[Finny]

Mu, I currently live virtually under (not quite, but about two to five miles distant) the flight paths of both Ontario airport and LAX. Trust me -- a plane approaching Ontario is NOT going to be at supersonic altitudes flying over north OC coastline if it intendes to land at Ontario. I assure you with most genuine sincerity -- a plane on approach to Ontario, even from Long Beach, would CLEARLY be visible to the naked eye. CLEARLY. There is no possible way, not even remotely, that a person on the ground or in a helicopter, even up in Santa Monica, even unaided by binocs or cameras with high-res zoome lenses, could confuse a plane on approach to Ontario with a missile launch. Ontario airport is about 40 miles almost due east of LAX.

[muawiyah]

When you're up at Redding and catch a plane out of there to go West to the coast which way does your pilot aim to take off?

The answer is he always takes off UP THE MOUNTAIN ~ and then he banks left and you think something is wrong.

The snow capped peaks are right out your window!

They do something like that at SLC as well ~ has to do with a local prevailing wind at ground level ~ gives 'em extra lift when the cold air flows down the hill.

Certainly counterintuitive but what a thrill.

Now, good places to lay back and watch jet planes come in overhead ~ right off US 1 at Ronald Reagan airport. My backyard ~ a military base nearby provides jet fighter support to the DC area. I'm off the end of the runway.