Current Day Aviation Activity Over Mulbarton
The days of the skies over Mulbarton full of B-17’s and B-24’s are long gone. In deed the cutback in recent years following the end of the cold war and fall of the Berlin Wall has also seen a rapid decline in more modern Military types in our skies with the once common sightings of F4s F111s, A10s and Jaguars now distant memories.
However there is still a great deal of aerial activity over the village to keep us turning our heads to the skies :-
Miltary Aviation
United States Military
With the twin bases of Lakenheath and Mildenhall over the boarder in Suffolk we are able to gain regular sightings of their based aircraft .
The F15E Strike Eagles from Lakenheath are often seen (and heard !) returning from missions or occasionally enjoying a dogfight at high level .
The KC135R refuelling tankers from Mildenhall are also seen climbing out or returning to base. However the more commonly seen based aircraft are the MC130 Hercules which are a regular sight in the evenings doing their low level training sorties to and from the STANTA training area in Breckland.
Transiting cargo aircraft to both bases are also seen , depending on wind directions – types being the large C5 Galaxy (with a distinctive engine whine) and the Modern C17 Globemaster .
The village is also close to a Military airway and the C5 , C17 and the rarer KC10 types are seen on a daily basis (subject to clear skies !!) leaving a Con-Trail as they transit to and from the USA to mainland Europe at high level.
UK Military
The cut back in defence spending has reduced Norfolk and Suffolk to just one active base each - the Tornado base Marham has the most based aircraft in the UK with 4 Tornado Squadrons. Despite this even the Tornado is a rare sight over the village with only a fleeting glimpse as they sometimes roar through fast and low to the south of the village.
The Army Air Corps has a Helicopter base at Wattisham – occasional sightings of the Gazelle, Lynx and more modern Apache helicopters are sometimes seen (and heard) especially when they are on exercise. The based Sea King Search and Rescue helicopters are also seen when tasked to attend a callout on the North Norfolk coast.
Other UK military types seen are the Hawk and Tucano Trainers which can be seen low and fast to the south of the village.
Civil Aviation
Whilst there have major cutbacks in Miltary aviation , the reverse can be said for civil aviation. With nearby Norwich Airport now firmly established as a major regional airport together and the growth in light aviation from the many airfields in the county many different types of civil aircraft tare regularly seen over the village.
Hot Air BAlloons
With the reduction in Military traffic, and lots of places to land – especially after Harvest , Hot Air Balloons are now a common sight given calm weather first thing in the morning or in the evening .
The balloons seen are mainly the Large Commercial Balloons that take-off from near the UEA in Norwich or from various sites in Wymondham – these balloons can carry approx15 people and always catch the eye of those of us on the ground. There are also a small number of privately owned balloons in the area and these can often be seen flying on their own or in the company of their larger brothers
General Aviation
There are many light aircraft based at airfields in the county - those nearer to the village include Seething, Tibenham and Old Buckenham – all old WWII airfields.
Many different types of aircraft can be seen ranging from the more common Cessna and Piper variants to the more basic microlights through to the high performance Aerobatic Aircraft. Memories of days gone by are evoked by sightings of the Tiger Moth and Stearman biplanes that are also locally based as well as the P51 Mustang from nearby Hardwick.
You are more likely to see these aircraft at weekends and during the summer evenings.
One must not forget the East Anglian Air Ambulance that is (all too often) to be seen rushing towards Norwich.
Commercial Aviation
Although Norwich airport is some 10 miles to the North of the village, as schedule services increase more and more airliners can be seen routing to and from the airport., again depending on wind direction and their routing to join the airways system.
Flybe is the major operator at Norwich using the Dash8 –400 Turbo prop and the EMB190 and BA146 Jet liners. These together with the Boeing and Airbus on charter and scheduled services are also regularly seen over the village.
A range of different types can also be seen going to and from the airport - ranging from smaller corporate jets to helicopters and light aircraft.
On clear days and given the right atmospheric conditions con trails of airliners can be seen over or to the north of the village. These in the main belong to airliners using the Airways system - that runs above the North Norfolk coast.
Summary
The above is just a general oversight of what can be seen regularly from around the village. Given the very nature of aviation – there will always be surprises and unexpected sightings of different aircraft that are transiting or visiting nearby airfields.
Why not join the Mulbarton Aviation Club and share your sightings with us !
To see Keith's photos of aircraft both local and international click on the link below