OK. TEAM. Who fired the missile near the SoCal OpArea?

[yodaears]

Pretty shitty timing on the part of whoever did it.

That's all I'll say.

I would really like to know what this means. Especially coming from an E-6 guy. But maybe I'm reading into your post a bit too much.

 

[FlyinSpy]

Got this from my Dad this morning...this is his conjecturin'.....

Let's see - DoD denies, NORAD/NORTHCOM denies, Pacific Missile Test Range location...... Hmmm
Sometime in the early/mid seventies, I was flying a night (really dark, no moon or stars) hop in an F-4J in southern CA. I asked for a night TACAN practice approach into Vandenberg AFB. After some initial hemming and hawing, the controller said okay but they had some things going on to the west and I should be prepared to break off the approach at any time. About half way through the approach, I received a very curt direction to level off, turn south and exit the pattern immediately. The next thing I knew the entire western sky lit up like a nuke. It was so bright that I was temporarily flash blinded and had real difficulty seeing my instruments. No one could/would tell us what had just happened – so we flew home to Miramar in a complete mystery. The media had a hey day with that one too, just like this event. "No one" knew what it was, not the government, the Air Force, the Navy, no one. Sometime later, I learned that it was a test launch of an ICBM from a C-141 (or C-5, I can’t remember). The missile was loaded "nose cone in" on tracks that would allow it to roll out Booster first down the opened tail ramp. It was stabilized into a vertical position by a drogue chute and then ignited remotely at altitude – apparently a success. Since SALT was on the table, I always presumed that this was a workaround for the limitations that would be put on the number of hard launch silos that was to be a part of the treaty.

Circa 1974, apparently - interesting clip here:

 

[MIDNJAC]

I would really like to know what this means. Especially coming from an E-6 guy. But maybe I'm reading into your post a bit too much.

+1

 

[das]

Or was it UPS902...?

(Both URLs updated)

http://blog.bahneman.com/content/it-was-us-airways-flight-808
http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/

More web-guesstimatin' from the grasshopper.

 

[A4sForever]

....More web-guesstimatin' from the grasshopper.

+ a bunch ... but only 'cause I like that; you know your (temporary) place in the world ... and that's a GOOD THING (w/ apologies to Martha).

BUT: why haven't the FEDs coughed up the 'stats' on the possible flight(s) to put the kibosh on the speculation ... ??? That would be really, really EASY !!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ???

 

[das]

BUT: why haven't the FEDs coughed up the 'stats' on the possible flight(s) to put the kibosh on the speculation ... ??? That would be really, really EASY !!!

Well, there was this from today...but no "stats".

Look over the comments to the article if you want some entertainment.

 

[coolhandlukesd]

The suppose missile contrail came from an area called W-289 and controlled by the naval station at Point Mugu, says this article.

 

[A4sForever]

The suppose missile contrail came from an area called W-289 ...

We should offer thanks. At least they were in the fuckin' warning area ...

 

[PhrogLoop]

Well, there was this from today...but no "stats".

Look over the comments to the article if you want some entertainment.

So I checked out the comments...lo and behold, MYSTERY SOLVED!
"It looks like Al-Qaida is test firing a missile to make sure that it doesn't fail: fail like the previous strikes.That's why it went towards the Pacific Ocean. It is just another Government cover-up to throw off the American people. Let's not forget this country was founded on free speech; but after this post my free speech may be taken away by the government for saying what I believe in. People do go missing for writing things about the Government."

 

[nittany03]

So I checked out the comments...lo and behold, MYSTERY SOLVED!

xkcd to the rescue . . .

 

[jollygreen07]

I would really like to know what this means. Especially coming from an E-6 guy. But maybe I'm reading into your post a bit too much.

It was launched right in the middle of a major exercise.

 

[yodaears]

It was launched right in the middle of a major exercise.

WHAT was launched???

 

[jollygreen07]

WHAT was launched???

No Idea. I wish I knew. I was asking everyone I could with a TS clearance if they knew the day after it happend. No dice.

 

[yodaears]

No Idea. I wish I knew. I was asking everyone I could with a TS clearance if they knew the day after it happend. No dice.

So, as an E-6 guy, you think something was LAUNCHED?

 

[HAL Pilot]

Pretty shitty timing on the part of whoever did it.

That's all I'll say.

I would really like to know what this means. Especially coming from an E-6 guy. But maybe I'm reading into your post a bit too much.

It was launched right in the middle of a major exercise.

WHAT was launched???

No Idea. I wish I knew. I was asking everyone I could with a TS clearance if they knew the day after it happend. No dice.

So, as an E-6 guy, you think something was LAUNCHED?