US Fighter jet unauthorized visit nearby?

#1 30-08-07, 19:57

Hmmmmm ... I wonder what's up with this? Trail is a couple/few hours West from here and I just read this story in a local news site.

Quote:

DEFENCE

MP demands answers after U.S. fighter plane reported flying in airspace above B.C. town
LANA RODLIE

Canadian Press

August 29, 2007

TRAIL, B.C. -- B.C. Southern Interior MP Alex Atamanenko is asking Defence Minister Peter MacKay to demand an accounting from U.S. authorities regarding a fighter jet possibly flying over Trail, B.C., in June.

"From all indications, an unidentified foreign fighter jet has violated our airspace," he wrote.

"It is important to note that this area is not barren, open terrain. It is densely populated and the home of a major industrial smelter, Teck Cominco, that is vital to our economy."

Mr. Atamanenko said he is satisfied with the response he got after contacting the federal Ministry of Transportation, which conducted a "thorough investigation" and confirmed the jet was not a Canadian Forces aircraft.

He said he also received a letter from John Crichton, president and CEO of NAV Canada, who said radar in the Trail area cannot track aircraft operating below 2,100 metres.

"We've done our homework," Mr. Atamanenko said. "It looks like it was a U.S. fighter jet."

He wants Mr. MacKay to contact American authorities to determine exactly what happened.

"First, it's my hope it doesn't happen again. And second, it was low-flying in a densely populated area. And there is the smelter."

Mr. Atamanenko said Trail residents "deserve some answers. We need to know why it was there."

Most of the town was awakened by the noise.

Witnesses who saw the plane at approximately 11:15 p.m. on June 18 described it coming up from the U.S., flying very low over the Trail airport, then above Trail itself.

American officials at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Wash., and Whidbey Island air base near Seattle have so far denied any U.S. military planes would have been in the area at that time.

alleramilitaria · #2 31-08-07, 01:00

letting in US criminals is welcome but lets fry a lost US pilot???

this WILL happen from time to time with neibors.
dave d.

#3 31-08-07, 01:19

I'm just wondering why they were here and no one knew. Maybe it's something to do with the fires that both Canada and USA are fighting together close to that area as the fire spans the border, but fires and fighterjets? What would be the connection or use of that for a fire? .Who knows, also maybe Canada knows all about it but just isn't saying so

BTW ... it never even occurred to me that the pilot could simply have lost track/lost where he was at. THAT makes sense to me! (except I thought airplanes/jets had computers showing coordinates and location and wouldn't that have show he crossed the line? I dunno.

The story is pretty weird that someone basically implied maybe the jet was a threat to the community or something. That sounds bizarre and totally off the wall to me to imply such an unbelievable agenda and ties paranoids knickers in knots ('fraid they're gonna bomb the mill and the civi's??? The USA??? Eh? Weird. Why? Why Traill? What would that serve? Nothing for nothing. Senseless all round. Crazy idea.)

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #4 31-08-07, 01:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Vets Dottir 2nd
... ('fraid they're gonna bomb the mill and the civi's??? The USA??? Eh? Weird. Why? Why Traill? What would that serve? Nothing for nothing. Senseless all round. Crazy idea.)

Why not, the USAF bombs everything and everybody else!

Besides, it's only Trail, Left Coast/Lotusland an' all that...

#5 31-08-07, 01:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
Why not, the USAF bombs everything and everybody else!

Besides, it's only Trail, Left Coast/Lotusland an' all that...

Well ... my Ex (of 13 years) is close to that area ... dare I pray for a good drop then?

(I know ... very unpleasant of me to be so nasty

but I'm verra verra cranky today )

alleramilitaria · #6 31-08-07, 02:34

it could have been anything from a clasic warbird with USA on the wings to a stealth going to bomb iraq, point is that with canada (and im not picking on you guys just pointing out) not keeping up a big enugh air force to provid a CAP for its own country like mexico with only 5 F-5s on duty for the entire country then it comes doen to the US providing air cover for them.
so whats all the hub bub about?

next thing you know the entire world will be like NZ and have a airforce by treaty (if attacked the US and aussies will provide air cover.

dave d.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #7 31-08-07, 02:40

Quote:

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
it could have been anything from a clasic warbird with USA on the wings to a stealth going to bomb iraq, point is that with canada (and im not picking on you guys just pointing out) not keeping up a big enugh air force to provid a CAP for its own country like mexico with only 5 F-5s on duty for the entire country then it comes doen to the US providing air cover for them.
so whats all the hub bub about?

next thing you know the entire world will be like NZ and have a airforce by treaty (if attacked the US and aussies will provide air cover.
dave d.

Hey, give us a break! We're workin' on stuff like that... first, we got a new issue of the world's best MBT (

) and four of our very own C-17s (well, one in Afstan as we speak, and three to come)... and who knows what's next !?

Col Tigwell · #8 31-08-07, 13:15

New C130's I hope

Col

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #9 31-08-07, 13:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Col Tigwell
New C130's I hope

We agree on THAT one, Col... not nice having the aircraft older than all the pilots still in the air side!

Of course, getting the C-130s which have a good sting in them would also satisfy those of us with a cheerful penchant for extreme violence, although I'm sure we'd be happy to take over the USAF's fleet of A-10s, too...

alleramilitaria · #10 31-08-07, 16:08

from what i understand the brit and canadian C-17 are leased and are still owned by the US. that way we were able to keep the price down for you guys.

the C-130 are not new, the Js are rebuilt (again)

the worlds best MBT? so you are getting M1A3s???

and as far as the A-10, please save them from the scrap yard. they are a great AC but not new and sexy.

i would love to see canada get some B-52s, some F-14s and A-10s. all have been totaly rebuilt in the last 10 years and right now are headed into the smelter. we are keeping some of them but not too many. and we could ship all the F-111s to oz.

there are even some F-104s in storage that could reequip the NZAF

just kidding

but on the other side what most NATO and other countries are doing is replacing "quanity" with "quality". and its not working. you cant replace a wing of 60 aircraft with a squadren of 10 new AC and expect to be able to do the same. there are so few aircraft in some of the worlds militaries that they cant intercept incoming hostile leer jets or hijacked jet linners like they could 20 years ago.
tanks are the same way.
after the cold war there was a plan to go from 6000 M-60s, and M1s down to just 100 M1A2 with 100 in storage. sounds kinda stupid now.
dave d.

Ken Hughes · #11 31-08-07, 21:43

dave i agree with you on nz stand in getting ozy to give it air support.
we have a minister for disarmament and they are doing a bloody good job at it ,the military here has been down graded ,all our excelent airforce pilots,well most,are flying for ozy and the uk after our peace-nick govt pulled funding !!
we are getting more shipping though for the navy,but we would not be able to hold our own in an emergency im sure .
this is what you get having an almost communist govt .
can only hope enough people will see through them come next election.
our prime minister says she is a student of ww2 history,then why does she not see the parallels of 38-39 to now,if it was not for america and the battle of the coral sea,oz and nz would belong to japan.
we should remember who our friends are!
ok there goes the soap box again! cheers to all.

alleramilitaria · #12 31-08-07, 22:12

ken
the horible thing is that if you have a country going from a outdated AC to a newer AC then you will have costs (lots that the US would wright off) to upgrade the fleet. but the biggest cost would be taken care of (trained high preformance pilots). but if NZ ever tried to get back into the jet fighter game i cant see it. not unless OZ or the US flipped the bill. we are talking about at least 1B. for a squadron of FA-18s (planes, spairs, vehicles, mechanics, pilots, upgraded air fields, hard stands, hardened bunkers, etc...) thats what some lefties forget about. ow if we ever need a airforce we will just form one....... the question is .... from what????

its like the iraqi army, everyone wants the iraqi army to stand up so we can go home.... problem is that it takes 5 years of training for a good NCO, 10 years for a CPT, and 15 years for a good general. and the fact is thats just for infantry and armor.
dave

through venting