Escorts

[sky37d]

I was watching KC-135's shoot landings here at GRR, and it reminded me of something that happened last year. We flew from AZO to TEB, with a stop at IPT. Over PA, we flew under an MOA, and there were some A-10's out flying, and they would wheel above us, head off behind, and pretty soon, fly past. Obviously using us for practice.

When we got close to TEB, you could hear ATC tell people they had company off the left wing, the right wing, above, etc. Oh, it was Sept 12, 2002.

Have any of you experienced having military aircraft intentionally in close proximity. Did you say anything to the passengers? Did it cause you any concern? Do you do anything different? How do you handle it?

 

[starvingcfi]

d'oh. not what i expected this thread to be. jesus.

 

[mar]

I once got a nice wing-wag from an opposite direction T-38 near Norton AFB. He passed about 500' above us.

Very cool

I know this isn't exactly what you're asking for but there's a pretty dramatic accident report about a 747 (Evergreen?) that took off out of Anchorage, lost an engine (lost, as in: departed the airframe due to severe turbulence), had some control problems and an F-15 (I think) from Elmendorf AFB escorted them back around for an emergency landing.

Everyone did an awesome job on that one!

 

[efiscompmon]

d'oh. not what i expected this thread to be.

Yeah. I was all set to share some SE Asia stories....

 

[bssthound]

Have any of you experienced having military aircraft intentionally in close proximity. Did you say anything to the passengers?

I've never flown passengers under a MOA.

Back when I used a MOA, in the F-4, I had a couple of close calls with GA aircraft that had wandered in. We saw both at the last minute. We were doing about 500 kts at the time. At that speed the fast mover has just a couple seconds to see a light airplane. The crew is concentrating on formation integrity,navigation, target acquisition, and threats. I'm sure I'm missing stuff, too.

The MOA is used for training. Funding has been cut back for just about every unit out there. The flight crews using the MOAs have a lot of training to accomplish and not a lot of flying hours to do it with. The last thing those guys want to do is try to buzz a GA aircraft. It's dangerous and really doesn't accomplish anything.

 

[flywithastick]

Never had it happen or seen it with my eyes, but have heard 4-5 intercepts over P-49 on the radio. Kind of surreal hearing US pilots calling another US pilot saying, "land immediatly or be fired upon."

One person was all excited (happy) calling back on the radio asking what they were doing flying alongside her. When they told her she'd violated the TFR, you could sure hear the disappointment in her voice.

 

[sky37d]

We were under the MOA, by 1000 ft.

When we got to NY, I can remember it being the best flying I ever did. The first time ATC called us to turn, it was the usual sloppy thing, you know, plus or minus 20 for alt, minus 5 on heading correcting. The second time the called for us to turn is was +/- 0, and roll out on heading. Oh, and when they said turn, it wasn't 2 seconds before I was starting over, and it wasn't 28.5 degrees, it was 30.0 Line all the little marks up. When they said descend, it was -500, not -490 to -510, it was on the mark. I commented to my wife, Only Perfect flying today. If there had been an examiner onboard, he would have been impressed.

 

[VNugget]

Yeah, I'd like to see a Viper form up on the wing of my Cessna (that's right, the one that's getting passed by the traffic on the freeway)

 

[Vector4fun]

Have any of you experienced having military aircraft intentionally in close proximity.

Many years ago, I was down the pooper working several flights of military fighters at a NON-radar tower, when one of my buds got one of the F-15s to do a loooooowwwww overhead with a pitchout literally about 5' above the tower cab. I never heard it comming, and I was under the counter in a fetal position in about .4 seconds when he went by.

Sometime later, I was guilty of a similar crime. I was out on a New Mexico drilling rig, standing by the rig motors, just looking around, when I picked up a smoke trail in the distance. I turned into an Aardvark doing about mach .95 at 100', right for the crow's nest. Everyone else on the rig was bent over the hole trying to fix a cross-threaded shoe on some surface casing. I started to holler "Hey guys, watch this!"; but caught myself, and just smiled and watched. The Vark never waivered, and when the shadow flashed by and the BOOMROOOOAAAAHHHH sounded, seven rig hands hurdled the railing and hit the ground about 8' below in a dead sprint. I laughed so hard, my gut ached for two hours.

Sorry, not what you meant, but funny nonetheless.

I recall one Cherokee 6 that bumbled right smack through
White Sands missle range years ago. Two F-15s had a very nearly un-pleasant close encounter, and then escorted the interloper out. the very accurately described the aircraft, right down to some very minute detail, including the fact that all the curtains were pulled closed and the pilot seemed almost to be dozing. When I talked to the pilot later on the ground, he claimed to have never seen his "wingmen".......

Go figure.

 

[sky37d]

Does TCAS detect military aircraft?

 

[bart]

Hotel Del Rio in San Jose, Costa Rica. Fly low there and you WILL have an escort... in nothing flat.

 

[bssthound]

Does TCAS detect military aircraft?

TCAS detects every airplane with an operating transponder. Military aircraft squawk codes just like everyone else.

 

[d328pilot]

Its the hotel Del Rey. Yes, but very pricy and expensive...Shop around...its a lot cheaper...ie. new fantasy "massage" and clup idem(sp?) from what i hear anyway

 

[TurboS7]

Couple of years ago after 911 I was picked up by a Mirage over France, they escourted us to the border.

 

[Q200_FO]

I know this isn't exactly what you're asking for but there's a pretty dramatic accident report about a 747 (Evergreen?) that took off out of Anchorage, lost an engine (lost, as in: departed the airframe due to severe turbulence), had some control problems and an F-15 (I think) from Elmendorf AFB escorted them back around for an emergency landing.

I still have the newspsper clippings from that. It really did scare some people. It was Evergreen, and a F-15 did escort them back around.

 

[captjim]

Its the hotel Del Rey. Yes, but very pricy and expensive...Shop around...its a lot cheaper...ie. new fantasy "massage" and clup idem(sp?) from what i hear anyway

Holy Cow, you don't have to go to the Del Rey. Just go to the area with all of the clubs; can't remember the name, but chicks come right up to you there. Funny thing is, I met the owner's daughter of the casino section of the Del Rey. She was the hotest thing in the club and very very fun and cost me 3 drinks.

 

[wickedpilot]

have you downloaded the In-Flight Military Intercept Procedures Job-Aid from AOPA?

It tells you what to do in certain instances?

I have a great wav. file of a T-34 down in Pensacola doing aerobatics and almost colliding with Delta Jet. If someone will tell me how to post a wav. and or mp3, I'll be glad to share.

 

[Iceman21]

I have a great wav. file of a T-34 down in Pensacola doing aerobatics and almost colliding with Delta Jet. If someone will tell me how to post a wav. and or mp3, I'll be glad to share.

I could host it for you. How big is the file?

Send me a PM and I will get you my email address

 

[Timebuilder]

I was in the 55, flying a former Clinton cabinet member down to San Juan last February, about a week before the big snow storm.

We took off out of Dulles and got the usual departure turns, and then a vector to a fix that got us on our way. Departure control said "be advised there is an F-16 in trail". My response: "thanks. I'm glad he's on our side!". Atc: "you can say that again!"

Now while this former cabinet person's activities might be construed as being against our national security, I'm sure they weren't watching Hawthorne to see that this person had boarded our jet.

 

[CatYaaak]

I was in the 55, flying a former Clinton cabinet member ....

Now while this former cabinet person's activities might be construed as being against our national security, ....

If it was a former Clinton cabinet member, then there is no doubt that whatever he was up to was going against our national security.