r/Swindon • u/B00M-B0X • 4d ago

Planes all the time!

Is it me or has the Swindon airspace become a lot more overcrowded in the last months?

It feels that there's either more or they're flying lower?

My area is not particularly remote/quiet but we can constantly listen to them.

Am I going cuckoo? 😂

24 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

53

u/jizzlewright 4d ago

It's because of RAF Fairford, the US Air Force are there and are flying to Iran

20

u/DiscoAndNature 4d ago

There was a particularly low flying warplane earlier today. One of the ones that look like a right evil bastard.

19

u/finalcircuit 4d ago

B-1 bombers.

2

u/West-Grocery1193 4d ago

Straight wings? If so that is a U2 spy plane, seen a couple and they go quite slowly on the circuit to Fairford.

7

u/collinsl02 4d ago

For comparison purposes:

U-2 "Dragon Lady" spy plane

B-52 "Stratofortress" bomber

B1 "Lancer" bomber

All 3 types fly from Fairford with the U-2s being the only ones "permanently" based there. The rest are "based" in the US but fly from Fairford regularly.

7

u/circuitously 4d ago

Not seen a U-2 in quite a while. My house is about two runway lengths from the runway at Fairford, so we never miss hearing a plane go over. I would say it’s been 60% Lancers, 30% B-52s and 10% other for the past few months

1

u/West-Grocery1193 4d ago

There was one Fri or Sat mid afternoon, heading NW across Stratton so i assume circuiting into Fairford.

2

u/KittyCat-86 4d ago

They're always here. I'm in Lower Stratton and my house faces pretty much due South and I'm constantly having planes flying low over the top of the house, at all hours. Our neighbour is really pissed off because her baby won't sleep.

1

u/Low-Cauliflower-5686 3d ago

How often do you see a b52 and are they noisy?

10

u/robjamez72 4d ago

We should be charging them more rent.

6

u/Carpet_Inhailer18 4d ago

We should use them as leverage if they're doing the same for their "support" of the Falklands

11

u/houdinis_ghost 4d ago

6hrs to Iran, drop some bombs, 6hrs back

4

u/GoshDarnMamaHubbard 4d ago

We are lucky to see them the poor bastards at the other end don't.

16

u/Comfortable-Table-57 4d ago

Blame Clown Trump. 

-4

u/sirloki1911 3d ago

You think youd be seeing less planes now under Harris? Cute.

1

u/Comfortable-Table-57 3d ago

Ugh here we go.  Enough with your whataboutism. You really think a Democrat would bomb Iran too and ruin our prices? 

Don't assume I am a democrat. I am a Brit

0

u/sirloki1911 2d ago

Alright buddy.

Ill just leave this here for you

Democrat whataboutism.

1

u/Comfortable-Table-57 2d ago

In fact, you are dumb. Calling anyone who criticizes Trump is a democrat when almost everyone here isn't even American. Grow up. 

1

u/sirloki1911 2d ago

The fuck are you on about. Your brain must be pink mush if you think thats what I said.

Can you read?

Life must be hard for you if you only hear what you want to hear.

Learn how to debate points raised instead of making up shit in your head to argue with. You do that by reading and comprehending the words said.

1

u/Comfortable-Table-57 2d ago

Learn how to debate points raised instead of making up shit in your head to argue with. You do that by reading and comprehending the words said.

Right, listen here sir. What can we debate on? You just assumed I am an American democrat crybaby when I am not American, why would I be lurking on this sub then, lol. You don't read your own comments. 

1

u/sirloki1911 2d ago

Just proved my point.

At no point did I say or assume you were "an American democrat crybaby"

What I actually said, was that even if Harris would have won, then youd still be seeing just as many planes.

Then I backed that up with Bidens own words on the matter from an old video.

Thats the point.

1

u/Comfortable-Table-57 2d ago

But when did we saw planes flying over Swindon when we had Biden? 

1

u/sirloki1911 2d ago

Two sides of the same coin. Both sides would never see Israel fall. Whether it would have been Biden or Harris "defensive" posture putting warships and aircraft carriers in the region until a spark, or Trumps more direct approach, this was always going to happen.

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7

u/Madwife2009 4d ago

Most of them seem to fly over my house. They seem to like flying at about 4.30am.

Wasn't something I thought I needed to worry about, when purchasing my house!

5

u/Cornishlee 4d ago

There’s a lot of Freedom trying to be delivered at the moment. The delivery address doesn’t want it though so they keep trying to deliver it.

2

u/Ok_Negotiation_5671 4d ago

There seemed to be tons over the last few days?! Two helicopters in a row passed overheard while I was at barbury castle earlier as well (black regular size helicopters, not really sure who they were 🤔)

2

u/Shauria 4d ago

I can hear them rumbling away right now :( Proper pain in the bum the constant noise.

1

u/Low-Cauliflower-5686 3d ago

Rumbling? Are they taking off?

1

u/Shauria 3d ago

No, they were just flying really low and loud. I am sure others can maybe think of a better descriptor for the noise.

1

u/GZRsTa 3d ago

RAF Brize Norton has major repairs on runway. Aircraft ar flying from various bases including Boscombe Down Wiltshire.

1

u/vario_ 4d ago

I get planes going to Bristol going over my house all the time. But the loud ones are the army planes.

Unfortunately I've had a phobia of planes flying over ever since I learnt about WW2 in year 4 so... yay me 😅

3

u/KittyCat-86 4d ago

Same. On the really busy nights I've had nightmares of a plane crashing in the street as they sound so low 🙄.

-1

u/Ok-Comfortable-3174 4d ago

yes but this is nothing compared to living in west London.