Aircraft

[fuggy]

What can fly at 52,000 ft? And still does? I know that Concorde did.

[237SJ]

I think that Flightradar isn`t very accurate. I was looking at it yesterday because someone on here mentioned the Vulcan and I wanted to see if I could find it. I`m not a plane spotter (honest)! Coals to Newcastle. Anyway, there was a supposed Ryanair plane that was going around in circles at 1500ft for ages on there. I don`t think it was a plane that was dumping it`s fuel because they normally do that over the sea and they didn`t look like they were in a holding pattern either. I have followed friends on their travels via Flightrader and I know for a fact that sometimes the stats were wrong

[Gromit]

I use fightradar app and often see planes do stange manoeuvres. I think they are military jets and pilots putting in flight hours. They often finish up in Scotland.

[Gromit]

I am on the fight aporoach path to Manchester Airport so I see lots of traffic. But quite a few planes don't register. The Airbus frieghtliners never show up, old aircraft ( that could include the Vulcan) and small prop planes. I assume it has something to do woth the transponders, either not fitted, or too new or too old.

But FlightRadar is a great app.

[Hypognosis]

@237SJ

One of the recent TV series showed a training flight where they were doing touch and go landings in a 737; instructor, copilot and 8-10 trainees, taking their turns to do 3 or 4 circuits each. 1500ft is lower than I imagined the pattern altitude to be but repeated climbs any higher would dent Mr you-know-who's wallet.

No airports within an hour's drive of me so I'm no spotter/photographer either.
For comic effect, I could claim to be a 'virtual spotter', for double saddo points.

;)

[237SJ]

When I was looking at that site yesterday, there were quite a few privately owne planes that were showing up. Helicopters were showing as well. I haven`t seen that before

[Hypognosis]

@Gromit

The Airbus Belugas show up but you need to set the programmable alert for a chance to catch them in action.

[Gromit]

Hypognosis,

I have seen the Beluga a few times over Chester, and I have looked on the app and it does not appear. This was abot a year ago and an earlier fersion of the app, so maybe it has been fixed.

(FlightRadar) I like the 3D view on iPad. Flowing the planes into Ringway :-)

[237SJ]

We have a plane here that takes off from Heathrow between 1 and 2am every night. I never seen it on flightradar.

[fuggy]

Thank you all for your imput,most enlightening.