Today (June 11) Oakland Center asked the Global Hawk Test Team to help
with a Mayday call from a motorglider in Utah. The team was flying a
new Global Hawk somewhat above 50,000 feet north of Edwards AFB and
was 8 hours into a 30 hour mission to test the sensor suite when OAK
Center made the request. Center reported a Mayday from a "powered
glider with a failed engine" and asked if the Hawk could join in the
search and rescue. Fortunately good news followed that the
motorglider had safely landed.

You all be careful out there. We don't fly Hawks every day. It is
better to have a SPOT and/or an ELT.

Soar safe, have fun, go fast and far,
Jim Payne

JP - Now that we have been subjected to the customary RAS
Rampant Aviation Speculation
Can you tell us what actually transpired (why he called MayDay) ?
Thanks !
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric" [/i][/color][/i][/color]


Gotta love speculation
Am I the only paranoid here?
This sounds like bunk to me.
Did anyone actually hear the mayday?
Does anyone actually know the pilot (its not like we dont know each other here)
Did anyone actually see/hear/hear of/know anything like this actually happen?

Let me put forward option #3

US military monitors these RAS threads, like everything else
The notice the gliding, RA & GA community are suspect of their trumped up model aircraft killing machines and think, duh, how can we get onside with this mob?
Duh, lets throw in a bull#*^t mayday JUST WHEN a global eyeball is testing and wallah! instant hero's
Next time they loose one of their toys or have a mid-air with one of us they can point out when they helped us out -presto- insant spin for the computer pilots and Joe public thinks WE did something wrong by being in THEIR airspace

or maybe I am paranoid and should trust the US military (Especially the air force)