6 ms·

I doubt that the pilot or copilot could have done this themselves, but I would be very surprised if they never asked their corporate control operating command t

I doubt that the pilot or copilot could have done this themselves, but I would be very surprised if they never asked their corporate control operating command to explain and establish what exactly was going on and whether they're going to be compelled to comply with the Belorussian diversions request... assuming that the escort fighter jets didn't simultaneously arrive on their wings to punctuate the "request" effectively. Can anyone with FAA / CAA (the UK civil aviation authority) or EU airspace rules knowledge clarify what protocols exist for these situations?

mike_d 5y ago
The generally accepted worldwide rule is that airspace is owned by the country under it. You actually pay overflight fees for use of a countries airspace and are subject to its air traffic control. The corporate response will always be "don't get shot down." In the US and most everywhere else, when you willfully ignore ATC they scramble fighter jets. Every pilot is trained in what this looks like and how to respond, but the safe next step is always to respond in the affirmative and land. https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/regulations/inflight-interception-procedures-for-pilots/ https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/regulations/inflight...
- bombcar 5y ago
  Note that many VFR flights are NOT under direct ATC control (though requesting flight following is always recommended) so unless you appear to be flying erratically or otherwise attract attention you may not even be noticed - it’s standard to send an interceptor if they have reason to believe your radio is inoperable and they need to get in contact (there are established intercept/no-contact procedures). In reality it is highly unlikely for a commercial airline to ignore a direct ATC command (unless the pilot believes the plane is in distress) - and in a case like this where ATC reports a hazard onboard and divert it wouldn’t be unexpected to see an escort (even if just so that there is a witness if the plane were to actually explode). After 9-11 the chance that the interceptors are armed is probably 100%. Fun fact: the max speed of a normal GA plane (think Cessna) is below the stall speed of many interceptors which can result in amusement.
  - sellyme 5y ago
    > the max speed of a normal GA plane (think Cessna) is below the stall speed of many interceptors which can result in amusement Somehow I get the inkling that terrorist groups probably aren't going to start trying to crash into office buildings with a Cessna.
    - Ashwinning 5y ago
      Depends on how angry you are with said office building. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack
    - bombcar 5y ago
      Yeah, the amusement is more being buzzed/circled by the jet in full landing condition until they can get an Apache out to you. And the Apache is way more intimidating than the jet.
    - lmm 5y ago
      > Somehow I get the inkling that terrorist groups probably aren't going to start trying to crash into office buildings with a Cessna. The Tamil Tigers did run a campaign of dropping small bombs from planes that were too slow for the Sri Lankan air force to intercept at one point.
    - mike_d 5y ago
      > Somehow I get the inkling that terrorist groups probably aren't going to start trying to crash into office buildings with a Cessna. 1994 - Cessna 150 vs. White House South Lawn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Eugene_Corder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Eugene_Corder 2002 - Cessna 172 vs. Bank of America Tower https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Tampa_Cessna_172_crash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Tampa_Cessna_172_crash 2010 - Piper Dakota vs. IRS office in Austin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack
      - xxpor 5y ago
- irjustin 5y ago
  On a tangential yet related note to paying overflight fees to a country - most expensive route to fly over: Serbian Flight Corridor[0]. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdNDYBt9e_U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdNDYBt9e_U
  - massenpunkt 5y ago
    I was wondering why Serbia, but you meant Siberia. Thanks for the interesting video, though!
    - irjustin 5y ago
      Ah whoops! haha yeah. leaving my mistake
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

mike_d 5y ago

The generally accepted worldwide rule is that airspace is owned by the country under it. You actually pay overflight fees for use of a countries airspace and are subject to its air traffic control. The corporate response will always be "don't get shot down." In the US and most everywhere else, when you willfully ignore ATC they scramble fighter jets. Every pilot is trained in what this looks like and how to respond, but the safe next step is always to respond in the affirmative and land. https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/regulations/inflight-interception-procedures-for-pilots/ https://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/regulations/inflight...

bombcar 5y ago
Note that many VFR flights are NOT under direct ATC control (though requesting flight following is always recommended) so unless you appear to be flying erratically or otherwise attract attention you may not even be noticed - it’s standard to send an interceptor if they have reason to believe your radio is inoperable and they need to get in contact (there are established intercept/no-contact procedures). In reality it is highly unlikely for a commercial airline to ignore a direct ATC command (unless the pilot believes the plane is in distress) - and in a case like this where ATC reports a hazard onboard and divert it wouldn’t be unexpected to see an escort (even if just so that there is a witness if the plane were to actually explode). After 9-11 the chance that the interceptors are armed is probably 100%. Fun fact: the max speed of a normal GA plane (think Cessna) is below the stall speed of many interceptors which can result in amusement.
- sellyme 5y ago
  > the max speed of a normal GA plane (think Cessna) is below the stall speed of many interceptors which can result in amusement Somehow I get the inkling that terrorist groups probably aren't going to start trying to crash into office buildings with a Cessna.
  - Ashwinning 5y ago
    Depends on how angry you are with said office building. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack
  - bombcar 5y ago
    Yeah, the amusement is more being buzzed/circled by the jet in full landing condition until they can get an Apache out to you. And the Apache is way more intimidating than the jet.
  - lmm 5y ago
    > Somehow I get the inkling that terrorist groups probably aren't going to start trying to crash into office buildings with a Cessna. The Tamil Tigers did run a campaign of dropping small bombs from planes that were too slow for the Sri Lankan air force to intercept at one point.
  - mike_d 5y ago
    > Somehow I get the inkling that terrorist groups probably aren't going to start trying to crash into office buildings with a Cessna. 1994 - Cessna 150 vs. White House South Lawn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Eugene_Corder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Eugene_Corder 2002 - Cessna 172 vs. Bank of America Tower https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Tampa_Cessna_172_crash https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Tampa_Cessna_172_crash 2010 - Piper Dakota vs. IRS office in Austin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Austin_suicide_attack
    - xxpor 5y ago
irjustin 5y ago
On a tangential yet related note to paying overflight fees to a country - most expensive route to fly over: Serbian Flight Corridor[0]. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdNDYBt9e_U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdNDYBt9e_U
- massenpunkt 5y ago
  I was wondering why Serbia, but you meant Siberia. Thanks for the interesting video, though!
  - irjustin 5y ago
    Ah whoops! haha yeah. leaving my mistake
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]