F-15's Scrambling Over Reagan National Airport in DC

FAA ^ | February 25, 2002 | Eyewitness Report

[codebreaker]

3 F-15's scrambling overhead in attack formation.

General direction over the National Cathedral...

[Publius6961]

Did anyone just feel that earthquake?

My puppy bit a moose.

[tallhappy]

Knock it off.

[Semper Paratus]

Easy on this stuff my wife is currently flying between Charlotte and Boston right now!

[Stefan Stackhouse]

There must be heavy international traffic today as everyone heads home from the winter games in SLC. I would imaging that lots of packed flights from SLC have been heading to Dulles and JFK all day. It would only make sense to increase the security level today.

[areafiftyone]

Hey! I'm eating lunch here!

[Timesink]

This just in: Giant cheese-shaped UFOs sighted over Washington! Unconfirmed reports say they are being piloted by a race of superintelligent space mooses!

[Poohbah]

What do you mean, what do you mean by "attack formation?"

What do you mean, what do you mean, what do you mean by "attack formation?" :o)

Actually, I'm asking: are they flying a loose-deuce, finger-four, Thach Weave, echelon left, echelon right, WHAT?

[codebreaker]

Why would they be altering the flight plans for all commercial jets for a funeral

[LivingNet]

Your #23-
Thanks for the best laugh in a long time.
Now folks...that is how to do humor.

[SLB]

"Attack formation" = what the starlings are in every night when I drive home. They must have laser guided rectums from the hits my car has been taking.

[Poohbah]

This just in: Giant cheese-shaped UFOs sighted over Washington! Unconfirmed reports say they are being piloted by a race of superintelligent space mooses!

They're now maneuvering in formation...it looks like letters...they're spelling out "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US NOW!"

[codebreaker]

Stefan just made a good point, 75,000 dignitaries are flying out of Salt Lake-the security is way up today

[Young Rhino]

Unconfirmed reports say they are being piloted by a race of superintelligent space mooses!

Is Teddy "The Bull Moose" Roosevelt at the helm?

[quietolong]

This could be a drill. Don't ya think after 911 they may practice these things now ?

[Spook86]

Three is an "odd" formation; air defense alert birds are normally scrambled in pairs. Additionally, the nearest AD F-15s are a long way from D.C.; there are F-15s at Langley AFB in Virginia (about 200 miles away), but they don't normally sit AD alert; in fact, the AD alert mission at Langley is performed by Vermont ANG F-16s.

This is probably a routine AD patrol; 1st Air Force (which runs AD for NORAD) may have directed them to a lower altitude to look at something, or simply to "show the flag." Based on limited info, I don't think there's anything unusual going on here....

[Magnum44]

Does 3 F-15 Fighters flying on approach signify something more than normal?

No. Not really. Could just be training, could be forming up to return to base, anything. Form flying and 'joining up' inflight are basic military flying skills practiced at every opportunity. Not only is it part of keeping your skills up, it looks $hit Hot as well.

[PoorRider]

I also was thinking it could be a drill, but having lived here for a while, I have never noticed this before. They don't practice right over DC.

We normally only hear them at night, and even then they fly very high.

If this isn't an emergency, it could be an Arlington National Cemetary thing or heightened security, as someone mentioned, due to Olympic travellers.

I will mention that for a while it did seem that take offs and landings at National had slowed way down - but appear to be normal now. Who knows, could be nothing at all. Thanks.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

HAHAH Dang ya beat me to it.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Hey, I wasn't available! No fair!