Any thoughts as to what this aircraft was doing?

[Acadia]

I remotely witnessed an odd flight early this morning and I can’t for the life of me figure out what was going on.

I live approximately 8nm SSW of BHB. To my west about 2.5nm is the approach path of a GPS or LOC BC to runway 04 and I am used to hearing traffic on final out in that direction. In VFR conditions it is not uncommon for traffic arriving from the SW to come almost overhead to join the traffic pattern for other runways. The only hindrance is that I have a large area of national parkland directly east (a tenth of a mile away) and that includes a 1000’ foot elevation within about a mile. Accordingly VFR traffic close to my location tends to be fairly high because of the mountain as well as the 2000’ regulation over the park (IFR traffic is never vectored on this side of the approach at lower altitudes). Late night flight operations to and from BHB or around this area in general are almost non-existent

Just after 3:00am EST a fairly low and loud aircraft that sounded like it was inbound for BHB came over my house (it was loud enough to launch me out of my sleep and that is tough to do). It had been pretty rainy and at best MVFR earlier in the evening so I was very surprised to hear a low aircraft over my location. I called the AWOS number and the airport had 900 OVC with 4SM visibility. Winds were pretty strong out of the northeast so I expected an aircraft inbound would be using an instrument approach to 04. At that point it sounded like this aircraft was way off course. A few minutes later I was very surprised to hear the aircraft back to my west heading back south and I kept hearing the engine in the distance in that direction.

I was intrigued enough to boot up my laptop while sitting in bed and check the weather around the area beyond BHB. At best it was MVFR to the north and many coastal areas were IFR (some low). I then tried flightaware.com and sure enough it showed a 210 in my area at 1500’ and nowhere near an approach. It was also in a location where a normal IFR flight would never be vectored and probably too low for approach to even see at that location. I spent the next hour watching the flightaware updates and the very strange flight path of this 210. It seemed to be making large overlapping circles and was working its way northwest. When I made my last check it was up at 3000’ and it was about 30nm NW of me still doing the same thing. The whole time I was also scanning approach and marine frequencies and all was quiet. I could find no departure or destination airport associated with this tail number on flightaware.

So what might this aircraft have been doing at 3am? The tail number showed the aircraft registered to some kind of engineering firm in PA. There are no power lines, pipelines, or other infrastructure in this area that is inspected by air and given the weather and darkness nothing could be inspected anyway. They were moving inland so that seemed to eliminate the possibility that the aircraft was involved in some kind of SAR operation. I can’t imagine any useful government or law enforcement operation in this area in particular since the aircraft was probably in the clouds. The only thoughts I had were could it be some kind of science related operation or training for a similar type operation?

I am stumped.

[n57flyguy]

weird. you didnt hear it on any freqs?

[Acadia]

Not a peep on aviation or marine freqs.

[Texasspilot]

I'm gonna guess....scud running, lost.

[Acadia]

I was thinking that at first, but I think if it shows up on flightaware it must be in the IFR system.

[TheFlyingTurkey]

They were searching for you....I bet it was painted black too!

[averyrm]

Contact approach?

[Chris_Ford]

Turns around a point? (poorly)

[n57flyguy]

search and rescue training?

[mrivc211]

Last night while I was running around my neighborhood I saw a helicopter flying at 800'. What was it doing there? Why was it circling at that angle of bank?

Then this morning I woke up and saw clouds outside.

[Acadia]

Originally Posted by mrivc211

Last night while I was running around my neighborhood I saw a helicopter flying at 800'. What was it doing there? Why was it circling at that angle of bank?

Then this morning I woke up and saw clouds outside.

Thanks for the sarcasm mrivc.

The point is that this was an extremely unusual flight operation for this rural area. They were operating in clouds at altitudes too low to be vectored by approach in IMC conditions. There were also near mountains. I just could not imagine what purpose the flight may have had as it was not a standard IFR point to point flight and it was pretty crappy out. I am simply interested in what kind of operation would call for that kind of flying. If it was showing on flighaware it was obviously not secret government operation.

[Acadia]

This is a rough estimate of the 210's flight path over about an hour. I interpolated the shape of the flight path from several dozen screen shots I took of the flight aware screens last night.

[SIUAv8r]

could have been testing the cable television system, if you have cable in that area.

The company I am going to start working for in June does that kind of work in a C210, and they do it late at night.

Edit: Looking at that picture, that doesnt look like the patterns they fly, though it might be...what was the tail #?

[Acadia]

There is cable in the area. Keep in mind my quick illustration is an interpretation of what flightaware shows every few minutes. I could easily be incorrect about the shape of the pattern. I am guessing it was circles, but I really do not know. Your possible explanation opens up a bunch of tech related things I had not thought of.

The tail # was N732PW. I do now see from a search that it lists “Patrolling” under approved operations.

[Swen]

Perhaps they were coming up with a new maneuver for the commercial called eights on a rope.

[Swen]

You ever checked out the site of the owner?

Here

Let us help you solve your water utility problems, reduce costs, improve energy and water efficiency and educate your staff to properly monitor and maintain your utility systems. We have served industrial, government and institutional clients throughout North and South America and the Caribbean since 1997. We have clients in all market sectors: refining, petrochemical, kraft paper manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, sugar refining, brewing, rubber manufacturing, and commercial and institutional facilities.

[SIUAv8r]

Yeah, thats one of our C-210's.

The actual website is www.martechengineering.net

[Acadia]

Sweet. I am glad I asked. I figured there was some interesting purpose to a flight like that. I appreciate the info.

[SIUAv8r]

Your welcome. I hope to post some pics of my travels when I start working for them. Should be a fun job. The reason for the late night flying is due to a maintenance window that the cable company has.

[GatorFC]

Looks like a NASCAR driver learning to fly.

[SIUAv8r]

it is a goofy pattern that they fly

[Acadia]

Looks like it will be good experience. Is it single pilot? How much special equipment are you carrying?

[meritflyer]

Pilot with the leans?

[SIUAv8r]

There are two pilots on board, one flies and the other runs the equipment. The back 4 seats of the 210's are stripped out, so we load up the back with the equipment and our personal bags. There is quite a bit of equipment back there, what all of it is I am not sure yet as I haven't started flying for them yet.