Big Deal
This IS a big deal, chaps.
Having fighters come up, giving you a friendly wave and letting you take a few pickies is one thing, but having them come up looking for trouble, safety catches off, is another. These are military persons, working to a different set of rules from yours, and having a different mindset. Part of their job description is shooting down aeroplanes. This is why, in my first post, I said it was fortunate the incident did not occur in USSR airspace. The Authorities there were a tad touchy about aircraft entering their airspace uninvited. They tended to shoot first and not bother with the questions afterwards.
I don't know what the answer is, but it starts with the bloke sitting up front being fully aware of the situation. If these interceptions are so common, do you ever have any warning, or do the fighters just appear alongside? Isn’t there a rule about minimum proximity? If this is rule is broken, isn’t an official report in order? If so, how many per day are filed?
A story I am assured is true: An RAF crew on a routine flight saw one of their colleagues ahead, and decided to carry out a mock attack on him. They followed the correct procedure to the letter, right up to the point where the pilot says, “Fire!”
And the pilot said, “Fire!”
Couldn’t happen again, though, could it?
Using the Swiss cheese analogy, I can’t help thinking we might be working with only three or four slices of the stuff.
We must never forget, safety is no accident.