Buzzed?

So I'm flying IFR down V441 in Florida today, when I hear the
controller who's working me call traffic to a VFR airplane he's
providing with advisories. "Traffic, twelve o'clock, opposite
direction, very fast, same altitude, suggest you descend now." The 172
he's talking to descends in a hurry, and the traffic passes without
being seen. A few minute later, the controller says the same traffic
has circled around and is now coming back at the VFR airplane once
again. Once again, negative contact. Next time, the traffic is reported
circling ahead of the 172, until he breaks off and again makes a pass
around the Cessna. This time the now rather panicked VFR pilot see the
traffic, and reports it to the controller as "some sort of single." The
controller points out that at 250 kts at 5000 ft, it's unlikely to be a
piston and it must be some sort of jet. The pilot then asks, nervously,
if the building he's flying over is a nuclear power plant, fearing, no
doubt, that he's been intercepted. Negative, the controller replies,
and still no-one knows what's going on. At this point, I have to leave
the freq for the next controller and so I miss the ending, but I wonder
if this was indeed an interception, but if so, wouldn't the controller
know? Coincidentally, or not, a small plane crashed into the terminal
at Gainesville just south of there around that time, so perhaps
"someone" felt there might be rogue airplanes out there? Comments???

Coincidentally, or not, a small plane crashed into the terminal
at Gainesville just south of there around that time, so perhaps
"someone" felt there might be rogue airplanes out there? Comments???

Creepy story, Mike. I hope you find out what happened!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
oups.com...
[...] I wonder
if this was indeed an interception, but if so, wouldn't the controller
know? Coincidentally, or not, a small plane crashed into the terminal
at Gainesville just south of there around that time, so perhaps
"someone" felt there might be rogue airplanes out there? Comments???

Don't know. But given that I've heard stories of pilots flying
lower-powered airplanes using other airplanes as simulated targets, it sure
wouldn't surprise me to find someone out there in a Mustang, or L-39, or
what-have-you doing the same thing (though, I assume the visual ID rules out
the L-39, in spite of that plane technically being a single ).

IMHO, the controller should have tracked the airplane to its landing, and
had an FAA inspector find out what was going on. Even better if the C172
pilot could get a good visual on it and identify the type (perhaps that did
happen later).

I would think that ATC would be informed regarding an intercept, and in any
case jet or no jet, I would expect the intercepting aircraft to be flying
slower than 250 knots. Sure doesn't sound like an intercept to me.

Pete

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message ...
....
IMHO, the controller should have tracked the airplane to its landing, and had an FAA inspector find out what was going
on. Even better if the C172 pilot could get a good visual on it and identify the type (perhaps that did happen
later).

I would think that ATC would be informed regarding an intercept, and in any case jet or no jet, I would expect the
intercepting aircraft to be flying slower than 250 knots. Sure doesn't sound like an intercept to me.

Pete


Don't know what someone goofing off would be squawking altitude...

On Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:01:55 -0700, "Peter Duniho"
wrote:

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
roups.com...
[...] I wonder
if this was indeed an interception, but if so, wouldn't the controller
know? Coincidentally, or not, a small plane crashed into the terminal
at Gainesville just south of there around that time, so perhaps
"someone" felt there might be rogue airplanes out there? Comments???

Don't know. But given that I've heard stories of pilots flying
lower-powered airplanes using other airplanes as simulated targets, it sure
wouldn't surprise me to find someone out there in a Mustang, or L-39, or
what-have-you doing the same thing (though, I assume the visual ID rules out
the L-39, in spite of that plane technically being a single ).


Back in the "old days" it was not uncommon to be flying along US
27/I-75 between Grailing and the straights and see fighters up close.
Of course like the traffic cop you never saw them until they were
there. Having a pair of jets pass 100 yards off each wing tip and 500
MPH plus it certainly startling. Often you could count on them not
being a single pair and if not loaded with ordinance they sometimes
.... never mind.

Down in the Grailing area you end up flying between a gunnery range on
the west and a bombing range on the east. It can sometimes be quite a
show from 5000 feet, but the planes now days give us civvies a wide
berth. (usually)

If you go wayyyy back I was up at the brides when the two F-102s flew
under it. As I understand they ended up grounded. I missed the time
Arthur Godfrey flew his plane under it.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
IMHO, the controller should have tracked the airplane to its landing, and
had an FAA inspector find out what was going on. Even better if the C172
pilot could get a good visual on it and identify the type (perhaps that did
happen later).

I would think that ATC would be informed regarding an intercept, and in any
case jet or no jet, I would expect the intercepting aircraft to be flying
slower than 250 knots. Sure doesn't sound like an intercept to me.

Pete

In a previous article, Roger said:
Back in the "old days" it was not uncommon to be flying along US
27/I-75 between Grailing and the straights and see fighters up close.

There was a case 5 or 10 years ago when a couple of fighters decided to
play "practice intercept" on a commerical airliner that had been cleared
through their MOA, not realizing that airliners have TCAS now. The
airliner reacted rather violently to the RA, and now the military doesn't
do that any more.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"I kept the faith and I kept voting/Not for the iron fist but for the helping
hand/For theirs is a land with a wall around it/And mine is a faith in my
fellow man" --Billy Bragg

On Sat, 22 Apr 2006 14:59:42 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, Roger said:
Back in the "old days" it was not uncommon to be flying along US
27/I-75 between Grailing and the straights and see fighters up close.

There was a case 5 or 10 years ago when a couple of fighters decided to
play "practice intercept" on a commerical airliner that had been cleared
through their MOA, not realizing that airliners have TCAS now. The
airliner reacted rather violently to the RA, and now the military doesn't
do that any more.

Now that would have been a ride worth paying for:-)) IF you had your
seat belt fastened. I hope they had lots of lucn bags.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I'm flying IFR down V441 in Florida today, when I hear the
controller who's working me call traffic to a VFR airplane he's
providing with advisories. "Traffic, twelve o'clock, opposite
direction, very fast, same altitude, suggest you descend now." The 172
he's talking to descends in a hurry, and the traffic passes without
being seen. A few minute later, the controller says the same traffic
has circled around and is now coming back at the VFR airplane once
again. Once again, negative contact. Next time, the traffic is reported
circling ahead of the 172, until he breaks off and again makes a pass
around the Cessna. This time the now rather panicked VFR pilot see the
traffic, and reports it to the controller as "some sort of single." The
controller points out that at 250 kts at 5000 ft, it's unlikely to be a
piston and it must be some sort of jet.

I wonder if it was one of these?

http://www.if1airracing.com/IF1_Planes.shtml

These guys tend to fly around in circles at 250kts.

"Ted" wrote in message
news

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I'm flying IFR down V441 in Florida today, when I hear the
controller who's working me call traffic to a VFR airplane he's
providing with advisories. "Traffic, twelve o'clock, opposite
direction, very fast, same altitude, suggest you descend now." The 172
he's talking to descends in a hurry, and the traffic passes without
being seen. A few minute later, the controller says the same traffic
has circled around and is now coming back at the VFR airplane once
again. Once again, negative contact. Next time, the traffic is reported
circling ahead of the 172, until he breaks off and again makes a pass
around the Cessna. This time the now rather panicked VFR pilot see the
traffic, and reports it to the controller as "some sort of single." The
controller points out that at 250 kts at 5000 ft, it's unlikely to be a
piston and it must be some sort of jet.

I wonder if it was one of these?

http://www.if1airracing.com/IF1_Planes.shtml

These guys tend to fly around in circles at 250kts.


One day years ago after I did my runup in my little Cessna 152 and announced
my departure on runway 34 one of these little single seat buggers pulled out
onto the runway in front of me and took off. No waiting in line on the
taxiway for his turn, no radio calls, no nothing. I was quite annoyed at
his complete contempt for proper airport procedures until I saw him use
about 450 feet of runway to lift off. His climb out was essentially
vertical and in another few moments he flew over my head and out of sight.

http://www.if1airracing.com/IF1_Bio....0Hav en%20Bio

Ted wrote:

I was quite annoyed at his complete contempt for proper airport procedures until I saw him use about 450 feet of runway to lift off. His climb out was essentially vertical and in another few moments he flew over my head and out of sight

So your annoyance turned to awe after seeing his T/O performance? G


I doubt that's any justification for what he did, if that's what you
meant.