Anybody want to explain this flightplan?

Originally posted by weedwhacker
Here is one of the Instrument Approach Plates for Carrington, ND (K46D).


That is a GPS procedure, for Runway 31.

Based on the FlightAware ground track traces, looks like they were 'shooting' approaches to Runway 13 (the reciprocal)

Please note, as well....looking up the info on that airport, it is an uncontrolled field (no Control Tower). Click on "Sectional" to display it, on FlightAware. Airports in magenta, no Tower. Blue, have a Tower.....

Oh man, you mean there is a rational explanation? Crap, I wanted something nefarious to be occurring, something that I could be the victim of.

..,I'm still a contrail denier.

the single point on the flight path seems to be Carrington airport - wherever that is...



(accessed by selecting the "Aviation Sectional" tab in Flight aware)

So it's pretty obviously training.

How can we be sure this is for "training" or is there is something else going on here? Aren't pilots supposed to record their "intent" for any flightplan?

Yep, looks like there is a rational explanation. =) Honestly, had I not been looking up that particular tail number I would have called it a holding pattern as well without even looking for an airport to validate the assumption.

That being said, it seems just about all of their 'registered' flights are between Fargo and another nearby airport.

My first thought was aerial refueling orbit, but seeing that it was a cessna, touch and go's was my 2nd thought. I had a friend take me and some other friends once because he needed to get in some night landings to keep his license. I imagine the same thing goes for take offs and landings. I would think that an airport with less traffic would be better to practice at. But pirvate pilots here might be able to clarify that for me.

reply to post by pikypiky


Nope.

Not in the United States. Still a free county .....

Here, I will show you the form for a hand-written Flight Plan....all the information that is required, is obvious:



Basically, that is what Private Pilots use, for FAR Part 91 rules.

In commercial aviation, flight plans are usually filed electronically.....in the case of scheduled airline operations, the PIC's name is not required....since that info is recorded elsewhere, and held at the company responsible for operating the flight.

Originally posted by JiggyPotamus
I just checked out the link, and I found some neat stuff. First, it says that this plane is a Cessna if I am reading correctly. Pretty small plane. The thing I found interesting however is the name, Weather Modification Inc. Upon looking through their list of clients, which include the Dept of Defense and military groups, I was intrigued. The most recent entry for military work is the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, from 2009, which pretty much just says they were screwing around with radar.

I have a feeling that they have probably worked with the government much more, on a classified basis however, so they would not be listed. I mean they basically admitted they worked for and had contact with the Dept of Defense, Naval Surface Warfare Center, FAA, etc, so it just makes me wonder.

Of course I could be wrong, and the military is doing their own weather modification without outside contractors, but who knows...Anyway, I just wanted to say that there was some interesting stuff on the site that you linked to.

you would be wrong, nothing they do is classified. Most of their work is with water agencies and power companies. They may occasionally have some short term research projects that pop up from time to time however, but nothing that is secretive

Originally posted by pikypiky
How can we be sure this is for "training" or is there is something else going on here? Aren't pilots supposed to record their "intent" for any flightplan?

edit on 2011-5-26 by pikypiky because: To correct for "proper" grammar and spelling.

No, why do you have to tell anyone why you want to go fly. Nor do all flights need flight plans either.

It was most likely either a training flight, research flight, or testing equipment on there.