FighterControl

Today I passed the Airfield of MoD Aberporth and saw one Watchkeeper on the tarmac.
Later at 5PM I saw it flying on ADSB as callsign CRONUS04
It had HEX code 43C6EE
Anyone a ty-up witch serial this can be?

Regards
Erik

Hi Erik

I can't offer an outright anwer to your question, but it's maybe worth noting that the British Watchkeepers generally used to operate with one of three flight IDs (callsigns), namely "Aries"; "Cronus" or "Pointer", i.e.
43C6F0 "ARIES@@@" - UK 10.15
43C801 "CRONUS@@" - UK 01.16
43C882 "POINTR" - CY 09.19

However, around the tail end of 2021 these flight IDs started to display a numerical suffix, and based on the hex codes used & their position within specific code blocks, it *appears* that the digits may actually relate to the last two/three of the serial. For example I've seen 'hits' on all of the following...
43C810 "CRONUS32" - UK 09.21 (WK032?)
43C878 "CRONUS34" - UK 09.21 (WK034?)
43C87A "ARIES036" - UK 06.21 (WK036?)
43C87B "POINTR37" - CY 11.21 (WK037?)
43C87E "POINTR40" - CY 09.21 (WK040?)
43C883 "ARIES045" - UK 06.21 (WK045?)
43C886 "POINTR48" - CY 07.21 (WK048?)
43C887 "POINTR49" - CY 09.21 (WK049?)
43C889 "POINTR51" - CY 07.21 (WK051?)

and using that logic MIGHT suggest that "CRONUS04" is pertinent to WK004? Just a thought anyway.

Best wishes

Interesting thread
Agreed, not many hits for Watchkeepers to go on
The only one I have come across is WK008 listed as 43C6EF
Hopefully other observations may reveal more of a pattern
Best regards,
Paul

Thanks both for your info

Today 4/8/22 I saw CRONUS34 with HEX 43C878 at 2.57PM flying from Aberporth on ADSB

Seen 9/8 Cronus34 with the known HEX
Seen now 10/8 Cronus04 with the known HEX.
Always around 3.15-4PM UK time on ADSB

Not conclusive, but the following may help someone.

28.8.2020 photographed WK047 parked outside the hangar

29.7.2022 photographed WK034 at Aberporth, being refuelled. Speaking to someone at the time whose home overlooks the field, he said that WK004 had been flying that week.

20.7.2023 photographed WK047, again by the bowser.
Unfortunately, I have seen CRONUS25 on ADSB over the last few weeks so does not help with the callsign question.

On holiday again near Aberporth so stopped and looked across the airfield from the main road at 1520. WK054 Watchkeeper was being refuelled. Hangar open but poor angle of view did not reveal any other Watchkeepers.