Probably wrong forum, but don't know where to ask.......

[Curlytips]

Just seen various military guys departing Dubai Air Show at high rate of knots, including Typhoon and B1. Question is.........how do they go home? In peacetime, do they fit into the airways system and have to adjust speeds to airliner type speeds? Or would they stay out of any controlled space, and would they go supersonic? Shows how little I know about military, but have wondered before about when the Reds go to Cyprus or the like.........any knowledgeable info appreciated.

[pulse1]

It probably is not the best forum for your question but I'm sure somebody will come along with a knowledgeable answer. In the meantime I can tell you that, at least in the UK, Military Radar gives a service for military aircraft. In the days of Southern Radar at Sopley it was for aircraft above FL050. It may be different now.

I do remember listening on a scanner to a Russian SU33 leaving Yeovilton and the last thing I heard was a very frustrated Military controller pleading with him to come back down to the FL200 she had cleared him to.

[Talkdownman]

In the days of LATCC SEJAO/LJAO there used to be a network of TACAN Link routes across NW Europe for OAT fast-jets. Mil transports usually flew as GAT on 'airways', even those which were UHF only. They were either 'cross-coupled' to civvy freqs, or worked the civil suite's mil controller. It seemed to work well. It was extremely rare for civil ATCOs to work fast jets on air routes on VHF. All the civvy saw was mil squawks with plenty of daylight between the blips autonomously crossing civil air routes on a 'take five' (nm) basis. I don't know what the system is now. 'ATC Issues' is probably the forum you want...

[Whopity]

Essentially the are two ways to go, General Air Traffic where following the airways system is by far the easiest and Operational Air Traffic which is dependent upon a military routing structure and the appropriate diplomatic clearances to use it. The speed of transit is not likely to be much different from other traffic, supersonic flight over land is prohibited and when transiting, the fuel flow is the major issue, the range of fast jets can be quite short requiring short legs or tanker support. Many military aircraft are not equipped to fly airways having TACAN rather than VOR equipment. Sometimes fast jets will fly in formation with a tanker in the airways.

[Curlytips]

Thanks all. I can remember USAF transports following airways in my early days as a spotter at Ringway (old Globemasters routing up Blue One for example), but it was the fast jets that interested me. Quite a long way to get home at regular subsonic speeds - but I guess interesting travel for our service types.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I can't speak for now but moons ago when there was conflict in Europe certain hot US bombers were based in the UK. When they went out to deliver their goods they flew the airways system and even got slot times!