RAF Nightingale (formally London City Airport)

[STN RAMP RAT]

All

I understand that London City Airport becomes "RAF Nightingale" later this evening and will support C130's bringing in COVID-19 patients en route to "NHS nightingale" (the Excel exhibition center). there was a C130 in earlier on the week on a test flight I understand.

[STN RAMP RAT]

https://ukaviation.news/london-city-air ... 19-battle/

amazingly according to the link its C17 capable. if we were allowed out it would be a sight to see

[Sparts99]

Hope we get some decent news footage although I'd rather it wasn't necessary in the first place.

[STN RAMP RAT]

A C130 went in yesterday https://www.newsflare.com/video/346619/ ... march-2020

[Dave Smith]

It was exciting enought getting into City in a HS748 let alone a Herc - nothnig that a good handful of flap and a push won't sort out.

[Unknown74]

Have the RAF sold their 146s yet? The ideal aircraft to use. Mind you could FlyBEs Dash 8s not be used?

[Agent K]

Have the RAF sold their 146s yet? The ideal aircraft to use. Mind you could FlyBEs Dash 8s not be used?

They still have at least 3 in the fleet I think and I've noticed them on training flights around the UK this week, saw one yesterday in Humberside amongst other places.

[Stroudy]

Good old Herc doing the business easily. Would be great to see them in there (all be it for the wrong reasons).

[POL]

Mind you could FlyBEs Dash 8s not be used?

Presumably if the government pay the outstanding fees, the lessors, the insurers, the CAA and the crew...yes.

[Agent K]

Mind you could FlyBEs Dash 8s not be used?

Presumably if the government pay the outstanding fees, the lessors, the insurers, the CAA and the crew...yes.

All of the above and also reassemble the operations and planning infrastructure and personnel and engineering and certification and and and....…….

[mustang5861]

Have the RAF sold their 146s yet? The ideal aircraft to use. Mind you could FlyBEs Dash 8s not be used?

They'll want to be using a/c with rear-loading capability to give them the space and the floor attachments to load and secure the 'incubators' that the critically ill need, like they did a couple years ago when they transported the woman who had Ebola.

Good old 'Herky Bird' doing another vital job. Could the Atlas C.1 be used?

[Agent K]

Have the RAF sold their 146s yet? The ideal aircraft to use. Mind you could FlyBEs Dash 8s not be used?

They'll want to be using a/c with rear-loading capability to give them the space and the floor attachments to load and secure the 'incubators' that the critically ill need, like they did a couple years ago when they transported the woman who had Ebola.

Good old 'Herky Bird' doing another vital job. Could the Atlas C.1 be used?

Doesn't 32 Squadron not still fly one or two of the second-hand purchased Mk.3 RJ QC with the side-loading cargo door which I'm sure would be capable of doing the job?

[thevulcan]

Atlas C.1s, Hercs and C17s are to be used.

[Vulcanone]

The MoD said it was testing the water for selling the 146s. *That is not actually selling an airframe they are due to retire in 2022 (* Always assuming they don't retire them any earlier....)

[Squire of the Gate]

Have the RAF sold their 146s yet? The ideal aircraft to use. Mind you could FlyBEs Dash 8s not be used?

Good old 'Herky Bird' doing another vital job. Could the Atlas C.1 be used?

Think they used a Atlas C1 for patient transfer into Aberdeen last week

[Fighterfoto]

Just to confirm, LCY is not to become RAF Nightingale. Further the Herk that landed there was pure coincidence, it was a training flight. I highlight as media are now reporting this as fact, when if they checked through MoD they’d be told it was fake news.

[C24]

Of course it was a coincidence. As the airport was not busy it was the ideal time to chose LCY as a training destination. Over the next months there will probably be many such flights taken as the opportunity presents itself.

[shimano]

Just been listening on 132.7083 ( i don't have this tagged so not sure who it is ) and there was some strange comm's, three callsigns were used, Oscar1, Tasker1 and Commando550 which i believe were helios as there was mention of Merlins.
Oscar1 was inbound to Nightingale and reported being 1000ft above the Shard while Tasker1 was over Perivale presumably inbound to Nightingale as well, what i found strange was that as well as the usual comms between the aircraft and who was controlling them there was also a lot of general banter between them with having a laugh

the last i heard was oscar1 confirming he would be routing on return via Farnborough back to Odiham while Commando550 would be returning to Northolt

it was unusual hearing the aircrew having a banter with control but if they were involved with medivac to the Nightingale hospital then i guess they need a little light relief

just found out Commando550 is a Navy Merlin

[POL]

132.705 is Thames Radar and has been for years. You do sometimes get aircrew talking to each other as well as ATC in order to better deconflict in what's a really small amount of sky.

Commando550 was Merlin ZJ128
"Tasker1" was Tusker1, Chinook ZA720. I'd put money on this being your "Oscar1" too.

[Fighterfoto]

Tusker was a training sortie into Nightingale.