Curious about the fast movers on the low level routes?

[Keith Smith]

Over time, you may notice fast moving, low level jets on PE in groups of 2, 3 and even 4 aircraft. These are formations that are navigating along Military Training Routes. These are routes that permit participating aircraft to exceed 250kts below 10,000ft and existing outside of Military Operating Areas, Restricted Airspace or Alert Airspace, where such operations would normally take place. The routes are hundreds of miles in length and can be identified on sectional charts as a thin, grey line, with a route identifier of [VR,IR]-xxx[x]

The routes are categorized by the altitudes at which they are typically flown (1500 AGL or less for low level routes, 1500AGL or above for higher altitude routes, and then whether they're flown under VFR or IFR). The fun ones to look for are VR routes with 4 digit codes (signifiying 1500AGL or less).

Here's a youtube video of a r/w flight in an F/A-18 along VR-1251, just north of Shelter Cove in Northern California: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZrTVKaPjDg

You can find the route on skyvector right here. Look for Punta Gorda and you'll see where VR-1251 hits the shoreline. That's where the video kicks off.

We have B1's and F/A-18's flying along several MTR's in Socal on PE, too. The flight profiles look pretty much like that video. Later research showed a speed limit of 480KIAS on MTR's. Oops.

[Ryan B]

"This video is private." Is the response when I try to few the YT vid...

[Keith Smith]

Wow, they changed it. There is a liveleak version, I will find and post.

[Ryan B]

Norcal run?

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=17e_1346455094

[Keith Smith]

Yep, that's the one.

[gavink42]

Wow!!! I suddenly have a new level of respect for those thin grey lines (and those that fly them)!

[Keith Smith]

I'm crying ever so slightly as I find yet another video of a low level run on a military training route: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQZBDVmuH1M

[Keith Smith]

Now I'm just sobbing openly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S69rKsqaxOo

There's a very short list of people I wouldn't kill to get a ride in that jet.

Incidentally, that was filmed at El Centro, near as I can tell based on the rwy numbers and terrain. If you hang out at El Centro on PE and look up for 5-10 minutes, you'll see something that looks eerie familiar to the overhead break at the end of this video.

[Jeff N]

So awesome..... Especially the one out of Whidbey Island, that scenery is just breathtaking. Also like the fact that it isn't sped up.

Makes me want to get a joystick and do some similar runs on the network.

[N5344K]

When I got my PPL, my CFI was an 18-year Hornet driver, just off his squadron command tour in WESTPAC. You could say I learned checklists and radio discipline fairly thoroughly...