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Old 05-24-2008, 03:32 PM
 
7 posts, read 19,152 times
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Once in a while I'm see them flying low, not a big deal-part of San Antonio. I thought the same with fuel costs so high, they were just coasting to save fuel, good tax dollar saving if the case.
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Old 05-24-2008, 03:35 PM
 
Location: San Antonio North
4,147 posts, read 8,000,189 times
Reputation: 1010
Quote:
Originally Posted by JDIGITIAL View Post
Once in a while I'm see them flying low, not a big deal-part of San Antonio. I thought the same with fuel costs so high, they were just coasting to save fuel, good tax dollar saving if the case.

I don't follow.
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Old 05-24-2008, 03:45 PM
 
3,060 posts, read 7,422,182 times
Reputation: 1259
Quote:
Originally Posted by majormadmax View Post
That's the sound of freedom. Appreciate it.

I will see if I can find out from my buds at the Wing why the FREDs are flying low. Might be an effort to save gas while flying local training missions...

Cheers! M2

M2, I'm a vet too. I appreciate it just fine, thanks.

What I don't like is when I'm trying to escape and enjoy the scenery on my deck, and then have a massive pair of jet engines rip the shingles off my roof. That's all I was saying!
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Old 05-24-2008, 03:48 PM
 
3,060 posts, read 7,422,182 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rd2007 View Post
oooh, THAT C-5.. I was thinking someone wanted to blow something up..

They fly over where I live in Westcreek all the time and sometimes they're lower than normal, but I haven't noticed anything exceptionally different; then again I work most of the day when they're flying.
Speaking of them, if anyone ever wants a great view, go to Kelly right where they come in to land by 90 and 151. I've always thought of that as the biggest security risk in the world. You can literally hit them with a rock there and it's not uncommon for people to park and watch them. Some yahoo with a SAM could easily take them out without much effort.

We were there yesterday, and the jets were coming in! One right after another, about 5-6 of them, at least that I had seen. Awesome! We were merging from 90 to 151, and they fly right over that little corridor.

When I worked at Brooks, the larger cargo planes would come in, and fly almost directly opposite my direction - looked like that were coming right at you!
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Old 05-24-2008, 04:46 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,981,665 times
Reputation: 4435
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasNick View Post
Can anyone get me a ride in a Texan II? Now those I wouldn't mind flying low so I can touch them.

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircra...LowLevel_1.jpg
Sorry Nick, the chances are pretty much nil. I have a good friend who is an instructor pilot for those over at Randolph, and I have asked about the chance of "sandbagging" a ride in one and was told that unless I was a student or IP, or one of the occasional celebrities or NASCAR drivers that score rides as part of a public affairs campaign, it wasn't going to happen! He was able to get some sim time for a guy who was deploying to Iraq, but no time in an actual aircraft.

Cheers! M2
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Old 05-24-2008, 04:59 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,981,665 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ryneone View Post
I don't follow.
San Antonio is one of the oldest military flying communities in the US. Kelly Field, now a part of Lackland AFB, traces its beginnings to 1916, when it was called the South San Antonio Aviation Camp. Now the Air Force Reserve Command's 433d Airlift Wing, flying the C-5 Galaxy, and the Texas Air National Guard's 149th Fighter Wing, flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon, operate from the field, as well as aircraft that are in for maintenance at Port San Antonio (formerly known as KellyUSA).

Just across town at Randolph AFB was dedicated on 20 June 1930 as a flying training base and continues in that mission today flying with the 12th Flying Training Wing, which operates the T-6A Texan II, T-38C Talon and T-1A Jayhawk on dual adjacent runways. The wing also operates the T-1A and the T-43A in support of Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training.

So, with all those airplanes, there is a lot of military traffic over San Antonio, and it has become a part of the city.

Cheers! M2
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Old 05-24-2008, 05:09 PM
 
Location: Diyallusss, TX
1,805 posts, read 4,774,649 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by majormadmax View Post
That's the sound of freedom. Appreciate it.

I will see if I can find out from my buds at the Wing why the FREDs are flying low. Might be an effort to save gas while flying local training missions...

Cheers! M2
YES!!! Thank you for saying that about the sound of freedom... I totally agree... I get this little tug at my heart when I see them coming in.... daily... love it!!
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Old 05-24-2008, 05:19 PM
 
Location: Diyallusss, TX
1,805 posts, read 4,774,649 times
Reputation: 560
Quote:
Originally Posted by scuba steve View Post
C-17s were built by McDonnell Douglass which merged with Boeing. C-5s were built by Lockheed Martin.
Yeah, I wasnt sure about the C-5's... they had the contract for the C17 when I worked for their workers comp carrier and they were not merged with Boeing at that time..... They had two plants separated by the Long Beach Airport.... one side was the commercial side, the other the military side... I loved that job and both sides were 'fun', but I really preferred the military sound for a number of reasons.......
I was often fortunate enough to be on the premises when they'd roll a C17 out of the hangar to the hydraulics pad and fire it up.... was just incredibly powerful to see/hear, and just inspires such AWE......

I don't even live in the same state anymore, obviously, and the insurance carrier I worked for has long ago merged with another huge carrier, did NOT take all their clients with them, about 3 years after I left to move to Texas.... I don't know if they had M-D as a client when they closed their books... I had been gone a while..... this was at least a decade ago that I worked there.....
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Old 05-24-2008, 07:10 PM
 
Location: Charleston, SC
5,615 posts, read 14,788,317 times
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I used to work near there a couple of years ago at a small business park across the runway from the C-17 factory. The old McDonnell Douglass plant is nearly gone now. The old DC Jets sign I think was taken down after I left in fall 2006. I think the city of Long Beach had plans for the land.
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Old 05-24-2008, 08:24 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
8,399 posts, read 22,981,665 times
Reputation: 4435
Quote:
Originally Posted by rd2007 View Post
Speaking of them, if anyone ever wants a great view, go to Kelly right where they come in to land by 90 and 151. I've always thought of that as the biggest security risk in the world. You can literally hit them with a rock there and it's not uncommon for people to park and watch them. Some yahoo with a SAM could easily take them out without much effort.
I used to go down there and sit every once and a while, never had a problem with it and I think the chances of someone using a MANPAD against a C-5 or even an F-16 in the pattern are slim; but it is no more a threat here than it is anywhere else in the world.

I've seen some interesting aircraft do tough-and-go's at Kelly, from BUFFs to NATO AWACS, from Hawgs (always love the Hawgs!) to Eagles...even NASA's Super Guppy, which is based up at Ellington Field.

Always love to birdwatch!

Cheers! M2
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