Duncan B Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Saw my first A400 yesterday overhead on his way to Aberdeen by the looks of it. Big beast! Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyf117 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 Out playing again this afternoon 10-12 miles off Newquay - don't know how accurate the details are, but according to the display, he's been down as low as 25ft: Different aircraft (ZM416, I think) was flying similar patterns yesterday, but he was generally showing between 150-225ft... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyf117 Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 And talking of things at mere feet above the waves, while I was watching the A400 on screen, I could hear the clatter of blades in the distance, but nothing was showing up... ....looking out of the window, I realised what the noise was - what appeared to be a DHFS Griffin hovering low enough to be kicking up spray: He held that position for a good 10-15 mins - so while the A400 was playing off some miles off the north coast, the helo was a few hundred yards off the south coast (in the bay beween St Austell and Fowey on the above map)... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyf117 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 ZM417's been back again this morning - after flying mid-altitude patterns off the north coast, finally came south and within view for a couple of approaches into Newquay... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamS Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 On 08/05/2020 at 23:39, Rick Brown said: Just for the records, the engine was fine... Rick. Before or after you’d ‘fixed’ it? 😁 Graham 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brown Posted May 20, 2020 Author Share Posted May 20, 2020 31 minutes ago, GrahamS said: Before or after you’d ‘fixed’ it? 😁 Graham During! Actually, that's not me! I was taking the picture. Our team had just unloaded it. Not long after loading it ! It took off, hit the bird and returned pretty quickly. No Damage reported, just a mess to clean out. The Eagle had been seen flying around for a few days and I'd made the comment it wouldn't be here much longer. It wasn't! Rick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EwenS Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 ZM413 flying circuits and bumps at Edinburgh just now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr T Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 46 minutes ago, EwenS said: ZM413 flying circuits and bumps at Edinburgh just now. Trundled past us at high level on its way up. Not had a lot apart from Shetland Isles council (presumably on contract) Islander around after servicing. It looked very smart in its blue and white finish with a stylised Saltaire on its fin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evalman Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 On 5/14/2020 at 4:44 PM, andyf117 said: And talking of things at mere feet above the waves, while I was watching the A400 on screen, I could hear the clatter of blades in the distance, but nothing was showing up... ....looking out of the window, I realised what the noise was - what appeared to be a DHFS Griffin hovering low enough to be kicking up spray: He held that position for a good 10-15 mins - so while the A400 was playing off some miles off the north coast, the helo was a few hundred yards off the south coast (in the bay beween St Austell and Fowey on the above map)... That's one of the Cobham Helicopter Academy Griffins based at Newquay. The Wife and I were out for a walk on the North Coast this week and could hear one very nearby, couldn't find it for ages and when we did we couldn't get to it. Very close to the cliff edge: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Arnold Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 The DHFS do not operate the Griffin or Squirrel any more and haven't for over two years they ate an independent company and nothing to do with the MOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyf117 Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 2 hours ago, Evalman said: That's one of the Cobham Helicopter Academy Griffins based at Newquay. The Wife and I were out for a walk on the North Coast this week and could hear one very nearby, couldn't find it for ages and when we did we couldn't get to it. Very close to the cliff edge: Nice pic! Being Newquay-based would explain why I see them around occasionally - a few weeks ago one went over heading south, and returned 90mins or so later heading north with another in trail... 56 minutes ago, Geoff Arnold said: The DHFS do not operate the Griffin or Squirrel any more and haven't for over two years they ate an independent company and nothing to do with the MOD. Learn something every day - but the aircraft still seem to carry military serials? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coors54 Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 50 minutes ago, andyf117 said: Learn something every day - but the aircraft still seem to carry military serials? Contracted to and operating on behalf of the military, fixed wing primary training is the same but done by Babcock (I think). Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyf117 Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 16 hours ago, Coors54 said: Contracted to and operating on behalf of the military, fixed wing primary training is the same but done by Babcock (I think). Dave Guessing they're mostly staffed by ex-military instructors earning more as civilian contractors than they did as service QFIs... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evalman Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 30 minutes ago, andyf117 said: Guessing they're mostly staffed by ex-military instructors earning more as civilian contractors than they did as service QFIs... Yes, according to their website they are all ex military. I'm not sure who they are training, seem to be mainly foreign Military but I heard a rumour that they'd taken on some UK students as a sort of 'Shawbury overflow'. They seem to be very busy at Newquay, Griffins are up daily, Squirrels most days and they also have some tiny little Cabri G2s. The AW139 (ZR283) is still in the Hangar but hasn't flown for a while, the 2 AW109s (ZR324 and ZR325) left the Newquay fleet earlier this year and are now on the civilian register somewhere. I think there is still an 84 Squadron Griffin in the Hangar. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 A400`s & Herks have been flying over Liverpool, cutting across Morcambe Bay up to the Faslane area of Scotland and flying around up there for a bit (low level?) quite regularly the past few weeks too. Low over the sea off the Scillies must have been fun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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