How are personal civilians jets and fighter jets accommodated into the flying pattern!!
Posted by gms29@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 17 comments
Hey Reddit!
So let’s say one day am rich enough to not only own a private jet, but also a fighter jet (read somewhere that it’s possible to buy decommissioned fighter jets without ammunition, how true is this???)
So I’ve bought it and let’s say I want to go out for a leisure flight…… like am just bored and want to take out my personal jet for a spin?
How does the atc include flights like these into the pattern?
Also, let’s say I have my own private landing strip, will that also have an ATC? How does it merge with the bigger traffic from the ATC?
Annnnddd, I want to take out my private fighter jet and I want to travel at the speed of sound (hypothetically, I have a big assssss estate so the sound should not be a problem, is it even possible?) and just fly around for sometime!
How would that happen!?
Excuse me if these are dumb questions lol, morning poop got me thinking of this stuff XD!
Thanks for all the answers!!
emezeekiel@reddit
The new NASA admistrator is a billionaire with a bunch of private jets and fighter jets that he flies himself.
That70sShop@reddit
Had I contemplated the idea that were a billionaire I would be able to afford a bunch of fighter jets I might have chosen more remunerative wanderings through life.
Quality_Cabbage@reddit
There were a couple of nice Su-27s for sale a few years ago. The original listing link doesn't work anymore but the ad is quoted in this forum post: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/buy-your-own-su-27.21757/ I think they were only $5M each, so you could have one for work and one for weekends.
Glass_Landscape_8588@reddit
I’ve worked a few fighter jets in the pattern with Cessna and similar training aircraft. Extended downwinds and keeping different performing aircraft on different sides of the pattern are the basics.
I’ve never seen a jet fighter want to do anything more a low pass or overhead break prior to landing. If a 172 turns crosswind when a fighter is at 8 final, the Cessna can just fly a normal circuit in the time it takes for the jet to do a touch and go and come around and land.
It’s definitely not easy to manage a plane that’s going 3 to 4 times faster than everyone else, but it’s doable.
No_Tailor_787@reddit
I used to fly into an uncontrolled field that was frequently used by USAF C141a and C130s for practice ILS approaches. It had an uncertified ILS that was maintained for practice only. I'd come in from the west, and enter the pattern between 3 or 4 C141's or C130s and they'd extend their downwind to let me squeeze in in front of them. They were always great to share the pattern with.
I also was in close proximity to two Air Force bases, and would frequently cross through their area. A couple of times, when there was fighter traffic in the pattern, they pulled up along side of me, maybe 1/4 mile off, drop their flaps and gear, raise the nose and slow flight along with me as I transited through their airspace.
Both military pilots and controllers are always exceedingly helpful with civilian traffic, at least in my experience.
SafeAtFirstRN@reddit
Okay, how cool that they’d pull up alongside you and join in slow flight.
No_Tailor_787@reddit
It was REALLY cool! This was at March AFB in Southern California. F4's from the ANG. They were still 50 kts faster than I was.
SafeAtFirstRN@reddit
Incredible. Made me smile picturing this.
Glass_Landscape_8588@reddit
Cool. Was wake turbulence ever an issue around the transport aircraft?
No_Tailor_787@reddit
It's always a concern, but it can be avoided. I'd always stay above them in the pattern, and touchdown well beyond where they touched down. I think there was just once where I got a good bump.
Public_Fucking_Media@reddit
All of your questions aren't special for a fighter jet, it's just how private aviation works for everyone
TheDrMonocle@reddit
They make you fly far enough downwind that the previous aircraft has time to land and vacate.
Your private airport will not have like.. a tower or anything. Just whoever owns the airspace above it is who you have to talk to. Be it the overlying approach control or center depending on location. They merge you in just like any other aircraft. Flying from your own airport they'll just separate you from other conflicts like normal. If you fly into a bigger airport you'll be giving specific routing to fly and possibly sequenced with traffic.
No, federal regulations ban flying over the speed of sound.
Carlito_2112@reddit
Not anymore.
WhiskeyMikeMike@reddit
Speed of sound thing just changed so they can test quiet supersonic flight
InnerBreath2884@reddit
Yep, you can sometimes get demilitarised fighters if you're uber rich
MeatServo1@reddit
How do souped up hotrods and street legal race cars merge onto the highway and take off-ramps? They share the road and obey the laws of physics just like everyone else.
BrewCityChaserV2@reddit
Unless you're AF1 or some other high priority VIP traffic, ATC will treat a fighter jet no differently than a C-150 except for spacing for proper sequencing.