Tappan From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 1538 posts, RR: 46 Posted (13 years 6 months 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 674 times:
I have noticed,and photographed-on this site,that during the same time frame daily (between 3:15pm and 4:00pm) the same 3 or 4 planes fly( in consecutive order and in increments of approx 2 minutes and from the Northeast to the Southwest) very high over Boston (35,000ft and above). I have been able to identify a British Airways 747 then, like clockwork, a few minutes later a Virgin 747-400. Is their anyway or anybody that can tell me where they are flying to/from?? I have not been able to pick them up on my scanner (Boston Center) yet. But the Vapor trails are strong and the big lens I am using dictates that they are very, very high. Thanks, Tappan
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 1, posted (13 years 6 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 578 times:
You can probably already figure it out with the clues you have. If they are both planes that fly trans Atlantic, and are 747's from BA and VA, and headed southwest, use a little geography, and airline knowlege.They are almost certainly coming from LHR and/or LGW. What cities are southwest of Boston, and are served by both BA and VA? Only one that comes to mind is Los Angeles. That means that you are seeing planes going from London to Los Angeles. If they were going to SFO, and you can see them from BOS, they would have been heading in more of a "west-south-west" pattern.
BA and VA planes going to Australia/Asia would almost certainly fly EAST from LHR and LGW.
Anyone care to challenge this?
MIKEYYZ From Canada, joined Aug 2011, 0 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (13 years 6 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 573 times:
Well since it's BA and Virgin they are probably coming from London probably LHR. And where they are going to, what i do is find out the flight number's of BA and Virgin flights that fly LON to the American Eastern sea board and when you see them fly overhead connect to the flight tracker and enter the flight numbers you think that they might be LON-JFK, LON-EWR,LON-ATL and when you see the plane over the boston area that's the flight you were looking at. The vapour trail doesn't always mean that they are very, very high, but most of the time it does.
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6465 posts, RR: 8 Reply 4, posted (13 years 6 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 565 times:
As I recall BA flies nonstop to DFW and MEX, and of course IAD. These are all possibilities; I think if they were still at FL350 the New York area is out. I'd say DEN-PHX are unlikely and LAX-SFO are unlikelier.
Tappan From United States of America, joined Oct 1999, 1538 posts, RR: 46 Reply 6, posted (13 years 6 months 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 561 times:
Thanks all for the insightful answers...if interseted, the photos in question are #55069,#54520,#54519 all very high over Boston's Logan International Airport...Photographed with a 1200mm lens. Thanks, Tappan
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6465 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (13 years 6 months 5 hours ago) and read 549 times:
Turns out that BA's flight to DFW is a 777, so that's out. BA flies 747's to ATL, IAH, IAD, MEX (MoWeFr only), MIA and MCO; VS 747's go to MIA and MCO. Flights from Europe to MIA and MCO usually pass southeast of New York City while the others are usually northwest of NYC, and maybe the divergence is visible at Boston.
They should be easy to hear on your scanner, but dunno what the high-altitude ATC freq is there. Fairly soon after passing Boston the westbound Florida flights should be on 124.525 and the others should be on 125.575.
Scooter From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 837 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (13 years 6 months 4 hours ago) and read 545 times:
First off, good pics! I love to see variety like that...
Anyway, if those aircraft were LAX/SFO/PHX/DEN bound, they would usually enter North America over Canada. So...they were probably traveling to cities east of ORD. Even then, if they were ORD bound, they would be flying much farther north than BOS. These were probably flights to either: JFK, EWR, IAD, MCO, ATL, or MIA. TPA, maybe?
Flyf15 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (13 years 6 months ago) and read 539 times:
The flights to Flordia go by Boston hundreds of miles out to sea. The best to do would be to call up Boston center with the exact time and ask them. Denver Intl has been very happy to help me with questions that I have had very similar to this.
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