Military aircraft radar: what is flying over the UK right now?

Heard a fast jet overhead? This radar shows military aircraft over the United Kingdom and nearby Europe live, as long as they transmit their position. You will regularly see RAF Typhoons and F-35s, transport aircraft, tankers from Brize Norton and visiting NATO aircraft. Click any aircraft for its callsign, type, altitude and speed, often with a photo of the aircraft.

Why are jets flying over my house?

Most military flying is routine training or transits between bases. Two fast jets heading the same way at speed can be a QRA scramble: the RAF launches Typhoons when an aircraft cannot be contacted. A loud bang is a sonic boom, which almost always comes from such an intercept.

Can I see every military aircraft?

No. The radar shows aircraft that transmit their position. On operational missions and during some exercises, transponders are switched off or limited. Training flights, transport aircraft and tankers are usually visible.

What is the large aircraft circling for hours?

That is typically a tanker holding a refuelling track or a surveillance aircraft. They fly steady racetrack patterns, easy to spot on the radar, often over the North Sea.