F-16s were scrambled in response to a security scare involving Pres Barack Obama's visit to Seattle

[rhett o rick]

Source: Kitsap Sun Newspaper

"SEATTLE — Sonic booms from two F-16 fighter jets spooked people between Everett and Olympia this afternoon, according to Allen Kenitzer of the regional Federal Aviation Administration office.

F-16s were scrambled in response to a security scare involving President Barack Obama's visit to Seattle. An aircraft apparently violated a security zone in place for Obama's visit."




Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/aug/17/it-was-sonic-boom/

---

Shook my house good. Hope I posted this correctly.

[LisaM]

1. So that's what that was!

I noticed it too.

[Aristus]

18. I heard the double-boom, too!

I was walking past a construction site at the time, and I thought someone had just dropped a heavy load at the site, or something.

That explains it...

[RandomThoughts]

2. Ahh that was it, quick on the stick those boys were.

[rhett o rick]

10. I heard that they came from Portland and got to Seattle in 2 min. Hard to believe that. nm

[rhett o rick]

12. More likely 5 min. that's 1000 mi/hr nm

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

37. Why not McChord or Whidbey?

:shrug:

[Angleae]

38. No fighters at those bases.

McChord AFB is only C-17, Whidbey NAS is P-3/EA-6/C-9.

[cascadiance]

15. Didn't notice them here in Portland. But i'm used to being next door to Miramar in San Diego...

... where we had a lot of jet traffic overhead.

[rhett o rick]

17. Probably broke the sound barrier somewhere over Washington the State. nm

[LisaM]

26. I can believe that

because I saw two jets scrambled in Portland once and it was really freakish.

[rhett o rick]

31. But 2 mins would require them to be traveling aroung 6,000 mph. dont think so. nm

[Bigmack]

3. Can you imagine...

some dumb bastard flying around clueless.. not listening to his radio.... and two F-16s "boom" his ass to wake him up.

Shorts check time!

I wonder what the next step is for the F-16s is in a situation like that. If the guy doesn't respond, do they light him up?

[damntexdem]

4. They'd damn well better!

We DO know that folks will fly planes into buildings to kill.

[backtomn]

24. I know that this is not usually a violent site....but....

If someone takes a plane into the airspace that threatens a President....regardless of party.....and will not respond, they should be shot down. This kind of a thing is no longer a joke.

I also agree with you regarding flying a plane into any local buildings.

[onethatcares]

5. I think they come along side and give them the thumbs down

I saw it happen over Tampa Bay when * visited St. Petersburg one year. I never thought I would see an F-16 slow down to the speed of a piper cub, it was an amazing sight to be sure. Like putting the brakes on a flying ferrari.

[jdlh8894]

7. But it sure sounds a lot better! n/t

[diddlysquat]

6. I felt it too.

Even my cats wondered what was happening.

[postulater]

8. I like it when fighter jets protect my President.

:bounce:

[Demoiselle]

13. I do too.

How long did it take them to scramble after the alert, warning, whatever....

[MsPithy]

28. Amen!

No one is more angry at President Obama than I am at this point, BUT, THANK ALL THAT IS HOLY, HE NEEDS TO BE WELL PROTECTED by our courageous military and civilians alike.

[TrogL]

9. Scared me there for a second

I was at the lodge with friends and we launched some hot air balloon expecting them to go up a couple of feet and fizzle out. Instead they rocketed up to about 5000 feet and took off straight for Washington State.

Never did find out where they came down.

I was expecting them to be reported as a UFO sighting or start a forest fire and was waiting for the fire choppers or the F-16's.

[rhett o rick]

16. Did you have a live flame on the ballons? nm

[texastoast]

11. I love those F-16s

When they work. I hope someone finally decided they needed to fix the design defects in them so our pilots are safer. I haven't kept up in the last decade on design improvements, but they are some kickass cool planes.

[Angleae]

22. F-15s, not F-16s.

Linked story has been updated apparently to refer aircraft type and headline correctly. F-16s would be a stretch anyway as the closest are in Alaska or Utah.

[DebbieCDC]

14. We could hear it and feel it in my office building downtown

I thought it was an earthquake starting

[rhett o rick]

19. I thought earth quake first also. checked on line at earth quake center and no

indication there.

[rhett o rick]

20. Kudos for the Kitsap Sun. They posted the info about 20 min after incident. nm

[Papillon]

21. I was just waking up from a nap

when I heard them. I haven't heard sonic booms in a long time and wasn't sure that was what they were. I read about it a while later in the Kitsap Sun. It's good to know our president is being protected.

[Barrymores Ghost]

23. North American Aerospace Defense Command says they were F-15's...

...and they laid sonic waves the entire length of Puget Sound. It sounded like M198 howitzers were being fired from atop my office roof.

[rhett o rick]

30. F-15's, F-18"s whatever works. nm

[NYC_SKP]

25. Grrrrr. Do not mess with the Prez.

[laconicsax]

27. Article says F-15s, not F-16s. If the editing window's open you may want to change that. n/t

[rhett o rick]

29. I just quoted the newspaper. The clarification is provided in the thread.

Thank you for the comment.

[PSPS]

32. PDX to SEA in five minutes, yet nowhere to be found on 9/11?

[TheWatcher]

33. Shhhh. You're Interrupting the Precious Delusional Paradigm Of The Modern American Lemming.

[PacerLJ35]

39. I doubt it was anything like 5 minutes...

That's traveling at well over Mach 2 for the entire trip...they still have to climb and accelerate too. 10 minutes maybe, but not 5.

[Electric Monk]

34. ... and yet, on 9/11/01, for over an hour... (need I say more?)

[TheWatcher]

35. Why Do You Hate The Homeland?

:sarcasm:

[Phoonzang]

36. Must have been exciting for the pilots.

I can't imagine they have much opportunity to fly supersonic. :)