Bill Dyess

Hello to all just thought y'all might enjoy this, it is a fact!!! Things like this do happen over here.. times like this I hate to be retiring...... Bill

Subject: Iranian Airspace

According to a Marine Pilot just back from his tour of Duty in the Middle East:

In addition to communicating with the local Air Traffic Control facility, all aircraft in the Persian Gulf AOR are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar (military) a ten minute 'heads up' if they will be transiting Iranian airspace.

This is a common procedure for commercial aircraft and involves giving them your call sign, transponder code, type aircraft, and points of origin and destination.

I just flew with a guy who overheard this conversation on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency 121.5 MHz while flying from Europe to Dubai. It's too good not to pass along. The conversation went something like this...

Iranian Air Defense Radar: 'Unknown aircraft at (location unknown), you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.'

Aircraft Reply: 'This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.'

Air Defense Radar: 'You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!'

Aircraft: 'This is a United States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter.

Send 'em up, I'll wait!'

Air Defense Radar: (no response ... total silence)

Semper Fi

I just talked to one of my "younger" buddies who was in the country with me back in 03. With all the changes back in the "world" and new President taking office in JAN, we're just discussing the future. To push our point here, I added a few pictures: One of my M88 recovery track, we were heading in for the invasion in 03. I also added another one for 08 heading up to the border. Several of us were discussing as horrible as war is we still have the responsibility to protect this generation of Americans. Why some will ask ;;; so I can stand up in a train car and take pictures of our country. This isn't about me, its about ALL of us and a bigger responsibility towards others than ourselves.

Thanks for all y'all's support, believe me the younger ones here KNOW it. There are two other old Vietnam Vets here and we're glad to see it, more so for the "young-uns"