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Wales Online
Wales Online
World
Josh Sandiford & Jamie Barwick

Rare RAF 'radar jet' pictured over the skies of Birmingham

A reported Royal Air Force "radar jet" was spotted flying over Birmingham this afternoon. Local residents scrambled outside to catch a glimpse of the rare aircraft amid multiple sightings.

It comes in the wake of a flurry of unusual air activity in and around Birmingham Airport this month. Just last week a whale-shaped Airbus Beluga had landed at the Solihull air hub after crew flagged a technical issue in mid-air on March 3.

Many locals rushed outside to take pictures of the plane. And one stunned member of the public said: "It's not every day you get to see one of these."

One person reported seeing the "large air force radar jet" over their flat in Birmingham on its way to Birmingham Airport. It was also spotted in Tile Cross. Collin Perryman, who runs carpet shop Walk On Flooring, saw the aircraft at around 3.30 pm.

And Daniel Clarke, a marketing manager and trainee pilot also took to Twitter with a snap. He said: "The aircraft is a Boeing E-3D of the RAF. It is the first time I think we’ve had one of those fly over us into BHX."

He added: "I’m studying to get my private pilot's licence so it’s always been something that has had my interest. The RAF seem to have been doing it more and more over the last couple of years. They basically perform a ‘touch and go’ manoeuvre on the runway."

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