Flightradar24 Interesting Finds

[orezok]

Many years ago I was doing touch and goes from Montgomery Field in San Diego. Just as I was lifting off from the runway, the tower sez “Cherokee 23Foxtrot, caution the 727 making a low pass to the north of the field.

I look to my right and there is a 727, doing about 200 knots, 100’ off the ground and less than a eight mile away.

There was a high school football player that got paralyzed during a game and the old PSA airline has a fundraiser flight for his benefit.

The second close call came one day as I was headed out to the ocean when a pair of F4’s flew over the top of me maybe 300’ above after departing Miramar Navy field. Which was just a couple miles north of Montgomery Field.

The third and last was when I was flying to El Paso and I was dropping off my cousin in Yuma which had at that time a shared civilian and Marine airport. I was following the towers direction to land on a specific runway, and just as I touched down again a pair of F4’s crossed right over the top of me at less than 50’. Had I pulled up to do a go around it could have been messy.

Dang those F4 boys!

 

[dmccarty]

Regarding tankers, I see them all of the time over eastern NC and offshore. I saw an KC 135 this morning and there are two KC767s, Backy21 and Backy22, from Seymour Johnson AFB flying around at the moment.

There are a few C17s and C135s flying around today. Quite a few were flying around yesterday, I heard several and saw two flying formation. I assume they were dropping 82 airborne troopers after flying around for awhile.

 

[kenmbz]

Last night we had an unusual amount of large planes all flying at 5000 to 10,000 feet.
Finally cleared up about midnight.
Looks like the wind yesterday had a large affect on all flights going into all the big airports around NY/Philly area.

 

[orezok]

This is a Russian drone flying over Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Center (29 Palms CA). How did we get it and what are we learning from it?

 

[bcp]

This is a Russian drone flying over Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Center (29 Palms CA). How did we get it and what are we learning from it?

View attachment 3371247

Bruce

 

[orezok]

View attachment 3371249

Bruce

Yeah, we see Reapers flying out here regularly, but RA 33303 is a Russian designated aircraft. Reapers are always designated as US and typed ar MQ-9

 

[Carl_NH]

Two big birds this afternoon

 

[Redbug]

I notice that the f16's do not have their becons turned on to track on Flightradar24. Cannot see them on the app although I see and hear them flying over the middle of the state. Some of the military helos, too. I live near the airport at Columbia, SC and a P-8 Poseidon from Mayport (FL), comes over quite frequently doing touch and goes or just flybys. In the past it used to have the tracking turned on, but in the past year the tracking is turned off. I think security has been ramped up so they cannot be watched...especially from other countries.

 

[lilranch2001]

I notice that the f16's do not have their becons turned on to track on Flightradar24. Cannot see them on the app although I see and hear them flying over the middle of the state. Some of the military helos, too. I live near the airport at Columbia, SC and a P-8 Poseidon from Mayport (FL), comes over quite frequently doing touch and goes or just flybys. In the past it used to have the tracking turned on, but in the past year the tracking is turned off. I think security has been ramped up so they cannot be watched...especially from other countries.

Yeah, I live right under the flight path between the Fort Wayne air base and Grissom, and hear the fighters fly over all the time and never can see them on flightradar

 

[MossRoad]

Almost every Notre Dame home football game has some sort of military fly over. They never show up on the flight radar sights. Sure can hear them, though.

 

[Redbug]

Yeah, I live right under the flight path between the Fort Wayne air base and Grissom, and hear the fighters fly over all the time and never can see them on flightradar

My father and later me...were in the Air Force. As a kid I remember living at Grissom and went to Maconaquah Middle School. Those were some cold winters.

 

[MossRoad]

My father and later me...were in the Air Force. As a kid I remember living at Grissom and went to Maconaquah Middle School. Those were some cold winters.

I remember when it was named Bunker Hill. Not so cold anymore.

Another interesting Bunker Hill story....

Indiana's 'broken arrow' — that time 5 nuclear bombs caught on fire

The area was surrounded by a high, chain-line fence. Old, rusted signs said "Controlled Area," and "No Digging."

www.indystar.com

 

[Redbug]

Interesting stories Moss! I remember a static B-58 Hustler was just past the main gate as you went in. Later after I got older I remember reading about the crash and the bomb.

 

[MossRoad]

Interesting stories Moss! I remember a static B-58 Hustler was just past the main gate as you went in. Later after I got older I remember reading about the crash and the bomb.

There is an outdoor aircraft museum there now. The Hustler is still there.
(click to enlarge)



When I was a kid, we'd travel to Indy and Cincinnati pretty often. Back in the 60s there were B-58s in quonset hut-type hangars along US31. There were WATCH FOR LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT signs along the highway. As I recall, a yellow VW bug got smushed by a landing gear one year.

The pads for the hangars are still there...

 

[Redbug]

Wow Moss. Funny how we remember and know those things.

 

[MossRoad]

Wow Moss. Funny how we remember and know those things.

I have family down in Indy, so I drive by several times a year.

I'd guess I've been by there several hundred times in my life. I stop at the museum once in a while, especially if I see a KC-135 doing touch and go's.

Are you familiar with the old circus barns about 1/2 mile north of there? If not, too late. They let them go into disrepair and they were torn down a few years ago. I recall seeing elephants and camels there when I was a kid.

Indiana circus barns built by `Lion King' set for demolition

PERU, Ind. (AP) — Historic barns that a man once known as “The Lion King” built in northern Indiana to house circus animals are set for demolition this spring once crews salvage artifacts from them.

apnews.com

 

[Redbug]

I have family down in Indy, so I drive by several times a year.

I'd guess I've been by there several hundred times in my life. I stop at the museum once in a while, especially if I see a KC-135 doing touch and go's.

Are you familiar with the old circus barns about 1/2 mile north of there? If not, too late. They let them go into disrepair and they were torn down a few years ago. I recall seeing elephants and camels there when I was a kid.

Indiana circus barns built by `Lion King' set for demolition

PERU, Ind. (AP) — Historic barns that a man once known as “The Lion King” built in northern Indiana to house circus animals are set for demolition this spring once crews salvage artifacts from them.

apnews.com

View attachment 3479823

View attachment 3479824

Yes I do remember all that!

 

[MossRoad]

Ever seen this?
(click to enlarge)



In relation to Grissom...



It is one of many auxiliary fields built when Bunker Hill was built. They were for emergency landings. This one is called Caldwell field.

 

[Redbug]

Ever seen this?
(click to enlarge)

View attachment 3481846

In relation to Grissom...

View attachment 3481847

It is one of many auxiliary fields built when Bunker Hill was built. They were for emergency landings. This one is called Caldwell field.

That's a new one to me. All kinds of things went on during the Cold War. Grissom was quite the base in its day. They had their own coal fired power plant and quite independent of the outside city. I used to walk those RR tracks crossing 31. There used to be a large mill with silos for grain on the south side. It is all gone now. I had always explored around.

 

[orezok]

When I was in college in El Paso, we lived about 2 miles off the end of the main runway at Briggs Field. Nuclear equipped B52’s were stationed there. Every month or 2 they would do an emergency scramble exercise. First the KC135 tankers would take off, spaced about 15 to 30 seconds apart. Then the 52’s would go, same spacing. Crossed the house at less than 1000’.

It seemed about 10 minutes of deafening roar.

I never thought about if one of them would crash.