Frontiercpt From United States, joined Jun 2004, 959 posts, RR: 9 Posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 14375 times:
Hey everyone,
On Friday, I saw a four-engined (looked like a 747, but I may be wrong) aircraft flying over Woodstock, Vermont, escorted by four fighters. I didn't get much time to look at it closely, because it disappeared behind a cloud just after I spotted it.
Anyone have any information on this aircraft?
Thanks guys!
Sean
High school is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it seems to go.
Mastermis From Cayman Islands, joined Apr 2008, 18 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 14106 times:
Would Air Force 1 be escorted in that manner? Maybe the Veep was headed to an "undisclosed location" President would have been in Texas for Jenna's wedding!
SEPilot From United States, joined Dec 2006, 2819 posts, RR: 7 Reply 5, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 13884 times:
I have seen C-5A's flying over Vermont; I have seen them refueling from KC-135's as well. So it could have been either a C-5A or a KC-135 and not been out of the ordinary (but as the fighters were with it it was probably a KC-135); AF-1 is not a possibility. The People's Republic of Vermont is one of the very few states that President Bush has never visited, and I would expect his visit to be announced by engraved snowballs from hell. I also doubt that AF-1 would be escorted in flight by fighters; they would be in the air but not that close to it. Formation flying is inherently dangerous, and there would be no need to have the fighters close, as they would be tasked to intercept any intruder long before it got near. The only time another plane would get anywhere near AF-1 would be if it had to refuel, and I suspect that would only happen in practice (without the president on board) or in actual full-scale war.
The problem with making things foolproof is that fools are so doggone ingenious...
Nbgskygod From United States, joined May 2004, 313 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 13670 times:
That was a KC-135, I got a pic of it as it went over Enfield, NH. There were 4 F15s, I got a shot of the one just after it joined up with the tanker. I would have gotten a better shot of it, but I couldn't get the lens asembled in time.
"I use multi-billion dollar military satellite systems to find tupperware in the woods."
OPNLguy From United States, joined Jun 1999, 12197 posts, RR: 69 Reply 7, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 13374 times:
There's a military IR route running roughly from NW of Rutland to NE of Montpelier; are any of the locales mentioned so far in this thread along that general axis, or viewable from it?
Carelessness and overconfidence are usually far more dangerous than deliberately accepted risks.
Airplanenut From United States, joined Sep 2001, 562 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (1 month 3 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 10656 times:
Where are those planes based? I know there's a small fleet at Pease AFB in Portsmouth, NH... makes for a nice display if you do a low approach at the airport.
Why yes, in fact, I am a rocket scientist... at least one in the making...
Stickers From South Africa, joined Sep 2007, 80 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (1 month 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 5947 times:
Quoting SEPilot (Reply 5): The only time another plane would get anywhere near AF-1 would be if it had to refuel, and I suspect that would only happen in practice (without the president on board) or in actual full-scale war.
IIRC didn't AF1 get a refuel with the president on board during the 9/11 tradgedy. I seem to recall reports that the president was on board AF1 for a great deal of time after the second tower was hit.
SEPilot From United States, joined Dec 2006, 2819 posts, RR: 7 Reply 16, posted (1 month 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 3870 times:
Quoting Stickers (Reply 15): IIRC didn't AF1 get a refuel with the president on board during the 9/11 tradgedy. I seem to recall reports that the president was on board AF1 for a great deal of time after the second tower was hit.
If that is the case then it would be a lesser level of war than I envisioned; but it would still be a national emergency.
As to the question of where planes are based, Burlington has a number of F-16's. No F-15's, though, AFAIK. Pease has a large number of KC-135's; I was lucky enough to get a ride on one when I was involved in CAP; also got the opportunity to fly the KC-135 simulator. FUN!!!!!!
The problem with making things foolproof is that fools are so doggone ingenious...
ChrisNH From United States, joined Jun 1999, 2672 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (1 month 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 3094 times:
Quoting Nbgskygod (Reply 14): The F-15s are probibly MaANG birds from Barns, and the KC-135 is either from Pease or Bangor.
Would we assume that those F-15s pretty much HAVE to belong to Westfield (Barnes?). There are no other F-15s based anywhere else in New England. The only other possibility is F-15s from other bases in the country heading for European deployment and getting more fuel along the way.
The KC-135 is an 'R' (re-engined) model, by the looks of it. And Pease has those.
EMBQA From United States, joined Oct 2003, 7043 posts, RR: 9 Reply 18, posted (1 month 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 2912 times:
Quoting Stickers (Reply 15): I seem to recall reports that the president was on board AF1 for a great deal of time after the second tower was hit.
How soon we forget...............No... by the time he left Florida the second tower had been hit. They did a hop over to Barksdale AFB, then up to Offutt in Nebraska under the escort of F-16's from the Texas ANG. Stayed there for a short stay, then back to DC. At no time was there a need to in-flight refuel. I do think when he did the trip to Iraq for Thanksgiving that one year the did in-flight refuel.
[Edited 2008-05-12 08:09:15]
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
RFields5421 From United States, joined Jul 2007, 1129 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (1 month 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 2846 times:
On 9/11 the President didn't spend very much time in the air in AF1.
They quickly moved him, but at that time, the bird did not have the upgraded comm suites to allow him to keep in contact with the rapidly progressing, rapidly changing situation. They made two landings before returning to DC with much of the time on the ground trying to gather current information. The president's staff was also having a lengthy battle with the Secret Service - who wanted the president to be completely hidden and secure for a couple days. The President and his staff won the battle - arguing the country needed to see the President unafraid and in the open.
Quote: On board Air Force One following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, President Bush was unable to hold a videoconference in flight, adequately monitor news coverage, or receive necessary data from key people on the ground. The President couldn't even watch CNN. Once Bush arrived at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, StratCom's more advanced equipment put the President in better communication. After September 11, money was immediately allocated to upgrade four Presidential planes at a total cost of less than $50 million.
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President would have been in Texas for Jenna's wedding!
From South Africa, joined Sep 2007, 80 posts, 