Us-registered plane spotted flying unusual flight pattern
IT WAS FLYING IN UNIFORM LINES ACROSS THE REGION
A PLANE has been flying over East Yorkshire on Wednesday in a strange and uniform manner sparking speculation it could be employed by Google or Apple.
The fixed wing Jetprop plane has been flying in straight lines right across the Humber and appears to be scanning Hull and East Yorkshire northwards.
The plane, registered in the US with the code N980AE, left an airfield in Oxfordshire yesterday morning and has been flying in straight lines from around Gilberdyke to Holderness.
Such is the flight pattern, it suggests the area is being photographed for aerial images.
Aviation enthusiasts who noticed the strange pattern speculated about it on Twitter. Adam Jennison, from Hessle, tweeted: “Interesting. It looks like Hull is getting scanned. Lidar?”
This is not the first time the aircraft has been spotted flying in such a manner.
Last year, Czech media reported similar patterns above the cities of Prague and Brno.
An article in Zive suggested it might be “taking a picture for a big player” and reckoned it might be working for Apple or Google.
It was also noted the type of plane is used by scientists at NOAA.
According to the FAA database, the aircraft belongs to TJ Air Holdings of Wilmington south of Philadelphia.
The identical type of aircraft is also used by scientists for remote sensing of the earth’s surface.
Curiously, the plane only scanned half of Hull and, at around 11am, circled the North Cave area before heading back south.
The plane could return to scan the rest of East Yorkshire at a later date.