Question about low level flying

daepp · 03-12-2013, 09:49 AM

There was a crash yesterday of an EA-6B Prowler our of Whidbey Island Washington. It appears to have been doing some pretty low level, high speed flying. And that close to the ground leaves little room for error. I am curious why an electronic jamming plane would need to practice so low to the ground. You would think that the sending out of radio waves (jamming) would be more effective at greater heights, no?

Sadly we lost three brave USNA men in the accident.

Hard-Deck · 03-12-2013, 09:54 AM

Jamming does not stop all Ground weapons. They are sometimes escorting strike/fighters that do not jam. Jamming sometimes gives away your presence...

afterburn 549 · 03-12-2013, 11:26 AM

I used yo to live there..not sure why they do that..the have 2 strips on the island. O.e depicts landing on a boat.
They come in low. All dirty.high power.
The make beloved boat strip has obstacles on either end.......is that where they went dwn?

matt f · 03-12-2013, 11:36 AM

I believe they went down in a farmers field.
I don't know if the field was close to either of the airstrips.

afterburn 549 · 03-12-2013, 11:39 AM

They live?

daepp · 03-12-2013, 11:41 AM

No - a very big loss of three brave men.

afterburn 549 · 03-12-2013, 11:49 AM

I will guess they sucked up a goose

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Aren't some of the corridors low level?

afterburn 549 · 03-12-2013, 11:59 AM

Yup.very

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by daepp

I am curious why an electronic jamming plane would need to practice so low to the ground.

WiFi??

cashflyer · 03-12-2013, 12:07 PM

Goose???

MikeSid · 03-12-2013, 12:47 PM

They were in Eastern Washington for training flights. No where near the home base on Whidbey Island.

Same plane that severed a gondola cable in Italy a few years ago. My impression is that low flight level training is typical for this plane and its pilots.

afterburn 549 · 03-12-2013, 12:53 PM

Yes..they fly the gorge and other valleys ...you can be standing there all peace and quiet..and
All of a sudden out of no where they will plow through ..maybe impressive ..noisy as hell.fast!

cashflyer · 03-12-2013, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeSid

My impression is that low flight level training is typical for this plane and its pilots.

In the ground attack role, I would say yes. That would be an A-6 Intruder, though.
But I am surprised that the EA-6 would need to fly that low for a electronic countermeasures role. Maybe practicing "below the radar" missions?

911_Dude · 03-12-2013, 01:20 PM

Jamming announces your presence big time. They most likely practice to sneak in low, undetected, then pop up and turn on the buzzer, just soon enough to get the bombers in close. Or they were "just having fun" and had an oops moment. Wouldnt be the first time. RIP

Flat Six · Flat Six's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflyer

In the ground attack role, I would say yes. That would be an A-6 Intruder, though.
But I am surprised that the EA-6 would need to fly that low for a electronic countermeasures role. Maybe practicing "below the radar" missions?

EA-6B still has to ingress/egress op zones . . . low-level/NOE

Dantilla · 03-12-2013, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Maybe practicing "below the radar" missions?

This.^ Lotsa low level military jets in eastern Washington State.

dave 911 · dave 911's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flat Six

EA-6B still has to ingress/egress op zones . . . low-level/NOE

Yes, agree. I was a Navy S-3 Viking flight officer in my earlier days, and we practiced low level over-land flying some even though our primary mission was anti-submarine/anti-shipping warfare.

It's probably the most fun you can have in a jet, and if done 'legally' is relatively safe but the margin for error is definitely less than at altitude. And at least back in the day, we would sometimes 'deviate' from the legal 200' (I think? or was it 500'?) altitude -- I remember kicking up rooster tails of dust over the Nevada desert one time....loads of fun but the margin of error is basically 0.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

A friend of my dad was a B-52 pilot. He told about flying around out in Nevada and Arizona at night. One of the favorite pastimes was to pick out a lone car cruising along some lonely desert highway. They would drop down very low and fly right over the poor sucker in the car. Imaging driving down a road at night, you have not seen another car for 30 minutes and no one is coming. All of a sudden a B-52 flies over so low that it almost blows you off the road. It had to be scary for the car driver.