Posted on 07/07/2015 12:20:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Cessna may have been in restricted airspace. One report I heard was that jets from the nearby air base train in that area which usually means that private/commercial traffic is restricted during set training times.
When I was an air traffic controller, we called that aluminum showers.
Once again, what was AV-8 doing at sailplane-riding-ridge-lift altitudes?
F-16s have RADAR?
Sometimes you’re the windshield....
Use to fly a 150, it’s a puddle jumper!
Unpowered aircraft have right-of-way over powered.
practicing his nap of the earth flying skills (and, later, engine-management skills)
My first question was the fighter under vector control - not a word on that
“vector control “
What the hell is “vector control”?
A friend and I were wave soaring on the secondary one day in SoCal, unfortunately pretty much in the middle of a MTR (Military Training Route,about 8000’.
B1 bomber appears waay to the north,and straight at us. Should we leave, or hope he’s looking at his ‘dar (we in a big aluminum plane, and motionless).
Just as we are getting to one of those go/no-go decision-points, he executes a big ol’ 180 around us, couple of miles out.
Guess he’d been having a good day (and makes up for the number of times Edwards jet jocks busted our home-drome airspace.)
The F-16 pilot must have been texting at the time...
So I also was under the impression that this same equipment would give them the ability to avoid aircraft they wish to avoid, whether enemy or civilian.
Would a real fighter pilot shed light on this topic?
My medical aged out long ago, but I am nevertheless curious..
I flew into a little airport (Sumter) adjacent to Shaw many many times over a 40 year period and in and out of Charleston many times.
I always did both on an IFR plan no matter what the weather. Those hot rods made me nervous. and I wanted all the help I could get.
That is exactly what my dad used to call them. My dad was part of the team who designed the B47, B52 and the XB70.
One hot September day, I was going to fly a Cessna 152. I checked density altitude. 9850 in Broomfield CO. The service ceiling of the 152 is 10,500. I went back to the office and traded the key for 7sierra foxtrot, the company 172 Skyhawk.
No. They have a ground avoidance alarm but not an air-to-air warning, after all, when you dogfight you are very close to the other aircraft and under some circumstances you come nose-to-nose during the merge and in the fur-ball.
The jet is hardly a billion dollars.
Line of sight is an issue for ALL pilots and is likely what is involved here.
If anything, the F-16 is larger and can be seen easier than the C-152. And if you are “showing your wife or kids how you can fly” means you are not paying attention.
Situational awareness is key.
Let the mishap board figure out what happened.
Comments from people that hardly can tell (if at all) why an aircraft flies, let alone understand the concepts of tactical flying and leisure flying, is not useful.
Back in the 60’s there was an oil burner route between Lubbock and Holloman AFB in New Mexico that ran just south of our airport and adjacent to our student pilot training box. Instructor insisted we stay in the box and watch out for jets on that route. Turns out they used to use us for “targets” and would scare the crap out of us, waving at they passed us.
The head-on closure rate of an airplane going 100mph and one doing 500mph is unbelievably short from first visibility to passing. Just a few seconds to recognize the oncoming aircraft and to initiate an evasive maneuver.
Demolition Derby, in the air.
They fly the same altitudes all the time, and for the F-16 they fly low level to 50,000 feet. . .mission requirements dictate the altitude.
LOS is the issue that applies to all.
Plenty of hours in bug-smashers of many types. Started my flying career as a 17yr old while fueling aircraft at the local airport. Been around aviation for over 40-yrs.
Been an mishap investigator for decades and I have seen much and been surprised often. That means I know enough to say that initial reports are usually very wrong (other than the obvious—two aircraft hit each other). Sit back, give it some time to let the investigators do their work and we will know what happened.
Passing judgment this early against any of the pilots is premature and unduly harsh and unfair.
B1 make big dot - see long way off (fortunately)
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