Air Force Base Activity

Has anybody noticed a sharp increase in air traffic at the military bases over the past couple of days, including bases that are not usually so active?

Anyone with some inside info beyond the obvious war machine build-up?

I hear they are considering getting involved supplying rebels in Syria. Probably what the increase in activity is all about.

I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

It is on fox news now. What Leon Panetta Defense Secretary, told congress today about the Syria Strategy. Plans usually before they are released to the public. This is time dated if you can catch it. ETA: On Gretta Van Sustren's show. It is on Fox News.com too if you want to read the story.

Story on Fox

An earlier Story on Fox

And the story is coming up on Fox on Gretta Van Sustren. Announced it before last commercial. 22:31 EST.

I own a ranch in the West near an AF bombing range. They bombed the heck out of that range M-F for years until a couple of weeks ago. Very little activity now. Hmmmm! Wonder were the planes went.

reply to post by seaside sky


Cross reference:

Troop, F.E.M.A., D.H.S Movement Thread
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by 5 oClock
started on 6/10/2010 @ 09:15 PM

I saw cargo planes too- Otis at Cape Cod, There were a lot of others, I believe military as well, but higher altitude- heading more towards NY

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519
I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

I'm interested in the pictures you have...don't know if I can help identify the planes...but I would like to see them anyway!

Thanks for that link to the other thread on DHS, and also thanks to the other member for the Syria news.

So perhaps there are several things going on?

That's a good idea, I'll try to snap a few pictures as well. I live near Randolph Brooks Air Force Base here in San Antonio and have heard them flying over excessively for the past two days. It's weird because I usually only hear them a few times a day, if that. I was just talking to my husband about all the planes I've heard lately and he said that something was going on at the base today. I asked what all he had heard and he said that when he talked to his dad earlier today he was trying to get off base and almost couldn't, his dad mentioned something about them saying DEFCON Bravo and it being really crowded, taking forever to let people leave the base. I don't know the military lingo so I googled it, this is what I came up with.

"FPCON BRAVO describes a situation with somewhat predictable terrorist threat. Security measures taken by agency personnel may affect the activities of local law enforcement and the general public. (Has to Show 2 Army or Air Force Base ID at Gates)" Wikapedia

That's all the info I have on this end. Anybody else have anything or ideas about what is going on?

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519
I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

I'm interested in the pictures you have...don't know if I can help identify the planes...but I would like to see them anyway!

Okay, here we go;

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519
I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

I'm interested in the pictures you have...don't know if I can help identify the planes...but I would like to see them anyway!

Okay, here we go;

Very cool...thanks for posting them up!

Me thinks it's a re-fueling jet...but I don't know!

Does anybody know much about military security levels? I wonder when it was raised to Bravo and the reasoning behind it. From my googling, apparently there are five security levels and Bravo is what they raised it to around 9/11.


The five Force Protection Conditions are:

FPCON NORMAL describes a situation of no current terrorist activity. The only security forces needed are enough to stop the everyday criminal, similar to civilian police forces. (Usually has to show only 1 Army or Air Force Base ID at Gates)
FPCON ALPHA describes a situation where there is a small and general terrorist activity that is not predictable. However, agencies will inform personnel that there is a possible threat and standard security procedure review is conducted. (Usually Shows 1 or 2 Army or Air Force Base ID at the Gates)
FPCON BRAVO describes a situation with somewhat predictable terrorist threat. Security measures taken by agency personnel may affect the activities of local law enforcement and the general public. (Has to Show 2 Army or Air Force Base ID at Gates)
FPCON CHARLIE describes a situation when an instance occurs or when intelligence reports that there is terrorist activity imminent. (Has to Show 2 ID's at Gates)
FPCON DELTA describes a situation when a terrorist attack is taking place or has just occurred. FPCON DELTA usually occurs only in the areas that are most vulnerable to or have been attacked. One example is the September 11, 2001 Attacks. (Army or Air Force Bases are Restricted to only Military Personnel)
*from Wikipedia

reply to post by jerryznv


C-17 Globemasters. The Air Forces primary long distance Cargo aircraft. It replaced the C-141 Stratolifter back in the Nineties. Pretty commonplace nowadays.

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519
I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

I'm interested in the pictures you have...don't know if I can help identify the planes...but I would like to see them anyway!

Okay, here we go;

Those are C-17 Cargo Aircraft. They are the largest cargo aircraft in the Air Force. I was in the Air Force and a crew-chief on F-16's. I believe that is a C-17 though. That airplane is bigger than a football field. They can carry tanks, hum v's or just large equipment. Very impressive lift capabilities.

Originally posted by NoSoup4U

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519
I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

I'm interested in the pictures you have...don't know if I can help identify the planes...but I would like to see them anyway!

Okay, here we go;

Those are C-17 Cargo Aircraft. They are the largest cargo aircraft in the Air Force. I was in the Air Force and a crew-chief on F-16's. I believe that is a C-17 though. That airplane is bigger than a football field. They can carry tanks, hum v's or just large equipment. Very impressive lift capabilities.

Um...You seem to have forgotten the C-5 Galaxy. They still do use them, ya know?

You may have worked on F-16's but I spent many years tossing my butt out of perfectly good aircraft in the USAF inventory. I know all the Cargo types very well.

No soup for you tonite.

Originally posted by NoSoup4U

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519
I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

I'm interested in the pictures you have...don't know if I can help identify the planes...but I would like to see them anyway!

Okay, here we go;

Those are C-17 Cargo Aircraft. They are the largest cargo aircraft in the Air Force. I was in the Air Force and a crew-chief on F-16's. I believe that is a C-17 though. That airplane is bigger than a football field. They can carry tanks, hum v's or just large equipment. Very impressive lift capabilities.

Interesting, thank you for sharing! Those bad boys are loud as hell, it's not the first time they've flown over and when they do it sounds as though World War 3 has indeed started. It's quite startling when you're not paying attention actually, thankfully I had a camera handy and there was more than the 1 plane!

Wow, all these super-dooper cool theories, but everyone seems to have forgotten something.

For a lot of guard and reserve units, drill weekend is coming up. That means we fly more than normal.

Originally posted by NoSoup4U

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519

Originally posted by jerryznv

Originally posted by concernedcitizen519
I noticed a higher than normal amount of what looked like Military Cargo Planes coming in today. I live on the border of Detroit, but I'm in Canada. We don't usually have these big planes coming in but when they do you can sure hear them coming from a long way's off. I managed to snap a couple shots, if anyone is interested I can post them and maybe someone can help determine what kind of planes they are.

Anyways, just thought I'd share that, could be something, could be nothing. Remain vigilant!

I'm interested in the pictures you have...don't know if I can help identify the planes...but I would like to see them anyway!

Okay, here we go;

Those are C-17 Cargo Aircraft. They are the largest cargo aircraft in the Air Force. I was in the Air Force and a crew-chief on F-16's. I believe that is a C-17 though. That airplane is bigger than a football field. They can carry tanks, hum v's or just large equipment. Very impressive lift capabilities.

Sorry but the C-5A and C-5B Galaxy Cargo Planes are not even the largest cargo holders by weight in the U.S. Inventory. The Russians have a largest cargo carrying Plane the ANTONOV AN-225 at 250,000 Kg #2 is the Antonov AN-124 at 150,000 kg #3 is the Boeing 747-8F at 134,200Kg #5 is the Lockheed C-5 at 122,470 Kg....a C-17 is a Medium to oversized medium cargo plane used for short runways with Jets rather than turboprops like a Hercules. It can carry 77,519 Kg of Cargo. Split Infinity

Originally posted by signal2noise
Wow, all these super-dooper cool theories, but everyone seems to have forgotten something.

For a lot of guard and reserve units, drill weekend is coming up. That means we fly more than normal.

One thing I find amusing is that my father who was a LTC (AGR) accrued more flying hours than his Active Duty brethren.

He's retired now, as am I, but it still occurs to this day, even with all the deployments.