Posted on 05/17/2010 4:45:42 PM PDT by libertylass
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE COLO. (KGUN9-TV) - The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to southern Arizona at 6:10 a.m. Sunday to intercept an ultralight aircraft that entered Arizona from Mexico.
The aircraft was flying from Mexico and crossed into Arizona. At the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command, two F-16 fighters were launched from Davis Monthan Air Force Base to intercept the aircraft, said a news released from NORAD issued Sunday morning.
"Upon intercepting the aircraft, the F-16s shadowed the aircraft for 30 minutes until it turned and flew back into Mexico," said NORAD Lt.. Cmdr.. Gary Ross. "The F-16s returned to base."
NORAD's mission "in close collaboration with homeland defense, security and law enforcement partners, is to prevent air attacks against North America (and) safeguard the sovereign airspaces of the United States and Canada by responding to unknown, unwanted and unauthorized air activity operating within these airspaces."
On Saturday, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords held a news conference in Tucson to announce a bipartisan bill, she is co-sponsoring, that would target ultralight aircraft, which is commonly used to smuggle drugs into the United States at the Mexico border.
"Drug smugglers with wings are posing an increasingly serious problem for anyone concerned about border security," said Giffords, in a news release Saturday. "These smugglers use small, low-flying aircraft to deliver their illicit contraband into our country. But because of a legal loophole, they cannot be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My legislation will fix this problem."
Under the proposed legislation, a drug smuggler caught using an ultralight would face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 dollar fine. But local pilot and flight instructor H.L. Cooper believes if the legislation becomes law it won't hold up in court.
The problem that they're having is these planes they're using to get these drugs over the boarder - most of them if not all don't meet the criteria for the ultralight category. So they're calling them ultralights, but if they end up in a court battle and they bring the plane out and weigh it - they could get the case tossed. They need to redefine it," said Cooper.
Cooper says ultralights are defined as a small, single seat passenger aircraft that weighs under 250 pounds. He says the type of aircrafts drug smugglers normally use weigh between 250 and 1,300 pounds. That would put it into another category- either a "light sport" or "unregistered experimental" aircraft. That's where he says the legislation needs to be modified.
Things are heatin' up down there at the border and I'm not talking about the chili peppers either.
Has anyone heard this on the news? I'm not suprised if it's not being talked about.
Today F-16’s, tomorrow AC-130H Spectre’s?
Who cares how they do it?
Yep. No need to waste ammo or ordnance.
Splash the zero.
I’m still wondering how an F-16 can travel slowly enough to shadow an ultralight.
Great Movie
They need to just take them out. There is no reason what-so-ever for anyone to be flying an ultra light across the border.
By flying circles around it? Loops would work too, I s’pose.
Davis Monthan is ten minutes from my house.
Too linient.
Let's do what Singapore does to drug smugglers:
Singapore executes drug smugglers .
Harsh Punishments for Drug Use in Southeast Asia.
The best kind of drug smuggler is a dead one.
I was thinking the same thing. Perhaps a couple A10’s out of Davis Monthan would be a better choice...and longer loiter time.
"Loco gringos! AAAIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!" 
LOL
A10s are not configured for air-to-air engagements.
If you know where illegal aliens work, live or hang out, the Feds have a TIP LINE—866-347-2423. Pass this on.
No they’re not, but they would be an effective deterrent versus an ultralight. Just one “burp” would do it.
I’m wondering why they wasted the fuel and wear & tear on those F-16s and then didn’t WASTE the crappy thing. Alien aircraft encroaches into OUR airspace. Case closed!
How about this instead: ordering the Air Force to shoot down any unauthorized aircraft coming across the border.
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