Sorry Gonzo...As a commercial instrument rated pilot I know the system well.... a filed flight plan doesn't provide security just a path and destination...file it to any airport surrounding Houston...once you are within 20 nautical miles of the Superbowl, deviate your flight plan...180 seconds away from impact at full throttle.
The transponsder is turned on and off by the piolt and is part of the preflight. Again, just turn the switch off...
FAA radar doesn't cover to the ground but usually several hundred to a thousand feet above the ground. The radar on military jets get's confused with ground clutter and is somewhat ineffective in trying to identify targets close to the ground. A visual identification for target aquisition is darn near impossible with the time constraints.
Heck, Departure Control in Atlanta (ATL)doesn't even pick up my transponder until I'm amost 1200ft out of Cobb County Airport (RYY)....
About the best defense we could put in place is a Patriot Missle Battery around the Superbowl perimeter and hope for a quick reaction from the crew.
There is NO security for private aircraft. If you feel secure then the feeling is based on faulty data.
NeverGore
"...As a commercial instrument rated pilot I know the system well.... a filed flight plan doesn't provide security just a path and destination...file it to any airport surrounding Houston...once you are within 20 nautical miles of the Superbowl, deviate your flight plan...180 seconds away from impact at full throttle. The transponsder[sic] is turned on and off by the piolt[sic] and is part of the preflight. Again, just turn the switch off...
Well, I'm just an old, single-engine-land, IFR rated pilot who hasn't flown in many years, but as I recall, your transponder had better be squawking the correct code at all times. And any deviation from procedures or flight path near the Super Bowl would probably garner some serious attention.
"...About the best defense we could put in place is a Patriot Missle Battery around the Superbowl perimeter and hope for a quick reaction from the crew..."
I dunno, nevergore. A Patriot Missle is a superfast, intended for ballistic warheads. There's a whole lot of Surface-to-Air and Air-to-Air stuff that's designed for low-level aircraft, and 3 minutes is a lifetime (or the end of one) for a sub-sonic jet.
As far as feeling secure, I'll be safe in Florida, sipping on a cool one, and watching two football teams bash each other. I don't know who they are yet, but I'll find out by game time..........FRegards