Above YYC today

[Beaver2509]

This is a photo I took around 1300 today over YYC. I couldn't believe my eyes but it looked like an airliner being escorted by about 6 fighter jets. Sorry about the quality I had to catch it with my cell. Does anyone know what was going on? Training mission? They were heading West and then upon passing overhead YYC turned and headed North West. Just an awesome sight. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

IMG00054-20101120-1251.jpg (65.08 KiB) Viewed 4782 times

[V1 Rotate]

Or perhaps air-to-air refuelling ex?

No idea.

[Beaver2509]

There was 1 fighter Jet visable directly behind the big guy. Good Idea.

[bobcaygeon]

I heard that they were escorting the colonel's secret recipe (KFC) to China so that KFC can save money and prepare chicken there and then ship it back to North America. Chinese chickens have more rights than the people there so they get fed better.

IMHO

[Company Itin]

It was a flight of 7 military aircraft. 1 tanker and 6 fighters I believe. They were blocked from FL240-FL260.

[gulfan]

Better picture here:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpos ... count=4001

[frozen solid]

I saw that one time. I'm kind of dumb, but I am curious, so I called flight services to ask them what it might be. Here's sort of how the conversation went:

Me: Arctic Radio, It's C-FABC

Radio: C-FABC, Arctic Radio, good day, go ahead

Me: Hi there, we're presently at (Nxx.xx by Wxx.xx) and we can see a big formation of high flying aircraft just above us. Just curious about what it might be.

Radio: (no answer)

Me to copilot: Maybe he didn't hear us. We're pretty far away.

Me to radio: Arctic Radio, it's C-FABC

Radio: C-FABC, go ahead.

Me: Yeah, hi, there's a pretty big formation of aircraft above us, I wonder what it might be. Just curious.

Radio: (no answer)

Me to copilot: I wonder what's going on. He can clearly hear us. Maybe we're not supposed to be asking.

Me to Radio: OK, Well, have a nice day then.

Radio. Roger. Good Day.


This was over the NWT not too far from Great Bear Lake. We never did learn what it was. It looked a little different because the planes were all headed one way together one minute, then a bunch of them peeled off and headed south while one or two kept going east. I guess it's probably wrong these days to ask about stuff like that, but the radio guy was being very cagey, he wouldn't even tell us to mind our own business, just outright refused to respond. Like I said, I'm not that bright. Maybe I was breaking some rule just by asking. Maybe I shouldn't be admitting this here.

[ywgflyboy]

Explains the flow control

[FlaplessDork]

I've seen this before above Calgary, and Saskatchewan. It was a joint US Canadian training mission involving midair refuelling.

[Lowjack]

Apparently it was a flight of F22's with their KC-10 tanker en-route to Elmendorf AFB.

Here is another picture from when this last happened over Calgary: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ratzlaff/4 ... bigtimeaa/

[. ._]

And they were probably spraying chemtrails to control your mind.

Do you feel any different today?

[Lowjack]

And they were probably spraying chemtrails to control your mind.

Do you feel any different today?

I do, funny thing is I live in the condo building in that photo.

Looks like the NWO got to me...

[ditar]

I saw this same thing over High Level last summer too. At the time I thought maybe it was Air Force One, because I'm pretty sure that time the mother ship had 4 contrails. I suppose that could have been various other types of plane though.

[oldtimer]

I have heard them on the radio/ATC communications many times. A KC10 Extender aircraft escorting fighters to Anchorage Alaska.
I also heard/saw the RAF escort a flight of Tornado fighters from Calgary home to somewhere in England with stops in Gander. Very common practice with the military to get short range fighters to other countries or other distant positions.

[fish4life]

I saw this same thing over High Level last summer too. At the time I thought maybe it was Air Force One, because I'm pretty sure that time the mother ship had 4 contrails. I suppose that could have been various other types of plane though.

could have been a c-17

[shitdisturber]

I saw this same thing over High Level last summer too. At the time I thought maybe it was Air Force One, because I'm pretty sure that time the mother ship had 4 contrails. I suppose that could have been various other types of plane though.

could have been a c-17

It could also have been a KC-135, based on the 707 airframe; the USAF still has plenty of them.

[W5]

I once ran to a formation of 1 KC-10 and 6 F-15's, 1000' above me between Regina and Minneapolis.
Also, just before and after the Gulf War vs. 1.0 (1991) there were some impressive formations to be seen (all kinds of different types)

[rsandor]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the F22 that went down in alaska. Maybe they are sending replacements and/or using the aircraft to transport the body back.

[flyinggreasemonkey]

Really? no one is going to mock the chem trail conspiracy theorists? lol

[. ._]

Why? It's the only explanation that makes sense, man!

[mbav8r]

While ferrying an aircraft from YEG to YWG about a year or so ago, ATC gave us a traffic advisory. Being overtaken by another aircraft and 4 escorts. They came down the right side a 1000' above wrong way with 3 fighters, I said hey where's the 4th? Just then we heard something to the left it was the 4th coming down the left side so close we could hear his engines and just about see the color of his eyes. No TCAS warnings, we assumed some precious cargo on board and we were being evaluated to see if we were a threat or the fighter pilot was just saying hello, either way pretty cool.

[swordfish]

This was over the NWT not too far from Great Bear Lake. We never did learn what it was. It looked a little different because the planes were all headed one way together one minute, then a bunch of them peeled off and headed south while one or two kept going east. I guess it's probably wrong these days to ask about stuff like that, but the radio guy was being very cagey, he wouldn't even tell us to mind our own business, just outright refused to respond. Like I said, I'm not that bright. Maybe I was breaking some rule just by asking. Maybe I shouldn't be admitting this here.

Arctic Radio would probably not have any info on them unless they had called A-R themselves, with information - not likely for military aircraft. Also they are quite high, and out of radar range, judging from your approx position. North Bay wouldn't know anything about them I suspect, unless they called Center and asked...which they're not likely to do also.

However, that being said, I commend your initiative. Abnormalities need to be queried or challenged, with the new alarms being sounded in the media about the North being covert entry points for drugs & terrorists. Who challenges unauthorized/unknown/foreign military flights, or escorted civilian flights?

[W0XOF]

Doesn't Arctic Radio coordinate FP info with NORAD for any and all aircraft operating in and through the ADIZ?

[swordfish]

Dunno. But they never seem to have info on us when we call in, and ask all sorts of questions like: what type are you? where did you originate? say again your destination... and we are often into/out of the ADIZ, and we file with Arctic Radio.

But my issue is, how would Arctic Radio know about a flight (of aircraft) that were unreported, or otherwise trying to evade detection, unless they called A-R? Arctic Radio doesn't have radar. I would be surprised if NORAD has a communication link with Arctic Radio, as they would have no reason to maintain one, once a FP was filed.

[jet a1]

i would guess that norad does have a link with arctic radio as a lot of arctic radio's relays are located at dewline sites. also, many times we've had a couple hour delay in the northern yukon, we take off heading back to inuvik and we'll get a "aircraft at such and such or in the area of...please identify yourself 126.7" i'm pretty sure that request for us to id ourselves came from norad and not arctic radio.
$0.02
jet.