Air Traffic

I live in an area that at any given time has aircraft overhead.  It you sit in the backyard and just look up you can see aircraft going in all directions.

On multiple occasions I have seen aircraft that could not be a half mile apart.  Today, two aircraft at the same altitude were intersecting when the westbound aircraft made a maneuver taking him abruptly north of his path.  The horizontal separation was staggeringly close.

I realize that they have changed to a GPS system but as someone who lives under this “point on the map,” I would appreciate a little more separation as I really don’t want to become a statistic of those who had a plan crash on them.

Southwest is one of the biggest perpetrators of flying below the radar.  Those folks fly so low at times I swear I can see the people looking out the windows!

Only a few times have any of the larger jets, 747’s come over the house.  Those things are unmistakable with the sound that they make.

One time this summer there was a southbound 727 which all of the sudden veered to the left while pouring the coals to it to gain altitude, seconds later a 747 came over the house from the south.  Those things rarely if ever fly over this area so where he came from and where he was going is a mystery.  He was low, under 2000 and at the same approximate altitude that Southwest uses to land at Love Field.

Between two major airports and several general aviation airports, air traffic in the area is robust.  You don’t have to go to an air show to see a lot of different types of aircraft.

Several of these flew over one day heading to an air force base in the area.  They were following several big helicopters.

There is a large contingent of military aircraft that also fly around with the most notable being the old war birds.  Those too have a unique sound but nothing like the Osprey.  Those things when they fly by, have a sound all to themselves.  Sounds kind of like the big helicopters but different.

One of the most unique aircraft that I see from time to time is a Beech craft. 

Compound the tight traffic patterns and the idea that drones will be and are sharing that air space and one has to wonder how much room we have for error?

There are multiple news reports of pilots seeing these things on landings.

This is an idea of what air traffic looks like over the US in a given day!

Safe Travels!