>>>http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/02/us/us-spy-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
>>>
>>>So an US spy plane gets highlighted and then hightailed (or is "tailgated" the proper expression) and flees over the territory of a neutral country, without permission. Then five days later it happens again. Ouch.
>>>
>>>The funny thing is this happened just one day after MH17 was taken down... and everybody stayed silent until the Swedes published it.
>>
>>I don't see why they needed to divert into Swedish airspace.
>>The RAF have been tracking Russian planes over the North Sea for years
>
>Seems odd that the US plane deemed itself sufficiently threatened to be chased out of international airspace.
>Come to that how did it get to Sweden without crossing either Finland or Norway ?
>
>That said, you're right about it not being that unusual.
>
>FWIW, I was flying a small twin up to Inverness some years ago. In and out of cloud. Got a cryptic 'Maintain course, speed and altitude' from ATC and then, minutes later, had a Tornado from Leuchars cross my nose at about 100yds. I'm sure they were just using me for intercept practice. Guess I should have filed a 'near miss' report but .........

I used to live in a big house on a hilltop in Wiltshire and quite often the hercules out of Lyneham would fly straight over it very low. Probably my imagination but maybe it was a handy thing to look at for them. I remember being up a ladder once looking round through some tress and seeing one looking like it was flying straight at me. But I guess in Wales you get a fair bit of low flying practise going on.