Seen Over Your House Today

[JayBee]

Got a fantastic view of the ISS passing over my back garden last night.  Oh for some decent binoculars.

And tonight, London Spaceboys and Girls:

• Time: Sun Apr 13 9:02 PM, Visible: 5 min, Max Height: 87 degrees, Appears: W, Disappears: E

Sign up for overflight alerts at http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/home.cfm.  Times are local, not GMT/UTC.

Just saw it tonight Dave, for about a minute before it disappeared behind some cloud. That's the best view I have had of it so far. 

[Sticky Fingers]

The gliderclub boys and girls are at it again:

[kerick]

Hope for clear skies, lunar eclipse tomorrow morning IIRC. Some pics would be awesome.

[PR19_Kit]

Got a fantastic view of the ISS passing over my back garden last night.  Oh for some decent binoculars.

And tonight, London Spaceboys and Girls:

• Time: Sun Apr 13 9:02 PM, Visible: 5 min, Max Height: 87 degrees, Appears: W, Disappears: E

Sign up for overflight alerts at http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/home.cfm.  Times are local, not GMT/UTC.

Just saw it tonight Dave, for about a minute before it disappeared behind some cloud. That's the best view I have had of it so far.  

You two ex-ATC guys would know of course, but does the ISS have to report its presence in every Flight Information Zone it flies through/over? 

[JayBee]

The simple answer to that question Kit is no they do not.
The why of it is not so simple, in fact I do not know the correct answer.
However at a guess the rules that apply to aircraft flying about are contained in a legal document with the simple title of "The Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Control". This document contains all sorts of rules and regulations, such as the ones about aircraft overtaking, converging, or head on as was mentioned earlier.
Note the word air in the title.
The ISS does not operate in an atmospheric environment so I would suggest that these rules do not apply to it.
Given the speed that the ISS must transit over some FIRs you would need a whole crew just to keep the Coms. working.
Imagine:
" Good day Brussels this is the ISS just approaching your western boundary, our transit time for your area to-day will be about eleven and a half seconds, and in fact we have just left your area. Bye"
Crossing the North Atlantic they might have had time for a quick cup(tube?) of coffee.

As to that mighty tome "The Rules..........." Dave/Kitbasher will confirm that it is a big buegger that we had to learn large chunks of and then pass a written exam as one of the many parts of the process of obtaining an Air Traffic Controllers licence.

[kitbasher]

Flight Information Regions are generally notified as having unlimited upper limits (but these are defined where there are unlimited overlying Upper Information Regions).

Comms, Nav and Surveillance limitations will mean there are few States with the ability to speak to the ISS let alone control it!  And by heck does it shift!

Space officially begins at the Karman Line (100 km) so think of that as the de facto extent of 'unlimited' - the ISS orbit is well above that.  So it's a bit like the High Seas (and indeed the airspace above it).  National rules apply within territorial waters and airspace (i.e. up to 12 nautical miles from the coast - so much of the Irish Sea is High Seas me hearties - and international rules of the air (ICAO) and the law of the sea (maritime equivalent of ICAO) apply.  Of course there are complications, but please don't get me started on those........follow the slides at my Telford PPT!

With regards to the 'big buegger'.......

[PR19_Kit]

I KNEW you two would have the answer. 

Just imagine asking if the ISS would '......enter a 5 min. hold due to conflicting traffic....' 

[Go4fun]

Egg laying rabbits I expect today. Clucking hares ditto. Kids rooting through the grass and not pulling one darn weed is normal too. But a B.E.F.F?
No, I didn't misspell B.U.F.F. I gave a C-5A Galaxy floating by overhead as quiet as could be on final to Forbes Field. A genuine Big Enormous Flying Fellow if I ever saw one. I know there are a few bigger but gee, I never got up close and personal with those.
Must have something to do with Moocheel.... eh, Michelle Obama coming to town to wreck a few High School graduations with her speech. I've already had my 'Escorts' in the rental cars checking me out, seeing as I'm ex-Army and thus a home grown assassin in their tiny little minds. 
I gave then a C- grade in "Covert Surveillance" and a F- in "Intimidation. It give me something to do,  sitting out front and  waving at them. And seeing Big Birds coming in.

[lancer]

I KNEW you two would have the answer. 

Just imagine asking if the ISS would '......enter a 5 min. hold due to conflicting traffic....' 

Thats because ant ET space traffic is more maneuverable than the ISS....

[Captain Canada]

Saw that USAF Dash-7 or 8 fly by again...you know, the spy ones that look civy. I think there's an atmosphere sniffer one as well. One of these days I'll have my camera when it goes by !

[perttime]

Not over my house...

Seen all over Finnish media:

Eight skydivers confirmed dead as crash investigation begins
http://yle.fi/uutiset/eight_skydivers_confirmed_dead_as_crash_investigation_begins/7199193

An experimental ( = amateur built) Comp Air 8, carrying pilot and 10 parachutists, crashed on Sunday. Apparently, it got into some kind of trouble at high altitude. Only the pilot and 2 passengers got out. Everybody except the investigation team is speculating. It seems that some objects detached from the aircraft while still high up.

Edit:
A published phone video shows the airplane going down in a vertical spin. Don't know if it is viewable all over the world.
http://www.mtv.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/artikkeli/vain-mtv-lla--kuvasarja-jamijarven-turmakoneen-syoksysta/3173422

Edit edit:
From news:
A little before the exit point at 4000 meters, the pilot lost pitch control and the aircraft went into a steep dive.
It seems that one of the wings folded at some point.
For some reason, it was not possible get out through the large door in the starboard side. Everybody who got out went by the pilot's door.

[Captain Canada]

Sad news indeed.

[Howard of Effingham]

yesterday afternoon at about 1620hrs over coventry airport, a DH Vampire did a couple of circuits before
disappearing.

[scooter]

yesterday afternoon at about 1620hrs over coventry airport, a DH Vampire did a couple of circuits before
disappearing.

If it wasn't sparkling, it probably went POOF and turned to ash from the sun. 

[jcf]

Yesterday, not directly overhead but off to the west, Marine 1 and escort on the way from Paine Field, WA (KPAE) to Arlington, WA to tour the Oso slide site.