View Full Version : Government Spy Planes?
walpurgis
26-07-2014, 22:50
I expect most have heard the news stories about police (allegedly) using Cessna F406 aircraft for surveillance over south London recently, supposedly to monitor mobile phone communication.
Well, for the last few weeks there's been what looks like a similar Cessna circling over west London too. I've seen it many times and saw it again today orbiting over what I'd guess is the Southall/Greenford/Northolt area. It looks to be at around 8,000 to 10,000 feet, which ties in with the news reports. I notice aircraft and always pay attention to anything unusual, it may be that this just a training flight from RAF Northolt or maybe Denham. But who knows? The police will certainly be most reluctant to reveal anything (especially if it actually is them) and in any case, who's to say it's just the police? There are all sorts of 'security interests' that might be in on the action.
What's that saying? "and pigs might fly"
A Brittan Norman Defender has been in use with the Greater Manchester Constabulary for similar purposes for over three years. I discovered its existence when investigating a series of UFO reports from the region which came to me via my website...
THEY'LL BE UP THERE A LONG TIME TO GET ANYTHING OF INTEREST OFF MY MOBI:eek:
Hampshire Police operate one too, this be theirs:
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/d7c0045a-82e0-47cb-9f21-afb87a0bc3ae.jpg (http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/Sgtgrash/media/d7c0045a-82e0-47cb-9f21-afb87a0bc3ae.jpg.html)
walpurgis
26-07-2014, 23:11
I'm surprised at the (supposed) choice of aircraft. The police use some very low speed planes with big, high aspect ratio wings to do their motorway observation. These things are extremely quiet and have a stall speed of maybe 30 to 40mph. I'd have thought they'd be better suited as not many people would even notice them at that height (I would though). Maybe there is a requirement to carry a lot of heavy radio (and other) equipment, hence the beefier Cessnas. I wonder if they are relaying anything interesting in 'real time'. Probably all encrypted though (but how well?).
walpurgis
26-07-2014, 23:13
THEY'LL BE UP THERE A LONG TIME TO GET ANYTHING OF INTEREST OFF MY MOBI:eek:
Just use invisible (out of optical bandwidth) 'line of sight' laser communication. Nobody gets in on that!
I'm surprised at the (supposed) choice of aircraft. The police use some very low speed planes with big, high aspect ratio wings to do their motorway observation. These things are extremely quiet and have a stall speed of maybe 30 to 40mph. I'd have thought they'd be better suited as not many people would even notice them at that height (I would though). Maybe there is a requirement to carry a lot of heavy radio (and other) equipment, hence the beefier Cessnas. I wonder if they are relaying anything interesting in 'real time'. Probably all encrypted though (but how well?).
From what I discovered Geoff the Defenders roam about at around 15000ft where they can't be heard. They are mainly used for surveillance missions where a helicopter would draw attention to itself due to the lower surveillance ceiling (500ft). The Defenders (there are two) in service with GMC are ex-RAF and are equipped with state of the art optics and sophisticated electronic intelligence gathering equipment.
p.s: You'd be amazed what can be discovered when investigating UFO sightings... ;)
walpurgis
26-07-2014, 23:28
From what I discovered Geoff the Defenders roam about at around 15000ft where they can't be heard. They are mainly used for surveillance missions where a helicopter would draw attention to itself due to the lower surveillance ceiling (500ft). The Defenders (there are two) in service with GMC are ex-RAF and are equipped with state of the art optics and sophisticated electronic intelligence gathering equipment.
I have some useful optics too. I may get the old tripod out and take some shots. Got a multiband tuner too, maybe there's something interesting being forwarded. I suppose I could (in theory) bung it on the PC and try some decryption.
If you can obtain some shots of the plane I would be very interested to see them ;)
walpurgis
26-07-2014, 23:31
I bet there's some nosey (official) arse, has clocked this little lot using 'key word' search and is doing his 'jobsworth' right now to see who can be given a hard time.
I bet there's some nosey (official) arse, has clocked this little lot using 'key word' search and is doing his 'jobsworth' right now to see who can be given a hard time.
I'm used to it... :D
The Grand Wazoo
26-07-2014, 23:40
The Defenders (there are two) in service with GMC are ex-RAF and are equipped with state of the art optics and sophisticated electronic intelligence gathering equipment.
I would be very surprised if the British police force have ever owned a single item that is truly 'state of the art'.
I would be very surprised if the British police force have ever owned a single item that is truly 'state of the art'.
Then surprised you will be Chris, there's much going on about which we are kept in the dark. Shortly after I discovered that GMC had these aircraft they appeared on the GMC website with a description of their mission profile. According to my source (sounding very cloak and dagger now) the description is not complete...
Anyway, that's enough of that ;)
walpurgis
26-07-2014, 23:46
I would be very surprised if the British police force have ever owned a single item that is truly 'state of the art'.
Maybe it's not just them! Anyway, when the Government take a particular interest, money is thrown at situations. Ultimately, there's no accountability to the really deep stuff that goes on and the cost is very secondary. We'd never find out, nor would anybody else. Suspect what you might.
Just use invisible (out of optical bandwidth) 'line of sight' laser communication. Nobody gets in on that!
What ? ... give 'em the churchill V? :lol:
remember getting the treatment in Newry when doing a spray job on a new car park surface. The army used to come over, hover, and take pictures of you and send them off for processing while a squaddie pointed a machine gun at you...quite unnerving tbh, and got a bit tedious after a while...maybe they thought the spray guns were something else.:mental: might add Newry was the worst place I was ever in, and was never at ease. how you get used to such is beyond me....
The aircraft you mention Geoff is a Reims Cessna F406 registration G-UKAL. It's owned by the Met and operated jointly by them and Mi5 to carry out internal anti-terrorism missions. It's based at Farnborough and can roam pretty much over the entire UK.
https://yy2.staticflickr.com/3717/13411959233_04d5326926_z.jpg
Firebottle
27-07-2014, 07:09
Probably all encrypted though (but how well?).
It'll all be digital and very well encrypted. I'd hazard a guess that you would need some SERIOUS kit to try hacking.
Just some of the modern digital modulation techniques are mind boggling :doh:
Some of the most sophisticated comms can hide information below the background noise level so you wouldn't even know something was there.
Cheers, Alan
The Grand Wazoo
27-07-2014, 07:19
Maybe it's not just them! Anyway, when the Government take a particular interest, money is thrown at situations .
Yes, that's kind of what I' m getting at.
I would be very surprised if the British police force have ever owned a single item that is truly 'state of the art'.
Heckler and Koch MP5?
Always been a puzzle to me why the police get better weapons than the army. I suppose they don't need as many but I bet that's not the real reason.
Spectral Morn
27-07-2014, 09:10
One other purpose for the police using planes and helicopters is looking for excessive heat signatures in houses and in particular roofspaces, which is a give away for cannabis growing.
In Ni we are used to low flying planes and helicopters - more recently small drones too - which are used in anti terrorism, crime and drugs detection. At the height of the troubles it was not unusual to see helicopters using very powerful searchlights, which in low cloud or foggy conditions looked very weird, a light but no obvious source.
On one occasion in the early 80s in very heavy fog we were woken up by our house vibrating and oscillating, as we stood outside to see what was going on - the fog mean't we could see nothing - the source of the drone, vibration became clear after awhile. It was a Chinook hovering directly above the house as the double wosh of the two sets of rotor blades eventually stood out from the droning vibration.
Its hard to impart just how odd this experience was before the source of the noise was identified as everything was vibrating and the low drone seemed to energise the entire fog bank above where we lived.
Regards Neil
walpurgis
27-07-2014, 09:23
Police helicopters and air ambulances are part of the scenery here. Just about every day one or the other thunders about overhead at low level.
Police helicopters and air ambulances are part of the scenery here. Just about every day one or the other thunders about overhead at low level.
Sounds idyllic ;)
walpurgis
27-07-2014, 09:47
Sounds idyllic ;)
Oh it is. What with the constant smells of blocked drains, frying onions and wafts of curry in the local air, plus all the rubbish in the streets and settees, fridges and old beds dumped here and there, it all adds to the character of the area. Not to mention all the unemployed 'yoofs' mooching about, looking into cars for stuff to steal and hanging about in quiet corners to smoke their drugs, then of course, at night there are the prostitutes in doorways and on corners in the high street. It's a real charmer of an environment. Nothing that a box of grenades and a flame thrower couldn't deal with though.
Sounds a lot like where I lived in Liverpool in the 'Eighties. The cops had 2 choppers equipped with Nitesun searchilights and they would quite often use them to re-enact scenes from 'Apocolypse Now' right over our house at 3 in the morning. It's a lot more gentrified nowadays.
Don't know whether there is any connection with the interest on surveillance or just coincidence but we live under one of the main London/USA flight paths so we are 'always' hearing and seeing big jets heading north-ish, very high, contrail height. Whilst idly watching one of these the other day I noticed a totally silent, very slim, silver aircraft with very long but thin wings which had vertical wing tips moving in a very straight line south east-ish. The wings were so slim that it was only the fact that the sun was reflecting on the wing tips that made me realise it actually had wings, hence my greater interest. My guess would be a glider but I've never seen one so high or so big (length and wing span) proceeding so steadily on it's way. Gliders are not unusual in our area so I do have many images to compare it with.
Had it not been that I was looking at something else I would not have noticed it. If they can keep something like that in the air for long periods covert observation becomes much more covert.
Just a thought.
Dave..
Oh it is. What with the constant smells of blocked drains, frying onions and wafts of curry in the local air, plus all the rubbish in the streets and settees, fridges and old beds dumped here and there, it all adds to the character of the area. Not to mention all the unemployed 'yoofs' mooching about, looking into cars for stuff to steal and hanging about in quiet corners to smoke their drugs, then of course, at night there are the prostitutes in doorways and on corners in the high street. It's a real charmer of an environment. Nothing that a box of grenades and a flame thrower couldn't deal with though.
Lol! Those sort of vermin need drowning at birth.
Anyway, I honestly don't know how you deal with living amongst that sort of shit though, Geoff... Thank heavens for the clean streets, fresh air and beautiful rural surroundings of North Wales, is all I can say!! ;)
Marco.
walpurgis
27-07-2014, 12:36
Yes, I tend to spot that sort of thing myself. I've no doubt there are high altitude surveillance aircraft in use. Who by and watching whom, who knows? They tend to have very wide wingspans with slim high aspect ratio wing shapes. As per the old American U2 spyplane, which I believe is still in use here and there, 60 years on.
walpurgis
27-07-2014, 12:42
Lol! Those sort of vermin need putting down at birth.
Anyway, I honestly don't know how you deal with living amongst that sort of shit though, Geoff... Thank heavens for the clean streets, fresh air and beautiful rural surroundings of North Wales, is all I can say!! ;)
Marco.
Ha. Just now caught a couple of scumbags dumping an old mattress by my house. They weren't happy when I advanced on them snapping photos and they claimed "everybody else does it". A mention of calling the police had them sticking the offending article back in the van and on their way. They didn't like being called 'useless fucking bastards' either.
Lol - sounds rather eventful round your way!
I'd have followed the scumbags home, in order to find out where they lived, and then later dumped the matress right outside their door, although not before soaking it with pish first!! Brainless no-life wasters like that need taught a proper lesson - and one they'll not forget ;)
Marco.
Life in the Ghetto. An everyday tale....
Actually I don't know if anyone else here has been to South Central L.A but what a disappointment. Wide boulevards, big detached houses with front and back gardens, palm trees, sunshine all day, all year round. I'd love to take a couple of these so called gangstas and drop them off in Moss Side or West Kirby so they could experience life in a real ghetto. Preferably in the depths of winter. I'd let them keep their 'nines' as they would need them to survive ;)
I'd love to take a couple of these so called gangstas and drop them off in Moss Side or West Kirby so they could experience life in a real ghetto.
That's suburbia, mate, compared with somewhere in Glasgow, such as Ruchazie, where they shoot any 'unauthorised intruders' on sight and ask questions later!! I kid you not.... Aye, it's a lovely quaint wee place...
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/743/z8zyA6.jpg
Marco.
Hey all bets are off once you go north of the Border. I wouldn't be so unkind as to subject them to that. Even the Romans couldn't get your lot under control :)
Indeed, although remember that I'm more Roman than Scottish...! ;)
Anyway, when we lived in Scotland, Del used to work for Glasgow City Council, in the IT department, but was also in charge of some of the 'workies', and tales would often be rife in the office about how they would arrive to do a job in some dodgy housing estate or another (known in Glasgow as a 'scheme'), and when they entered the garden of the house where they were due carry out the work, some fucker would start shooting at them because they thought they were bailiffs!!!
I can just see it now, some wee ginger numptie, dressed in his 'corpy' jacket, dodging a hail of bullets, shouting: "Hawd oan mate, drop the gun, wur only here tae fix yer windaes!!"
:lol: :lol:
Marco.
walpurgis
27-07-2014, 14:45
tales would often be rife in the office about how they would arrive to do a job in some dodgy housing estate or another (known in Glasgow as a 'scheme'), and when they entered the garden of the house where they were due to carry out the work, some fucker would start shooting at them because they thought they were bailiffs!!! Marco.
Sounds like a tranquil haven compared to round here. :eyebrows:
walpurgis
27-07-2014, 18:44
Seen circling at about 6000 feet, between Hounslow, Southall, Greenford and maybe into Northolt, West London, much of the afternoon. Note the turned up wingtips. I don't know what this is.
http://i60.tinypic.com/3447fxx.jpg
Not a great shot. Taken at very short notice and it was high, over 5000 feet I reckon. Cropped and re-framed image.
Apparently the same aircraft has been seen doing the same thing over The Isle of Wight. See article three: http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/the-island-life/its-not-natural-justice-and-needs-sorting-out-27145.aspx
Don't recall seeing an Islander with upturned wingtips though.
Saw this too. Is it a new unmanned aerial spy device? :eek:
http://i57.tinypic.com/334uo3k.jpg
That Geoff is a Brittan Norman Islander (civilian version) or Defender (military spec). From the narrowness of the engine nacelles my guess is that it is a Defender as they come equipped with Allison turboprops. Most civilian versions are equipped with twin Lycoming piston engines, although not all... :)
walpurgis
28-07-2014, 10:52
There you go. Looks like I may have been right. Even though it's not a Cessna F406.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1041011/MI5-launch-spy-sky-UK-manhunt-British-Taliban-fought-Afghanistan.html
I wonder if their main concern is another outbreak of rioting in London during the warm weather? The last time they started spontaneously but they may be concerned that fith coulmnists may be trying to orchestrate some new ones, hence the cellphone monitoring.
Typical Mail inaccuracies, it's a Defender although I am being a mite pedantic.. :)
walpurgis
28-07-2014, 12:30
hence the cellphone monitoring.
I wouldn't be inclined to think that is all that's being monitored.
Techno Commander
28-07-2014, 16:39
Dont need an aircraft to monitor cell phonies. They could just as easily tap into the networks servers.
walpurgis
28-07-2014, 18:48
Dont need an aircraft to monitor cell phonies. They could just as easily tap into the networks servers.
So what might they be doing? They've been up there most days, for extended periods.
This is the sort of kit one might expect to find in the planes we've been discussing in this thread:
http://theaviationist.com/2013/05/29/mc12w-video/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQDmt4CiY2I
walpurgis
11-08-2014, 09:55
They're at it again. The Defender was circling over the Greenford area (West London) half an hour ago.
You want to get yourself a quadcopter and go film them right back... :lol:
walpurgis
29-08-2014, 19:54
They're at it again. The Defender was circling over the Greenford area (West London) half an hour ago.
Much continuous activity seems to be going on. Anything to do with the terrorism security condition warning being raised to 'Severe', I wonder.
walpurgis
25-04-2015, 17:41
The government 'spyplanes' have been very active recently. That little Britten-Norman Defender has been buzzing about, day and night over west London a lot. It was over the Ealing and Greenford area earlier today. It's quite distinctive in appearance and the sound it makes is unique amongst any air traffic around here, so there's no mistaking it. I wonder who they're listening out for at the moment.
southall-1998
25-04-2015, 17:45
The government 'spyplanes' have been very active recently. That little Britten-Norman Defender has been buzzing about, day and night over west London a lot. It was over the Ealing and Greenford area earlier today. It's quite distinctive in appearance and the sound it makes is unique amongst any air traffic around here, so there's no mistaking it. I wonder who they're listening out for at the moment.
They are missing me, Geoff...:D
S.
Anthony K
25-04-2015, 21:45
They have been using surveillance copters and drones over SW London for the last 10 years
walpurgis
25-04-2015, 21:55
They have been using surveillance copters and drones over SW London for the last 10 years
Yeah. The Defender is specialised though, it monitors WiFi and other 'private' communications.
walpurgis
24-06-2015, 17:34
The jolly old 'Government Spyplane' has been busy today, droning back and forth over West London (North Ealing area I reckon). It's definitely them, that little silver twin turboprop Defender plane has an unmistakable sound.
walpurgis
15-08-2015, 11:14
Something was going on last night. The little Britten Norman Defender/Islander government spyplane was zooming about all over Southall and surrounding areas at low level all night.
See last paragraph: http://www.spyflight.co.uk/defender.htm
Most unusual to have this aircraft at low level. Normally it's at about 6000 feet and barely audible, difficult to spot too.
There's no doubt in my mind that's what was buzzing about. This is too close to Heathrow for small private planes of the kind to be permitted to bomb about all night. Especially in the same area. And it went on for many hours. The plane also has a distinctive note to it. Mainly a whining propellor rasp as opposed to engine sound, making it easy to identify.
They (whoever the mysterious 'they' are) may not like this being publicised. Tough! They shouldn't be so bloody obvious. Use a quieter plane!
walpurgis
22-03-2016, 21:11
The 'secret' government spyplane has been on the go rather a lot today.
Probably something to do with the Brussels situation, although it is a regular sight around this area.
I suspect that if I go out in the garden I'll hear it still whining around in big circles at about 8000 feet. The sound is very distinctive.
Here are links again, in case anybody thinks this is all 'hot air'. The base, Northolt is only about five miles away.
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/defender.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1041011/MI5-launch-spy-sky-UK-manhunt-British-Taliban-fought-Afghanistan.html
Had a chopper flying around for last 3 days here... its an odd shaped one too...
southall-1998
22-03-2016, 22:02
Had a chopper flying around for last 3 days here... its an odd shaped one too...
Penis shaped?
S.
Penis shaped?
S.
only if you need an injection ;)
walpurgis
18-04-2017, 23:24
The jolly old 'Government Spyplane' has been busy today, droning back and forth over West London (North Ealing area I reckon). It's definitely them, that little silver twin turboprop Defender plane has an unmistakable sound.
Same again. There must be something on. This surveillance plane has been circling about over west London all day. It's still up there right now orbiting around. I'll try and grab some photos tomorrow. A couple of these are based about five miles away at Northolt.
Dynamics
27-04-2017, 20:02
Same again. There must be something on. This surveillance plane has been circling about over west London all day. It's still up there right now orbiting around. I'll try and grab some photos tomorrow. A couple of these are based about five miles away at Northolt.
Load up flight radar on your phone etc, and you will get a registration and type and you can then google the owner. If the plane has an appropriate transponder that ties in with the flight radar transponder type, it will be visible on the flight radar map.
The gliding club I belong to uses flight radar if planes fly too low over the airfield with the cables around etc. They can then report to the owner and caa.
Just a thought. It could be ordnance survey etc maybe?
southall-1998
28-04-2017, 15:07
If I had 1 hour left to live. I'll have the pleasure in sticking my middle finger up at one :D
S.
If I had 1 hour left to live. I'll have the pleasure in sticking my middle finger up at one :D
S.
With only an hour left I'd stick my vast arse in the air and show them my " special " eye hahaha
southall-1998
28-04-2017, 16:25
With only an hour left I'd stick my vast arse in the air and show them my " special " eye hahaha
Ungracious :lol:
S.
walpurgis
26-05-2017, 10:37
Unsurprisingly, aerial surveillance has been evident for the last few days. The watchers are busy!.
The police have Cessna aircraft and 'others' use Britten Norman Defenders.
Old article on police planes.
Mystery plane circles over London sparking surveillance rumours | London Evening Standard
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/mystery-plane-circles-london-sparking-surveillance-rumours-9623518.html
Info on planes used at Northolt airfield.
http://www.freebrits.co.uk/spy_in_the_sky.html
It is the Britten Norman Defenders I keep seeing, circling round and around for ages at about 10,000 feet and they can be heard purring along softly at night. They are pretty quiet but have a distinctive sound. I do spot an occasional Cessna, but that may have nothing to do with this (or does it?).
Haselsh1
27-05-2017, 09:16
I was always told that mobile phone communications, text messages and emails were scanned and monitored by RAF Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire. These people are connected to the NSA and scan all messages for key words looking out for just about anything. I can't imagine what a Defender aircraft would be doing circling around at ten thousand feet.
Tracking the movements of people?
raf waddington used to use them. probably still does. great aircraft for purpose and can stay aloft for some time
walpurgis
27-05-2017, 09:52
I can't imagine what a Defender aircraft would be doing circling around at ten thousand feet.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1541469/Aircraft-that-eavesdrop-on-conversations.html
The Defender is quite easy to identify in flight, even at altitude, due to the distinctive turned up wingtips. I see them regularly.
walpurgis
31-05-2017, 21:49
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1541469/Aircraft-that-eavesdrop-on-conversations.html
The Defender is quite easy to identify in flight, even at altitude, due to the distinctive turned up wingtips. I see them regularly.
Just been out in the garden and this little plane is circling round and round over Ealing at its usual altitude, about 8000 feet I reckon, doing orbits about four miles wide. It's quiet, but the sound is easy to recognise from the distinctive prop rasp and faint turbine exhaust 'whoosh', nothing else flying around here sounds anything like it. They must have a lot to monitor at the moment.
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