We don't have any airports in Suffolk and Norwich Airport in Norfolk isn't anything like Gatwick, Heathrow and Stanstead so we don't get dozens of low flying aircraft passing overhead like so many people live with in much of the UK.
But most Mondays this giant machine flies low overhead circling round and round before disappearing into the skies above West Suffolk.
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker provides the core aerial refuelling capability for the United States Air Force and has excelled in this role for more than 50 years. This unique asset enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary mission of global reach. It also provides aerial refuelling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft.
The ones in the UK are part of the 351st Air Refuelling Squadron, they are based at RAF Mildenhall - which is one of the USAF bases in this country and are some of the 400 that the USAF possess. From Suffolk they head out into Europe, and when they come back often circle several times before finally going back to base in West Suffolk
If you've not come across the website - Globe Airplanes Live it's interesting to know what's happening overhead -the number of aircraft in the skies at anyone time is enough to put a person off flying ever again!
Thanks for that link. The planes from RAF Markham near us exercise overhead on a Wednesday morning.
ReplyDeleteI like to know what's going on overhead!
DeleteWaw…quite remarkable when you think of how it all works.
ReplyDeleteIt's a clever thing to be able to refuel up there while keeping the right distance etc
DeleteHi Sue, the Jumble Sale I mentioned yesterday is at Thornham Magna 12-3. Jilly
ReplyDeleteThank you - very small village hall packed full of people last time I went to one there! and parking chaos!
DeleteI lived near Oceana Naval Base in the 1980's. It was day in, day out of an endless round of F14 Tomcats taking off and landing practice. It took nearly all my time living there to get used to it, sometimes I don't think I ever did.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watch the tennis from Queens Club London on TV there is constant plane noise - not sure I could get used to living under a flightpath.
DeleteVery interesting.
ReplyDeleteWe're quite close to Stansted here and we do see plenty of aircraft but they are usually very high and hardly disturb at all, thankfully.
What we do get, very occasionally is the fly past to Buckingham Palace and back. That can be great. xx