Comings and goings at Leeds Bradford airport yesterday

Post by **Croggy1** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 11:46 am

"That" helicopter has just flown over LS15 again.Any more ideas what it is?

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 12:25 pm

Croggy1 wrote: "That" helicopter has just flown over LS15 again.Any more ideas what it is? I've seen it too, hovering quite high for ages about 10.30.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 12:47 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: After noticing the plane I thought was in a waiting loop landing at the airport, I took more of an interest and noticed all planes coming into Leeds did the same thing. It was especially noticeable last night, it was very clear, and the plane warning lights stood out very well. As I went to bed at 1 a.m the airport was still busy, even at that time three planes landed one after another. On looking out of the window I could see three plane lights flashing over Leeds at the same time, they were all going in different directions, and on first glance you would have thought they were going to different places. But I watched everyone of them do the same thing. It seems the flight path into Leeds brings the planes in somewhere around the Gildersome/Morley direction, then they do a turn and head across Leeds, in a direction you would think the planes were actually leaving Leeds. They then do another turn in the Cross Green/Rothwell area and come straight into Leeds in a straight line which brings them roughly over St James hospital, they keep that straight line till they land at the airport. I guess you'd never notice this flight path if you didn't have a good skyline view. The sketch above isn't to scale of course, just a general idea of the flight path into Leeds. I think you may have a large element of forshortening there in the same way that the emley moor mast appeared to be much closer on another thread and the Sheffield fire on this. Although it will vary on wind strength and direction, from experience, the turn before final approach is usually in the area between Stanley and Altofts/Normanton. The track then brushes the Outwood/Lofthouse border and on over the northern end of Bell Isle and Hunslet. You have found pretty much the rest of the track. Having just watched a Ryanair plane inbound from Milan on flightradar you may be surprised to know that the initial right turn from northbound to pretty much eastbound was actually over Dewsbury.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 12:55 pm

Double post.

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 1:11 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: I think you may have a large element of forshortening there in the same way that the emley moor mast appeared to be much closer on another thread and the Sheffield fire on this. Although it will vary on wind strength and direction, from experience, the turn before final approach is usually in the area between Stanley and Altofts/Normanton. The track then brushes the Outwood/Lofthouse border and on over the northern end of Bell Isle and Hunslet. You have found pretty much the rest of the track. Having just watched a Ryanair plane inbound from Milan on flightradar you may be surprised to know that the initial right turn from northbound to pretty much eastbound was actually over Dewsbury. Yes obviously, I had said it wasn't to scale. The main point of the diagram was to show how the planes curved their way in to Leeds, instead of coming in at a straight line. If I had zoomed the map out any further to make it more accurate, it would have made no sense at all, except for a red curve of a line. I had tried to explain the direction they are heading, and where they turn roughly. I'm sure we all know real jets are not like a model plane turning on a sixpence Redone for better accuracy.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 1:31 pm

Odd that, given that LBA's practically next door. Never noticed any of that.I experienced 'forshortening' in the sea near Whitby, bitterly cold that day, should never have gone in The line looks about right, I lived off Spen Ln years back and we'd track them with binocs from being a tiny light to picking up the rail line opposite Kirkstall Abbey.

whitecoatboy · Post by **whitecoatboy** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 4:21 pm

blue chopper over bramley now 15.21pm just hovering about!

stutterdog · Post by **stutterdog** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 4:30 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: Phill_dvsn wrote: tyke bhoy wrote: I think you may have a large element of forshortening there in the same way that the emley moor mast appeared to be much closer on another thread and the Sheffield fire on this. Although it will vary on wind strength and direction, from experience, the turn before final approach is usually in the area between Stanley and Altofts/Normanton. The track then brushes the Outwood/Lofthouse border and on over the northern end of Bell Isle and Hunslet. You have found pretty much the rest of the track. Having just watched a Ryanair plane inbound from Milan on flightradar you may be surprised to know that the initial right turn from northbound to pretty much eastbound was actually over Dewsbury. Yes obviously, I had said it wasn't to scale. The main point of the diagram was to show how the planes curved their way in to Leeds, instead of coming in at a straight line. If I had zoomed the map out any further to make it more accurate, it would have made no sense at all, except for a red curve of a line. I had tried to explain the direction they are heading, and where they turn roughly. I'm sure we all know real jets are not like a model plane turning on a sixpence Redone for better accuracy. I have an excellent view over towards Horsforth and can see lots of aircraft landin and taking off on clear days Then some days I don't see many at all and presume this could be down to the direction the wind is blowing. I've had experience of this myself when I go to Tenerife in Jan. for the last 6 years, sometimes the plane flies south over England and sometimes it goes west over the Irish sea then towards Cork.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 4:36 pm

whitecoatboy wrote: blue chopper over bramley now 15.21pm just hovering about! Saw that from up here and assumed it was ring road Lawnswood.It then went up towards Cookridge, and was last seen going outbound Otley Rd

whitecoatboy · Post by **whitecoatboy** » Mon 15 Jul, 2013 4:40 pm

could be a new google earth heli view or something?