Mobile Radar?

[Stuart Green]

I noticed a Hercules flying round very low around 10.30am today, so i grabbed my camera and headed down to hopefully catch it, but it had gone before I got there but I noticed these beauties on the on the airfield...Anyone noticed how long they've been there or what they are up to .

Thanks for any help

[davski]

It appeared on the airfield yesterday, army trucks brought it before the weekend. I live in Fenton and have been in all morning but didn't see or hear a Herc - do they have a hush kit installed these days?! Very low Tucano hard to miss earlier this morning though. Some speculation on Facebook that this is probably a calibration exercise. Hoping for something more exciting!

[sherriff]

You haven't specified which airfield.
My guess is it's tactical Watchman radar from TACATC at Leeming 90Gp Signals RAF (used to be TCW at
Brize in past times). Same guys who provide the mobile atc tower at Riat, etc.

[Stuart Green]

You haven't specified which airfield.
My guess is it's tactical Watchman radar from TACATC at Leeming 90Gp Signals RAF (used to be TCW at
Brize in past times). Same guys who provide the mobile atc tower at Riat, etc.

It's RAF Church Fenton Sherriff, taken this morning. Was maybe hoping they might be doing some kind of exercise with some aircraft after seeing a Hercules fly round twice. Maybe there just using the spare land where it's quiet for extra training like the police seemed to be doing.

[sherriff]

Thanks. I think that's a good assumption......probably a Spring "shakedown", somewhere quiet.

[Andy_99]

It's planning for the coming Russian invasion - Joking

Nah I suspect it's as been mentioned a Forward deployment exercise. We used to get them quiet a bit at Greenham Common when it closed down until it became a common again,
Also had a Huge Army convoy exercise at the Old Army depot in Thatcham after it closed down but before it was handed to developers.

[davski]

3 instalations on the (former) airfield (Church Fenton) now (May 8 2014).

[Stuart Green]

security seems to have been beefed up whatever there up too.

[davski]

Not sure about the security, the police on site are civvie, they have been training with dogs on and off since the airfield closed. Certainly seems to be more vehicles on camp this evening.

[Stuart Green]

Hi davski, the police are from all the forces apparently training, so probably not connected to the activity on the former airfield and I've been informed the hercules was doing T&G's I think on runway 24 from where I saw it from, anybody who lives near Ryther or Cawood might be able to confirm that. He must of been gliding over your house for you not to hear him

[davski]

Touch and goes?!! I need my ears syringing! I live across the road from the football field, never heard a thing LOL! Saw a Tucano very low (50-100ft) as though going to run and break but it never returned. All very intriguing and most welcome!

[Stuart Green]

davski did you catch the Hercules today around 1020am 15/5, looks like it passed over Fenton then banked over Sherburn very low then headed north.

[davski]

Doh! To be honest we rarely used to hear anything using rnwy 16/34 (apart from Typhoons!). There was another Tucano beat-up around the same time though, on a knife-edge turn over the village and then dive towards 06/24 - marvelous!

[POL]

Odiham is an active airfield, so probably needs a NOTAM. Church Fenton is not, so no NOTAM is needed.

[Topol-M]

Certainly looks like a Watchman

The green trailer attached to the truck looks like a gadget we used to have that had portable runway lights in. You could set it up to beep every x number of feet where you'd stop, get out and place the runway lights

This was in the early days of TCW

[davski]

More Tucano activity yesterday afternoon with one circling for 10 minutes or so, got quite giddy when they lowered the undercarriage but it eventually sped off to the east. Helicopter noise last night too, sounded lower than simply passing overhead but despite the amazing full moon I didn't see anything. Seems unlikely it landed BUT I was once told (in the pub so take it or leave it!) by a guy that lived near to RAF Dishforth when it was on Care and Maintenance that Hercs occasionally landed there at night with no lights (on the aircraft or ground), does this sound feasible? I guess they'd do that in a battle situation...

[grimm6]

It appeared on the airfield yesterday, army trucks brought it before the weekend. I live in Fenton and have been in all morning but didn't see or hear a Herc - do they have a hush kit installed these days?! Very low Tucano hard to miss earlier this morning though. Some speculation on Facebook that this is probably a calibration exercise. Hoping for something more exciting!

They were there for a week, they were part of a TCW / 90 SU calibration of the Radars pre deployment

[davski]

Thanks Grim.