Mode S code 000000 !

[CoastGuardJon]

Hi Malc, and the Lightning a climb rate of 50,000+ feet per minute, with a ceiling of some 87,500 (unofficially), over 90,000 there's not enough Oxygen in the air for combustion, without an on-board source!    One of the best display routines ever that turn from the horizontal to vertical, light them up and spiral upwards until out of sight, although you could still hear it.

[malc41]

Jon

Now you are talking about a proper aircraft or was it rocket? :-)

[GlynH]

Great memories of the Lightning displaying at RAF Gaydon many years ago when my Dad took me to the airshow.

Barrelling down the runway and then standing on its tail heading skyward like a Saturn V

Sadly now all three gone...:-(

Kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

[malc41]

Great days GlynH..happy memories

[CoastGuardJon]

Sadly now all three gone...:-(

Have the South African Air Force retired their's now, I know they were still flying them until a couple of years or so ago?

[DaveReid]

Have the South African Air Force retired their's now, I know they were still flying them until a couple of years or so ago?

Aren't the South African-based Lightnings privately owned?

AFAIK, the SAAF has never operated the type.

[GlynH]

Privately owned and still going - you can even get a ride in one if you paid the money I believe.

A friend of mine was also the Project Manager who were restoring a Lightning to flight in the US because they figured it would be easier to get a Permit to Fly than it would be over here.

Haven't heard much about this for quite a while now.

ISTR mentioning this in an earlier post around here somewhere or was I dreaming? ;^)

Here is some more info;

http://www.lightning422supporters.co.uk/

http://www.warbirdalley.com/ltning.htm

Kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

[RodBearden]

A bit more grist for this mill - 000000 with a callsign, it's changing squawk very often - in the last five minutes it's been squawking 2461,3365, 6101, 0136 as well as 6657. Mostly no altitude is showing, but the screenshot shows 17300ft.

Rod