Lithobid Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 hey folks, I'm a nebie to CM, and live near the airport, been here about 6 months, see a lot of Vietnam era training aircraft, but what's up with the F-16's that have been buzzing around lately. I was at Big C in Hangdong last Saturday, and all three took off and went overhead with full afterburner maybe 2000 AGL and the whole place shook, even the gardeners dropped their hoses and watched the display. They didn't have any armerment just drop tanks. Just curious Lithobid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Living as I do in the Nimmanhaemin area, I am used to hearing jets overhead. However, I have never experienced anything like the fighter jet flights of the past half hour. They are coming about once every three or four minutes. Something seems to be going on. Is a coup in the works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 CM has a squadron of Hawk training jets based there, never seen any F16's though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiangmaibruce Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Funny (?) you should say that but we just had several buzzing overhead here (san sai) so I came online to see if there were any news flashes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neverdie Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 A short time ago a couple of helicopters flew over my place, northbound, i missed getting a look at the first one but the second one was military looking, the best i could tell. Unusual because I have only ever heard one other chopper pass by and that was some sleek private jobby on saturday morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mallmagician Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Me too! I am in the San Sai area too. I thought the jet was nose-diving into the house! Bloomin loud! Not sure why I made a dash for the doorframe. Not sure that would have helped me. I nearly poo-ed my pants. Whereas my little Dog watched me panic with a look of amusement. What does he know that I don't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lithobid Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share Posted December 1, 2008 CM has a squadron of Hawk training jets based there, never seen any F16's though. Yes that's what I thought, I see the Hawk jets usually 2 at a time flying their training patterns all the time, it's no unusual sight, but on saturday, it was definitely 3 F-16's on full afterburner takeoff heading to BKK. I thought perhaps another Airforce was "visiting" or perhaps they had been sent to check on the status of the international planes at Swampy ไม่รู้ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaethon Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Is there a fly-by scheduled for the King's birthday? Maybe a rehearsal? (for CM or before they move down to BKK?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackr Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 A big-assed Boeing/Airbus took off about the same time and flew over San Sai, too... escorting him out of dodge or what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goshawk Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 according to wiki the Royal Thai Airforce has 59 F-16's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 F16 aren't permanently based in Chiang Mai, but visit a couple times a year, usually for exercises or demonstrations, or when there's shit going on with Burma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goshawk Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Static display in SAREX 2007 at Chiang Mai International Airport, also Wing 41 of Royal Thai Air Force. This aircraft belongs to 403 Sqn. of 4th Wing Takli of Royal Thai Air Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nienke Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 I nearly poo-ed my pants. Whereas my little Dog watched me panic with a look of amusement. What does he know that I don't? Don't think he would be bothered by the noice. He was just carefully watching your pants .... How's he doing, btw? Heard he's gained some weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomchaiCNX Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 No hawks but the L39 (Albatros) who replaced the OV 10 (Bronco). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_L-39_Albatros Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CobraSnakeNecktie Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Living as I do in the Nimmanhaemin area, I am used to hearing jets overhead. However, I have never experienced anything like the fighter jet flights of the past half hour. They are coming about once every three or four minutes. Something seems to be going on. Is a coup in the works? They used to fly the F-16's more from the Wing 41 base but in the last year or so I have not seen many. Mostly I see the training jets which I think are the CT/4's (made in NZ). For the country as a whole Thailand has about 60 F-16's in different variants. Also about 20 Northrop F-5's. Soon Thailand will be getting some 6 Saab/Gripen fighters. The F-16's are really fun to watch screaming by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennkate Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Circuits and Bumps. Same 2 Round and Round I think they just recived the winter Fuel allowance. I got mine last week. £250 To help me keep warm Thank You Mr Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingdongrb Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 I remember years ago while fishing alone at a high mountain lake in Colorado (above timberline - 12k ft) it was early morning around 8-9 am.... I was alone at this lake with just me and Mother Nature... It was a beautiful day and all was so quiet you could hear the 'bears chittin in the woods'.... Needless to say two F-15s came buzzing full afterburners right at tree top level and totally freaked me out... I mean living in Colorado Springs for over 10 years I saw many fighters (Air Force Academy close by) as well as air shows over the years but when one is standing alone in complete silence and then have two of these great jets zoom over it brings a who new meaning to the words, alert and awaken.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajarnmark Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 To OP: Do you think Jets will be used for the coup? I think jets are pretty much useless (read perfectly useless) in a coup. There must be something else to be done by jets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el jefe Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 I don't know the difference between the various jets, but I saw the army helicopters out on Friday morning too, just north of the city on the 107/Fang/Thaton road near the military base there. With all that's going on, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 To OP: Do you think Jets will be used for the coup? I think jets are pretty much useless (read perfectly useless) in a coup. Well, they can be used for intimidation, and to show that the Airforce is on board in the coup proceedings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lannarebirth Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 The training jets fly every week, sometimes several times per week. They takeoff and land, one right after the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhawk_usa Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 I don't know the difference between the various jets, but I saw the army helicopters out on Friday morning too, just north of the city on the 107/Fang/Thaton road near the military base there.With all that's going on, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. This is routine training on a regular monthly basis. They practice take off and landing for a few days, and then they practice parachuting from the helicopters. I moved to a new house near the base in June and it has been going on since then. Quite fun to watch the parachutists actually, but the helicopter noise gets annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabaijai Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Topic "F-16's?, Does CM Airport have them?" merged with this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 The training jets fly every week, sometimes several times per week. They takeoff and land, one right after the other. I recall, in the CM Mail a few years ago, an RTAF poo-yai reassuring us that they patrol every day "keeping the skies safe above Chiang Mai" ! So it isn't just about earning one's flight-pay bonus, then ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgriffith Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 Depending on the time of year, and no doubt also the training schedule, I see/hear/feel a flight of 3 F-16's take off from Wing 41, northbound, pretty much every morning sometimes between 10:30 AM and 11 AM. And no, F-16's are not much use in a coup. I lived in SoCal near El Toro MCAS for many years- saw and heard pretty much every kind of fighter, transport, bomber and refueling aircraft in the Western arsenal. Oh, and yes, the Marine Corp fields quite a number of Harriers and Super Harriers- saw those regularly. All the air traffic here recently is nothing out of the ordinary, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerbeer Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 To OP: Do you think Jets will be used for the coup? I think jets are pretty much useless (read perfectly useless) in a coup. There must be something else to be done by jets. PAD might find them handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomchaiCNX Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 To OP: Do you think Jets will be used for the coup? I think jets are pretty much useless (read perfectly useless) in a coup. There must be something else to be done by jets. Unless you want to blow up a nice house with somebody inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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