Strange Event Above Tonbridge

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Member for

16 years

Posts: 1,059

Last night, at about 2030, I walked outside and noticed a four-engined airliner approach from WSW, perform a sort of sharp loop turn and go back in a similar direction, all the time maintaining a cruising altitude of about 39,000 feet. The aircraft left a very distinctive contrail.

I tried to find the aircraft on FlightRadar24, but couldn't. Does anyone know what might have gone on? Could it have been a military aircraft?

Original post

Member for

15 years 2 months

Posts: 2,828

I noticed a few contrails over my area that were not the usual routes! I then found out there was a Bombardier Sentinel or two flying around down Oxford way and so imagined it was that around here too. Perhaps down your way you had an AWACS?

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 16,832

Chem trails!

We are all doomed.

Run!

Moggy

Member for

16 years

Posts: 1,059

Many thanks to you both. An AWACS (B707-based?) sounds the most likely.

Member for

16 years

Posts: 455

Ditto above Bristol, a bit high to tell on engines, aproach the area from the North West, turned south, followoed by a U-turn to North, then (about the same point it had turned south) it turned North East, approx 7.30pm.