FRADU Fun

[Spitfire]

A per pro of nothing - we get very few military jets down here in Cornwall but today Thursday 14th) I was mowing the lawn and there was a single FRADU Black Hawk
having what seems like a whale of a time overhead - really high (estimate 10000ft) and very fast and loud - dashing about from one side of St Ives Bay to the other - leaving the odd contrail, maybe as he moved heights.
There was probably a Navy ship out at sea he was 'playing' with but it was a joy to behold ...and hear


PS and again today on Friday 15th ... must be a Navy Exercise... a Hawk probing a Navy ship's defences etc

Not that I'm talking to anyone here any more ... just musing to myself really about - you know - well - aircraft and stuff ... not that a Hawk is 'Iconic' per se - but it was in the sky yesterday - and is today - and I thought who can I tell and this was as good a place as any ... I mean - well you know - the Red Arrows fly Hawks so it could be considered 'Iconic' because of that ... its all relative ... and anyway I enjoyed seeing it

[Aceyone]

I do hope you feel better soon

[Sooty655]

Possibly acting as target for radar calibration.

Many years ago (early 70s) I was on an Iranian corvette fitted with a Contraves radar fire control system. The RAF provided a Hunter for a calibration exercise, and every time it flew directly over the ship, the radar "lost" it. Took three days of fiddling by the Contraves reps before they got it working properly. Three days in the Irish Sea is boring!!

[Spitfire]

GOOD LORD .... PEOPLE ON HERE ......just like the old days

I do hope you feel better soon

Feeling better already thanks

Possibly acting as target for radar calibration.

I think they act as 'enemy' and give the Navy ships at sea something to find and aim at .. see them around here streaking by at low level in pairs occasionally - but the one at altitude yesterday stood out because he seemed to be having such fun for ages and was using a LOT of really noisy power .. I could only catch sight of him if he left the occasional con trail ...
The amazing part is they are piloted by civilians - ex RAF and Navy fliers mostly ... what a retirement job

[Thornhill]

I didn't know they were piloted by civilians. What a dream retirement job for those guys indeed.