This just in....missing Military jet in Georgia

[Flightjock30]

link below.....

http://www.forbes.com/business/manufacturing/feeds/ap/2006/01/11/ap2443604.html

 

[Swass]

I posted the same earlier today, nobody seems too interested I suppose. Weird situation, no word from the crew, distressed or otherwise.

Wonder where they lost radar contact?

 

[millhouse21]

If they crashed for whatever reason on a low level, you would not have radar contact nor would you be likely to have a distress call. You would have what they had; a jet that didn't return when it should have. Very sad.

 

[Swass]

Yes, but you would have a radar signature up to the point they got low, then presumably smoke and such. It seems strange that there wouldn't be reports from at least the yocals (assuming rural).

 

[MarineGrunt]

There is a low level (VR1056 I think) that starts just south of CHA that goes through some mountainous terrain and is flown at 500 agl. From what I remember 20 minutes from takeoff seems like a reasonable takeoff to low level entry time. At that point, they would be VFR and not speaking with any controlling agency. At 500 agl, there would not be radar contact through the route. 250kts or so and being that low in that terrain, bad things can happen VERY quick.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families.

 

[Tyro]

Criminy, that’s my old outfit.

The route they were probably on and the kind of flying we did – won’t see us on radar. Unlikely anyone would see or hear us either.

Smudgemark on a hillside covered with trees is hard to see.

God bless them...

 

[millhouse21]

VR 1056 is a route frequently flown by VT-86. You'd go out in the morning, fly a route, land some place like chatanooga, refuel, have lunch, switch students and go back out to do another route on the way home. There would not be any radar contact on a low level route.

 

[VampyreGTX]

They found the plane:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/11/missing.aircraft.ap/index.html

 

[VVJM265]

Also on the military board.

 

[Diesel]

what would they be training low level for? Is it terrain following of some sort?

 

[VVJM265]

Diesel,

They train RIOs and WSOs for the F-18 & F-15. Crew is usually a contract pilot, instructor NFO & 2 students NFOs. Low level training, weather visual or using radar, in at least some form, is standard training for all us mil guys; even here in the multiengine world.

VVJM265

 

[Diesel]

But why the civilian contractor? Is he an instructor or is he along for the ride?

By the way what is an RIO or a WSO?

 

[AA717driver]

A RIO is what Goose was in Top Gun. Radar Intercept Officer. WSO is the same thing only the AF version. They handle navigation, weapons targeting, radar and other stuff.

The military has always used contract pilots in various capacities. Kind of interesting he was single pilot. But it is the military. I can virtually guarantee the contract guy was a retired tactical military type.

They have to do low level nav training because there's still alot of map reading done on low level missions. They may have been doing radar nav training using the radar to pick out topographical features and match them to the maps.

Prayers go out to the family.TC

 

[Diesel]

Is a civilian guy cheaper to throw in the seat than a military guy?

So the civilian guy is the pilot. The two guys in the back are the nav's guiding the plane with an instructor looking over their shoulder?

Singlepilot never quite thought of that. Sabre is a pretty big complex airplane to go bombing around singlepilot. Could the instructor have been the FO?

By the way what does the cabin look like? 2 radar sets in the back?

 

[VVJM265]

Someone figured that the contract was cheaper. All the contract guys there are ex F-18, A-7 drivers, etc.

2 radar sets in the back, I think, but not 100% sure that the instructor FO (an active duty guy) flys in the right seat and the studs are in the back or if one of the studs is in the right seat and they swap mid-period.

 

[payola]

2 radar sets in the back, I think, but not 100% sure that the instructor FO (an active duty guy) flys in the right seat and the studs are in the back or if one of the studs is in the right seat and they swap mid-period.

The student is in the right seat. The instructor NFO/WSO is in the jumpseat teaching and/or evaluating the student NFO/WSO. Essentially it's to teach the studs how to function in a copilot role but also allowing them more time to focus on learning NFO specific duties-radar nav for example. Thus the dedicated instructor NFO.

 

[Huggyu2]

I'm told that those contractors can fly into their 70's. True statement?

 

[payola]

I'm told that those contractors can fly into their 70's. True statement?

I don't know what the age limits are, but in this case the pilot was 68.

 

[exnavy]

Back in 2002 when I was in VT-86 we had one Raytheon pilot who retired at 80( I believe his initials were C.H.). The Gosport did an article on him and it showed him doing his recurrent training(dunker).