"Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

[tutusue]

Not really an air show, of course, but a friend who's staying on the makai side of my Waikiki condo building was awakened by low flying aircraft, several intermittently spaced planes, over the ocean, headed Diamond Head and veering out to sea. She said the noise was like the Blue Angels air show last year. And, damn, that was loud.

I was asleep on the mauka side of the same building and, even with a sleep disorder, somehow managed to not wake up (ah yes, chemistry!!!).

So, I can't imagine that kind of event being legal at that time of morning...unless there was an emergency goin' on.

Any ideas? Did any of you witness it? There's no breaking news items in either paper. Inquiring minds wanna know!

[Pomai]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

I'm just a block down the road from you, and was up, and did heard it loud and clear as well! But I couldn't see them from my vantage point, only hear.

It could have been a scramble of ANG F-15s, checking on "something" out there. Perhaps a UFO? Or someones rogue flock of homing pigeons in Hawaii Kai. lol

It might have also been B-1 bombers, which are notoriously loud as they use full afterburn during take-off and ascent. B-1s also commonly depart in the wee hours of morning and night.

Glad you brought it up. I'm curious as well.

Not really an air show, of course, but a friend who's staying on the makai side of my Waikiki condo building was awakened by low flying aircraft, several intermittently spaced planes, over the ocean, headed Diamond Head and veering out to sea. She said the noise was like the Blue Angels air show last year. And, damn, that was loud.

I was asleep on the mauka side of the same building and, even with a sleep disorder, somehow managed to not wake up (ah yes, chemistry!!!).

So, I can't imagine that kind of event being legal at that time of morning...unless there was an emergency goin' on.

Any ideas? Did any of you witness it? There's no breaking news items in either paper. Inquiring minds wanna know!

[joshuatree]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

Perhaps a B-2 making a practice bomb run? I heard they do these monthly, fly from the mainland to Hawaii to make practice bombing runs and head back. That would make sense why no news.

[Pomai]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

Perhaps a B-2 making a practice bomb run? I heard they do these monthly, fly from the mainland to Hawaii to make practice bombing runs and head back. That would make sense why no news.

I'm not sure what the military pays for jet fuel, but with today's oil prices, you'd think they'd scale that back on frequency. I can't see the logic in "practicing bomb runs" all the way across the pacific that often. Yeah, we know, it can fly that far. It has global reach. OK.

At least make that "bomb run" useful by loading dummy bombs with food supplies and other goods our island can use. You know, turn the B-2 into a $billion dollar stealth cargo plane.

[joshuatree]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

I'm not sure what the military pays for jet fuel, but with today's oil prices, you'd think they'd scale that back on frequency. I can't see the logic in "practicing bomb runs" all the way across the pacific that often. Yeah, we know, it can fly that far. It has global reach. OK.

At least make that "bomb run" useful by loading dummy bombs with food supplies and other goods our island can use. You know, turn the B-2 into a $billion dollar stealth cargo plane.

Part of me agrees with you, with today's tech, I'm sure they could use simulators. But the other part understands that frequent training is needed to keep your skills honed. It's also a show of force to potential adversaries that you are there and always watching. The Russians restarted their Bear bomber patrols even though we aren't in any cold wars with them anymore.

[helen]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

And the B-2 doesn't make that much noise when it flys. Whatever happen this morning with the jets won't make the printed newspapers today because they get deilvered around the 3-4am time frame. Haven't checked the web sites yet about them.

[tutusue]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

The larger issue, for me, is the time...4:00am. That's a bit much for just a training mission near a densely populated area. An emergency, I can understand.

Helen, at the time of my initial post I'd checked the 2 papers online to see if they had breaking news. Neither did. I haven't checked since as I was too busy having fun and talking to you at the picnic!

[MyopicJoe]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

which are notoriously loud as they use full afterburn during take-off and ascent

The sound also woke me up. It was rather loud and rumbly like a rocket launch. It lasted a very long time (as well as one can judge time while groggy).

Perhaps it was a readiness exercise, which might explain the odd hour and use of afterburners (I assume) so close to the city.

Or maybe there was a hijack scare on an inbound passenger flight, though I don't think flights come in at that hour. Maybe a cargo flight?

Reminds me of the day after 9/11. Going back to work in a high-rise was awkward. Everyone kept looking out the windows, waiting for a plane to crash through. All day we heard the roar of jet fighters as they flew overwatch above Honolulu.

Strange days.

[Pomai]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

Now that I think about the sound signature, and your added description, I'm 95.1234% sure it was was a squadron, of which sounded like 2 B-1B Lancers.

Highly unlikely they were ANG F-15s or AF B-2s.

Those were the sound of 4 screaming GE engines (X 2) in full afterburn. Along with that crackle-pop, rumbling exhaust, B-1s are notorious for having oddball itineraries as part of their (seemingly contradictory) cloaking strategy. Perfect to wake folks up. Craig W. can probably chime in on this.

The sound also woke me up. It was rather loud and rumbly like a rocket launch. It lasted a very long time (as well as one can judge time while groggy).

Perhaps it was a readiness exercise, which might explain the odd hour and use of afterburners (I assume) so close to the city.

Or maybe there was a hijack scare on an inbound passenger flight, though I don't think flights come in at that hour. Maybe a cargo flight?

Reminds me of the day after 9/11. Going back to work in a high-rise was awkward. Everyone kept looking out the windows, waiting for a plane to crash through. All day we heard the roar of jet fighters as they flew overwatch above Honolulu.

Strange days.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

At least make that "bomb run" useful by loading dummy bombs with food supplies and other goods our island can use. You know, turn the B-2 into a $billion dollar stealth cargo plane.

Sorry. Competition with private enterprise.

Now that I think about the sound signature, and your added description, I'm 95.1234% sure it was was a squadron, of which sounded like 2 B-1B Lancers.

Highly unlikely they were ANG F-15s or AF B-2s.

I wasn't in town to hear them, but I think you're right. If they were fighter planes they would have turned away from shore sooner then Waikiki. The last time something like that happened, I grabbed the binoculars and saw two exhausts in afterburner. Decided it was some B-1Bs repositioning back to Guam after their hurricane.

Hmmm, anything been happing in Guam lately?

[tutusue]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

Aha...my friend did mention she saw something like exhaust or afterburner, sumthin' like that...can't remember exactly what word she used.

[Karen]

Re: "Air show" at 4am this morning (Sun. 4/20)?

I don't live where the noise happened at approx. 4AM, but if i did I'd have phoned my nearest police station and asked for an explanation.

The officers at the nearest central Oahu station that's in wahiawa have been very nice, as they should be when we called for questions about big rigs driving at midnight in a residential area, and things like that. If the one answering the phone can't immediately answer your question that person should not mind checking on it and even calling you back. That's what non-emergency phone numbers are for.