Question

[999]

For the past 14 years a military jet flies daily over Armstrong, Ont. ( 120 miles north of Thunder Bay) heading due north. Right over our base at Mckenzie Lake, 3 pm eastern like clockwork. We call it 3 O'clock Charlie.Years ago it was always a B 52. Nowadays a 767 and sometimes the B 52. Does anyone know what this flight is and where it's going.

[Colonel Sanders]

It's actually a triple seven. Don't tell anyone.

[boogs82]

It's actually a triple seven. Don't tell anyone.

[bradley]

Do you mind posting a picture of 3 O'clock Charlie? More than likely it's just an airliner, what makes you think it is military? Flightaware shows a few flights that fly over that area around that time each day, here are a couple examples.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAR235

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL583

[999]

No use trying to get photo with my cheap camera. Believe me ,I know what a B 52 looks like. Sometimes he was quite low due to winds I suspect. If you ever watched Survivorman when he was doing a week winter survival at McKinley lake he says " Don't try contacting those guys, they're way too high" and he shows the B 52 clear as day.

[bradley]

Believe me ,I know what a B 52 looks like.

I have very serious doubts about that.

Plus, no air force in North America, in fact very few in the world, fly 767s, and certainly none fly scheduled daily routes over Northern Ontario. What you are seeing is civilian airliners.

[999]

Looked for the Survivorman Episode on youtube but nothing. I'll try and get evidence. Thanks for your help.

[Gannet167]

What make it clear as day that you're looking at a B-52? Since there are no B-52 bases near your area and really no reason for a daily, exact on time flight over your house by a B-52, I wonder if you're confusing it with a 4 engine air liner (which would make a predictably on time flight)? When the flight plan takes big jet planes low, it's typically for weight and ISA temp reasons, and by low, you might start off in the low 30,000's, and step climb up as weight and air temp permits. From the ground, it'd be awfully hard to identify a 330 vs a 777, or a 747 against another 4 engine jet at 30,000, particularly if it flies directly above.

[Bolter]

There used to be low level training routes in that area - USAF bomber crews doing low level runs using their terrain following kit. Don't know if that is still the case, but they would be at a few hundred feet altitude if they were doing that sort of training.

[999]

The only way I prove this is a photo from the Survivorman episode. 15 years ago he was up here doing a winter survival show. He films a high flyer saying no way you can signal those guys, and it's the B 52. The episode was recently aired on Travel and Escape channel called The Lost Pilots (Pilots referring to episodes). Watch that and there's the proof.

[Colonel Sanders]

Herc has four (ahem, prop) engines and is painted
an attractive drab colour and has been know to fly
about at low altitudes.

B52 has four double-pod engines.

[ogopogo]

If it really was a B-52 at low level, I'm pretty sure you'd remember that sound. And, there would be a fair amount of smoke going on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dao0zntkOg4

[midwingcrisis]

If it was back in early 90s, quite possible out of Oscoda MI, the former SAC Base. Any time I have been there on my own or with Kallita it has been civilianized. If you want to call it that.

[Stu Pidasso]

It would take a trained eye to tell (Aircraft at altitude and you on the ground) a B-52, from a A-340 or 747-400.

[bradley]

OK, so I've taken a couple minutes to give you the benefit of the doubt, and looked up the source you quoted.

The episode is here: http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/9754202/ ... -NOGRP.mp4

Here is a screenshot from the episode of the aircraft in question: http://i.imgur.com/av70OSS.png

That is, without a doubt, not a B-52. In fact, 4 engines, blue bottom and engines looks to me like a British Airways Boeing 747: http://www.contrailsphotography.com/cop ... BAW269.jpg

What you are seeing are civilian airliners on scheduled routes, and opening up flightaware.com or other tracking sites when they fly over will tell you exactly what they are and where they are going.

Looking at the location you mention, the aircraft flying over you are more than likely going from eastern North America to Asia. I hope this answers your original question.

[Gannet167]

Do you have a lat/long for McKenzie Lake? Google suggests that it and Armstrong are no where near where you said they were.

Assuming you are somewhere north of Thunder Bay, I'd say you're seeing traffic flying the J513 airway, which follows the 324 radial out of the Thunder Bay VOR (about 324 degrees magnetic) to Sioux Lookout. It could also be NCA20, with a slightly more westerly direction. It would be quite possible that an air liner coming out of a major eastern center like Boston, DC, NY etc. would follow that route as part of a great circle on their way to Asia.

Flightradar24.com will shed some light on who it is and what route they're flying.

[999]

Thanks for clearing that up guys. Appreciate the effort and learned something..

[BingoFuel]

Although not a daily occurrence, I have seen/heard several USAF bombers around the Armstrong area over the past 2 years. Got pretty close to flight of 2 B-1's from . AFB, SD over Fort Hope Ontario, of all places...I have also heard B-52's in the area mostly during the summertime that flew a training route up from Minot AFB, North Dakota.

Albeit, none of these were at "low level". I think FL200 was the lowest I've heard them at.