Free Republic

The Airbus A400M Atlas isn't your typical passenger plane An unusual-looking military aircraft has been flying over California this past month, baffling spectators who say they witnessed it from the ground in the Bay Area. According to Flightradar24 records, the aircraft, an Airbus A400M Atlas, is part of the United Kingdom’s air force and has been flying out of Oceanside, Blythe and Yuma airports for the past several days. Two weeks ago, several people said they saw an A400 flying low by Morro Bay, while another said it passed over Cupertino. This strategic military aircraft isn’t your typical passenger plane,...

The man killed during a F-18 fighter jet training exercise was a 25-year-old U.S. Marine Corps pilot, officials said Tuesday. First Lt. Brian R. Deforge of Plattsburgh, N.Y., died in Monday's mid-air collision, U.S. Navy spokeswoman Lt. Sonja Hanson said. Deforge and another pilot, whose name has not been released, were practicing dogfighting maneuvers when they crashed over Fort Hunter Liggett, a remote U.S. Army Reserve base 150 miles south of San Francisco, said Navy spokesman Dennis McGrath. Deforge, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, chose to go into the Marines Corps as a pilot, Hanson said. Both Navy...

KING CITY, Calif. - Two FA-18 Navy fighter jets collided Monday over a Central Coast military base, but it was unclear if there were casualties, a military spokesman said. The jets from Lemoore Naval Air Station were flying a training mission when they crashed at Fort Hunter Liggett, an Army Reserve base 150 miles south of San Francisco, said Navy spokesman Dennis McGrath. The Naval Air Station supplies all the fighter jets to Navy ships off the West Coast and serves as a training site for FA-18s. Dozens of fighters rotate to and from aircraft carriers per month. The FA-18C...

KING CITY, Calif. -- A military spokesman said two Navy fighter jets have collided over a Monterey County military base near King City. It's unclear whether there are casualties. The jets were FA-18 fighter jets based out of Fort Hunter Liggett, located about 100 south of San Jose. The jets were on a training mission.