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Old January 3rd 07, 04:06 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
John T
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Posts: 194
Default flying low...military video

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message


My proposal is designed to provide additional impetus
to those military pilots to exercise caution in their
deconfliction and decision making.


The best alternative here is to make MTR non-joint use by making them
restricted areas. This would give the military the training routes they need
while protecting low-flying civilians. However, this is a fairly draconian
action and I think the current charting of "here be dragons" is a good
compromise between this option and the opposite end of doing away with MTRs
altogether.

Your proposal for "deconflicting" this airspace takes away key training
options and makes it harder to give military pilots realistic training.
Combat missions are not often flown with active radar to avoid alerting the
enemy so requiring pilots training here to always use radar takes away
combat realism. Your idea of TCAS relies on transponder signals which are
not available from many aircraft including half of those you listed. It also
relies on radio signals that, like radar, could disclose the location of
aircraft to an enemy so its use is also unrealistic training.

Here is your linked text (from an anti-US military site, BTW) in its
unedited form:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...y/airspace.htm
A Military Training Route, or MTR, is basically a long,
low-altitude corridor that serves as a flight path to
a particular destination. The
corridor is often 10 miles wide, 70 to 100 miles long, and
may range from 500 to 1,500 feet
above ground level; occasionally, they
are higher. MTRs are designed to provide realistic low-altitude
training conditions for pilots. In times of conflict, to avoid
detection by enemy radar, tactical fighter aircraft are often
called upon to fly hundreds of miles at low altitude over varying
terrain. Obviously, navigation is extremely difficult on
high-speed low-altitude flights. That's why it is imperative that
fighter pilots have ample opportunity to practice these necessary
and demanding skills.


Even this site admits "it is imperative that fighter pilots have ample
opportunity to practice" high speed, low altitude flights. MTRs are vital to
training military pilots in simulated wartime conditions. This may include
activities hazardous to other aircraft including night flight without
navigation lights or flying nap-of-the-earth without active radar. I'm not
prepared to take away this key training tool.

These routes are charted and defined for pilots to know of them. If you're
not comfortable with the safety margins, avoid them. They really do
constitute a tiny percentage of the US NAS.

Okay, now lets hear your reasoning as to why you believe my proposal
is counter productive, please.


Done.

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John T
http://sage1solutions.com/blogs/TknoFlyer
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