Sneaking across Lake Superior undetected

All:

Can a 172 flying at 200 feet above water across Lake Superior get through
undetected by radar or AWACS? Are there holes in radar coverage?

I ask cuz I'm a mystery novelist at work on a new whodunit and wonder what
goes on when a small plane flies from Canada to the United States over a
Great Lake. I presume the small plane has to land at an official port of
entry so Customs can go over it looking for bad stuff.

Also, when a plane crosses the border does it have to be in radio contact
with ATC? (Being deaf, I'm a NORDO pilot so don't know anything about that
stuff.)

Thanks to all.

Henry

Can a 172 flying at 200 feet above water across Lake Superior get through
undetected by radar or AWACS? Are there holes in radar coverage?

You would have a good chance of sneaking through radar but if an AWAC
were monitoring the area then you don't have a chance. When I lived in
the middle east they could detect pickup trucks smuggling Scotch across
the border from Yemen.
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

that's why all those balloons have been placed along the southern border..
they look down on the drug smugglers.. keep this up and we'll have them
along the northern boarders too.

BTW, I'd hate to be the one flying a C172 over the lake at 200ft AGL, get
out away from either shore... loose the horizon and depth perception.. and
splash..

BT

"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-BF5DB8.18453227122003@shawnews...
Can a 172 flying at 200 feet above water across Lake Superior get
through
undetected by radar or AWACS? Are there holes in radar coverage?

You would have a good chance of sneaking through radar but if an AWAC
were monitoring the area then you don't have a chance. When I lived in
the middle east they could detect pickup trucks smuggling Scotch across
the border from Yemen.
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

BTIZ wrote:

BTW, I'd hate to be the one flying a C172 over the lake at 200ft AGL, get
out away from either shore... loose the horizon and depth perception.. and
splash..

That's what a dual axis Bendix/King KAP 140 prevents... ;-)

--
Peter










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"Peter R." wrote in message
...
BTIZ wrote:

BTW, I'd hate to be the one flying a C172 over the lake at 200ft AGL,
get
out away from either shore... loose the horizon and depth perception..
and
splash..

That's what a dual axis Bendix/King KAP 140 prevents... ;-)

--
Peter

flying that distance.. over water.. will result in pressure changes.. CAP140
flies on pressure?? if the pressure over distance is moving the wrong way...
splash..

BT

Yup... that wonderful box will maintain you at whatever pressure
altitude you set it at..

High to Low.. Look Out Below!..

Dave

BTIZ wrote:

"Peter R." wrote in message
...

BTIZ wrote:


BTW, I'd hate to be the one flying a C172 over the lake at 200ft AGL,

get

out away from either shore... loose the horizon and depth perception..

and

splash..

That's what a dual axis Bendix/King KAP 140 prevents... ;-)

--
Peter


flying that distance.. over water.. will result in pressure changes.. CAP140
flies on pressure?? if the pressure over distance is moving the wrong way...
splash..

BT

BTIZ wrote:

flying that distance.. over water.. will result in pressure changes.. CAP140
flies on pressure?? if the pressure over distance is moving the wrong way...
splash..

That would take a mighty inattentive pilot to let 200 feet go that close
to the surface without noticing...

"Gee, those white caps are looking much larger than 10 minutes ago...
must be an optical illusion."

** SPLASH **

--
Peter










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"tony roberts" wrote in message news:nospam-BF5DB8.18453227122003@shawnews...
Can a 172 flying at 200 feet above water across Lake Superior get through
undetected by radar or AWACS? Are there holes in radar coverage?

You would have a good chance of sneaking through radar but if an AWAC
were monitoring the area then you don't have a chance. When I lived in
the middle east they could detect pickup trucks smuggling Scotch across
the border from Yemen.
--

Agreed... Airborne radars can see to the ground. We've got them patrolling
the DC area and they can see stuff that ATC doesn't have a clue about.

I have been intercepted (in the middle of the country, not at the edges) at
least twice. This happened more than 10 years ago.

Once was by a pair of F15's that I spotted climbing toward me. They got
to my altitude, turned parallel in the opposite direction, did a 180 turn
then a roll as they came by. I was flying a quite small plane and I would
bet money that this was a radar intercept.

The other one I never saw, but was told about it by the crew of the
intercepting aircraft. They just followed me around a bit testing out their
stuff.

There is no doubt in my mind that any airplane at any altitude can be picked
up by either ground or airborne radar if the operators want to. The trick is
to decide which target you want to watch.



In article , "Ron Natalie"
wrote:

"tony roberts" wrote in message
news:nospam-BF5DB8.18453227122003@shawnews...
Can a 172 flying at 200 feet above water across Lake Superior get through
undetected by radar or AWACS? Are there holes in radar coverage?

You would have a good chance of sneaking through radar but if an AWAC
were monitoring the area then you don't have a chance. When I lived in
the middle east they could detect pickup trucks smuggling Scotch across
the border from Yemen.
--

Agreed... Airborne radars can see to the ground. We've got them patrolling
the DC area and they can see stuff that ATC doesn't have a clue about.

"db" wrote in message
ink.net...

I have been intercepted (in the middle of the country, not at the edges)
at
least twice. This happened more than 10 years ago.

Once was by a pair of F15's that I spotted climbing toward me. They got
to my altitude, turned parallel in the opposite direction, did a 180 turn
then a roll as they came by. I was flying a quite small plane and I would
bet money that this was a radar intercept.


They would have Sh!t themselves if you had performed a split S.