There used to be three - two of them Hercules - who train the paratroops. They fly low to simulate battle (we think) and try to make the new kids airsick (maybe). They used to be at Abingdon where they are infamous for doing such low runs over the field that one guy who climbed on top of a truck as part of the fun had his head knocked off. They tend to pass over lots of England on their travels apart from going to Africa - where both pilots in one plane jumped with the troops and the navigator flew the plane back to base to find some high up air bod doing a snap inspection - he was not amused. Maybe they have been back there as we have not seen or heard them around here lately. (Thought this may be as the two royal princes are in training at the local helicopter school - so anyone on the Shroppie/Llangollen may find themsevles being stared at in a royal/peasants way.) Certainly the Hercules might be considered a danger to the royal blood line as they are big fast and low and fly a very erratic course twisting all over the landscape and seeming to target certain building to go over very low. They used to fly over and if you were in the fields and waved would waggle their wings. On turns their wingtips were below tree level to keep under the radar as it were.
--- On Tue, 14/7/09, Guy Morgan <[email protected]> wrote: From: Guy Morgan <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [canals-list] Re:Harnser Trip Report To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, 14 July, 2009, 8:59 AM ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sean Neill" <sne...@laplander. fsnet.co. uk> To: <canals-list@ yahoogroups. com> Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 12:00 AM Subject: [canals-list] Re:Harnser Trip Report > area and the noise was getting louder and louder, then a large 4 engined , > turbo propped plane came over at about 100 feet from the ground and flew > off into the distance. I don't know what it was > > At that altitude, almost certainly a RAF Hercules transport. Fat fuselage, > camouflaged (often dark underneath), tail end cocked up (rear end loading > ramp). Most turboprops these days are twin engined (several types, most > quite similar). > > Sean > Yeah one came over in a similar way when I was on my way back from Thrupp last week. Cheers Guy -- Guy Morgan First Light Services nb Virgo, WFB, Stockton, GU [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
