Did I See Airforce One

[Thundarstick]

I was out in the yard earlier today, when there was a very loud roar of multiple jet engines. I looked up to see a wide bodied jumbo jet escorted by 6 fighters, 3 on each side. I've never witnessed anything like this before. Any ideas other than AF1?

[Nueces]

Sounds like a traveling formation of fighters with a tanker.

[Winger Ed.]

If it was down low enough to see, or hear, there ain't much else it could have been.

For everybody's safety:
Jet's on a tanker try to hook up at high altitude, out over the ocean, and way-away from a populated place.
They won't be any closer to another jet than they need to so if something goes wrong, they have room to maneuver.

[Nueces]

I have deployed with tankers to locations such as Alaska or Iceland and we traveled together from takeoff until within range of the arrival field, upon which the fighters left the tanker. Enroute, the tanker was responsible for formation navigation and comm with ATC. We fighters flew a loose fingertip on the tanker wings, tightening it up at low altitudes or just prior to refueling. This was very common.

[bedbugbilly]

It was just Pelosi - she borrowed AF1 to make a quick trip back to the Republik of Kalifornia - she ran out of ice cream.

[Winger Ed.]

Hmm,,, our guys wanted to have plenty of room around. and under 'em when near one or tanking.

Except when they had max. take off weight for catapulting off a carrier, loaded down with ordnance,
and just enough fuel to get to the A6 tanker riding along and just off the end of the catapult.

That was pretty common for birds that could fly while being heavier than what they could take off or launch with.

I definitely have anal glaucoma. I could never see my *** doing that.:bigsmyl2: