F-15's Attempt to Intercept Mystery Aircraft Over Oregon
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F-15's Attempt to Intercept Mystery Aircraft Over Oregon
Aviation journalist Tyler Rogoway just posted an article about a recent incident where airliners were asked to visually identify an unknown white aircraft estimated to be around FL370. At some point Portland Air Guard F-15C's were launched with no joy. No transponder or TCAS target, just visual and a primary radar return:
Airliners And F-15s Involved In Bizarre Encounter With Mystery Aircraft Over Oregon
Rogoway links to some LiveATC.net audio that has the controller ask Southwest 4712 OAK-PDX, United 612 SFO-PDX and SkyWest 3478 PDX-SMF for visual tracking information.
Here are slightly different links with both sides of the ATC conversation starting about 21 minutes into the first clip:
http://archive-server.liveatc.net/km...2017-0030Z.mp3
http://archive-server.liveatc.net/km...2017-0100Z.mp3
From Tyler's article:
Drug runner Lear 25 with the transponder off? Northbound? 
Airliners And F-15s Involved In Bizarre Encounter With Mystery Aircraft Over Oregon
Something quite out of the ordinary occurred in the skies over Oregon on October 25th, 2017. A mystery aircraft was flying in daylight hours among the steady stream of airliners that traverse from south to north, between locales in California and Nevada and cities like Portland and Seattle and beyond. The incident began, at least as best we can tell, around 4:30pm near the California-Oregon border and resulted in multiple pilot eyewitnesses, recorded air traffic control audio, and eventual confirmations from both the FAA and North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) that it did indeed occur.
Here are slightly different links with both sides of the ATC conversation starting about 21 minutes into the first clip:
http://archive-server.liveatc.net/km...2017-0030Z.mp3
http://archive-server.liveatc.net/km...2017-0100Z.mp3
From Tyler's article:
After reading this account and listening to the audio it was clear that the incident was worth looking into on a much deeper level, and that's what we did, inquiring with the 142nd Fighter Wing based at Portland International Airport, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and the FAA about the odd ordeal.
NORAD's reply was quick and clear. An incident involving multiple airline crews, air traffic control, and F-15Cs from the 142nd Fighter Wing based out of Portland did occur. According to the limited information NORAD supplied, airliner pilots were asked by FAA air traffic controllers to help track and possibly identify a "white aircraft" traveling in the flightlevels nearby—roughly between 35,000 and 40,000 feet based on the radio recordings. NORAD also said that the incident did result in F-15s from Portland being scrambled to investigate, but by the time they got up and "looked around" the mystery aircraft couldn't be found.
A quick note on the fighter jet aspect of this story—the 142nd Fighter Wing operates F-15Cs upgraded with the most capable air-to-air radar set in the world (AN/APG-63V3) and Sniper advanced targeting pods for long-rang visual identification. Their pilots are some of the best in the world and are highly trained in the homeland air defense mission. The fact that they "didn't find anything" is surprising to say the least. Maybe this was due to the nature of the aircraft being searched for, or the possibility that they launched long after it was first sighted, or that we simply aren't being told the whole story.
NORAD's reply was quick and clear. An incident involving multiple airline crews, air traffic control, and F-15Cs from the 142nd Fighter Wing based out of Portland did occur. According to the limited information NORAD supplied, airliner pilots were asked by FAA air traffic controllers to help track and possibly identify a "white aircraft" traveling in the flightlevels nearby—roughly between 35,000 and 40,000 feet based on the radio recordings. NORAD also said that the incident did result in F-15s from Portland being scrambled to investigate, but by the time they got up and "looked around" the mystery aircraft couldn't be found.
A quick note on the fighter jet aspect of this story—the 142nd Fighter Wing operates F-15Cs upgraded with the most capable air-to-air radar set in the world (AN/APG-63V3) and Sniper advanced targeting pods for long-rang visual identification. Their pilots are some of the best in the world and are highly trained in the homeland air defense mission. The fact that they "didn't find anything" is surprising to say the least. Maybe this was due to the nature of the aircraft being searched for, or the possibility that they launched long after it was first sighted, or that we simply aren't being told the whole story.
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Wee Fat Wun escaping to Iran?
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Mugabe's newly owned state airline doing a practice escape run?
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If you were really trying to get somewhere undetected, would flying FL370 near and through regular routes be what you would choose?
The area is fairly rural and mountainous, how hard would it be to stay off ATC radar flying low amongst the terrain?
The area is fairly rural and mountainous, how hard would it be to stay off ATC radar flying low amongst the terrain?
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Steve Fossett's plane disappeared in 2007 (though he was obviously not "hiding") and was only found a year later (in sept 2008). And not in the middle of the Pacific, but in Ca. ....
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Visual and all weather does not jive.
The Sniper pod is a TV and IR targeting pod with both air to ground and air to air modes. In air to air you will be able to make an "Eyeball" ID at about 5 to 10 nautical miles vs a fighter size target in good atmospheric conditions (no haze or clouds). Targets the size of airliners, you will probably be able to "Eyeball" at 20 to 25 nautical miles depending on the atmospheric conditions and their aspect.
The Sniper pod is a TV and IR targeting pod with both air to ground and air to air modes. In air to air you will be able to make an "Eyeball" ID at about 5 to 10 nautical miles vs a fighter size target in good atmospheric conditions (no haze or clouds). Targets the size of airliners, you will probably be able to "Eyeball" at 20 to 25 nautical miles depending on the atmospheric conditions and their aspect.
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According to a mutual friend, former Blue Angel Larry Packer was forced to abandon his Navy callsign when he went to the PDX F-15 Air Guard unit years ago.
His former callsign was 'Fudge'.
His former callsign was 'Fudge'.
Salute!
TNX for the update, "Guy".
I was under the mistaken impression that the pod was mainly for A2G stuff, but I have not been close to the community except for folks like you.
I can remember when the Eagle guys taped rifle scopes to one side of the HUD to get a long range I.D. 'course, we had TISEO and such for some planes back then but not on the early Eagles.
Something about the whole episode stinks. My fellow guys from the 80's talk about being "de-briefed" after seeing an unusual plane north of Nellis in late 70's. Ditto for other folks I flew with an emergency and saw a long runway in the desert and chose not to bail but land/glide. At Red Flag we were always briefed that if we had a serious emergency that would not get us back to Nellis or Tonopah, and we saw this nice runway, then land there!!! Work out the details later.
Gums sends...
P.S. I do not believe this incident was a UFO or foreign government demo. I might be able to be convinced it was a test of some sort, hence the Guard unit shutdown of responses.
Gums opines...
TNX for the update, "Guy".
I was under the mistaken impression that the pod was mainly for A2G stuff, but I have not been close to the community except for folks like you.
I can remember when the Eagle guys taped rifle scopes to one side of the HUD to get a long range I.D. 'course, we had TISEO and such for some planes back then but not on the early Eagles.
Something about the whole episode stinks. My fellow guys from the 80's talk about being "de-briefed" after seeing an unusual plane north of Nellis in late 70's. Ditto for other folks I flew with an emergency and saw a long runway in the desert and chose not to bail but land/glide. At Red Flag we were always briefed that if we had a serious emergency that would not get us back to Nellis or Tonopah, and we saw this nice runway, then land there!!! Work out the details later.
Gums sends...
P.S. I do not believe this incident was a UFO or foreign government demo. I might be able to be convinced it was a test of some sort, hence the Guard unit shutdown of responses.
Gums opines...
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My fellow guys from the 80's talk about being "de-briefed" after seeing an unusual plane north of Nellis in late 70's. Ditto for other folks I flew with an emergency and saw a long runway in the desert and chose not to bail but land/glide. At Red Flag we were always briefed that if we had a serious emergency that would not get us back to Nellis or Tonopah, and we saw this nice runway, then land there!!! Work out the details later.
Anyway, we need to maintain COMSEC here, the media is already on the trail of the supersecret Dreamland connection to the incident:
DISAPPEARING ACT US Air Force scrambled to mystery ‘ghost plane’ circling skies near Area 51
On October 25, the aircraft was seen flying among the airliners along the US's heavily trafficked air corridor above Oregon.
By Jamie Seidel for news.com.au
16th November 2017, 4:47 pm Updated: 16th November 2017, 5:43 pm
Oregon is adjacent to Nevada, the well-known home of the United States Air Force’s secret aircraft testing facility at Groom Lake (otherwise dubbed Area 51).
On October 25, the aircraft was seen flying among the airliners along the US's heavily trafficked air corridor above Oregon.
By Jamie Seidel for news.com.au
16th November 2017, 4:47 pm Updated: 16th November 2017, 5:43 pm
Oregon is adjacent to Nevada, the well-known home of the United States Air Force’s secret aircraft testing facility at Groom Lake (otherwise dubbed Area 51).
WAS IT ALIENS? Shock as US Air Force scrambled to mystery UFO in skies near Area 51
US Air Force jets were scrambled to investigate a strange UFO detected in the skies near a military base before the aircraft mysteriously vanished.
By Jon Austin
PUBLISHED: 14:27, Thu, Nov 16, 2017 | UPDATED: 17:46, Thu, Nov 16, 2017
US Air Force jets were scrambled to investigate a strange UFO detected in the skies near a military base before the aircraft mysteriously vanished.
By Jon Austin
PUBLISHED: 14:27, Thu, Nov 16, 2017 | UPDATED: 17:46, Thu, Nov 16, 2017
Probably just that spooky secret 737 with the modified nose n' tail canoes, which contain an airborne radar signature testing range?
Probably blasting every microwave known to man at the B-21 prototype that was flying not far away...
Probably blasting every microwave known to man at the B-21 prototype that was flying not far away...
If it was an object, even a regular aircraft, and it was flying, and it was not identified, then what should we call it?
Perhaps we need a new category of UFA.
Perhaps we need a new category of UFA.
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Your welcome Gums. The Sniper advanced TGP is actually one of the best TGP's for A2A work with decent A2G performance as well. The Lightning G4 pod that we use on our Vipers is better for A2G but inferior to the Sniper in A2A.
Most of the TGP's nowadays are both A2A and A2G capable. Optics are getting better and software updates gives us more and more capabilities. The SWIR feature is one of the nicest recent features. It enables us to look into IR shadows by using the training laser as an illuminator. Great stuff that the geeks with the thick glasses are coming up with....
Most of the TGP's nowadays are both A2A and A2G capable. Optics are getting better and software updates gives us more and more capabilities. The SWIR feature is one of the nicest recent features. It enables us to look into IR shadows by using the training laser as an illuminator. Great stuff that the geeks with the thick glasses are coming up with....
Speaking of abbreviations and Visual ID, I recall over 30 years ago a Navy Fighter Pilot with the call sign Streak briefing a room full of aviatiors on a thing he called T.I.T.S. -- the Tomcat Integrated Telescope System, which was quite similar to the rig gums referred to with hunting scopes mounted in the cockpit.
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Do Martians recieve NOTAMS etc?
Didn't Bush when flying across the UK to Iraq declare as a Gulfstream and was nearly rumbled when someone on the radios asked was that Airfarce One he had just seen.
Found it
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/28/wo...isit-gi-s.html
Last edited by NutLoose; 17th Nov 2017 at 13:10.