Strange lights over Denver?

a reply to: Cavrecon22

sorry i diddent catch the lights as they whear to high for me to grab hold of

a reply to: Zaphod58

Any reason why you think Travis?

Could this be JFEX at Nellis?

Ditto on ADSB exchange. They do no filtering.

a reply to: gariac

Because when I caught them they were over the Travis area. They were well past Nellis, and over California. I didn't notice altitude at the time, but it looked like they were heading in. They could be part of the JFEX, but operating from Travis, or staging from there.

a reply to: DexterRiley

There are several exercises going on right now, so yes, they'd be flying in formation. There were at least two or three more C-17s in the same area that only listed their RCH callsign, so there might have been more of them, but there were 8 operating under Thug, in the same area. There's an exercise coming up at Nellis, so several aircraft arrived there today. These could be flying as part of that, but operating remotely from the base.

a reply to: Zaphod58

This is why the aircraft sub forum is my favorite

originally posted by: Cavrecon22
a reply to: Zaphod58

This is why the aircraft sub forum is my favorite

Its the best forum here on ats. Arguably the best on the internet. Zaphs deserves a heap of the credit.

Hey guys, I physically witnessed AWACS at an abnormally low altitude Saturday the ninth when it was reported sonic booms were in the area. I posted my account and relevant contact information for two outside businesses that had over a thousand combined witnesses of its unusual flight path likely on the way to Macdill AFB.

If lights and stuff are being seen flying all over, there is a likely military operation going on right now we are not aware of, and those who would know here we have to respect that they cannot admit any knowledge of such events.

Either that, or they are selling the AWACS at auction and had to demonstrate it.

Possible work-ups for near future deployments is a guess. Those aircraft lights made the news in South Carolina. If you see big movements all over later on this week then something is about to go down.

a reply to: Cavrecon22

That would be quite a flight of aircraft, evidently heavy aircraft of some sort. Tons and tons of fuel just getting them marshaled getting into the air in formation and landed. And done at night. Interesting we have no word of a drill or reason for the massed number.

On a side note, given they were in a close formation, even if single file, we surely, would have had reports of engine noises. At over 30k high a passenger jet's sound is faint, but stacking over a dozen planes together would seem to make a fairly noticeable collective. And no strobes reported?

Perhaps some of our contacts can acquire some info on official radar returns that prove these were simply military aircraft on an unusual outing.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Of course they were absolutely silent. Aircraft at altitude usually can't be heard on the ground unless conditions are just right.

^this^

I live underneath a commercial aircraft route and near a military training ground, if there is a high pressure system, you won't see the contrails but hear the aircraft, in a low pressure system you will see the contrails, and depending on the altitude you may see something but never hear anything.

After what I've seen experienced with my own eyes, methinks it might chaff from a nearby AFB exercise, however the only 'AFB' nearby that area that I know of is the Tonapah test range, but it's more than likely that i'm wrong.

a reply to: Cavrecon22


Wow, there is a link that shows security cam footage from someones home, at the bottom of the article, its over 5 min of footage. It does NOT look like planes to me, I don't know what the heck it, they are. I know they are not Chinese lanterns, or drones. Also planes don't fly in a formation like these are. Planes fly side by side, not in a semi straight line.

triangle ufo from andromeda

Here is a video for you guys. It's very Polar Express!





Have fun.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
Either that, or they are selling the AWACS at auction and had to demonstrate it.

They're not selling it at auction. I don't care if you don't want to believe what I said in the other thread, but there isn't anything going on they're not telling us about. It's the start of a new Fiscal Year, and there are exercises going on. It was moving to the area for one of those. I see them around Florida on the ADS-B Exchange a lot.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Thorneblood

Thug 31, Thug 34, Thug 37, Thug 41, Thug 61, Thug 62, Thug 63, and Thug 69. Looks like they're split between aircraft from Charleston and McChord. Looks like they might have gone into Travis, in California.

I wonder how long they can keep using that callsign before someone's feelings get hurt.

So all told, moving over the Nellis Range, and into California last night we had Thug 11 (08-8196), Thug 13 (08-8195), Thug 21 (077183), Thug 31 (08-8202), Thug 32 (08-8197), Thug 33 (09-9211), Thug 34 (98-0053), Thug 36 (02-1111), Thug 37 (03-2137), Thug 39 (02-1106), Thug 41 (99-0166), Thug 44 (05-5151), Thug 45 (05-5146), Thug 47 (99-0167), Thug 49 (92-3294), Thug 61 (09-9208), Thug 62 (07-7184), Thug 63 (08-8190), Thug 71 (09-9207), Thug 72 (09-9206), Thug 73 (08-8191), Thug 75 (89-1189), Thug 78 (00-0172), Thug 79 (90-0534), Thug 82 (02-1098), and Thug 85 (06-6163).

They are part of the JFEX that's just about to start at Nellis. Last night was Coyote Freedom. A number of other aircraft arrived at Nellis yesterday, these continued on and went into California, most likely due to ramp space at Nellis.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Nellis flight operations didn't post the December JFEX for whatever reason, but I figured it would take place. These used to be May and November events, but they got moved to June and December. Also they were known as MAFEX before becoming JFEX. Google thinks you are searching for JFEX, which causes some confusion.

If you never watched one, the majority of the planes don't land. Probably to reduce wear and tear.

look for keno

mafex

One year they blocked the roads so that the tourists couldn't watch from this location. Well you could but it would be a long off road drive. If you don't hang the left towards Keno, the road eventually ends up at highway 6.

'official' word is out. It's truly amazing how awesome this sub forum is.

twitter.com...

a reply to: Cavrecon22

There were 30 total C-17s, and 20 C-130s, along with support aircraft. They did a HALO drop over the range. Some landed at Nellis for a quick turn before heading home, some (McChord) nm went straight home from the range, and some landed in California. There was an E-8C, RC-135, and KC-10 in the same area yesterday afternoon.

The June exercise head 18 C-17s, 14 C-130s and support aircraft. This one was slightly larger, but not excessively so.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Cavrecon22

There were 30 total C-17s, and 20 C-130s, along with support aircraft. They did a HALO drop over the range. Some landed at Nellis for a quick turn before heading home, some (McChord) nm went straight home from the range, and some landed in California. There was an E-8C, RC-135, and KC-10 in the same area yesterday afternoon.

The June exercise head 18 C-17s, 14 C-130s and support aircraft. This one was slightly larger, but not excessively so.

That's a pretty large exercise! At least a large one compared to what I am used to hah