11-16-2018 Friday Live Chat Thread

Tony near to where I live what was Finningley Air Base near Doncaster, used to go and watch on outside of fencing, was very secure, patrols around perimiter etc. Seen some very unusual stuff there, take into account testing new aircraft etc is one thing, but the things we saw there were not airforce. The base then became Doncaster Airport many years later.
 
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Akata said:
Tony near to where I live what was Finningley Air Base near Doncaster, used to go and watch on outside of fencing, was very secure, patrols around perimiter etc. Seen some very unusual stuff there, take into account testing new aircraft etc is one thing, but the things we saw there were not airforce. The base then became Doncaster Airport many years later.
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I knew of it but never visited. I worked at Farnborough and spent time at Boscombe Down. Been involved with aviation for most of my life.
 
Perhaps you could throw some input into this for me Tony, appreciate your thoughts. A lot of preparation took place at Finningly a few hours before the main activity started. During the day time aircraft would land and take off from the base, but at night time nothing from around 8.30, then activity would happen not exactly at 2 am, but never before 2 but often +0-12 mins. Then always the one craft with no red/green lights, but intense white lights on the underside. From your aviation experience does the after 2 am have any particular significance in your opinion ?\
 
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Akata said:
Perhaps you could throw some input into this for me Tony, appreciate your thoughts. A lot of preparation took place at Finningly a few hours before the main activity started. During the day time aircraft would land and take off from the base, but at night time nothing from around 8.30, then activity would happen not exactly at 2 am, but never before 2 but often +0-12 mins. Then always the one craft with no red/green lights, but intense white lights on the underside. From your aviation experience does the after 2 am have any particular significance in your opinion ?\
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I know that testing of terrain following radar would be carried out at night back in the day. Tornadoes maybe were the first to use that tech in the 80's but Finningley was a V bomber base (Strike Command - nukes), possibly training flights. I don't get the bright underside lights that's something I haven't come across, lack of nav lights too unless on operations. Ceasing flights around RAF and RAE bases around 8.30 was common because of civilian complaints about noise so perhaps as mundane as that.
 
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