We just had 3 jet aircraft, each around the size of an 80 seater commercial airliner, flying over our house, very low, probably below the 2000ft floor, flying due west.

Now a fourth. I wonder what they’re doing?

Now 3 military jets – perhaps tornado’s.

And another – I reckon they may be practcing for the big Sea Britain thing in Portsmouth later this month. There was a similar spectacle a few years back where we enjoyed Harriers flying down our road at stupidly low altitudes,

Now two harriers – practicing refuelling under a huge liner I think a VC10, one under each wing, clever boys.

Next up two groups of two, I think tornado’s again, in close formation.

Then another of the first aircraft that came over – they have two engines on each wing both inset into the wing and close to the fusilage. I wonder what they are. Aha, Nimrods.

There’s now a Chinook doing things that appear to deft gravity all around the harbour and making large banked turns over the Rudmore roundabout.

Now 5 helecopters going north performing some kind of a low level stuff, overflown by one of the Nimrods.

Then another refuelling rig with two jets having a drink.

And four tornado’s with their wings swept forward – all doing a fairly slow flypast.

These things are all flying incredibly low and their shadows are passing over my back garden so the effect is quite enveloping.

Looks like one of the helecopters is doing a landing of some sort. I think I can see a Merlin (EH-101) swooping in to use it’s submarine-finding plonker, or it could be a Sea King, where the planes are flying east-west the helicopters are going south-north. Looks like Apache’s in front followed by the more lumbering utility craft.

10 minutes later I can still hear helicopters, but private aircraft are overhead again now so that’s probably the end of today’s noise and excitement.

Checking on the RAF website both Chinook and Merlin are due here this time next week – I do hope this is a practice and they haven’t got their calendar wrong .

Aha – more information – I think it was probably a rehearsal for Operation Swift Strike. Which would make sense because Whale Island is due west of my house

Also due a week today are the Red Arrows, an Avro Lanc., a couple of spitfires … etc….