Originally Posted by
R_Strowe
OK then, oh wise one; How many operations daily occur on MTR’s? High speed, low speed, VR and IR? And how does that compare to civilian operations? Because the way you state it, you must be aware of such operations to be able to say that I cannot quantify the number of operations. I’d really like to know. Because the last thing I would to have happen is to collide with the massive numbers of military aircraft operating in the below 400’ altitude window.
R_Strowe
In one squadron, putting 6 aircraft a day on VR routes is rather routine. Some parts of the turnaround cycle much more, other parts less, but rarely zero. Those would be all over Washington state. When weather bad in western WA, fly the routes in eastern WA. Not uncommon to schedule two to four flights to/from Fallon a week. VR routes both ways through OR and NV. Sixteen squadrons at one base. Of course some of those squadrons are deployed at any given time. But you also have FRS unit there, and they alone can put 10-20 sorties a day on VR routes during some parts of the training cycle. Extrapon up there, and not uncommon for them to have 10-12 sorties a day just from them. 52 weeks a year. Even if you discount that by half, that's still over 2000 flights a year ... just from one NAS. Now add all the other Navy tacair bases, training bases bases (orange and white planes). Those are just VR and IR routes. Now add gray helis plus training helis on SR routes. Can't stop there though. Have to add Marine tacair, Marine Helos, USAF tacair, USAF helos, Army Air too. That's quite a few aircraft out there, each and every day, with a great many at low altitude and very high speed.