The sight and sound of huge military planes in UK skies is not new. What is new is their presence when a war is going on in Eastern Europe.
People across the country have heard bombers and jets with a new awareness following Vladimir's Putin invasion of Ukraine. Most of the flights are regular and pre-planned for training but some are linked to the current situation.
Nato is not involved in direct confrontation with Russian forces. Calls for a no-fly zone over Ukraine have also been rejected.
Among the planes seen over the UK are USAF B-52 bombers and F-35B, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. They have flown from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and RAF Marham in Norfolk.
And if you have ever wanted to know what it is like to be in one of the huge B-52 bombers, the United States Air Force has produced a video of a Bomber Task Force mission over Europe in October 2019.
It shows two USFA B-52H Stratofortresses assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron fly in formation over the Baltic Sea. You can see the video at the top of this article.
A mission statement from the USAF at the time said: "Strategic bombers contribute to stability in the European theater, as they are intended to deter conflict rather than instigate it, demonstrating the credibility of U.S. forces to address the current global security environment."
Four-B52s are currently based at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and have conducted a number of training missions with NATO allies, including Italy, Romania and Greece.
B-52 facts
The US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, nuclear and conventional heavy bomber that can perform a wide variety of missions. The bombers are capable of flying at high subsonic altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, the bomber can carry precision-guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capabilities.
Affectionately known as BUFFs (Big Ugly Fat Fellas or a similar word beginning with F) - these big beasts cost around $14million each. In active service since 1955, they were built to carry nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
Each plane can carry up to 70,000 lbs of weapons and has a combat range of around 8,800 miles without refuelling. They were used extensively during the Vietnam War and have seen more recent service in the Gulf Wars and last year during the aerial bombardment of Syria.
