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Now for the ultimate speeding ticket

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  • Now for the ultimate speeding ticket

    Extract from latest publication of African Pilot -

    Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual incident, whilst checking for speeding motorists on the A-1 Great North Road. One of the officers, used a hand-held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300mph. The machine then stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it. The radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet over the North Sea, which was engaged in a low-flying exercise over the Border district.

    Back at police headquarters the Chief Constable fired off a stiff complaint to the RAF Liaison office. The reply came back in true laconic RAF style. "Thank you for your message, which allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had automatically locked on to your 'hostile radar equipment' and sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, the Sidewinder Air-to-ground missiles aboard this fully-armed aircraft had also locked on to the target. Fortunately, the Dutch pilot flying the Tornado responded to the missile status alert intelligently, and was able to override the automatic protection system before a missile was launched!”
    RobB


  • #2
    Originally posted by RobinB
    Extract from latest publication of African Pilot -

    Furthermore, the Sidewinder Air-to-ground missiles aboard this fully-armed aircraft had also locked on to the target. Fortunately, the Dutch pilot flying the Tornado responded to the missile status alert intelligently, and was able to override the automatic protection system before a missile was launched!”
    Sidewinder missles are "HEAT SEEKING" missles and they are used in air to air combat, I doubt that they locked onto a patrol car.

    This whole story sounds a bit ummm interesting. Paging Mythbusters...
    My photos at JP.net

    National Air Traffic Controllers Association

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    • #3
      Originally posted by atcvector
      Paging Mythbusters...
      you read my mind
      Hey man, if one of these engines fail how far will the other take us?????


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      • #4
        OOOOOOOLD! But still good. Heard about it and was like that's a LIE! But I do believe that it could happen.

        -Chris

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        • #5


          I think I've seen it on Snopes too.

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          • #6
            While i would be inclined to say BS on this it is possible that the radar gun got confused by the more powerful radar on the Tornado. I have seen a radar gun i used for testing racing jet skis get confused and give erronious reading when the German Af training at near by Holloman AFB do low level training over the lake.


            If the Tornado was configured for SEAD (Suppresion of Enemy Air Defenses) The on board systems could have locked on to the signal from the radar gun and locked on a HARM (Hispeed Anti Radiation Missle) at the radar guns beam. The RAF report more than likely used the term "Sidewinder" as more people have heard of them over a HARM.

            Did this happen?? Who knows it might be possible.
            Robin Guess Aviation Historian, Photographer, Web Designer.

            http://www.Jet-Fighters.Net
            http://www.Jet-Liners.Net

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