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Mobile Radar?

Please post movements and activities to do with RAF Church Fenton & RAF Topcliffe here
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Stuart Green
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Location: Sherburn in Elmet

Mobile Radar?

Post by Stuart Green » Thu May 08, 2014 10:47 am

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 :unsure: .

Thanks for any help

Image

Image
Stuart Green

Uniden UBC125XLT with a Watson W-881 aerial

https://www.flickr.com/photos/raptor9872/

davski
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by davski » Thu May 08, 2014 12:22 pm

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
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by sherriff » Thu May 08, 2014 12:53 pm

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.

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Stuart Green
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by Stuart Green » Thu May 08, 2014 1:09 pm

sherriff wrote: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.
Stuart Green

Uniden UBC125XLT with a Watson W-881 aerial

https://www.flickr.com/photos/raptor9872/

sherriff
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by sherriff » Thu May 08, 2014 1:16 pm

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

mikev1984
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by mikev1984 » Thu May 08, 2014 2:29 pm

No notam for anything going on.

Andy_99
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by Andy_99 » Thu May 08, 2014 3:46 pm

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
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by davski » Thu May 08, 2014 4:56 pm

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

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Stuart Green
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by Stuart Green » Thu May 08, 2014 6:57 pm

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

Uniden UBC125XLT with a Watson W-881 aerial

https://www.flickr.com/photos/raptor9872/

davski
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by davski » Thu May 08, 2014 8:30 pm

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.

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Stuart Green
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by Stuart Green » Fri May 09, 2014 5:15 am

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 :lol:
Stuart Green

Uniden UBC125XLT with a Watson W-881 aerial

https://www.flickr.com/photos/raptor9872/

davski
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by davski » Mon May 12, 2014 9:03 am

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!

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Stuart Green
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by Stuart Green » Thu May 15, 2014 9:41 am

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.
Stuart Green

Uniden UBC125XLT with a Watson W-881 aerial

https://www.flickr.com/photos/raptor9872/

davski
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by davski » Thu May 15, 2014 11:11 am

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!

mikev1984
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by mikev1984 » Thu May 15, 2014 1:12 pm

There's Notams up for this kinda radar at odiham and another location I'll find it and post it here
They could be testing at Fenton before going south maybe?

POL
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by POL » Thu May 15, 2014 1:28 pm

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

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Topol-M
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by Topol-M » Thu May 15, 2014 3:12 pm

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
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by davski » Fri May 16, 2014 8:43 am

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
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by grimm6 » Tue Aug 05, 2014 5:48 pm

davski wrote: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
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Re: Mobile Radar?

Post by davski » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:03 am

Thanks Grim.

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