Plane above Suffolk spotted zig-zagging in bizarre trip

A plane has been spotted zig-zagging in the sky above Suffolk leading to many questions from members of the public.

Flightradar24 shows other aircraft making similar trips across the country and with the decline in air traffic around the world, the visibility of certain flights has attracted attention and caused a deluge of questions on social media.

Flightradar24 says one of the most visible quirks of flying at the moment are survey-pattern flights. These flights take place all the time for a variety of reasons.

Some flights are capturing imagery for mapping services—‘satellite’ maps used in commercial mapping services are often partially compiled from aerially imagery.

Other flights are completing various other surveys using technology like LiDAR. Some of these are working on ecological projects, engineering works, or even checking for leaks in utility pipes.

It is understood the reason behind April 2020's strange flight paths is because Bluesky International Ltd has been completing aerial surveys across the UK.

It keeps a three year update programme of vertical aerial photography in the UK and Ireland.

The company has been contacted for comment.