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  #21  
Old 02-20-2007, 08:46 PM
Brian130 Brian130 is offline
 
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Question smokey sam?

Jj or other fighter types,

Any smokey SAMs capable of 10,500'+? The ones we get shot at us don't go near that high, but then again, they don't need to for our purposes.

Or maybe a rocket hobbyist, totally unrelated to the MOA?
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  #22  
Old 02-20-2007, 09:46 PM
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Tandem46 Tandem46 is offline
 
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OK - I'm going to take some flak for this one, mainly because I wasn't there, and Bryan was. Having said that, looking at the video, I believe what we are seeing is nothing more than a high altitude jet contrail and it's shadow. I've seen this countless times before where a contrail will shoot a perfect shaft of a shadow all the way to the ground. This would explain why the first part of the "contrail" is dark and only the high, parallel-to-the-earth part is white. The first part is perfectly straight, like a shadow. Those that have seen contrails from missiles/rockets know that they are not that straight. Just my 2 cents worth. Attached photo is perfect example of what I'm talking about. or this
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  #23  
Old 02-20-2007, 09:56 PM
N98HK N98HK is offline
 
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I would have to say that there's no way that's a smoky sam. It would be able to take a plane out if it was carrying that much fuel. From the video, it looks like the sun angle might have created a bit of an optical illusion. Did the smoke trail look darker below the horizon? Could it just be the shadow of contrail/smoke trail/fuel dump at a higher altitude making it just appear to start from ground level? I've flown out there in that MOA before, and there is no emitter range or threat simulators anywhere around there. If it was a rocket, maybe it was some "astronaut farmer"!! On a side note, we have modified the 20mm cannon on the Eagle recently. It will now be able to shoot paintballs at all MOA intruders, so watch out!! Please don't take me seriously.
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  #24  
Old 02-20-2007, 10:01 PM
c177tx c177tx is offline
 
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that shadow story shure does sound good, but they could be govt plants trying to convince use it did not happen
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  #25  
Old 02-20-2007, 10:08 PM
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Bryan Wood Bryan Wood is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tobinbasford
OK - I'm going to take some flak for this one, mainly because I wasn't there, and Bryan was.
Tobin, your explaination sounds good to me. Frankly I don't know what I saw, or as written didn't see. The odd part is that I scanned the sky before looking down to write and when I looked and and scanned the sky again I noticed it. When the bride finishes watching American Idol we'll have to give it another look on the tv with more resolution and see if what your saying looks right.
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  #26  
Old 02-20-2007, 10:31 PM
jcoloccia jcoloccia is offline
 
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Just as a data point, I've seen planes move from one end of the sky to another in a very short amount of time....VERY short. There are some fast birds up there.
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  #27  
Old 02-21-2007, 05:22 AM
OldAndBold OldAndBold is offline
 
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Default That vapor trail was...

...the launch of the Astronaut Farmer!!!
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  #28  
Old 02-21-2007, 02:23 PM
jarhead jarhead is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian130
Any smokey SAMs capable of 10,500'+? The ones we get shot at us don't go near that high, but then again, they don't need to for our purposes.
Agreed. Had lots of "smokey SAMs" shot at me in the -53, and I'd be surprised if they made 1000AGL, much less 10,000+.
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