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Low Level Action Through the Lakes

wallyinoz

By wallyinoz
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wallyinoz Obsessed Member

wallyinoz

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Thought I would try the Lakes District to catch some low flying action so I set off at 5am with fingers crossed and prepared for disappointment. Got set up on a hill over Ullswater around 8.30 am, the weather was as forecast overcast in the morning sunny in the afternoon. My 360 radar app showed nothing in the area or departing bases for my area and my scanner was silent (all day as it happened). The views were terrific and I was reasonably comfortable in my chair though when the wind picked up I did get a bit chilled.
So after this scenario setting preamble around 10am I heard a rumble to the South toward Patterdale and I spotted a jet at low-level cranking around the corner of the valley, it was the first of 2 F-15s (number 2 about 20 secs behind the leader) The pair did not follow the course of the lake the leader electing to turn toward and climb out over the top of me and number 2 to climb and break before reaching me. Photographically speaking this was very annoying but wow pretty exciting, the F-15 pics show the difficult lighting and you can imagine me trying to track him over my head whilst trying not to fall off the mountain. About an hour later and I heard another rumble from the South and spotted a jet again cranking around the corner leaving vapour trails Bingo! it was a pair of F-35s which I had not managed to capture before. On their initial pass these guys stayed low and followed the course of the lake below me where they did a curious thing, climbing and turning around to come over the hill crest behind me and then turn back into the valley and then, well head toward me.. like I mean at me. The leader cranked upside down a couple of hundred feet above me and number two he stayed level but was a bit lower (A bit!  the noise was incredible and I heard and felt his wake vortices). Well I was on a shaking high for about 20 minutes after that pass. After several hours in the afternoon I heard a whisper down south and spotted a large aircraft coming up the lake ..it was a RAF A400 this was great there arent many of them and they dont low fly that often.  After that a pair of Omani Hawks sneaked quietly by well over the other side of the valley and I was not able to get a reasonable shot of them but was well pleased with the day as I trudged down the mountain.

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quite a few more if you go into my photostream:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/87490663@N08/with/52087311073/

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Dave Swindell Very Obsessed Member

Dave Swindell

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5 hours ago, wallyinoz said:

Thought I would try the Lakes District to catch some low flying action so I set off at 5am with fingers crossed and prepared for disappointment. Got set up on a hill over Ullswater around 8.30 am, the weather was as forecast overcast in the morning sunny in the afternoon. My 360 radar app showed nothing in the area or departing bases for my area and my scanner was silent (all day as it happened). The views were terrific and I was reasonably comfortable in my chair though when the wind picked up I did get a bit chilled.
So after this scenario setting preamble around 10am I heard a rumble to the South toward Patterdale and I spotted a jet at low-level cranking around the corner of the valley, it was the first of 2 F-15s (number 2 about 20 secs behind the leader) The pair did not follow the course of the lake the leader electing to turn toward and climb out over the top of me and number 2 to climb and break before reaching me. Photographically speaking this was very annoying but wow pretty exciting, the F-15 pics show the difficult lighting and you can imagine me trying to track him over my head whilst trying not to fall off the mountain. About an hour later and I heard another rumble from the South and spotted a jet again cranking around the corner leaving vapour trails Bingo! it was a pair of F-35s which I had not managed to capture before. On their initial pass these guys stayed low and followed the course of the lake below me where they did a curious thing, climbing and turning around to come over the hill crest behind me and then turn back into the valley and then, well head toward me.. like I mean at me. The leader cranked upside down a couple of hundred feet above me and number two he stayed level but was a bit lower (A bit!  the noise was incredible and I heard and felt his wake vortices). Well I was on a shaking high for about 20 minutes after that pass. After several hours in the afternoon I heard a whisper down south and spotted a large aircraft coming up the lake ..it was a RAF A400 this was great there arent many of them and they dont low fly that often.  After that a pair of Omani Hawks sneaked quietly by well over the other side of the valley and I was not able to get a reasonable shot of them but was well pleased with the day as I trudged down the mountain.

That sounds like Thursday's action, I was out on Ullswater sailing between Glenridding and Glencoyne, where were you togging from? Angle Tarn?

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Dave Swindell Very Obsessed Member

Dave Swindell

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5 hours ago, wallyinoz said:

After several hours in the afternoon I heard a whisper down south and spotted a large aircraft coming up the lake ..it was a RAF A400 this was great there arent many of them and they dont low fly that often.

 

This was the Atlas pass (not my video!)

 

 

 

 

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wallyinoz Obsessed Member

wallyinoz

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47 minutes ago, Dave Swindell said:

That sounds like Thursday's action, I was out on Ullswater sailing between Glenridding and Glencoyne, where were you togging from? Angle Tarn?

Hi Dave i was on Hallin Fell around the corner from Howtown

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Britman Very Obsessed Member

Britman

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Ullswater, my favourite lake in the district. Fantastic shots Wally, I wish I could say the same down here at Machinleth! Over thirty,yes thirty years ago I was on the middle of Ullswater in a row boat when a trail of four Tornados came over at about two hundred feet and absolutely made my day. Efforts down here in Wales are not going to any plan , but something will come from it as a kind farmer has given me permission to use one of his hilltops to hunker down awaiting results. It's a good job I like a bit of fishing is all I can say. Black aircraft are a bigger for me especially the Texans however I have another week.

 

Keith

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wallyinoz Obsessed Member

wallyinoz

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On 5/22/2022 at 4:42 PM, invidia said:

Great photos, I live in the lakes so see this most days, when the weathers good!!! Today's normal, cloudy and rain.

ah you are lucky fellow living out there. 2.5 hour drive for me from my uk base, I am thinking of trying my luck again in a week or two

On 5/22/2022 at 11:46 PM, ColinChipmunkfan said:

Amazing F35 shots Wally, it sounds like they decided to give you your own private show.  Thanks for posting,🙂

Colin

they did, it was thrilling!

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