Sightings...
Well, yesterday was yet another blue-sky summer day in the Northwest and as a going away present to my folks, I took them for a flight down to Mt. Rainer and then over to Pierce Co. Airport for dinner. After buzzing a few houses we were climbing through 4000 feet approximately 15 miles north-east of Seattle (and approximately 20 miles south east of Paine Field) when my dad, looking over his shoulder, announces “You’ve got traffic behind you and coming up fast”.
On first glance I located the orange glow of the evening sun reflecting off the silhouette of something large moving south -and fast- at about 8 o’clock and passing behind us. After a quick of check the gages and out the front, I look back over my shoulder to see that the mystery bird was approximately 1/4 mile away and sill passing well behind me. I also noticed that the orange glow was not the sun, but rather the huge orange spinner contrasted by dark blue on the bottom of the fuselage and orange checker board pattern down the side.
Yup. I got zoomed by Furias. And in case you are wondering: No, my 172 couldn’t *quite* keep up with ‘em! Unfortunately, I didn’t know what frequency they were monitoring, otherwise I would have coaxed him for another pass, this time with the camera ready.
Furias’ normal testing ground is usually north of Paine field; outside of Sea-Tac class B airspace and 30-mile veil and where there are lots of places to put it down in case of an emergency. We saw him east of Seattle, skirting under Sea-Tac airspace and heading south and at a fair clip—I’d say around 200kts. With the trouble they’ve had with weather in the past years in finding a break in the rain to make the hop to Reno, I wonder if they have started the pilgrimage early this year or if it is headed to Santa Rosa with Art Vance for more test flights. Word has it that no major projects or mods were done this year.
Of course, maybe I should just swing by their hanger and ask….
Kraz
“Eye in the Sky Furias Spy”
On first glance I located the orange glow of the evening sun reflecting off the silhouette of something large moving south -and fast- at about 8 o’clock and passing behind us. After a quick of check the gages and out the front, I look back over my shoulder to see that the mystery bird was approximately 1/4 mile away and sill passing well behind me. I also noticed that the orange glow was not the sun, but rather the huge orange spinner contrasted by dark blue on the bottom of the fuselage and orange checker board pattern down the side.
Yup. I got zoomed by Furias. And in case you are wondering: No, my 172 couldn’t *quite* keep up with ‘em! Unfortunately, I didn’t know what frequency they were monitoring, otherwise I would have coaxed him for another pass, this time with the camera ready.
Furias’ normal testing ground is usually north of Paine field; outside of Sea-Tac class B airspace and 30-mile veil and where there are lots of places to put it down in case of an emergency. We saw him east of Seattle, skirting under Sea-Tac airspace and heading south and at a fair clip—I’d say around 200kts. With the trouble they’ve had with weather in the past years in finding a break in the rain to make the hop to Reno, I wonder if they have started the pilgrimage early this year or if it is headed to Santa Rosa with Art Vance for more test flights. Word has it that no major projects or mods were done this year.
Of course, maybe I should just swing by their hanger and ask….
Kraz
“Eye in the Sky Furias Spy”
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