BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic

Subject: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 06:55 AM

BBC News. Reassuring in a way. Bet all three pilots are popular in their locals (pubs)!

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: bubblyrat
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 10:35 AM

We heard something in Oxted at about the right time last evening ( thought it was thunder !).

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 10:40 AM

"RAF scrambled and go supersonic"

Surely "RAF scrambled" will go 'FAR'

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: GUEST,999
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 11:30 AM

I like my eggs that way from time to time.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 11:43 AM

Very good Nigel!

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Greg B
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 12:35 PM

When I was a kid growing up in Southern California in the 60's (aerospace and military base central) sonic booms were common occurrences. It's kind of funny to see it being such a big deal these days.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: gnu
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 12:46 PM

Not if you haven't heard one. And, I think supersonic speed is not allowed over populated areas except in emergencies.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 01:06 PM

That's right Gnu, it isn't, certainly here in the UK. These two planes had special permission. Concorde pilots had to wait until they were over the ocean, well clear of land, before they could go supersonic.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: gnu
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 01:18 PM

Yes, Pete and I always wondered what the whales thought of that.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 Apr 12 - 04:27 PM

Useful pieces of kit are Typhoons!

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 14 Apr 12 - 03:32 PM

""Surely "RAF scrambled" will go 'FAR'""


"ARF! ARF! ARF!" :-)

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: GUEST,Van
Date: 15 Apr 12 - 06:37 AM

The typhoons were said to be responding to a Mayday call from a helicopter. In what way were they going to assist a helicopter in distress?

Or were they just being hi-tech boy racers?

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: TheSnail
Date: 15 Apr 12 - 06:55 AM

From the article -

"A spokesman said the frequency was only used when an aircraft was in particular trouble, such as a hijacking."

I imagine they were going to shoot it down.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Mr Red
Date: 15 Apr 12 - 07:06 AM

I heard what was like thunder just before 6pm in Gloucestershire. It was raining at the time so thunder was the most likely explanation, and without a rumble I reckoned it was close. It must have been a low flight because there is usually a double bang which it may have been but with a short plane not as distinct.

Hey! - I can take a bang on the ears any day, if it dissuades would be terrorists.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: gnomad
Date: 15 Apr 12 - 07:07 AM

Like Guest,Van I wondered what practical help the Typhoon could offer had the hijack been genuine.

Close-up eyes on the spot I suppose, plus the ability to bring it down if a serious threat to a ground installation were to develop (as in "We have a bomb on board, and are above GCHQ Cheltenham, or the lines in Hereford, or Bristol city centre"). Such actions would be of little help to the chopper itself, but might be contemplated for the greater good.

I am unsure how much time going supersonic will have gained, maybe 5 minutes, but the hoo-ha about it will doubtless help keep up the public level of anxiety about terrorism.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 15 Apr 12 - 11:41 AM

A witness described the jets circling the helicopter at low speed, hanging on their thrust.
I would have liked to see that.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: gnu
Date: 15 Apr 12 - 01:27 PM

I think they can fly straight at about 100kph, but I only think that because an F-18 of similar configuration can do close to 80kph with no payload. Musta been cool to see them crank 178kN out of the engines when they reached critical.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Silas
Date: 16 Apr 12 - 08:53 AM

I used to live on a RAF base in Germany in the sixties - it was very common (several times a day) for planes to go through the sound barrier it really is no big deal.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Greg B
Date: 16 Apr 12 - 02:28 PM

Well, a Typhoon is good for about Mach 1.8, so exceeding the speed of sound gets you there a lot sooner.

Indeed, sonic booms are banned over the US land-mass as well, so those many-time-a-week bangs are a thing of the past here, as well.

It's not quite like thunder, as thunder is more of a distant thing. A sonic boom is the shock wave itself passing over one. Well, maybe it's like the thunder of a lightning strike at very close range. Very sharp rise and fall time. And generally louder than thunder. Like loud enough that you'd think maybe the plate-glass windows will shatter.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: gnu
Date: 16 Apr 12 - 03:12 PM

In the late 60s, the Canuck RCAF and Yank USAF bases exchanged bases in Zwiebrucken and I dunno wher the yank base wass. Prior to the exchange, all low level high speed passes were banned by the Canuck commander.

Just before noon, the time of official exchange, all hell broke loose at CFB 3Wing. A fighter had been "stolen" and was airborne. It made a a HSLL pass at M1+ after the commander notified the tower what was gonna happen. He broke a shitload of glass and said, "Follow me to the new base."

Now, that's the story I was told by my bro. Seems unlikely, but it did impress his wee bro when he told it to me.

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: GUEST,Hookey Wole
Date: 16 Apr 12 - 03:47 PM

now I try to remember, I'm sure I occassionaly heard Concordes sonic boom
on SW coast when I was a boy back in the 60's.

Or maybe military jets from a nearby local base like Yeovilton ?

Subject: RE: BS: RAF scrambled and go supersonic
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 17 Apr 12 - 02:57 AM

Concorde's boom was often heard in Devon and Cornwall, but that would be 70s omward.
As a boy in the 50s, booms from military jets were sometimes heard there.