A P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft has been conducting routine training in and around Glasgow International Airport.
The aircraft appears to undertaking ‘touch and go’ training.
This is ZP805 coming in to land at the airport through heavy fog. pic.twitter.com/M8PwZYUVD3
— George Allison (@geoallison) January 14, 2022
A ‘touch and go’ landing involves landing on a runway and taking off again without coming to a full stop, with the pilot then usually circling the airport in a ‘circuit’ pattern to repeat the manoeuvre.
Doing so allows for many landings to be practised in a short time period.
What does P-8 do?
According to the Royal Air Force website, Boeing’s Poseidon MRA1 (P-8A) is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with sensors and weapons systems for anti-submarine warfare, as well as surveillance and search and rescue missions.
“The Poseidon’s comprehensive mission system features an APY-10 radar with modes for high-resolution mapping, an acoustic sensor system, including passive and multi-static sonobuoys, electro-optical/IR turret and electronic support measures (ESM). This equipment delivers comprehensive search and tracking capability, while the aircraft’s weapons system includes torpedoes for engaging sub-surface targets.”
The UK has nine of these aircraft.
Do they do touch and go in Iceland or further north Svarbald? Svarbald is about 2,400km from Lossie so just slightly over combat range so would reduce time on station, but comfortable as a flight there and back.
Old fashioned “Circuits and Bumps”, (nothing to see here), ex 737s’.
So a Boeing 737-800 is doing touch and go landings at Glasgow Airport?
Glasgow airport must be quiet. Would of thought prestwick would of been preferred
So the final Poseidon has been delivered. Seems hard to believe that Cameron binned the Nimrod nearly 12 years ago!
Truth be told “if ever” MRA4 didn’t work, and was over budget and over time. BAEs tried to force the Uk Govs to fund more money. for development of the onboard systems.
UKGovs played hardball and BAEs threw their toys out the Pram and a huge pissing contest started between Uk Govs and BAEs.
End Result took out.
MRA4
Harrier Force
Invincible Class
As BAes removed the service life from the Harrier Fleet due to the Asbestos Within the airframes.
Grounded the MRA4 airframes
Removed service facilities on the gearboxes for the Invincible Class carriers,
So hence all BAEs contracts were canceled and lost their preferred contractor status,
but it will never come to light but the spike in the tail P8s systems is based around the MRA4 systems developed by Boeing.