So did anyone else feel the boom

[BareThrills]

Windows were rocking in Coventry earlier. Initially an earthquake was blamed but the MOD later confirmed a pair of scrambled jets had caused a sonic boom. I dont know what altitude they were at but those babies make an awfully big bang. Anyone else feel it?

[Totumpole]

Well, needless to say I didnt feel it in Wales, but a TOrnado pilot did that over my hometown when I was in school one afternoon. Apparently shattered some windows right under where he did it, lost his pilots licence as a result (I'm not sure how much of the shattered windows/pilots licence was teenage schoolyard hearsay though!)

[British Red]

Interesting. Didn't know about that but the Typhoons were hellish busy here yesterday - several pairs going at a heck of a lick - unusual these days to see so much activity

[ged]

The dogs went ape here, we thought it must be thunder.

[Magentus]

Hmmmm, what's afoot?

[wingstoo]

Interesting. Didn't know about that but the Typhoons were hellish busy here yesterday - several pairs going at a heck of a lick - unusual these days to see so much activity

They are training for defence work over the Olympic fortnight

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/...ail/story.html

TYPHOON Fighter jets based at RAF Coningsby will be helping the security efforts at this year's Olympic Games.
Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots were put through their paces last week in an exercise to show how they will be supporting the police-led London 2012 security effort.

[shaggystu]

The dogs went ape here, we thought it must be thunder.

i think it probably was ged, it certainly was here, ozzy had a good shout about it too

[British Red]

They are training for defence work over the Olympic fortnight

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/...ail/story.html

Makes sense. Churlish pilots though. The last lot used to fly stunts over the paddocks when we waved to them


Fly Past by British Red, on Flickr


Fly Past by British Red, on Flickr

[decorum]

Anyone else feel it?

Ho Yuss!




Typhoon goes sonic ~ link.

[wingstoo]

Makes sense. Churlish pilots though. The last lot used to fly stunts over the paddocks when we waved to them


Fly Past by British Red, on Flickr


Fly Past by British Red, on Flickr

Maybe they were told to pay for any excesses

When you consider the costs of the birds in the air

Search for "capitation rates" on the Defence Intranet and you will get the info you are looking for. There are two tables - Full and Marginal costs. I am no expert but I believe that maginal costs are effectively fuel and consumables and full costs cover everything inc depreciation. Hourly figures for 09-10 for the platforms you mentioned:

Typhoon - Full £68716 Marginal £3780
Harrier - Full £35762 Marginal £3945
C-130 J - Full £11587 Marginal £1888
C-130K - Full £9924 Marginal £2132
C-17 - Full £42068 Marginal £4870

[crosslandkelly]

They are training for defence work over the Olympic fortnight

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/...ail/story.html

Nah, Training for the Olympic moot. Look out Bridgend.
Colin.

[Snowfire]

It was pretty loud here in north east Gloucestershire. Brought the cats in for tea in record time too!

[Tengu]

Was this at 1817?

Yes, I heard it.

Why Tornadoes as Olympic security?

Its not like theres going to be a private army event.

If there is, can we get in a late entry?

[decorum]

Was this at 1817?

The boom? Nah, 1812 ~ Over Ture.


( )

[wingstoo]

Typhoons are the dogs danglies for air superiority, and will no doubt have clearance to remove any airborne threat posed to the event. Air to Air missiles will make short work of an airliner/small aircraft flying in a manner to be treated as a threat.

[Tengu]

Oh, so its now a private air force event?

No way we can compete. I sold all my RC planes years ago.

(Some day I will bore you with what I did with that RC destroyer...)

[Robbi]

(Some day I will bore you with what I did with that RC destroyer...)

we need to know Tengu.......spill the beans

[wingstoo]

(Some day I will bore you with what I did with that RC destroyer...)

Please don't feel obliged too


RAF in the skies, Royal Marines Commando's on the Thames and Soldiers in the streets, hopefully they will be stood down all the time, lert's hope so anyway.

[789987]

getting ready for iran

[santaman2000]

Yeah. Unfortunately anywhere a large crowd gathers such as at the Olympics it makes a high profile target for terrorists. sad times we live in. Especially when you consider that there was a time the world would call wars to a truce for the Olympics.

[Totumpole]

RAF in the skies, Royal Marines Commando's on the Thames and Soldiers in the streets, hopefully they will be stood down all the time, lert's hope so anyway.

SBS are oeprating out of th Thames too, have a multimillion£ HQ somewhere on the canals around olympic city. Apparently one of the reasons they chose the site are the canals - gives maximal response time to anti-terrorist troops regardless of traffic. Good idea me thinks.

[Tengu]

Yes, and cost effective too.

Notice I am not against millitary spending, as such, just not needful spending.

[EdS]

All this activity just leaves nice soft targets like - every other big city. That is where the smart money would hit to cause maximum panic

[ged]

SBS are oeprating out of th Thames too, have a multimillion£ HQ somewhere on the canals around olympic city. Apparently one of the reasons they chose the site are the canals ...

It's a shame we aren't still using the canals. One horsepower pulling a hundred tonnes of cargo instead of five hundred horsepower pulling twenty tonnes.

[udamiano]

yes heard it, was in the woods, thought something had blown up

[PeterH]

I was doing my mountain leader in early summer '82 and saw some spectacular sights. There was a cave leader course from the same base, they returned early and ashen one day ...... a Vulcan on combat practice flight had overflown them ~~~~~ BOOM ~~~~ when they were best part of a mile down a system 300ft deep!

[southey]

It's a shame we aren't still using the canals. One horsepower pulling a hundred tonnes of cargo instead of five hundred horsepower pulling twenty tonnes.

Absolutely! I would add a reinstatement of all the branch lines with electrification over head too. to me it's a pretty decent way to remove most traffic from the roads.

[wattsy]

Typhoons are the dogs danglies for air superiority, and will no doubt have clearance to remove any airborne threat posed to the event. Air to Air missiles will make short work of an airliner/small aircraft flying in a manner to be treated as a threat.

(cough) F22, F35, F15 (cough)

[ged]

(cough) F22, F35, F15 (cough)

And (cough) at 50,000 feet the Avro Vulcan can out-manoeuvre all of them.

[wingstoo]

F22, F35, F15 nice planes...Just that as they are US planes they probably won't work under 10,000ft