Fighter Jets

B191299 said:
Brac really did ruin things for aviation enthusiasts in the N.E. South Weymouth NAS went down in 95 and Brunswick went down in 2005
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During the late '80s in upstate NY, I remember seeing the high altitude contrails form the B-52s out of Griffiss AFB, the occasional sonic booms from the FB-111s out of Plattsburgh AFB, and the low flying A-10s in the Adirondacks.

Good times!
 
tuna said:
Back in the day, we had A-10s at Westfield, MA and Bradley CT. We also had F-16s at Syracuse, NY and Burlington, VT. Not to mention refuelers at Pease, NH and Bangor ME and the Eagles at the Cape.

All of these planes would play in the Yankee MOA (Military Operating Area) that went IIRC from Surface to 15,000 feet roughly centered over Woodstock, NH. Because we don't have the huge ranges like they do out west, with the two ranges used being Fort Drum, NY and Indiantown Gap PA - both of these being pretty small, our planes would use captive munitions and train in the larger MOA. Since the ranges were small and were always being used by everyone, it was always much easier to just use the MOA and deconflict East / West if need be and still have a huge area to work. Because they weren't really dropping / expending ordnance, the pilots could simulate just about any attack scenario they desired and would plan run ins and egress that would make sense, and not be dictated by silly laws about carrying live bombs over populated areas. As the scheduler, I was able to get the Westfield unit huge amounts of time in the MOA, which is why you always saw Warthogs there, typically 2 hours in the morning and two in the afternoon.
Once BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) hit in 2009 (?), the Northeast's jet population went way down. Westfield lost its beloved A-10 and got stuck with the Eagle from the Cape, and now flies off the coast so they can go fast and not bother cows or sheeple. The cape lost all its planes and is now an Intelligence Wing. Bradley lost its Warthogs and went to cargo planes, and then some Intel planes. Syracuse went to drones. Burlington kept its F-16s but had no one to play with anymore, which doesn't matter since they now have F-35s and I know nothing about them.

The flares were designed for training and a short burn. The pilots weren't supposed to pickle them below a certain altitude, 250' IIRC? There was also some "environmentally friendly" chaff that they'd dispense that were biodegradeable. These allowed the pilots to actively get in the habit of dispensing countermeasures instead of just saying "junk" to simulate.
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Lots of fighters and others still play in Yankee MOA. It doesn't go hot nearly as often as it used to. It goes a whole lot higher than 15k - it goes to 18k which is is high as MOAs by definition can go, plus the overlying ATCAA.
 
NHKevin said:
Brunswick had P3s flying through '09-ish.
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South Weymouth flew P-3s and C-130s until 1997, when they shut the gates. They moved to Brunswick and flew for another 10 years or so. It is sad that there is no more Navy air in N.E.
 
SgtHal75 said:
Fav of all time, thanks to Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Michael Bay, Kenny Loggins, The bald headed rubber dog shit guy, Righteous Brothers, Beach Volleyball, Goose and Jester!
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Had to look that up. Here:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocTKTk7oExk


tuna said:
That's cool, I'm jealous. One thing about the Great Northwoods that I don't like is that we're not on any jetways. It's very rare that I see aircraft or even contrails anymore. Quite a big change from living just off the departure end of Barnes and having the house shake when the Eagles took off. I thought my old retired friends were crazy when they talked of missing the smell of jet fuel or being close enough to the jets running to feel them - now I know what they were talking about.
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Was maybe 10 years ago, we had our own private air show. Was A-10's going around and around, chasing each other maybe. They were REAL low, like 100's of feet. This was in Warren on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. Was pretty fun until one got REALLY close to going into the side of a mountain. Then it just stopped. Someone must have gotten either spooked or reported. Was fun while it lasted, at least a couple hours. Guessing they were out of Vermont.

tuna said:
Back in the day, we had A-10s at Westfield, MA and Bradley CT. We also had F-16s at Syracuse, NY and Burlington, VT. Not to mention refuelers at Pease, NH and Bangor ME and the Eagles at the Cape.

All of these planes would play in the Yankee MOA (Military Operating Area) that went IIRC from Surface to 15,000 feet roughly centered over Woodstock, NH. Because we don't have the huge ranges like they do out west, with the two ranges used being Fort Drum, NY and Indiantown Gap PA - both of these being pretty small, our planes would use captive munitions and train in the larger MOA. Since the ranges were small and were always being used by everyone, it was always much easier to just use the MOA and deconflict East / West if need be and still have a huge area to work. Because they weren't really dropping / expending ordnance, the pilots could simulate just about any attack scenario they desired and would plan run ins and egress that would make sense, and not be dictated by silly laws about carrying live bombs over populated areas. As the scheduler, I was able to get the Westfield unit huge amounts of time in the MOA, which is why you always saw Warthogs there, typically 2 hours in the morning and two in the afternoon.
Once BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) hit in 2009 (?), the Northeast's jet population went way down. Westfield lost its beloved A-10 and got stuck with the Eagle from the Cape, and now flies off the coast so they can go fast and not bother cows or sheeple. The cape lost all its planes and is now an Intelligence Wing. Bradley lost its Warthogs and went to cargo planes, and then some Intel planes. Syracuse went to drones. Burlington kept its F-16s but had no one to play with anymore, which doesn't matter since they now have F-35s and I know nothing about them.

The flares were designed for training and a short burn. The pilots weren't supposed to pickle them below a certain altitude, 250' IIRC? There was also some "environmentally friendly" chaff that they'd dispense that were biodegradeable. These allowed the pilots to actively get in the habit of dispensing countermeasures instead of just saying "junk" to simulate.
Click to expand...
I remember seeing them and the cargo planes from the library tower at UMass. They'd head right at the tower, then veer off, and you'd see them go into the sunset towards either Chicopee or Westfield I guess.
 
NHKevin said:
Brunswick had P3s flying through '09-ish.
Click to expand...
That’s correct, the last squadron left in 09 and the base completely shut down in 11.

It is a great area to fly and a fun place to beat up the pattern especially when the P3s were out and about.
 
GF lives on East Mountain Rd in Westfield which is right behind Barnes, F15's fly quite frequently. The windows shake when they take off. There's a good Japanese restaurant in the civilian side, Tobiko, where you can dine and watch them takeoff and land during flight ops. Last time I was there a Marine Super Huey and Cobra gunship flew in from NJ and the pilots and crew chiefs dined at the restaurant. They sat in back of us and I talked to them.
 
I lived/stationed at Westover ARB for 2 yrs, 2003/04 as part of MANG drug deal with AF security and the C5's were quite active. Watched a U2 fly in and RON and Air Force 2 RON when Bush was at UN conference in NYC. Flew out of Otis on a C5 to New Orleans for Katrina and returned on a KC-135 from Mississippi ANG a month later.
 

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