Mish

I thought center gave vertical and horizontal separation for birds on
same over water route? Didn't they a few years ago reduce vertical
separation from 2K to 1K if certain (new accurate alt measuring)
equipment was on board the aircraft to increase (double) traffic
density on the overseas routes?

If flight was direct from way point to way point then I doubt if the
birds came within visual range??? Would be an odd throw of the dice.

That said, I can postulate a situation where two birds with a few
thousand feet vertical clearance going the same direction on the same
route and with different cruising speeds, slowly pass each other and
BA be able to recognize the distinctive paint job on AF1. This in day
light of course.

BA upon landing and telling story (Gulf Stream) around Ops, someone
would have called media (always some blabber mouth) and media would
have added 99 and 99 and gotten 1 and broke the story someplace in the
world from where it would have been picked up and gone like wildfire
to everywhere.

Now if the so called reply had been "Naw, we just got a special load
of Thanksgiving 'turkeys' for the troops", might have been a better
put off G

Tale has a lot of characteristics of a good bar story (another double,
bar keep) or news milking every story for a 'human interest' slant.

Good show George.

Big John


On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 15:47:38 GMT, "Gary Mishler"
wrote:

"Jay Somerset" wrote in message
.. .

A tall tale. If another aircraft really had eyeballed "AF1" and called up
as stated, the AF1 pilot would have just ignored the call.

It's been widely reported in both broadcast and print media and has been
confirmed through gov't sources. Knight Ridder Newspapers even printed a
quote from the AF1 captain. No one is trying to keep it a secret.

Also very unlikely that any other aircraft would be able to get into
visual
range -- AF1 would have deviated to maintain greater separation. They do
have better than average radar, you know. :-)

Many times over the years AF1 has been on the same center frequency as me.
On more than one occasion I have "eyeballed" it inflight myself. Not really
that unusual actually.

Mish