Question about an airplane

tinytobe

Does anybody know this plane?

Is it really military? What does it do? Inteligence gathering? or something else? Could it be a training flight?

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10957743

It seems to circle regularly ober Germany as "Duke31", but for what purpose?

https://www.flightradar24.com/DUKE31/324bb6fb

EchoIndia

It's a military Beech King Air 200 and primarily a personnel transport. Some variants have other roles such as ELINT or calibration of navaids.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193107#Comment_121193107

OK, thanks for that.

But how come they are just circling over parts of Germany?

This is also not a one time affair, I've seen this plane often and regularly. Taking off at Wiesbaden, then heading down to Stuttgart for circling and then back again, but for what purpose?

EchoIndia

You're not going to get a definitive reply here. The specific tasks performed by military aircraft aren't publicised, for obvious reasons. "Circling" is unlikely to be simply that. Is the aircraft climbing or descending as well, or landing/performing a go-around? If it is, crew training or calibration of navigation aids may be involved.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194123#Comment_121194123

I've observed this plane for a while. It seems to be taking flights of a certain distance only to circle and then fly back again. These flights always operate under the name DUKE, with a different number at the end.

I would be guessing that it is about crew training or something like that. Wiesbanden Germany has a US base, and so does Stuttgart, but again, why would they cicle over Stuttgart so long only to fly back to Wiesbaden?

You can find the flight history here:

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/84-00165#

Also, if it was militarily significant, it wouldn't show up on flightradar24. So training or exercise might be the most likely answer.

EchoIndia

Many military aircraft show on FR24, though not all. The "Duke" callsign has been is use for decades by Wiesbaden-based US Army aircraft.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194604#Comment_121194604

They do show mid air refuling flights of tanker aircrafts. I've seen them before, departing Mildenhall or Lakenheath in the UK and heading for Romania to provide fuel in mid air.

The Duke callsign is new to me. It's not the first time that they departed Wiesbaden and headed for Stuttgart just to circle. And Stuttgart does have US military stationed at the airport. So why didn't they land there?

EchoIndia

I'm taking it that your questions are rhetorical at this stage.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121194845#Comment_121194845

No. It's just that I don't know. I am only guessing. Maybe somebody knows the answer.

Tenger

As stated above, you will not get the answers you want regarding military flights.