Lots of military stuff flying over lately

[RooflessVW]

Which requires: 1 that it’s installed and 2. That it’s turned on.

Blackhawk are likely among the last aircraft to get ADS-B.

Most DOD aircraft don’t yet have it retrofitted and helicopters often fly with the squawk off.

Right but that's not what you said.

I've noticed that DoD light stuff doesn't show up but the heavies do, probably due to the nature of their work and the locations they fly.

If you look at the FAA requirements for ADS-B, there aren't many civil aircraft exempt...

 

[Astro14]

Right but that's not what you said.

I've noticed that DoD light stuff doesn't show up but the heavies do, probably due to the nature of their work and the locations they fly.

If you look at the FAA requirements for ADS-B, there aren't many civil aircraft exempt...

Pretty much exactly what I said when I posted, “and won’t appear on flight radar”

No IFR flight plan - no one knows they’re flying. No one is even looking for them.

Won’t appear on any app, or FAA tracking, because they don’t have ADS-B.

Won’t appear because they fly below the actual radar (raw radar, not ADS-B) horizon for many areas. They do that as a matter of course, and they do that for tactical training reasons. FAA radar and bad guy radar work similarly. Helicopters try to stay under it.

Won‘t appear, in other words.

Heavies are required to have ADS-B to operate in Class A. They have to operate there, all the time.

They were the first to get ADS-B. Fighters and tactical airplanes next.

Helicopters last. DOD has retrofitted about 1/3 of their airplanes. Helicopters can’t get high enough to be in class A, and rarely go into class B. So why rush to get them outfitted with ADS-B?

 

[gman2304]

Visited a state park in SW Virginia yesterday and saw two fighter planes fly over just above tree top level! Just got a glimpse of them through the forest canopy but we heard them quite a few seconds before we saw them. Amazing sight and sound!

 

[skyactiv]

Practicing for operation “Wag the dog” is in effect.

 

[Jetronic]

Fiscal year ends on September 30.

Budget resets on 01 October, which means that 2022 is already here, for the DOD budget, so that theory is unlikely.

Military units go through training and deployment cycles. There is a unit that is training, and they’re flying. It’s that simple.

I know, but since we were doing conspiracy theories.... this was as good as any.

 

[wwillson]

My neighbor got a pic of them. Stuff like this freaks my wife out lol.

Time for the panic button

 

[BusyLittleShop]

I live near McClellan Air Park home to a hanger full of prized WarBirds... I look up time to time and behold flying over head the likes of...
P38L
F4U
D98 Mosquito
P51D
P40B
Mk12 Spitfire
Grumman Mallard

 

[CharlesInCharge]

My neighbor got a pic of them. Stuff like this freaks my wife out lol.

One explanation would be a mass airborne operation jump. Probably just some type of training.

I remember back at the start of GWOT sitting at train tracks for 15 minutes while cars with armored vehicles would go by! Or seeing huge air movement overhead, lots and lots of planes one after another heading overseas.

 

[Malo83]

You never know.

 

[KneeGrinder]

Interesting. Good to be aware. If any Black Suburbans pull up, put out the lights.

You don't need to turn the lights out, they will do it for you. They will also disable your security cameras too! Suppressed .22! I know someone that they have done it to.

 

[edyvw]

My neighbor got a pic of them. Stuff like this freaks my wife out lol.

I lived for 25 years on same address. In 6 of those 25 I changed passport of 4 different countries.
From my experience, there is nothing to worry about when you see something like that.
Also, black color is for amateurs.

 

[Chris142]

I lived for 25 years on same address. In 6 of those 25 I changed passport of 4 different countries.
From my experience, there is nothing to worry about when you see something like that.
Also, black color is for amateurs.

I tell her that but she has her beliefs

 

[edyvw]

Visited a state park in SW Virginia yesterday and saw two fighter planes fly over just above tree top level! Just got a glimpse of them through the forest canopy but we heard them quite a few seconds before we saw them. Amazing sight and sound!

I have seen a lot of fighter jets in various roles flying low, but best sight was on 2 F16’s of CO national guard flying over the top of the Pikes Peak. I was visiting with the friend, and these two guys did a show for us, flew very low, and then dive down the mountain toward Woodland Park. One lady said to her husband: ok, we are moving here

 

[2005jettatdi]

Silent helicopters are real, although not actually silent. Summer of 2020 my wife and I were coming back from Flagstaff. As we came over the last hill on I-40 I noticed something odd on the east side of the Cerbat Mountains north of Kingman. I told her it looked like a forest fire. Next day, since the roads were not blocked I drove out there. The fire was mostly controlled, but they were still cleaning up. We could park right next to where the water tank for the dipping helicopters were located. One helicopter made almost no noise, especially compared to the standard very loud ones. Very impressive.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

Probably a military drill occasionally and seemingly randomly I see ass-tons of military rotor craft moving around our GA airport (KSDL) in formation just doing training. When I lived in Durango you’d see a lot of the AF guys spend some time shooting touch and goes at KDUR. Iirc they’d fly over from Colorado Springs, shoot touch and goes in Durango, land and eat a burger, then fly back to Colorado Springs. If true that’s a pretty sweet gig.