Post by: BakerMikeRomeo on December 20, 2005, 03:40:11 PM
My dad is a big aircraft buff, so my mom brought up something interesting that happened to her at work today (she works at a daycare type place off of 540).
As she said:
15-20 aircraft, flying in groups of three (arranged in a sort of "sideways wedge" or "diamond minus one" formation, from her description)
2 or 4 engines, but definitely more than 1 (engines on the wings)
Probable T-tail
Fairly sizeable craft, probably 50-100 passangers-sized
Windows not visible
Flying at somewhat low altitude
Flying in a northerly direction, but Mom couldn't tell if it was NE or NW or anysuch
Mom didn't see any markings, described planes as "Grey-colored"
All 15-20 flew over pretty much all at once.
Did any other Raleigh...ites or anywhere where those planes might've been going see them? My mom's description of the planes is too vague to pick any particular model of aircraft out of my mind (Upon showing her some pictures of a C-130, she said the wings were somewhat pointier, not swept back, and the horizontal stabilizers were higher on the tail).
Anybody know anything about a big flight of planes from somewhere in NC or south of NC to somewheres north? Info's appreciated.
~GnSx
Post by: Preacherman on December 20, 2005, 04:01:26 PM
Post by: Jamisjockey on December 20, 2005, 04:09:04 PM
Edit:
I posted on my NATCA forums, so if any of the Controllers at Raleigh can share anything I'll let you know.
Post by: BakerMikeRomeo on December 20, 2005, 04:30:07 PM
~GnSx
Post by: Stickjockey on December 20, 2005, 05:08:48 PM
Post by: Jamisjockey on December 20, 2005, 06:16:38 PM
Post by: BakerMikeRomeo on December 20, 2005, 06:23:28 PM
Quote from: Stickjockey
Turbine or piston?
XD *cackle* My dad asked the same thing. My mom had no idea.It might've been the C-17s, my mom might just have been mistake.
~GnSx
Post by: garrettwc on December 20, 2005, 06:31:33 PM
Post by: Jamisjockey on December 20, 2005, 06:36:34 PM
Quote from: GunnySkox
Quote from: Stickjockey
Turbine or piston?
XD *cackle* My dad asked the same thing. My mom had no idea.It might've been the C-17s, my mom might just have been mistake.
~GnSx
Post by: crt360 on December 20, 2005, 06:57:30 PM
Post by: mtnbkr on December 21, 2005, 02:15:24 AM
I've lived in/near all those places.
Still have family near SJ (Goldsboro) and in Roanoke.
Chris
Post by: El Tejon on December 21, 2005, 02:58:15 AM
Post by: Jamisjockey on December 21, 2005, 04:27:41 AM
Quote from: crt360
Maybe it was a bunch of ATR-72 cargo conversions going to the North Pole to help Santa with his weekend deliveries.
Wasn't it the ATR that was rolling over and crashing when it experienced icing?
Post by: Kharn on December 21, 2005, 05:51:49 AM
Post by: charby on December 21, 2005, 06:15:53 AM
Post by: lee n. field on December 21, 2005, 11:52:05 AM
Quote
B-1 bomber?
You'd know if one of those flew overhead.A couple years back one flew over our little town. There was one at an airport 30 miles away (quite unusual, BTW), and somebody did a flyover as a favor for his dad. I saw it as it flew directly overhead. Everything shook. Most impressive.
Post by: crt360 on December 21, 2005, 02:33:24 PM
edited to add: Here is an interesting page I just found on the icing problem. A pilot even wrote a book about it. http://www.airlinesafety.com/letters/atr.htm
Post by: Leatherneck on December 22, 2005, 06:40:24 AM
TC
Post by: BakerMikeRomeo on December 22, 2005, 07:48:27 PM
My dad showed my mom some pictures of C-17 Globemasters. She became excited and declared them to be the aircraft she saw. She took some pictures in to the daycare where she works and gave them to the kid who originally wanted to know what kind of planes they were.
Thanks a ton for your help, guys, especially JamisJockey and his "contacts" at the NATCA forum(s).
W00t!
~GnSx
Post by: Jamisjockey on December 22, 2005, 08:33:54 PM
Quote from: GunnySkox
UPDATE:
My dad showed my mom some pictures of C-17 Globemasters. She became excited and declared them to be the aircraft she saw. She took some pictures in to the daycare where she works and gave them to the kid who originally wanted to know what kind of planes they were.
Thanks a ton for your help, guys, especially JamisJockey and his "contacts" at the NATCA forum(s).
W00t!
~GnSx
What can I say, airplanes are my business.My dad showed my mom some pictures of C-17 Globemasters. She became excited and declared them to be the aircraft she saw. She took some pictures in to the daycare where she works and gave them to the kid who originally wanted to know what kind of planes they were.
Thanks a ton for your help, guys, especially JamisJockey and his "contacts" at the NATCA forum(s).
W00t!
~GnSx
Post by: Sergeant Bob on December 25, 2005, 07:16:25 AM
http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,83658,00.html
Charleston AFB Breaks C-17 Flying Record
Air Force News | December 22, 2005
CHARLESTON Air Force BASE, S.C. - The largest formation of C-17 Globemaster IIIs from a single base took off this morning from here in a demonstration of the strategic airdrop capability of the Air Force.
Seventeen C-17s took off at about 10:20 a.m. Previously, the largest C-17 formation consisting of aircraft and aircrew from a single base was 15 aircraft from McChord Air Force Base, Wash.
The training mission was a joint endeavor embarked on by aircrew members assigned to both the 437th and the 315th Airlift Wings here.
The formation left the base en route to locations around the southeast to perform required quarterly, semiannual and end of year currency training requirements. The crews were able to practice their airdrop and aerial refueling skills during the mission.
The C-17 formation conducted low-level training in the Charleston area before taking part in a massive airdrop at North Auxiliary Air Field, S.C.
Charleston aircrews fly daily missions worldwide supporting the war on terrorism.
On average, Charlestons C-17s move more than 295 tons of cargo every day. About 45 percent of all air cargo bound for American warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan originates here.
If fully loaded, the 17 airlifters would be able haul more than 2,890,000 pounds of cargo or more than 1,734 passengers.
Post by: MillCreek on December 25, 2005, 07:57:28 AM
Moses Lake is essentially out in the middle of nowhere in Eastern Washington and is a former AF Strategic Air Command base, and has runways capable of handling a fully-loaded B-52. The long runways, lack of air traffic in the area, proximity to Boeing and good weather most of the year make Moses Lake a very popular training ground for commercial jumbo jets. JAL sends all of its 747 pilots to Moses Lake for training and qualification on the 747, and that is why you now have two good Japanese restaurants in Moses Lake. Lufthansa does the same, but I don't know about any German restaurants. Moses Lake is also still used by the Air Force and Navy for training from time to time. It is a great place for airplane watching.
Post by: Parker Dean on December 25, 2005, 10:27:44 AM
I'll bet I know why it was ID'd as a prop plane. The engines make a slow burring sound that's unlike anything else I've heard.