On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 15:17:25 GMT, Jose
wrote:

A "flight plan" is merely a record of your intended route of
flight-- [...]
Regardless, the flight plan type for the military is IFR.

Well, an IFR flight plan is a little more than that because it causes a
clearance to be issued before I take off (at least in controlled
airspace). A clearance involves coordination with ATC.

A flight plan is an expression of intention to fly. It tells who you
are and where/when you are going. If it is IFR, it allows ATC to
integrate you with other existing known traffic. If VFR, it merely
tells folks to start looking at you when fail to reach your
destination by a certain time.

Military flight plans for local training sorties are usually "canned",
meaning that the route and duration are on file. Additional details
such as call-sign, crew, time of day, are added with the filing of the
daily schedule. When the flight launches, ATC then provides services.

Departures are conducted under ATC. Recoveries are conducted under
ATC. Training time along an MTR, within a MOA, in restricted airspace,
or on a range is usually done without ATC involvement.

Well, then maybe it would be a good idea for training time outside of
restricted airspace to involve ATC. That would help make the joint use
of joint use airspace safer, especially if the military is running
camoflaged jets at four hundred knots, and then blaming anybody who
happens to be in the way for the MAC.

Did you miss the part where I said ALL MILITARY FLIGHTS ARE OPERATING
ON FLIGHT PLANS AND IFR?

The takeoff is controlled by the tower (some are military and some, at
joint-use airports are shared control). The departure is controlled by
an ATC agency. Hand-off is made to the regional ARTCC. Open entering a
training area, which might or might not be restricted airspace, a
flight plan delay is exercised for the training period. Upon
completion of the training mission, ARTCC is contacted and once again
provides IFR routing to destination where approach control picks up
the route and eventually hands off to tower.

And, the military is NOT "blaming anybody who happens to be in the way
for the MAC."

If your hypothetical civilian pilot wants ATC to provide him safe
separation from other IFR aircraft...

Thank you for the flying lesson. What I was hoping for however was a
little more assistance in avoiding camoflauged F16s operating at warp
speeds in airspace civilians also use, and are fully entitled to use.

"Warp speeds" are 250 KCAS or higher based on operational requirements
of the aircraft. Civilians operate under the same rules. Civilians are
equally responsible for safe conduct of their flights and maintaining
clearance from other aircraft. All players are under the same rules.

Remember, by your own admission, you are one of the best fighter pilots
there is. Fighter pilots are among the best pilots there are. This
means that, next to your abilities, most everyone else in the air is a
turkey. They do not have anywhere near the judgement, stick skills,
eyeballs, abilities, or aptitudes that you have. But, you have to live
with them. (the alternative is that, for a short while, you'd be one of
only ten pilots in the sky, after which you'd run out of gas and
refineries won't make any more). That =is= the price of being the best.

Oh boy! In terms of accidents (all kinds, not just MACs), the rate per
100,000 flying hours for military aviation is lower than GA. I will
agree fully that GA pilots, as a class, don't have the judgement,
stick skills, eyeballs, abilities or aptitudes of the professionals.

Yet, year after year, they operate together and the sky does not seem
to be raining airplanes. If fact, most GA pilots don't see a military
aircraft in flight for months or even years at a time.

Even if you can find traffic at 400 knots, the other guy can't see you
running that fast. So if you are going to do that, you need to provide
the other guy, the hoi polloi in the sky, with some better way to avoid
you than a big "keep out" sign or a "catch me if you can" attitude.

Jose

Ever been on an airliner? Did you look out the window? Did you see
other airplanes? They were traveling at faster than 400 knots if you
were at cruising altitude and you could see them. All you had to do
was look. I believe you are capable of that.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com