Saw one of these join my ride I didn't know any were still flying. It looked plain silver in colour.

They're PR (Photo Reconnoissance) planes and are always silver. I'd heard they were being withdrawn from service, but one or two might still be in use from Boscombe Down. Very effective PR platform, they are very stable in flight and have terrific endurance, and quite roomy inside. Pretty good for a fifty year old plane, only the B52 has a longer active service history, I believe.

Where was this? Sure it was not a Meteor?

I've seen one with yellow and black stripes under the wing a few years ago but never a sliver one. It turned on the edge of N'pton heading towards Kettering. Looked nice to see makes a change of the Harriers that normally fly around here. Though I never get tired of the low level Hercules that occasionally come over or the Apaches from time to time.

I think it was a Canberra I'm pretty sure the horizontal stabilisers ? were set low like a Canberra and not further up like a Metor but I could be wrong. Maybe someone else saw it and confirm what it was.

hmm well they left active service in 2006. Could be xh134

Martin B57

EE Canberra PR9
Highly unlikely to be a Meteor. There are several being restored at Kemble, and I believe there are a number actually flying, former Swiss Air Force planes, but Canberras are still in use in the UK. Been a while since I've seen one around Lyneham though, sadly. Hercs, C17's Hawks, civvy transports and various choppers, with the occasional Tornado.

They've were withdrawn from service in 2006. The camera op used to sit in the nose completely separate from the pilots cockpit. Once inside, they would literally clip the nose of the aircraft back on.

They're PR (Photo Reconnoissance) planes and are always silver.

No, they were using a very light green paint scheme until retirement. EDIT: As seen in the photo above!

You're right about the colour, I remember seeing one at Fairford and chatting to the crew. Lovely plane, but I love these even more:

Gloster Meteor

diagonal yellow & black stripes across most of the undersurface denote a "target tug", I think; if they were simply chordwise stripes then that's a different thing altogether

This is better than all of them….

Did my work experience as an Air Cadet in Survival Equipment Supplies at RAF Marham with (was 36 or 39?) Sqn Photo Reconnaisance Unit. The Nvaigator sits in the nose in a teeny tiny claustaphobic hole that didn't look too great.

Great stories about pulling up and irritating MiGs though.

field services (serco) were operating the canberras and hawker hunters at yeovilton

You chaps should see this thread….

I have done some asking around and it looks like it was a Meteor. No flying Canberra currently in the uk I believe

No. It was Meteor NF.11 G-LOSM. We took off from CVT and did aerobatics en route to Sywell where we did a run and break then returned to CVT. Dan Griffith was pilot and I was in the rear seat.

Thanks anjs where I saw it turn it would have only of been a couple of miles from Sywell.

I was out of area and was there for the canberras last sortie. Quite an impressive aircraft.

Martin Baker still operate a couple of Meteors, one in standard RAF trainer black and the other in silver IIRC.

Great planes… Am off to inspect the old cold war jet thread!