Low Flying Military Planes

[Maydup]

This morning, as I was driving to work a huge militiary aircraft flew overhead - made me duck! I've just heard another one and wondered what occuring?

Does anyone know how to find out what they were and where they were going?

I doubt they appear on the flight radar site, but maybe someone knows otherwise. We're in the Norfolk Broads area and the planes are heading south west from the north sea inland. They are so low I could touch them on tiptoes!

[FrogNog]

What time was it?

[Maydup]

Approx 8.45am for the definite siting and between 7pm and 7.45pm for hearing what sound like the same crafts overhead now.

[Maydup]

Overhead right now, low and noisy but pitch black up there so cannot see a thing when I stick my head outside.

[Buenchico]

Probably just a Stratotanker flying out of RAF Mildenhall
http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/2014%5C11%5C141112-F-FE537-078.jpg
unless it was a fighter. If so, it was probably a Tornado from RAF Marham:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmarham/

[wolf63]

They are lost and are, probably, male and loathe to ask for directions. This might be their solution for getting around.

[Buenchico]

I'm reminded of when we took a school cricket team on tour from Sheffield to Norfolk. The home team were batting when two very low-flying jets roared over. The two batsman (who were used to living near airbases) didn't flinch. All eleven of our Sheffield lads in the field (who simply weren't used to sudden loud noises from military aircraft overhead) threw themselves to the ground. I couldn't stop laughing for ages ;-)

[grasscarp]

I looked up the NOTAMs for today (NOTices for AirMen).
H6080/14: Exercises will take place
Q) EGTT/QWELW/IV/BO/W/000/240/5251N00046E005
FORWARD AIR CTL EXER. FAST JET ACFT WILL CONDUCT HIGH ENERGYMANOEUVRES WI 5NM RADIUS 525049N 0004554E (SCULTHORPE). MAJORITY ACT AT 2000FT AGL AND BLW. ACFT MAY OPR OUTSIDE AREA AND MAY NOT COMPLY WITH THE RULES OF THE AIR. ACFT SHALL REMAIN CLR OF CONTROLLED AIRSPACE. CREWS WISHING TO TRANSIT AREA SHOULD CTC HATCHET CONTROLON 265.625MHZ, 266.700MHZ OR VHF 149.550MHZ. OPS CTC 07771 833953 OR07827937701. 14-12-0057/OPS 2
LOWER: Surface
UPPER: 24,000 Feet AMSL
FROM: 08 Dec 2014 08:00 GMT
TO: 12 Dec 2014 15:00 GMT

[frugalfred]

C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre!

[Buenchico]

RAF Sculthorpe (which appears to be mentioned above) no longer functions as an air base in its own right but it's used by USAF aircraft from RAF Mildenhall to practice deliveries of military equipment. So perhaps you saw a large propeller aircraft? If so, it was a Hercules from Mildenhall:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/USAF_Hercules_MC-130E_Combat_Talon_I_at_RIAT_2010_arp.jpg

[Maydup]

Thanks all. Heard a few more during the last hour and from the info above, sounds like its practice going on over the next few days.

It could well have been a Hercules Chris. Huge, wide wing span, dark grey and with a very heavy noise. Def not jets.

[stuey]

Grasscarp, did they actually have colons separating the hour and minutes in the NOTAMs? I always thought that, say, 1:30 pm was 1330 in the 24hr system and not 13:30.

[grasscarp]

I copied it verbatim stuey. I am kind of versed in this stuff as it is my day to day job!

[stuey]

!(?)