Flight radar activity over Glasgow

[Wheech]

There's interesting activity on flight radar tonight over Glasgow. A Boeing Poseidon MRA1 circling the city. Keeps dropping to a very low altitude as it approaches Glasgow airport then gaining height again and going back for another circle. It's keeping me awake, wonder what's up. It seems late to be doing exercises over a city.

I was wakened at 1am this morning by a plane flying overhead at low altitude too. We're not usually in the flight path here.

And just as I posted it seems to be heading back to Lossiemouth. Off to sleep I go, hopefully.

Looking at the replay on ADS-B exchange it looks like the Poseidon flew a series of instrument approaches at Glasgow, that will have almost certainly have been done as part of routine proficiency/continuation training for the pilots...

Having checked that out my ADS replay then crashed, I'll see if I can spot your early AM flyover when I get it to run again.

Back up and running..looks there were about half a dozen arrivals from around midnight through to at least 0230..almost all following similar routes skirting around the city to east before aligning for the approach.

One really late arrival (Jet 2) did go over the city at a decent altitiude at around 0215...

Interesting @notimagain thanks so much for that insight! I was a little spooked last night watching it go round and round. Good to hear it doesn't sound sinister.