Military aircraft following commercial airliner

12/19/05 | Jigsaw John

[Jigsaw John]

Just observed what appeared to be 3 or 4 jet aircraft, (military type fighter aircraft), following a commercial airliner, westbound into LAX about 2 minutes ago. From the OC area.

My first thought was possibly AF-1 but I don't think POTUS is in the region.

[conservative in nyc]

FYI Ping!

It could be anything.

[Remember Ruby Ridge]

bttt for later follow up

[Chicos_Bail_Bonds]

I work at DIRECTV right next to the airport. We just heard something here, shook the building. I'll bet that's what it was.

[neodad]

Just some bottle rockets. Nothing to see here. Move on.

[narby]

For sure into LAX? Or are we talking about an AWACs excercize, or KC-135 work?

It's been dark for maybe an hour in OC, how you see this?

[hole_n_one]

That was me.

The 405 had a sig alert and I had a Christmas party to attend in Beverly Hills so I had to make other arrangements on the spur of the moment.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Commercial markings, or just shape (perhaps gov't VIP)

[cynicom]

John..If your phone rings, don't answer, its just NSA checking your line.

[Jigsaw John]

Son was actually outside with a laptop trying out a new satellite tracking program, and while watching satellites, we all started seeing military jets, 3 or possibly 4 circling at pretty high altitude. They were above the westbound approach to LAX probably 30 plus miles out. As a commercial jet approached out of the east, they descended and started following the aircraft west bound and out of sight. What was interesting, the airliner was really lit up, and appeared to have every single cabin light on.

[wny]

It's just Bono flying his favorite hat home.

[narby]

They were above the westbound approach to LAX probably 30 plus miles out.

Where was this? You over around Ontario or Riverside? I used to fly that airspace a lot.

[neodad]

I miss sig alerts. Not.

[Salamander]

lol

[MarkeyD]

I saw the same thing about a month ago flying over Boise, flying in a northwesterly direction.

[1stMarylandRegiment]

What was interesting, the airliner was really lit up, and appeared to have every single cabin light on.

I have frequently been asked by Flight Attendants, when landing at night, to raise my window curtain - some FAA rule about increasing the visibility of the aircraft.

[txhurl]

Unngghh..

[Jigsaw John]

For sure into LAX?

Yeah, no doubt about it. They were circling above the normal approach from the east, and have never seen jet fighters circling in that area. It appeared all three, maybe 4 (clouds were obscuring the view) waited until the airliner pass, then all descended and appeared to follow the airliner westbound.

[narby]

I've made a habit in the last couple of years of monitoring 121.5 (emergency frequency) during cross countries. It's pretty common for commercial aircraft to monitor that frequency (sometimes called "guard"). During the last couple of years, I must have heard a half dozen calls where an aircraft from company "X" calls another aircraft from "company" and tells them to contact center on xxx.x frequency. I'm amazed at the number of aircraft lost on the wrong frequencies.

Maybe that's all this is, just elevated where they never get back in touch with them.

[calcowgirl]

I live just south of LAX.
Planes seem to be taking off as normal.