Crafts I Saw at 39,000 Feet

a reply to: flyandi

No, outside radar range, it's pretty much every pilot for themselves. But in radar range of a center, the 5 mile separation rule that was mentioned is not a hard and fast rule that is written in stone.

a reply to: Komodo

In the OPs own words.

"Were going a bit faster than the jet I was in was going so it TOOK A WHILE before they were beyond my view. I STUDIED THEM INTENTLY. I wondered if they slowed down until they were out of view of the plane. They left black exhaust smoke behind them and they looked most like Challenger shuttles, I suppose; that shape."

Yes Komodo i do indeed imagine he had ample time to pull out his flip phone and snap a couple of pictures if indeed he had thought to do so.

Maybe you should READ, then THINK before you post?

Just a thought. LoL

originally posted by: SlightlySkeptical
Did it by any chance look like this?

img.planespotters.net...

No, but the color is close. What I saw was a bit darker. Gosh, there's a seemingly endless array of aircraft; way beyond what I ever would have imagined!!! My eyes are strained from viewing images.

To see a graphic of a very similar, side-view shape of the craft I saw, please see the first link someone posted for me in this post:

Link

Thank you for your effort!

originally posted by: flyandi
I am curious to know how you think the object was in 39k ft?

39k ft is not a uncommon altitude, especially for fighter jets or even tankers (like the KC-10) who fly all the way up to FL420 .. the close range of the objects might have been a refueling operation.

Private jets have service ceilings of up to 51k ft - like the G650.

The captain had announced earlier we were at 39,000 feet altitude, estimated arrival time in Orlando, temperature; that sort of thing.

There wasn't any refueling going on.

Thank you!!

originally posted by: StargateSG7

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed

originally posted by: Komodo
a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

"egs state that no pilot can fly a plane anywhere closer than 5 miles away for commercial jets up in the cruising area."

Well, I've flown WAY closer than 5 miles ...like more of 1/4 mile-! Passing under us-!

Yeah it happens.. I have seen other jets seemingly closer than 5 miles to the plane I was on, flying from SF to Shanghai 4 times and saw lots of what looked like serious FAA violations..

===

If the flight is of a foreign origin and landing then the FAA has no jurisdiction
over the other planes location or flight level in International airspace.
They CAN however lodge a complaint with the other country's department
of transport (in Canada it's the DOT, in Europe it could a one of three
or four centralized authorities.)

Please note the FAA has NO JURISDICTION AT ALL over another country's planes
in the pacific ocean in international airspace. The usa DOES NOT have control
over that airspace! If the other plane wants to fly 10 feet away from your plane,
other than a military interdiction by US forces, the US plane can really only lodge
a complaint (WHICH MOST countries will take rather SERIOUSLY!).

That said, I know literally EVERY DAY planes fly close to each other
completely bypassing FAA, CAN-DOT, EU, JP, etc flight distance guidelines
through accident or by design.

This is why we NEED to move forward on a fail-safe Highway in the Sky
system with Synthetic Vision Systems that show all nearby planes on a
colour 3D overall skyview heads-up display. ALL planes needs this
to prevent collisions with OTHER aircraft and incoming orbital debris,
spacecraft, meteorites and YES secret flights by secret government spaceplanes!

Thank you, whoever you are.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: Komodo

In the OPs own words.

"Were going a bit faster than the jet I was in was going so it TOOK A WHILE before they were beyond my view. I STUDIED THEM INTENTLY. I wondered if they slowed down until they were out of view of the plane. They left black exhaust smoke behind them and they looked most like Challenger shuttles, I suppose; that shape."

Yes Komodo i do indeed imagine he had ample time to pull out his flip phone and snap a couple of pictures if indeed he had thought to do so.

Maybe you should READ, then THINK before you post?

Just a thought. LoL

Yes, and I also stated trying to capture images with my phone was the last thing on my mind. I wasn't and am still not, by choice, in that groove so many are in. If I was, I had ample time and then some. Also, the last thing on my mind was that two years down the road people on some forum I didn't yet belong to would be asking me why I didn't whip out my phone and take pictures as if it's a character flaw of some sort. I could have taken a movie! Perhaps it's a good thing I didn't.

a reply to: tweetie

So what flight were you on? Do you remember the type of airliner or the flight number, airline, date? Your flight is very likely still on flight tracking software such as Planefinder. If so then can you provide any more details such as how far into the flight did you see the other aircraft, etc.

originally posted by: tommyjo
a reply to: tweetie

So what flight were you on? Do you remember the type of airliner or the flight number, airline, date? Your flight is very likely still on flight tracking software such as Planefinder. If so then can you provide any more details such as how far into the flight did you see the other aircraft, etc.

See this

I'm not sure how far into the flight we were when I saw the crafts. I'd be guessing if I said maybe an hour after we finally took off.

a reply to: tweetie

Hence the reason i stated "if indeed he had thought to do so".

And like you said "I(you) had ample time and then some".

Is all good buddy, like you said, the phone was last thing on your mind, different people different strokes.

I was not questioning the fact that you saw something, just why there was not picture. Which could have possibly helped in the identification of what you witnessed.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: tweetie

Hence the reason i stated "if indeed he had thought to do so".

And like you said "I(you) had ample time and then some".

Is all good buddy, like you said, the phone was last thing on your mind, different people different strokes.

I was not questioning the fact that you saw something, just why there was not picture. Which could have possibly helped in the identification of what you witnessed.

Thanks!

I don't regret not having any photographic images but if I had taken photos and/or video I highly doubt I would post them on the Internet. I would have done some quiet querying instead.

a reply to: tweetie

Saw that, but from the poster's first picture I believed they were 'taking the piss'.
(just in case...taking the piss)

originally posted by: tweetie

originally posted by: ProtiosDrin
what was the flight number you flew on? we can track the flight path and see if anyone else said they saw anything. 2014 had a few drone near misses.

Southwest #733; March 6, 2014. Hartford to Orlando. 6 AM. We didn't leave on time because it was terribly cold that morning and the water pipes on the plane froze. We sat there for a while in the plane and then got in line for de-icing. I've no idea what time we actually took off.

Thanks for the info on the flight. I set up a filter for South West flights on the 6th March. Lots of South West flights but nothing registering out of Bradley International, Hartford. I checked the day before and the day after just in case you got the date wrong.

a reply to: tweetie

Did you respond to the one mentioned by poster CynConcepts? I would assume private owned can paint as they please?

www.privatejetchartersvancouver.com...

a reply to: SeaWorthy

As long as they have the required FAA markings on them, they can.

originally posted by: tommyjo

originally posted by: tweetie

originally posted by: ProtiosDrin
what was the flight number you flew on? we can track the flight path and see if anyone else said they saw anything. 2014 had a few drone near misses.

Southwest #733; March 6, 2014. Hartford to Orlando. 6 AM. We didn't leave on time because it was terribly cold that morning and the water pipes on the plane froze. We sat there for a while in the plane and then got in line for de-icing. I've no idea what time we actually took off.

Thanks for the info on the flight. I set up a filter for South West flights on the 6th March. Lots of South West flights but nothing registering out of Bradley International, Hartford. I checked the day before and the day after just in case you got the date wrong.

Lol! My info is correct as to when I went. What are you looking at? I just went to Southwest to see if they even still have a flight at that time and they don't. Their schedule is different. No 6 AM out of Hartford to Orlando. Anyway, can you tell me where you are looking up the flight I took?

originally posted by: SeaWorthy
a reply to: tweetie

Did you respond to the one mentioned by poster CynConcepts? I would assume private owned can paint as they please?

www.privatejetchartersvancouver.com...

No, I didn't respond to that post. I meant to. Thank you. I've no idea what the inside of the craft I saw look like but what is pictured of the outside at that link is way different than what I saw. The shape of the short row of passenger windows I saw look similar to what is in that private plane; more narrow than those.

At this point I am pretty well convinced there are no public photos (actual photos) online of what I saw because there isn't supposed to be.

originally posted by: CovertAgenda
a reply to: tweetie

Saw that, but from the poster's first picture I believed they were 'taking the piss'.
(just in case...taking the piss)

You guessed correctly. I wouldn't have known what you meant.

A benefit to all of this is whoever has seen my OP and who also flies way up there will be on the lookout for the same kind of craft I saw. More pairs of eyes looking. I don't know when I'll be on a flight again because I despise going commercial with all the hassle of going through airports, screenings and the endless waiting, but who knows?

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed




I've definitely experienced other aircraft flying within 5 miles of the aircraft that I was in. More than once, actually. I remember at least 2 times flying Southwest that another Southwest flight flew past parallel to mine at relatively the same flight level and much closer than 5 miles of the aircraft I was sitting in. Charleston to Houston and DFW to Charleston, FYI.

originally posted by: SeaWorthy
a reply to: tweetie

Did you respond to the one mentioned by poster CynConcepts? I would assume private owned can paint as they please?

www.privatejetchartersvancouver.com...

Is that a LondonAir Challenger 604 plane? --- been on one of those out of YVR (Vancouver) !!
AWESOME planes and very comfortable! - THAT IS TRAVELLING IN STYLE!

As an aside, if you have 4 to 8 people and your journey is less than 3 hours
may I suggest you POOL your money together (say $700 a person!) and hire
a jet charter craft. From $2000 to $4000 per hour depending upon size of
aircraft! you could fly in utter comfort and avoid TSA/CBS lineups completely!

originally posted by: StargateSG7

originally posted by: SeaWorthy
a reply to: tweetie

Did you respond to the one mentioned by poster CynConcepts? I would assume private owned can paint as they please?

www.privatejetchartersvancouver.com...

Is that a LondonAir Challenger 604 plane? --- been on one of those out of YVR (Vancouver) !!
AWESOME planes and very comfortable! - THAT IS TRAVELLING IN STYLE!

As an aside, if you have 4 to 8 people and your journey is less than 3 hours
may I suggest you POOL your money together (say $700 a person!) and hire
a jet charter craft. From $2000 to $4000 per hour depending upon size of
aircraft! you could fly in utter comfort and avoid TSA/CBS lineups completely!

Ha! The second I saw the inside of that little plane when the link was originally posted I knew I'd love to travel in it.