phasephantomphixer Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 So I saw what looked to me like an Su-27 (or a 30, etc?) with no time to fetch camera for confirming zoom shot. It was banking North west of Everett, WA today. Any confirmation like around Whidbey? China's President left from here today, was it escort? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ryan Hothersall Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 When I visited Everett in 2013, there was a civilian owned MiG-29UB there. Think flying heritage collection own it. From a distance Su-27 and MiG-29 look similar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phasephantomphixer Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 That is true and thought of that, but the nose looked long and like the size of an Eagle. Would China be authorized to bring one in as escort? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 If they (China) were to have an escort I would imagine they in turn would be closely escorted by U.S. fighters while in U.S. airspace. I can't see the U.S. allowing non-friendly/non-allied military aircraft un-escorted access to its airspace. But hey, who knows. Interesting stuff though. Regards, Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 There are two civilian owned Flankers in the US. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
-Neu- Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Flying Heritage collection has a Mig-29UB. That probably accounts for the "weird nose" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boom175 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 There are two civilian owned Flankers in the US. There were,,, the two Su-27UB's that were in Delaware went back to the Ukraine. Don't know why.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scotthldr Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Would China be authorized to bring one in as escort? No chance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KursadA Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 (edited) Would China be authorized to bring one in as escort? Why would China even consider bringing an "escort"? I have never heard of such a thing - it looks like a very disrespectful, bone-headed move that would be a significant diplomatic faux-pas. It is not a question of whether the Chinese would be "authorized" to being one - they simply would never ask for something like this. Diplomatic practice is such that a foreign head of state is protected by the host country's air force during transit.(*) USAF is believed to own and operate Flankers (among other foreign aircraft). If what you had seen was indeed a Su-27, the most plausible option that it is one of them. (*): An interesting side story here: On his return trip from Jordan and Israel in 1964, Pope Paul VI's aircraft had to travel through the Turkish airspace. A flight of Turkish Air Force F-5A/B were tasked with escorting Paul VI's aircraft throughout his flight in Turkish airspace. In return to this gesture, Paul VI ordered the Ottoman Navy battle flag (which was captured by the Christian armada in Battle of Lepanto in 1571) to be returned to the Turkish Navy. The battle flag was a prized property of the Vatican archives for almost 400 years - and it is currently on display in the Navy Museum in Istanbul. Edited September 25, 2015 by KursadA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Not discounting what you saw, but F/A-18F/Gs look a lot like a Flanker also when yanking an' banking. Lots of them up that way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phasephantomphixer Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 Okay, thought i'da mighta seen my first "live" sighting of one and was curious if anyone knew of one in the area. Must've been a Growler, we do have a big nest of them here. Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 (edited) Could be the advance guard of a Chinese / Russian invasion (or the UN / New World Order depending on how well your tinfoil hat is working). Red Dawn 2 is upon us folks. I'll be on my roof scanning for the paratroopers. Wolverines!!!! Edited September 25, 2015 by 11bee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
-Neu- Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Again, I'm pretty sure its Paul Allen's Mig-29UB. I saw it the day before in the collection and it does look like a Su-27 http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplatePlane.aspx?contentId=60 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Could be the advance guard of a Chinese / Russian invasion (or the UN / New World Order depending on how well your tinfoil hat is working). Red Dawn 2 is upon us folks. I'll be on my roof scanning for the paratroopers. Wolverines!!!! ...there will be a rifle behind every blade of grass! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
niki4703 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 (*): An interesting side story here: On his return trip from Jordan and Israel in 1964, Pope Paul VI's aircraft had to travel through the Turkish airspace. A flight of Turkish Air Force F-5A/B were tasked with escorting Paul VI's aircraft throughout his flight in Turkish airspace. In return to this gesture, Paul VI ordered the Ottoman Navy battle flag (which was captured by the Christian armada in Battle of Lepanto in 1571) to be returned to the Turkish Navy. The battle flag was a prized property of the Vatican archives for almost 400 years - and it is currently on display in the Navy Museum in Istanbul. Thanks for sharing that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 From a distance Su-27 and MiG-29 look similar. Su-27 on the left, MiG-29 on the right (and Su-25 in the middle)............ Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 ...there will be a rifle behind every blade of grass! :D, Oh no. Not that Reds under the bed nonsense again. I thought we'd dealt with that stuff back in the 1950s. Bring back McArthyism I say. Then we'll all be looking over our shoulders every waking second of every day and sleeping with one eye open. Including one of the eyes in the back of our heads. , Ross. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alternative 4 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 They really do look similar from a distance. I never noticed that before. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 (edited) :D/>, Yes Alternative 4, they do look similar from a distance except for the size and the fact that the Su-27 has that boom between the engine pods and the MiG doesn't. But if you couldn't see that part clearly and there was nothing else for size reference you could bbe forgiven for mistaking a Mig-29 for a Su-27, especially if the light wasn't that good at the time. Given all those parameters, it would indeed be easy to mistake a MiG-29UB for an Su-27 given the UB's longish nose as seen at altitude. Something else I noticed is that the Su sin't producing any smoke in Ken's photo, nor are the Su-25s which from what I've read has a non-afterburning version of the engine in the MiG-19. :cheers:/>, Ross. Edited September 25, 2015 by ross blackford Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 (edited) Here's a pic of a mixed formation - Striji with MiG-29's and Ruskii Vityazi with Su-27's.... You can see immediately the size difference. Ken Edited September 26, 2015 by Flankerman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adamitri Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Thats a great pic Ken. Thanks for sharing it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
a4s4eva Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Red Dawn..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 (edited) :D/>/>/>, Oh no. Not that Reds under the bed nonsense again. I thought we'd dealt with that stuff back in the 1950s. Bring back McArthyism I say. Then we'll all be looking over our shoulders every waking second of every day and sleeping with one eye open. Including one of the eyes in the back of our heads. :bandhead2:/>/>/> :cheers:/>/>/>, Ross. These days it's the same shht, different nationality. Remember when Saddam Hussein did 9/11? Apparently a significant portion of my nation's population seems to. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm That being said, I don't think any Chinese, Russian, or any other state's air power has an ice cube's chance in hell surviving over the lower 48. Edited September 26, 2015 by Exhausted Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Again, I'm pretty sure its Paul Allen's Mig-29UB. I saw it the day before in the collection and it does look like a Su-27 http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplatePlane.aspx?contentId=60 You and I both. He flies it on a semi-regular basis over Puget Sound. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boom175 Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 These days it's the same shht, different nationality. Remember when Saddam Hussein did 9/11? Apparently a significant portion of my nation's population seems to. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm That being said, I don't think any Chinese, Russian, or any other state's air power has an ice cube's chance in hell surviving over the lower 48. That link leads to a story that's 12 years old... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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