Pan Am Intercepted KFPR!
 

Flying near to Fort Pierce this morning, when I noticed 2 F16's flying nearby! There's a power station in nearby port st.lucie that has had a restriction imposed around it for some time due to Sept 11th.
Whilst listening to Tower I hear, "Tower! I've got an F16 on my right wing! What shall I do?!!", the Tower replied in his South Florida Drawl, "Hell I don't know, I guess you're cleared to land!"
Personally, had it been I that was intercepted, I probably would have !!!!! myself, but then I would have read my Notams, and kept well clear!
Let that be a lesson to those (few) Pilots who don't bother with the Notams.
:eek:

Harvey - well put!

Too many students miss out the all important "full" preflight which includes checking the Notams. However, in the US there is no excuse as the Notams are read hand in hand with the weather briefing from Flight service. All the pilot has to do is listen and take note!

Although this took place in the US, it is still a good reminder to us UK pilots! I have been known not to fully check the notams every flight as you get in the habit of hearing the same old things and think nothing would have changed!

I can't believe people are getting intercepted at the moment for bonging NOTAMs! Must be one hell of a reaction time from the F16s - unless they had set up a CAP in anticipation!

I dont beleive the possibility of the US setting up two ship CAPs over all the Notams in their country is economically viable, even for them! Maybe you just happened upon the F-16s while they were transiting home to the bar.

Better make sure you Notam your maps properly before your next low level trip! Might get bounced unexpectedly! :eek:

On the contrary - there are military jets in the air at all times (at the moment) - and ready to intercept.

This very question came up at a security meeting this week..."What is the point of a ten mile restricted zone? The military cannot get to you in the six minutes that your 152 will take to cross that space".

The answer was "Oh, yes, we can!!" (and they do).

The 'gentleman'referred to should be called the 'Happy Florida Wanderer' I understand from a colleague who had a lot of experience in Florida that he is constantly on the move, having been seen at Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Melbourne and now Stuart. The only thing that doesn't change is that it is always the same old theme of unhappy customers & employees who seem to be always be short of the same commodity. I wonder what that is??