Residents across Devizes and surrounding parts of Wiltshire were left asking “what was that?” after an exceptionally loud military aircraft passed over the area at around 9.30pm on Saturday night.
People in Devizes, Bowerhill, Calne, Trowbridge, Pewsey and Burbage reported hearing a powerful roar, with some saying the aircraft appeared to be flying lower than usual.
One resident said the noise was so intense it set off a car alarm, while others described security lights being triggered as the aircraft passed overhead.
Several people familiar with military traffic in the area identified the aircraft as a US Air Force B-1B Lancer, commonly known as the “Bone”.
Separate reports posted on Saturday night from elsewhere in Wiltshire also described an unusually loud aircraft at around 9.30pm, with multiple contributors identifying it as a B-1 operating from RAF Fairford.
Residents describe ‘unmissable’ roar
The aircraft prompted an immediate flurry of comments online.
One Devizes-area resident wrote: “What plane was that, that just flew over Devizes 9.30pm? Soooo loud.”
Another said: “It set off a car alarm here… must’ve been low.”
A resident in Bowerhill said the aircraft was “unmissable”, while another reported seeing it heading south and believed it was flying noticeably lower than on previous occasions.
People in neighbouring communities also reported hearing the same aircraft.
Believed to be B-1 Lancer
The B-1B Lancer is a large, supersonic strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force and is particularly distinctive because of the immense noise generated by its four engines.
Military aircraft do not always broadcast full tracking information publicly, so the precise aircraft, altitude and route have not been independently confirmed from an official source.
However, multiple eyewitnesses familiar with recent B-1 movements over Wiltshire identified Saturday night’s aircraft as a Lancer, and similar B-1 activity has been reported repeatedly across the county in recent months.
The aircraft are associated with US Air Force operations from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which is regularly used by American strategic bombers during deployments and training activity.
There is currently no indication that the flight was connected to an emergency.
Originally published by UKNIP.
