wierd activities by unmarked 757

Here is the link to what many people saw near my home on monday. kind of wierd, what do you all make of it? click here

Kind of funny because the airport it was shooting approaches at is tiny and definately could not handle this aircraft.
 
That plane is always flying around the NE Ohio/ Western PA area. Its landing at KYNG (Youngstown regional airport/reserve base. Its an all white, unmarked 757 with the call sign VADER I think.

I was with my student a few weeks ago shooting the ILS approach to rwy. 32 at YNG. Approach control notified me that a 757 heavy was also on the ils 32 approach 8 miles ahead. The 757 did a circle to land rwy 14.

I contacted the tower, and could hear twr talking to the 757 who was flying an extended turn inbound for rwy 14. As my student and I are scooting along at 90 kts in the 172 on the ILS 32, tower informs me 757 traffic is short final rwnway 14 for a touch & Go. I see the 757 on short final, as well as the t & G. We just intercepted the GS and tower said he'll call are missed. I can see the 757 on climbout and were now head to head. Beautiful VFR day
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I told my student to take off his foggles so he could see this, it not something you see everyday, A 757 and a 172 on a head on course. Tower called are are turn as well as the 757's turn. About a 1/2 mile we both turned in opposite direction which gave me a great view of that beautiful bird as he climbed right through are altitude like a bat out of hell.
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I live about 8 miles from the youngstown airport, and earlier that same morning I could hear that 757's engines during his touch & go's from my family room. What a great thing ....Touch & go's in a 757 all day long
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Remember when the coke can dropped from the sky in Monty Python's "History of the World"?
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Oops, you're right!

Correcto!

But the correct movie is "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and it's a bottle.

I'm going to need to hire a fact checker!
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Thats probably a UN aircraft. There unmarked most of the time and never tell anybody what they're doing or why they're doing it.
 
After re-thinking the original offer, I submit the following demands.

1. I will only pay for 90% of my initial training.

2. I will only pay for my move to AZ. if I am guarenteed a possible interview after training.

3. I will need to be paid at least !/3 of the salary that [real] fact checkers get.

4. If the stated terms are acceptable, you may call me [reverse the charges of course] and let me know when I need to be in Scotsdale.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Calls poured in to Fayette County 911 and the Herald-Standard newsroom just after 5:30 p.m. about an airplane that was seen with its landing gear down and headed in the direction of the Connellsville Airport.

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy cr@p! An airplane with it's landing gear down heading towards an airport!? What could it be doing!? What is the world coming to!? We need to call 911!

[/sacrasm:eek:ff]
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Calls poured in to Fayette County 911 and the Herald-Standard newsroom just after 5:30 p.m. about an airplane that was seen with its landing gear down and headed in the direction of the Connellsville Airport.

[/ QUOTE ]

Holy cr@p! An airplane with it's landing gear down heading towards an airport!? What could it be doing!? What is the world coming to!? We need to call 911!

[/sacrasm:eek:ff]

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I agree, many people overreacted, but then again, most of them probably had to ask what the # for "911" was. Most of this fear came because planes that big never fly that low over this area. There isn't an airport big enough to handle a plane like that for many miles. It never even contacted the airport that it was approaching, it also had its landing gear down approaching an airport that would have barely given it a chance to get its rear landing gear on the ground before it would have run out of runway. Who knows what was going through the minds of these people when they called 911. They were probably thinking of Shanksville which isn't far from here. I just wish I could have seen that plane. Most people called 911 while I would have been searching for binoculars. Isn't it kind of dangerous though to be shooting approaches at an airport with a plane that big that could not even attempt to land there while never making radio contact to let anyone know. Seems like not such a smart thing to do when traffic around you is mostly small private aircraft. I dunno maybe not.
 
How long is the runway (at Collisville or wherever it was) and what is it's width?

You'd be amazed at how short a runway an empty aircraft can get into.
 
[ QUOTE ]
How long is the runway (at Collisville or wherever it was) and what is it's width?

You'd be amazed at how short a runway an empty aircraft can get into.

[/ QUOTE ]

I really don't know, all I am going by is what Connelsville Tower said. I will try to get the specs. on that though.
 
And ... sorry ... but are you sure there is a tower there? If there is then I'm 99% sure the aircraft would have been in touch with them. If it was uncontrolled and the attendant was monitoring the CTAF/UNICOM the aircraft isn't required to call a soul.
 
Many transport-category planes do training at various fields that have approaches. I remember at PRC when I was at Riddle, a 747 was shooting ILS approaches to low approach, since the ILS had Cat D mins and was compatible with their training, and being a weekend, the traffic was light anyway.
 
If http://www.airnav.com/airport/KVVS that is the airport they mean, than it has a 3458 ft runway. No control tower.

"Two women, who declined to be identified, came to the airport after seeing the plane circle the area three times in 40 minutes. Every time it came into view, the women said, it appeared to be preparing for landing,"

Sounds like they were just practicing low approaches (no runway touch) or touch and goes. Just goes to show you how much people in general can freak out!
 
I'd say most of the people didn't overreact. Read the story carefully, I'd say half the people weren't calling because of fear, but for concern. They say a little over 30 calls came in (that's flooding their system?!) and that a lot of the people went to the airport to see if the plane made an emergency landing there and if there were injuries to provide assistance:

"Meanwhile, sightings of the plane caused several people to jump in their cars and drive out to the airport to see if the plane had in fact made an emergency landing, but as they waited, they shared stories of what they had seen.
Several people gathered around the fences near the runway at the airport waiting for signs of the plane that had appeared in the area for more than an hour.
Two women, who declined to be identified, came to the airport after seeing the plane circle the area three times in 40 minutes. Every time it came into view, the women said, it appeared to be preparing for landing, so they came to the airport to see if the plane had landed and if anyone was injured."

Plus, hell, if you lived in such a rural area with such a small field and a 757 was going to make an emergency landing there, wouldn't you call 911 and then head out to the airport to assist? (and watch?)
 
pilot 602 here are some specs.

According to the website I visited, there is no tower. I got from the story somehow that there was.

Runways 5/23

3458 x 100 ft.
Surface: asphalt in fair condition
Weight limitations: single wheel: 12,500 lbs.

Runways 14/32
2979 x 100 ft.
surface and weight limits are the same.

So, is it big enough. I am guessing it is, but in this area, that is just such a wierd thing to be happening. All that you usually see at low altitudes around here are a few general aviation aircraft, helicopters, and sometimes a rare glimpse at a few C-130's. But, that is usually it. Come to think of it, I have never seen a jet that big that low around here ever. Maybe once in a great while weather will force one down to 10,000 feet or so, but never low enough to be able to see landing gear. I just wish I could have seen it.
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stuff in Chicago too

So yesterday (11th) there was a fly-through the city by a plane registered to this company

went by all the buildings, and lots of people downtown got an email saying the gov was conducting a test, and the plane would be flying by, and not to worry.

This story and the 757 makes me think:
1) Wow, the TSA or another acronym is actually on top of things and we'll find out soon what's up...

2) I hope someone told mayor Daly they were doing this , 'cuz he might shut down O'Hare to "get rid of them pesky planes!"
 
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