Umm...why so many low-flying Navy planes?

[eppur_se_muova]

I live a stone's throw from Patuxent River Naval Air Base, so I'm not ever surprised to see a plane overhead. And I can hear them flying over my neighborhood occasionally -- but rarely. In the last few days, up to a week at most, it seems like there are suddenly a lot of VERY low-flying aircraft -- one a couple of days ago one came in so low I couldn't tell what kind it was because it was hidden by treetops most of the time (this was right over the highway which hugs the edge of the base -- I *seldom* see planes near the highway). I saw a C-130 only a few hundred feet up and that sort of triggered the realization that things have been busy lately upstairs. Then this morning I see an AWACS plane not only flying at low altitude (I thought this was a DEDICATED high-altitude craft?) but doing a fairly tight banking turn, like either showing off or seriously wargaming. Are these guys just getting ready for air shows, or is something else up?

That AWACS especially gets me -- why would anyone send that to an airshow? It's basically a Boeing 707 with a lot of expensive equipment no one's allowed to look at.

[liberal N proud]

1. Prep for the attack on Iran maybe

[HCE SuiGeneris]

2. Air show? Memorial Day prep?

[MnFats]

3. here in mn. i see latel A LOT of very very high-altitude aircraft, almost all..

..heading west to east, leaving contrails .....they appear to be flying very fast.
..it occurs to me these are bombers leaving ND air bases, heading for the middle east and .... carpet bombing Iran?
naw.... that's too outrageous to even seriously consider..

[Bitwit1234]

4. Minnesota where I live has no air base, or even an airport..

But for the last month I have heard jets roaring overheard. I was used to it, living in the Maryland side of DC. But it sure is odd here.

[onenote]

5. AWACs at airshows are pretty common

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSQLC7jqZvM

[BlooInBloo]

8. I've seen em at airshows. Along with the other-radar-dome -plane-forget-its-name.

[FogerRox]

6. Iam sorry, what state is that?

[TahitiNut]

7. Black-eyed Susan's state

Maryland. I actually know the guy who helped first establish the Naval Test Pilot program there back in the 1930s. Fascinating guy ... one of the first to land a plane on a carrier.

[FogerRox]

9. I saw a low altitude F-18 about 2pm today, weird

I hadn't seen a fighter jet that low since....


>cough<


9-11

I live about 15 miles west of NYC.

I hope they are just getting ready for Memorial day air shows.....

[xmas74]

10. Wouldn't be too worried.

Nothing out of Whiteman AFB right now and if we're bombing there probably would be.