Aircraft recognition problem

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

Near Barnsley yesterday I spotted a small aircraft circling low. Single engine, propellor driven, not too loud, straight and parallel leading and trailing edges to wings, wingtip bulges painted black, tall rear fin/rudder, squared off. ideas?

Also spotted an airliner very low, enough to detect wheels not down, landing at Doncaster? Just saying this last.

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Do these aircraft fall into a category like the birdwatchers LBJ (little brown jobs)?

Mike

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

Posted by Geoff Theasby on 27/03/2017 09:40:57:

…Also spotted an airliner very low, enough to detect wheels not down, landing at Doncaster? Just saying this last.

With commercial aircraft there is a cheat available. My son became curious about airliners flying over us, installing "Plane Finder" on his phone let him identify the aircraft and its destination.

Brian

[TobyParticipant @toby]

high or low wing? and what do you mean by wingtip bulges?

A Druine Turbulent is small and has parallel leading and trailing edges on the wing and tail.

**LINK**

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

Hi Toby, not a Turbulent. Low wing, a bit like F-80 Shooting star in appearance, but not a jet, and smaller wingtip bulges.

Geoff

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Geoff – on that description, I would look through the small Socata models, but try your query on http://www.pprune.org (double'P' intended!) Spectator's Balcony(Spotters Corner) threads. Excellent source for aircraft related info.

rgds

Bill

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Not an SR71, then?

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

Registered with ppprune, it seems to have been a Piper Comanche.

Thank you

Geoff

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Probably not a Comanche, the 400 had tip tanks, and I doobt if many of them made it over to the UK.

Ian S C

[TobyParticipant @toby]

well, in 2010 you could have bought a part share of one at White Waltham, so they do exist in the UK.

**LINK**

I would not have described it has having parallel trailing and leading edges though.

[davidkParticipant @davidk]

Hi Geoff

Try Googling G-ATNV to see if that looks similar, a PA-24-260 with tip tanks. There are some pictures out there showing it with dark blue tip tanks and fuselage underside.

David

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

Could be, G-ATNV had dark tip tanks last August at Barton.

Geoff

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

Posted by Toby on 28/03/2017 12:59:10:

well, in 2010 you could have bought a part share of one at White Waltham, so they do exist in the UK.

**LINK**

I would not have described it has having parallel trailing and leading edges though.

It's a small world. I have flown in this plane. A friend is still a member of the syndicate.

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Geoff, as Brian mentioned above, there are ways of tracking commercial aircraft. The one I sometimes use is this one:

**LINK**

if you "tune in" over Newfoundland in the evening, it looks like an invasion happening – all the overnight flights to Europe. And, those high-flying flights over my house are freighters to/from China. (at least, that's what's reported)

(It is interesting how it gets its' data – read about it on the site)

You can also build your own tracker – go to **LINK**

and search for "ADS-B".

Fun stuff!

[Cyril BonnettParticipant @cyrilbonnett24790]

Yesterday we were given a spectacular display of slow flying by one of the RAF's Atlas, 1500ft or there about above the loch what was amazing was the angle, displaying is bottom to the village in all its glory.

Last week it was two F15's slow flying, looked as if they were sight seeing over Ben Nevis.

Philip Stevens website gives an idea of what these young men and women can get up to when let loose with an expensive machine.

**LINK**

[Geoff TheasbyParticipant @geofftheasby]

I use Flight Radar 24, it's very similar. But, only from home, my smartphone provider wants money if I use it out and about. This IS Yorkshire, you know!

Geoff

[Martin 100Participant @martin100]

Posted by Geoff Theasby on 29/03/2017 07:06:57:

I use Flight Radar 24, it's very similar. But, only from home, my smartphone provider wants money if I use it out and about. This IS Yorkshire, you know.!

If you contribute to FR24 as a data provider from home (using say a raspberry pi plus a USB tv stick) it allows free unlimited 'business' usage of their website with up to three devices acessing simultaneously. I know it works on a laptop on the same account when not at home, and I presume it also works on a mobile either on a browser or through their app.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Majorly cool, if it only worked for across the pond.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

When the RNZAF's new Beech Texan training aircraft were flown from the USA to NZ, in pairs as they were completed, their entire flight was tracked (I can't remember which traking site was used.

Ian S C

[Another JohnSParticipant @anotherjohns]

Posted by mark costello 1 on 29/03/2017 17:16:52:

Majorly cool, if it only worked for across the pond.

Which side of which pond? I'm on the western side of the Atlantic, and the links I put on my post above work, maybe they don't work on the east side?

It does say it is a "Global Flight Radar", and I can see what it sees around London. Does it not work for you?

John.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Certainly works for me here near Basingstoke. Thanks for the link John – fascinating.

Cheers,

Rod

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

I am in Ohio USA, did not find a way to change location.

[Martin 100Participant @martin100]

Posted by mark costello 1 on 30/03/2017 14:46:54:

I am in Ohio USA, did not find a way to change location

Left click and hold and then move the mouse to pan in the required direction

Click on the plus or minus icons on the right hand side to change magnification (or use the mousewheel if fitted)

Zooming out to see the entire planet is possible

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Another good site to monitor flights by is flightradar24.com this covers all commercial and private activity mostly world wide. It is amazing juts how many aircraft there are flying around the world at any time. If you want to hear whats going on tune in to live ATC.net you will need the airport code such as KFFZ which is Chandler tower in Phoenix Arizona (well worth a look and listen to because I think it must be one of the most busy airspaces in the world for flight training).

I would think it will be easy to get the Airport/ARTCC code by doing a google search

I was able to hear my son talking to the tower a few times when he was training with Oxford Aviation recently.

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