Swedish Gripen Jet Fighters In Tests Over Phuket

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Swedish Gripen jet fighters in tests over Phuket

Phuket Gazette

Two Swedish Gripen fighter jets like these are taking part in the exercises over Phuket Town and Chalong today. Photo: Nation file

PHUKET: -- The Royal Thai Air Force is conducting high-speed aerial flyovers of Phuket Town today and tomorrow in order to test its radar installation at Khao Mai Thao Sip Song, the island's point in Chalong.

Following reports by concerned residents in Phuket Town, the Phuket Gazette contacted the Phuket Air Traffic Control center run by Aerothai at Phuket International Airport.

A staff member there told the Gazette that the aircraft taking part in the exercise were a pair of Gripen fighters based in Surat Thani.

More flyovers will take place early this afternoon and again between 9:30am and 10am tomorrow, he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle12439.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-02-28

[Guest]

Oh dear. Better to keep indoors for today.

[Jimi007]

One just flew by my house... Pretty loud.

[F1fanatic]

I saw them in the Rawai/Nai Harn area around 9.30 a.m (everybody looked up to see what the noise was about!), and then again around 2 p.m. in Rawai.

Not annoyingly loud, but I did wonder what was going on!

Beautiful looking 'planes.

[LivinginKata]

Half hour ago I heard a couple of them over Karon .... very LOUD ...

[F1fanatic]

Half hour ago I heard a couple of them over Karon .... very LOUD ...

Fortunately, they are so fast that they don't hang around long!

[g00dgirl]

Seems like they are flying again today.

2 fighters just made a lot of noise circling right over Naiharn a couple of times.

[NomadJoe]

Had two buzzing my house near Promthep Cape a few minutes ago. Maybe 60 meters off the ground. Deafening sound. I haven't been that close to a fighter in flight since airshows back home. So close I could make out the pilot. These two were not the new Gripens though. They were old Northrup Grumman F-5 Tigers likely out of Surrathani airbase.

Edit: Just realized the original story above is from last year. There must be an airshow on today. Besides the F-5's I can hear lots of helicopters and prop aircraft nearby.

[LivinginKata]

I heard them buzzing about Kata, but could not see them. Must have been around the headland and flying low. Quite a roaring noise.

[NamKangMan]

I actually thought this may have started early.

www.lima.com.my

[Jimi007]

I heard them as well. They made a few passes, very low along the coastline.

[transam]

Hmmmmmmmm, go for a holiday up north for a few days.

[Jimi007]

Hmmmmmmmm, go for a holiday up north for a few days.

Why did they fly by your house as well?

[transam]

Hmmmmmmmm, go for a holiday up north for a few days.

Why did they fly by your house as well?

Today the old stuff where l am are doing stuff over the city, lunacy.

[NomadJoe]

^ Er..huh?

[Potosi]

One can see the resemblance within the Saab family.

Saab automobile was restarted this week, so the Gripen for the road might be build eventually.