Posted on 02/10/2023 3:01:31 PM PST by Mariner
The White House said Friday that a 'high-altitude object' has been shot down over Alaska.
President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, spokesman John Kirby said, adding that the origin of the object has yet to be determined.
Responding to reporters' shouted questions about the shootdown Friday afternoon outside the White House, Biden called the operation a "success."
It comes just days after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon last Saturday, following a political firestorm.
Kirby said the object was about the size of a small car and was at flying about 40,000 feet.
He said because it posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight, that out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, Biden ordered the military to down the object.
ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz first reported that when fighters were scrambled, the pilots did visuals, got images and said there was no sign the object had propulsion.
It was described as "cylindrical and silver-ish gray" and seemed to be floating, a U.S. official said.
Asked if was "balloon-like," the official said, "All I say is that it wasn't 'flying' with any sort of propulsion, so if that is 'balloon-like' well -- we just don't have enough at this point."
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
It crashed somewhere over either open water or ice in the Arctic Ocean just northeast of Deadhorse.
I hope it doesn't rise up and do this:
Why would you shoot down anything without knowing who/what it was or where it came from?
If it was an alien UFO, now joe may have started an inter galactic war.
It's not uncommon. 40,000 is known as Flight Level 400 in pilot jargon.
Boeing 767 can fly to 43000 ft. Usually flies around 35000 but 40000 is completely doable.
The bastards. They killed Kenny!
They shot down Santa trying out a new sleigh! No Xmas gifts for you!!!
ET can never Phone Home again!
Somewhere off the coast of Alaska, a whale has one whale of a headache, and boy is he pissed off!
Maybe not Commerical airliners but civil Bus Jets Do...
Gulfstream G550
Service Ceiling: 51000 ft
Max T/O Weight: 91000 Lb
Max Landing Weight: 75300 Lb
Fuel Capacity: 41300 lbs Lb
The difference is that this thing was “at the whim of the wind,” if that is accurate. Sounds like a mylar balloon.
Lol. Check out flightaware.com.
I fly at 40,000 - 41,000 just about every flight. Sometimes 430, or 450
They have the pilots visual description and gun camera. They know what it is. Did it have "Wag the Dog" painted on the side?
Yes, that seems to be the conventional wisdom.
Of course they do. Routinely.
More here:
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4130110/posts
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4130123/posts
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Yes, civilian aircraft can generally do 40,000 feet. Service ceilings are usually a bit higher than that (e.g., 43,000 feet), but it obviously depends on the equipment type.
Agreed. Just more spin to make old, adled Brandon look large and in charge.
Santa and his reindeer got smoked while maintaining currency?
Biden is too incoherent to βorderβ anything.
Red Sleigh Down!
When I was an air traffic controller, I issued ATC clearances, for FL 400 and above.
Shot down an oil rig to stop the drilling?
Could be an arial aspirin factory.
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