FighterControl

Looks like ZH857/Renegade5 (Merlin HM.1/Royal Navy) dropped into Woodvale around 12:05-13:05. Anybody confirm?

Altcar barracks I believe..

Thanks Mark.

ZK563/Renegade2 and ZK553/Renegade3 (Chinook HC.6/RAF) flying, seen off coast at 14:00

VENGEANCE1 & 2 (ZZ379/ZZ380) Wildcat HMA.2s also been flying today

ZJ126/Renegade2 (Merlin HC.3/RAF) up late PM

All here until Friday, heard the Chinooks at 22:00 last night from the backyard, luuurvely sound!!

Mark wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:54 pm

All here until Friday, heard the Chinooks at 22:00 last night from the backyard, luuurvely sound!!

There’s no mistaking a Chinook!

2 wildcats stationary this afternoon / evening with 2 merlins and 2 chinooks moving around low level around the training camp and out to sea. A third Merlin left as we got to Altcar and headed south. No idea on serials I’m afraid.

Weds 16/1
ZZ380 showing this afternoon on adsb as "Renegade01" & ZH857 as "Renegade6".
Are the chinooks positioned near the railwayline or elsewhere on the range please? If I recall on previous exercises only the merlins (& wildcats) are visible from the railway side. Cheers

Not sure, heading over tomorrow so will try to advise then..

TombsRIP wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 16, 2019 2:57 pm

Weds 16/1
ZZ380 showing this afternoon on adsb as "Renegade01" & ZH857 as "Renegade6".
Are the chinooks positioned near the railwayline or elsewhere on the range please? If I recall on previous exercises only the merlins (& wildcats) are visible from the railway side. Cheers

They was on the railway line side yesterday. I parked up on the road just before the entrance to the camp then walked down the foot path adjacent to the railway. A short walk down and there is a wooded area, the wildcats were hitched on a field visible through the trees, then a bit further down there is a field visible just before the assault course. The two Chinooks were on this field. Seen them take off around 6PM ish.

Edit - if you walked further down a RN Merlin was visible atop a hill, but due to time and the fact the Chinooks started their engines I didn’t go further down.

What's the fence like down there, are steps required?

Mark wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:31 pm

What's the fence like down there, are steps required?

Chain link, around 6ft. You can put a lense against it through the gaps but ideally steps would be best. Just remember it’s a public footpath and cycle path and has quite a bit of traffic with dog walkers and cyclists (based on the couple of hours I was there yesterday).

Thanks mate, i'm on the train so i'll be stepless.

Mark wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:46 pm

Thanks mate, i'm on the train so i'll be stepless.

No worries, the train station is right next to where you want to be going anyway. Head up towards the camp entrance and just stick to the path on the right hand side and you can’t go wrong. Hope there’s activity as I’m heading back up tomorrow evening.

Spoke to the camp commandant yesterday and they should be flying all week up until departure on Friday.

Mark wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:58 pm

Spoke to the camp commandant yesterday and they should be flying all week up until departure on Friday.

Brilliant. When I was there I noticed a couple of dog walkers going through the camp. Whether these were related to Cadets I don’t know but I didn’t want to risk heading into the camp unauthorised (for obvious reasons), should have probably asked the security guy that was outside his cabin.

There may be access to the camp on Friday, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Keep your eyes open on the Hightown village group on Facebook for updates on this. I'm working Friday unfortunately so can't attend (I went for the best looking weather on the forecast)

Ill keep a lookout. I’m working Friday unfortunately but I may be able to head down after work. Thanks

Thanks all for your helpful replies/contributions to my question.
Cheers

Open times for Friday 19th to see "some" is between 09.00 and 10.00. No bags preferably so as to save time at security.

got spoken to am today by MoD security whilst taking images of chinooks from the public footpath/cyclepath next to railwayline. He didnt like me pointing my camera inwards inside the camp. I reminded him I was on public land and there were no, "No Photography" signs visible. He asked me to delete my images which of course I didnt. Yet another "more than my jobsworth" bod pushing his authority well above his station. I guess as it may be a SF excercise some security guards are in a state of hightened paranoia.
Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else gets hassled whilst carrying out a harmless hobby.

*********************************
both wildcats & both chinooks seen dep 1120z (mode-S ZK553 RENEGDE5; ZK563 RENEGDE4) with the RN Merlin dep 1030z approx (mode-S ZH857 RENEG7) didnt see any 846 sqn (ex RAF) merlins but could hear rotors running amongst the trees. ZJ132 showing on adsb as REN(Ren
egade)6 just sth of the camp/ranges at
1328z