Aircraft circling low, with white lights flashing

[Unknown]

It must have done at my count 40 very tight circles, before I got bored
watching. It had landing lights on, around 10 miles from the airport
and had white lights flashing on wing tips. I couldn't see any
navigation lights. What might that have been doing?

[Andy Burns]

Harry Bloomfield wrote:

> It must have done at my count 40 very tight circles

when/where?

[newshound]

Police sometimes circle while using Stingray or similar to intercept
criminal or other suspect mobile phones, but they wouldn't normally do
it very low. I suppose they might have been constrained by the proximity
of an airport. At one time you could sometimes see this activity on
FlightRadar but now I think they have the option to prevent it being
displayed.

[Unknown]

West of Garforth, today 20:15 on..

[Unknown]

newshound laid this down on his screen :

> Police sometimes circle while using Stingray or similar to intercept criminal
> or other suspect mobile phones, but they wouldn't normally do it very low. I
> suppose they might have been constrained by the proximity of an airport. At
> one time you could sometimes see this activity on FlightRadar but now I think
> they have the option to prevent it being displayed.

Do West Yorkshire have an police aircraft, I know they have an
helicopter?

[Fred]

"Harry Bloomfield"; "Esq." <a...@harrym1byt.plus.com> wrote in message
news:s5fdll$6fe$1...@dont-email.me...

Didn't have a chopper handy.

[Graham.]

I saw two military aircraft yesterday (Fri) flying in formation over
Prestwich (3 mi N of Manchester) going roughly North.

SWMBO suggested it might be to do with the D of E funeral.

--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

[Andy Burns]

Harry Bloomfield wrote:

> West of Garforth, today 20:15 on..

Planefinder.net does show a single aircraft arrive from the south, swizz
around for a bit (doesn't look like 40 circles on screen, but don't know
what resolution/interval it records at)

Seemed to spend longer over Huddersfield earlier in the afternoon

<https://planefinder.net/flight/UKP155/time/2021-04-17T19:15:00.000Z/speed/20>

aircraft is G-POLV, which is a national police plane, so that seems to fit

<https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1730258>
<https://twitter.com/npasnortheast/status/1262633327934222336?lang=en>

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Burning off fuel, photography, just being a pain to the locals?
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!

<Harry Bloomfield>; "Esq." <a...@harrym1byt.plus.com> wrote in message
news:s5fdll$6fe$1...@dont-email.me...

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

And how big a plane, you often see twin engined prop jobs doing that over
traffic hot spots or some event or other here near London apparently.

Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!

"Andy Burns" <use...@andyburns.uk> wrote in message
news:ie0tfk...@mid.individual.net...

[nightjar]

On 17/04/2021 20:41, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

> It must have done at my count 40 very tight circles, before I got bored
> watching. It had landing lights on, around 10 miles from the airport and
> had white lights flashing on wing tips.

Visibility strobes.

> I couldn't see any navigation
> lights.

Not necessarily on during daylight.

> What might that have been doing?

Waiting at a holding point for permission to join the landing circuit.

--
Colin Bignell

[charles]

In article <s5go7m$c7n$1...@dont-email.me>,

Brian Gaff \(Sofa\) <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> And how big a plane, you often see twin engined prop jobs doing that over
> traffic hot spots or some event or other here near London apparently.
> Brian

At one point in time, one of the London ILR stations used to use such a
plane.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

[Rod Speed]

Brian Gaff (Sofa) <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote

> Burning off fuel,

No point in doing that in tight circles.

> photography,

Not usually viable, too hard to focus on what you are photographing.

> just being a pain to the locals?

Unlikely.

[Rod Speed]

"nightjar" <c...@bignell.me.uk> wrote in message
news:47Kdne29KtriYOb9...@giganews.com...

If it was that you'd expect that he would have seen
that before and they don't do that in very tight circles.

[Peeler]

On Sun, 18 Apr 2021 19:51:18 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

>> Burning off fuel,
>
> No point in doing that in tight circles.
>
>> photography,
>
> Not usually viable, too hard to focus on what you are photographing.
>
>> just being a pain to the locals?
>
> Unlikely.

In auto-contradicting mode again, you clinically insane octogenarian senile
pest?

--
Keema Nam addressing nym-shifting senile Rodent:
"You are now exposed as a liar, as well as an ignorant troll."
"MID: <0001HW.22B654E700...@news.giganews.com>"

[Peeler]

On Sun, 18 Apr 2021 20:03:11 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent

Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

<FLUSH the obnoxious trolling senile asshole's latest trollshit>

--
Marland answering senile Rodent's statement, "I don't leak":
"That’s because so much piss and shite emanates from your gob that there is
nothing left to exit normally, your arsehole has clammed shut through disuse
and the end of prick is only clear because you are such a Wanker."
Message-ID: <gm2h57...@mid.individual.net>

[nightjar]

That depends upon the type of airport, the type and size of aircraft and
how busy it gets. Most of the holding points for my local airfield are
rarely used because it rarely gets that busy.

> and they don't do that in very tight circles.

Depends on the size of the aircraft. I used to in mine.

--
Colin Bignell

[The Nomad]

+1 except if the FI was on-board then they had to be proper race-track
ovals :-)

Avpx
(P1 lapsed)


--
'People need vampires,' she [Granny] said. 'They helps 'em remember what
stakes and garlic are for.' (Carpe Jugulum)
Sun 10092 Sep 12:20:02 BST 1993
12:20:02 up 11 days, 17:54, 11 users, load average: 4.15, 4.05, 4.12

[williamwright]

On 17/04/2021 20:41, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

We've had the same thing several times. Apparently the police are
playing with a new fixed wing plane.

Bill

[Unknown]

After serious thinking Andy Burns wrote :

> Planefinder.net does show a single aircraft arrive from the south, swizz
> around for a bit (doesn't look like 40 circles on screen, but don't know what
> resolution/interval it records at)

The centre of the tight circles was gradually drifting. It was too far
away to ID the type of aircraft, which had the setting sun behind it.
I've never seen one before with flashing white lights on the wing tips.

[Unknown]

nightjar has brought this to us :

> Waiting at a holding point for permission to join the landing circuit.

It was a very tight circle, the occupants would be dizzy when it
eventually landed.

[Unknown]

williamwright expressed precisely :

> We've had the same thing several times. Apparently the police are playing
> with a new fixed wing plane.

A possible explanation.

[nightjar]

It doesn't work that way. The forces are downwards through your seat, so
your inner ear doesn't get disorientated.

--
Colin Bignell

[Mark Carver]

On 18/04/2021 10:44, charles wrote:
> In article <s5go7m$c7n$1...@dont-email.me>,
> Brian Gaff \(Sofa\) <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
>> And how big a plane, you often see twin engined prop jobs doing that over
>> traffic hot spots or some event or other here near London apparently.
>> Brian
> At one point in time, one of the London ILR stations used to use such a
> plane.
>

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mart707/3761207099

[ARW]

Interesting link.

But I cannot find a plane landing at Doncaster on the 12th (10.10am to
10.20am ish) that must have landed (I could not see the runway) I was
halfway between Tickhill and Bawtry.

Are military plane hidden from that site?

--
Adam

[Andy Burns]

ARW wrote:

> I cannot find a plane landing at Doncaster on the 12th (10.10am to
> 10.20am ish) that must have landed (I could not see the runway) I was
> halfway between Tickhill and Bawtry.
>
> Are military plane hidden from that site?

I don't know if military planes have ADS-B transmitters, or some other
system, or maybe they're allowed to turn them on/off as required?

[Rod Speed]

"nightjar" <c...@bignell.me.uk> wrote in message

news:GsGdnedMSrtOieH9...@giganews.com...

Bullshit.

> I used to in mine.

Don't believe it.

[Peeler]

On Mon, 19 Apr 2021 05:04:01 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent

Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

<FLUSH yet more of the trolling senile asshole's trollshit>

--
Sqwertz to Rodent Speed:
"This is just a hunch, but I'm betting you're kinda an argumentative
asshole.
MID: <ev1p6ml7ywd5$.d...@sqwertz.com>

[Andy Burns]

Andy Burns wrote:

> I don't know if military planes have ADS-B transmitters

apparently they do.

> or some other system, or maybe they're allowed to turn them on/off as
> required?

but they can switch from "Mode S" to "Mode 5" when they don't want to be
tracked.

[nightjar]

Flying VFR, you have to keep a lookout for other aircraft. That is much
easier when orbiting (flying in a circle) than when trying to fly a
racetrack. You can orbit purely by using external references. A
racetrack hold needs you to spend a lot of time looking inside the
cockpit at your instruments and at the time. Not a problem when flying
IFR, as ATC radar should keep you safe from other aircraft. A serious
problem when trying to keep a lookout for other aircraft.

--
Colin Bignell

[nightjar]

On 18/04/2021 12:21, The Nomad wrote:
> On Sun, 18 Apr 2021 12:15:34 +0100, nightjar <c...@bignell.me.uk> wrote:
>
>> On 18/04/2021 11:03, Rod Speed wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> "nightjar" <c...@bignell.me.uk> wrote in message
>>> news:47Kdne29KtriYOb9...@giganews.com...
>>>> On 17/04/2021 20:41, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
>>>>> It must have done at my count 40 very tight circles, before I got
>>>>> bored watching. It had landing lights on, around 10 miles from the
>>>>> airport and had white lights flashing on wing tips.
>>>>
>>>> Visibility strobes.
>>>>
>>>>> I couldn't see any navigation lights.
>>>>
>>>> Not necessarily on during daylight.
>>>>
>>>>> What might that have been doing?
>>>>
>>>> Waiting at a holding point for permission to join the landing circuit.
>>>
>>> If it was that you'd expect that he would have seen that before
>>
>> That depends upon the type of airport, the type and size of aircraft and
>> how busy it gets. Most of the holding points for my local airfield are
>> rarely used because it rarely gets that busy.
>>
>>> and they don't do that in very tight circles.
>>
>> Depends on the size of the aircraft. I used to in mine.
>
> +1 except if the FI was on-board then they had to be proper race-track
> ovals :-)
>
> Avpx
> (P1 lapsed)
>
>

As a private pilot, I only had to meet my own standards. :-)

--
Colin Bignell

[Davidm]

There was a newspaper (forgot which one) story recently about the
police in Scotland somewhere have bought a few planes and then found
them unsuitable for what they wanted. They were trying to sell them
(cheap) to some UK forces. Maybe this was a trial by prospective
buyers.

[Rod Speed]

"nightjar" <c...@bignell.me.uk> wrote in message

news:1KednQrdUKMA0eD9...@giganews.com...

But there is no point in doing VERY TIGHT circles because
you cant see anything like as well when doing that.

And it turns out that the very tight circles observed
had the center of the circles drifting over the ground
so they wouldn't have been doing what you claim.

> You can orbit purely by using external references. A racetrack hold needs
> you to spend a lot of time looking inside the cockpit at your instruments
> and at the time. Not a problem when flying IFR, as ATC radar should keep
> you safe from other aircraft. A serious problem when trying to keep a
> lookout for other aircraft.

And so is VERY TIGHT circles, which is why no one does that.

[Peeler]

On Tue, 20 Apr 2021 07:49:32 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent

Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

<FLUSH the trolling senile cretin's latest trollshit unread>

[Vir Campestris]

We see quite a few here, and normally it's turned on.

Andy

[Andy Burns]

Vir Campestris wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
>

>> I don't know if military planes have ADS-B transmitters [...]
>> apparently they do. but they can switch from "Mode S" to "Mode 5"

>> when they don't want to be tracked.
>
> We see quite a few here, and normally it's turned on.

I built one of the coke-can antennas for a DVB-T based SDR, it picked up
ADS-B transponders ok ... that's basically how all the flightradar sites
get their data.

<http://www.radioforeveryone.com/p/coketenna-easy-cheap-effec.html>