02/06/20 NOTAM

[FFDspotter]

A) EGVA
B) 20/06/02 07:30 C) 20/06/02 23:59
E) FAIRFORD MIL ATZ ACTIVE, AD, RWY 27/09 OPEN.

[big john]

Swan 01 working 277.625 routing direct ROPAL.

[Stroudy]

Nice climb out into a beautiful blue sky... make the most of it as rain forecast here from 5am tomorrow to early hours of the next day (will be welcome).

[Knife 04]

Which runway were they on please Stroudy ? 27 or 09?

Many thanks

[Stroudy]

27 from my lounge window. Departed west, before turning north west pretty quickly.

Will presumably return on 27 too as the wind is just about NNW by 3-5pm. Departed on 27 even though its NNE at the moment.

Cheers.

[reaper493]

Swan01 climbing FL600.

277.775

[Knife 04]

27 from my lounge window. Departed west, before turning north west pretty quickly.

Will presumably return on 27 too as the wind is just about NNW by 3-5pm. Departed on 27 even though its NNE at the moment.

Cheers.

Good man - thanks very much

[tomahawk_pa38]

If the weather turn iffy at Fairford maybe too windy or the plane has a serious problem en route - can these U2s divert anywhere in the UK ?

[thevulcan]

If the weather turn iffy at Fairford maybe too windy or the plane has a serious problem en route - can these U2s divert anywhere in the UK ?

I believe Brize or Mildenhall will be its options as both have the equipment required.

[page_verify]

If the weather's bad at Fairford then it'll probably be bad at Brize too, they've diverted to Mildenhall in the past when Fairford unexpectedly had fog once. Mildenhall tried its "we don't like visitors, go away" trick but the pilot was forewarned that might happen so declared an IFE meaning they had to accept him. He told me had ended up standing on the cockpit seat shouting at people to stop banging the wings with the oil drums they were trying to use as wing supports.

These days they try to avoid taking off if there's any chance of risky weather when they get back.

[mushbuster]

If the weather turn iffy at Fairford maybe too windy or the plane has a serious problem en route - can these U2s divert anywhere in the UK ?

I believe Brize or Mildenhall will be its options as both have the equipment required.

Neither Brize nor Mildenhall have the fuel nor much if any aircraft specific equipment, not to mention the security headaches of landing at a non USAF secured installation such as Brize. The landing would have to be without a chase car and any prepositioned recovery teams. As Page Verify has suggested the idea is to never launch unless the forecast weather allows a normal RTB and weather is one of the most common reasons why many transit flights have been scrubbed in the past. In a true emergency the pilot may have little choice but the divert to Mildenhall (2007ish) was due to Fairford being fog bound and the aircraft ended up running short of fuel after loitering waiting for it to clear, so chose to land at Mildenhall.

[page_verify]

Thanks Mushbuster, sounds like it's useful that there's a whole USAF base for them to use then! Something I should've mentioned is that landing without a chase car/ mobile is very undesirable for them. They may train to land in radio silence but they also train for engine fires and hydraulics failures - none of which they want to happen. It was interesting that the aircraft with the mayday the other week chose to return to Fairford rather than recover at the nearest airfield.

[Neil D]

083 was in the circuit in the past hour.

Landed.

Neil

[graham luxton]

In all of Fairford's U-2 history there have only been 3 occasions when they have been diverted due to weather and all have gone to Mildenhall. Since arriving in Sep'19 the unit made 2 Practise Diversions to Mildenhall soon afterwards and from their unusual flight profile its highly likely fuel calculations were part of the mission just in case one has to divert there in future.

The IFE the other day just kept calling "Emergency" not Mayday or Pan. It arrived overhead the Fairford area above the contrails and spiralled down for a High Key to Low Key circuit and landing. Clearly the pilot thought he could make it back otherwise he'd have gone somewhere else.

Todays circuit basher was also practising High Key precautionary landings like they normally do. On Monday the 18th May that training paid off.

[tomahawk_pa38]

Thanks all for the detailed replies.

[page_verify]

In all of Fairford's U-2 history there have only been 3 occasions when they have been diverted due to weather and all have gone to Mildenhall. Since arriving in Sep'19 the unit made 2 Practise Diversions to Mildenhall soon afterwards and from their unusual flight profile its highly likely fuel calculations were part of the mission just in case one has to divert there in future.

The IFE the other day just kept calling "Emergency" not Mayday or Pan. It arrived overhead the Fairford area above the contrails and spiralled down for a High Key to Low Key circuit and landing. Clearly the pilot thought he could make it back otherwise he'd have gone somewhere else.

Todays circuit basher was also practising High Key precautionary landings like they normally do. On Monday the 18th May that training paid off.

On London Mil, the pilot clearly stated a mayday rather than IFE. Additionally, the Coastguard helicopter was only scrambled to Fairford because it was a mayday rather than an IFE.

[AK01]

14.25z Swan01 checking in Swanwick 277.775 Fl600.

[Pune]

In all of Fairford's U-2 history there have only been 3 occasions when they have been diverted due to weather and all have gone to Mildenhall. Since arriving in Sep'19 the unit made 2 Practise Diversions to Mildenhall soon afterwards and from their unusual flight profile its highly likely fuel calculations were part of the mission just in case one has to divert there in future.

The IFE the other day just kept calling "Emergency" not Mayday or Pan. It arrived overhead the Fairford area above the contrails and spiralled down for a High Key to Low Key circuit and landing. Clearly the pilot thought he could make it back otherwise he'd have gone somewhere else.

Todays circuit basher was also practising High Key precautionary landings like they normally do. On Monday the 18th May that training paid off.

Thanks Graham, great info', hopefully get over there sometime soon to see them first hand..