Hercules flights over Midlands
 

During the past year or so there has been an ever increasing number of C130 flights headed East - West or vice versa over where we live (East Northants) at what I would say was a fairly low level (a few thousand feet), so seemingly approaching or climbing from an airfield. We do not live on any regular RAF flight path.

My Dad reckons that they're heading into and out of Birmingham airport to medevac wounded soldiers to the Military hospital in nearby Selly Oak. Does anyone live near Birmingham who could verify that? If true it's a rather sad development because the frequency has gone up from 2 - 3 per week to as much as 1 - 2 per day. In fact we even had a VC-10 doing the same thing yesterday. I would imagine we're too far North for RAF Brize Norton or Lyneham.

I would be interested if anyone knows the true story. It wouldn't be the first time my Dad had been wrong about something! :Whatever_

Sounds as though he could well be right. I think that may even be the last military hospital as such left now!

Les

I'd say an almost certainly, especially if you have the C 17 Globemaster coming in. Thats used as the urgent emergancy air ambulance.

We get them as well over the south end of Rushden -I assumed they are from Alconbury and are climbing. They always seem to pass over the old Chelveston base.

Chinooks have also become more common and what I assume are jaguars still do low passes, all on this same line.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there's been any flying activity at Alconbury for years. The Americans use Mildenhall for their transport aircraft and don't operate our old VC10's so it can't be them. I too have seen the occasional low-level (relatively) high-speed Hercules sortie over Chelveston, so I guess they are combat training flights, but the flights I mentioned above are on a daily basis, several thousand feet up and just cruising.

As for Jaguars, the RAF stopped flying them in 2007. Most of the noisy stuff we get is Tornados.

Our old VC10's are good for many years yet and are still popular with those who fly in them as passengers.

Les :)

I live over near Junct 16 of the M1 and I've noticed this too.

I don't spend much time in the town during the week, but I have seen a few Hecules fliying low towards birmingham. Chinooks are becoming almost common!

Wonder why they are short of those in Afghanistan then!

Les

I can see the take off path from BHX - see them climbing out from my office window at a 1000ft or less

Have never seen anything military coming out of BHX..... plenty of Thomas Cook & First Choice tho..... lol.

Come to work & home on M6 - the flight approach is over the Fort Dunlop, never seen anything military coming in either.....?

Open your eyes then.
Plenty of RAF C-17 transports dropping off the wounded for transport to Selly Oak Hospital in the fleet of awaiting ambulances.

I thought the injured soldiers get flown into Headley Court (by helicopter) so i'd have assumed the transport planes would have landed in the south-east somewhere?

Not much on the web about this but I did find this link to University Hospitals Birmingham site regarding Aeromed (Medevac) operations:

http://www.uhb.nhs.uk/newsarchive/20...recognised.htm

It states:

"The job entails a huge amount of teamwork, and this could not have been achieved without the cooperation and immense support from West Midlands Ambulance Service, University Hospitals Birmingham and Birmingham International Airport.""

Headley Court is for medical rehabilitation training etc. after the surgeons have put the blokes back together again!

Les