hours a jet fighter flew over us heading west, 1 about ever 5 mins or so. The typhoons were f*cking loud, much louder than anything else.

The Typhoons have a very particular engine note but they're quieter than the F-35 Lightning. Even the F-15's when they scream over are quieter than the Lightning. 

VimFuego

@Heartfeltdawn hey dude, good to see you back in OT. You've been missed.

Heartfeltdawn

VimFuego said:

@Heartfeltdawn hey dude, good to see you back in OT. You've been missed.

It's been an odd couple of months. I got into running in a big way, 200km a month over March and most of April... and then got flu three weeks ago. One week flat out dead, two weeks building up, and now I find I've developed a pollen allergy for the first time in the 46 years of stomping around the countryside.

RobDavies

Love the sight and sound of military aircraft…. F4 Phantoms and A10 Thunderbolts are my favourite.  

As a kid on holiday with my parents, I was quite happy to stand in a field and watch the A10’s take off and land at some airfield in The Cotswolds, and I did a similar thing with my kids at Yeovilton when the Harriers were stationed there.  More for my benefit than the kids, but there was a playpark there to keep them amused too. 

Litterick

In the late 80s and early 90s, I worked in the Ministry of Defence office that dealt with complaints about low-flying military aircraft. Sometimes, I would escape Whitehall for field trips to the places that generated the most complaints. Once, I flew in a Hercules at 250 feet through Wiltshire and Devon.

Deadman

Litterick said:

In the late 80s and early 90s, I worked in the Ministry of Defence office that dealt with complaints about low-flying military aircraft. Sometimes, I would escape Whitehall for field trips to the places that generated the most complaints. Once, I flew in a Hercules at 250 feet through Wiltshire and Devon.

Nice! I turned down a Herc flight/ramp ride when I was in the Falklands in 2005 because I was hung over. In hindsight I should have done it, the sick would have just catapulted out the back anyway.