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F-16s following stolen plane
The Chicgo Tribune ^ | April 6, 2009 | ROBERT IMRIE

Posted on 04/06/2009 5:47:39 PM PDT by An Old Man

WAUSAU, Wis. - Two F-16 fighters were dispatched over Wisconsin Monday to track a single-engine plane that was believed stolen in Canada by a student pilot, authorities said. The incident caused the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison to be evacuated as a precaution.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: aviation; cessna; f16; hijack; theft; yavuz
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Wow!
1 posted on 04/06/2009 5:47:39 PM PDT by An Old Man
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To: An Old Man

Worlds slowest suicide.


2 posted on 04/06/2009 5:48:41 PM PDT by MediaMole
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To: MediaMole

Wonder if the Cessna looks like a white Bronco.


3 posted on 04/06/2009 5:50:40 PM PDT by Cuttnhorse
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To: An Old Man
From jsonline.com... apparently believed to be heading for St. Louis.

Stolen plane headed for St. Louis
By Journal Sentinel, Associated Press
Updated: Apr. 6, 2009 7:10 p.m. |

A stolen aircraft being pursued by F-16 fighters, which forced the evacuation of the state Capitol building in Madison, is now over southern Illinois, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command said.

Mike Kucharek, spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado, said that by 6:25 p.m., the Cessna 172 had a "glide path" headed toward St. Louis with the pilot continuing to refuse to communicate with any authorities.

"We don't know what the motive is. I wouldn't want to speculate on that. We are treating this with the most utmost seriousness," Kucharek said.

The fighters continue to pursue the Cessna 172, reported stolen from Thunder Bay in Ontario, said Lt. Commander Gary Ross, another spokesman for NORAD at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo.
4 posted on 04/06/2009 5:52:36 PM PDT by Daus
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To: Cuttnhorse

I wonder if the “pilot” is a middle eastern muslime between the ages of 17-30?


5 posted on 04/06/2009 5:52:37 PM PDT by rdl6989
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To: rdl6989

no “asian”-I think that’s what the euros are calling them now.


6 posted on 04/06/2009 5:54:08 PM PDT by mrmargaritaville
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To: An Old Man

Can an F-16 go that slow? I guess they could fly fast circles.


7 posted on 04/06/2009 6:06:41 PM PDT by devane617 (Republicans first strategy should be taking over the MSM. Without it we are doomed.)
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To: An Old Man

F-16’s tracking a single engine palne? Hope they don’t stall out!


8 posted on 04/06/2009 6:06:51 PM PDT by saganite (What would Sully do?)
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To: saganite
Can you imagine the pilot?

"C'mon... just one shot...please?"

9 posted on 04/06/2009 6:11:50 PM PDT by Northern Yankee (Freedom Needs A Soldier)
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To: saganite

This is where a P47 or a P51 would come in handy.


10 posted on 04/06/2009 6:12:23 PM PDT by Yorlik803 ( If this be treason, then lets make the best of it.)
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To: Northern Yankee
Reminds me of back in the day, while a student pilot in the USAF, flying a solo T-38 mission, ATC called out traffic transiting the MOA and asked if I saw the aircraft and if I did, could I say type and altitude?

Well. . . .as a student pilot with no judgment and no wings to put at risk, I took that as an invitation.

I repositioned and swooped down on the guy and zipped right by him, reeeaaallll close. I could see type of aircraft (C-172) and the pilot was wearing a black ball-cap, white t-shirt, holding a cup of coffee, and he had some VERY big eyes.

I had the throttle back in idle and was basically falling out of the sky at about 220kts or so. As I passed him I lit the burners, extended a little and pulled up for a loop and came back around at nearly the Mach. Zipped by him at warp-snot and did a climbing full AB barrel-roll.

Had a ball.

About 45-minutes later the guy called the base and said it was the best airshow he ever saw.

11 posted on 04/06/2009 6:20:21 PM PDT by Hulka
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To: Northern Yankee

12 posted on 04/06/2009 6:25:42 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: rdl6989

Well if the student pilot came from the area the people of the area are mainly of Finnish origin as per Wiki for a quick bit of info. Since it isn’t political in nature I would be willing to trust it in regard to this. Found at the wiki Thunder Bay link here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_Bay

Ethnicity
Thunder Bay is home to 12,825 people of Finnish descent,[31] the highest concentration of persons of Finnish origin per capita in Canada, and the second largest Finnish population in Canada after Toronto which has 14,750 persons of Finnish origin.


13 posted on 04/06/2009 6:29:14 PM PDT by Chief Engineer
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To: buccaneer81
A great movie!
14 posted on 04/06/2009 6:38:34 PM PDT by BenLurkin (And oh, Hey! I've been travelin' on this road too long)
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To: Hulka
I bet that brought a smile.

Semper Fi!

15 posted on 04/06/2009 6:45:22 PM PDT by Northern Yankee (Freedom Needs A Soldier)
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To: buccaneer81; SkyDancer
Loved that movie.

I had a buddy that served on that carrier where part of that movie was filmed.

16 posted on 04/06/2009 6:46:29 PM PDT by Northern Yankee (Freedom Needs A Soldier)
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To: Chief Engineer
ThunderBay, Ontario. Formerly twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur.

One of those quiet Canadian cities that one could say "nothing hardly happens" there. Which is a reason why I like a city. I hope the errant pilot does not cause any lasting problem- who needs him anyway?

Last bit of a furore was when ex police officer, Ms Benbenek (Bambi) got herself out of prison. She ended up as a waitress in Thunderbay. Alas America's most wanted show, caught up with her. Happily released from her obligations to society, I understand she has not had too much luck since.

17 posted on 04/06/2009 6:57:36 PM PDT by Peter Libra
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To: saganite

From the F16 pilots chasing the kitty hawk on the Simpsons “Bogey’s airspeed not sufficient for intercept. Suggest we get out and walk”


18 posted on 04/06/2009 7:01:01 PM PDT by phalynx
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To: BenLurkin

sure was, I’ll watch it whenever it comes on the tube.


19 posted on 04/06/2009 7:17:09 PM PDT by bobby.223
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To: Peter Libra

Spent what seemed like a whole week there once but was only a day not too teribbly exciting as I remember it LOL Maybe the pilot wanted to bring some tourism to the area and this was the only way he could think of?


20 posted on 04/06/2009 7:38:34 PM PDT by Chief Engineer
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