Comments on: Loud plane over Ballard attracts attention

By: ninaf

ninaf — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:50:57 +0000

Well done.

By: SeattleRichardson

SeattleRichardson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:05:45 +0000

Too funy considering when I started this thread in the forum last night I was going to call it “WTF…Top Gun in Ballard!”… LOL

By: UncleSnuffy

UncleSnuffy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:42:36 +0000

I didn't realize there were so many Top Gun fans out there.

By: watergirl

watergirl — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:39:01 +0000

Well geez, it sounded like that! LOL My husband stepped outside to look up and I asked him if there was a dog fight up there!

:-)

By: boba fett

boba fett — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:28:04 +0000

yee haw, Jester's dead!

By: bmvaughn

bmvaughn — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:21:43 +0000

Another site for tracking flights:
http://www32.webtrak-lochard.com/WebTrak/sea/te...

By: outerballard

outerballard — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:45:19 +0000

thanks for the link, flightaware is really nice. Anyone know how to find a current list of all nonstop destinations out of SeaTac, US & International? I've wanted to know all the places I could easily go.

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:46:50 +0000

I heard it loud and clear. Goose and I looked out the window. We happened to see a MiG 28 do a 4g negative dive.

By: Rad Netsalp

Rad Netsalp — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:38:55 +0000

I heard it and indeed, it was much too loud to be a commerical flight, either frieght or passenger are just not allowed to be that loud. It had to be a military airplane and most cargo jets I've heard don't sound quite like that one, seemed more like a fighter or a trainer of some sort.

By: pagooey

pagooey — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:17:13 +0000

I heard it too…it seemed to go on and on while I sat nervously waiting for some kind of more disastrous noise. But it never occurred to me to come here and check! MyBallard knows EVERYTHING–look at all you aircraft smarties crawling out of the woodwork! I'm impressed.

By: robotspider

robotspider — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:32:56 +0000

It's the terrorists! Duck!

By: UncleSnuffy

UncleSnuffy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:31:55 +0000

I heard it too and was afraid the “Visitors” were hovering over Seattle.

By: gtd

gtd — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:38:28 +0000

here is a link to Magnolia's sight from 2 months ago , seems to explain a lot, read Ruffner's comments , if this was a military jet following the protocol outlined.
http://www.magnoliavoice.com/2009/09/03/airplan...

By: HeardOnthe44

HeardOnthe44 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:33:36 +0000

That one got our attention too. My husband and I looked at each other… eyes widening…finally hubbie says, “Ok, THAT'S a loud one”. We just sat still listening and hoping it wouldn't come any closer. (or crash)

I sure appreciate being able to click on to My Ballard and get information like this !

By: watergirl

watergirl — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:01:20 +0000

Boba, we were talking about seaplanes in that thread.

By: SeaSpider

SeaSpider — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:43:10 +0000

Actually AF2 is ANY Air Force plane that happens to be carrying the Vice President. Air Force 1 is ANY Air Force plane that happens to be carrying the President. They're call signs, not airplanes.

It's also not a 757 but a C-32 (a modified version of the 757) operated by the 89th Airlift Wing. The plane is also not just for the VP. The President will fly on a C-32 when the more common VC-25A won't work, usually due to runway limitations but also when the VC-25A isn't available due to maintenance issues (there are only two VC-25As in service). Conversely, there have been times when the VP used a VC-25A instead of the C-32 due to the longer range it offers.

By: hilda

hilda — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:24:14 +0000

It definitely sounded like military plane(s) to us. Definitely got our attention

By: boba fett

boba fett — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:23:20 +0000

wasn't there an article a few weeks ago here about increase flight noise over ballard? where's all the people that said they “love the loud airplane noises because it reminds them they live in jet city?”

I for one am sick of it. stupid airplanes–I hate 'em.

By: foop

foop — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:55:11 +0000

The DC-8's that roll into KBFI are pretty quiet (with modern CFM-56's). Never saw any UPS ones, the only ones I see are usually some cargo carrier.

It's the UPS 757/767's and "MD-10" (DC-10 with glass cockpit) that seem to be the loudest.

Haven't seen any 727s out there, sadly :(

By: interbaby

interbaby — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:23:48 +0000

I was on my roof fixing a leak in Interbay when I was startled by the loud roar overhead. It was a military jet moving southbound very slowly toward Boeing Field. The engine noise seemed much louder than normal for a jet moving so slowly. That's all I have to report. Over and Out.

By: AlanBarton

AlanBarton — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:15:56 +0000

Take off and landing are the most vulnerable times for an aircraft so it would make sense they were flying low cover for the plane to get up and off. Most likely they were going out of Boeing Field and that is why the covering aircraft were roaring in over Ballard.

FYI – The C-130's wouldn't be able to keep up with AF2 which is a 757, no contest in performance.

By: ballardrocksnow

ballardrocksnow — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:04:55 +0000

I'm guessing it could have also been support for the veep which usually have several c130's with support staff and numerous vehicles for transport. But it wouldn't explain it landing since he was likely leaving.

By: AlanBarton

AlanBarton — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:54:54 +0000

Air Force Two is a 757 and those weren't it's engines. Those were military most likely fighter escorts.

By: Guest2

Guest2 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:28:51 +0000

It flew over my condo at 8:37pm. I work in the airline industry and I was a bit nervous about the noise too. Seemed way too low and loud to be a 'normal' SeaTac flight, and yet I could not see anything in the sky. Had me wondering if that airplane had a problem maintaining altitude (eek!) or if it was an old private jet that did not have upgraded sound kits installed. 707s used to be thunderous in the old days… And another thing…it didn't sound like a typical descent 'whine', it sounded like it was applying throttles a bit. Perhaps a go around or a takeoff…There might be an FAA hotline for this type of situation.
I wonder if it could've been the Veep's airplane. I would've thought he'd fly out of McChord AF base next to Ft.Lewis…

By: kumugwe

kumugwe — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:26:44 +0000

My wife and I too heard it over here on Sunset Hill. We live on the second of a three floor building yet it sounded like it was just overhead. I went to see if there was a low flying plane, but it was actually up a couple thousand feet. After looking through the flights on the Seatac flight tracker, nothing seems to match up. Sure was loud though.

By: bobbybebar

bobbybebar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:13:59 +0000

Sounded too loud to be a UPS DC-8. Sounded more like a plane with older
Stage 2 engines, or a military plane.

By: OwlsInsomnia

OwlsInsomnia — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:08:34 +0000

And here I thought I was the only one who noticed it! I have really good windows so I rarely hear any air traffic when I have the house closed, and this one sounded like it might come right into the living room.

By: AlanBarton

AlanBarton — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:42:51 +0000

I heard it over the din of doing dishes, it was military and not a commercial (passenger or cargo) aircraft. Given The Speaker was in town could have been an escort for Mrs. Pelosi's government G-5 getting her safely down to SF for the weekend. The UPS fleet is all level 3 now and regardless of weather wouldn't have been that noisy.

By: watergirl

watergirl — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:40:01 +0000

Thanks, Swedes! Any chance you could maybe check into it for us? Really sounded unusual from where we sit … probably something totally mundane, but would be interesting to know for sure.

By: plasticbags

plasticbags — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:35:27 +0000

Sounded like a plane was going to crash into our house. I used to live a mile from a major airport under the flight path of the big Virgin Atlantic jets and never heard anything that loud before.