CFMitch56 From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 94 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 11 months 1 week ago) and read 2125 times:
I saw a 747 flying over my house a few miles from ABE on Tuesday around 2030 hours. Can anyone shed some light on this unusual occurrence? It was sunset so I couldn't see winglets or colors. It went right over me, engines not particularly loud, flying straight to the south at fairly low altitude (8-10k, maybe?)
FlightAware doesn't have any 747 flights to/from ABE, AVP, PHL, EWR, or NXX that would fit the description. Any reason for military flights in the area (VC-25, E-4B)? NXX is about 30 nm south of ABE.
Unless I missed something on FlightAware, I'm stumped. Can anyone clue me in?
PWM2TXLHopper From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 1218 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (4 years 11 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 2094 times:
There are probably dozens of 747's flying over ABE on any given day coming or going across the Atlantic. Did you mean it was flying at low altitude? My guess was that it was traffic going to/from JFK, EWR, PHL, or possibly even IAD. Or possibly even
McGuire or Dover AFB if it was military or a military charter? If there was nasty weather at any of these locations, that'd only further the chances it was from one of these airports as they might have been flying uncommon arrivals to detour around weather cells.
CO 757-300 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 319 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 years 11 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 2093 times:
looking at passur, assuming your date and time are correct.
the only thing that comes close to that criteria would be a BA 744 decending into IAD @ FL210
ChrisNH From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 3807 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (4 years 11 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1922 times:
One thought is heavy thunderstorms passing through could have caused some transatlantic flights into EWR or PHL to do big holding-pattern loops to keep traffic spaced properly.
The 747s that fly routinely over ABE are up much higher than this one, and are neither seen nor heard except for the contrails. This was an exception to that.
I forgot about the civilian flights into WRI. Southern Air 200 seems to fit the bill. I can't get FlightAware to show me the track log (lat/long) for that time, but it would make sense if it were taking a big 50 nm circle around to avoid traffic/storms, whatever. At 200 kts going in a straight line, it would take 27 min to get to WRI, and SOO200 landed at 2053.
FYI, JFK is 76 nm, DOV is 90 nm, WRI is only 54 nm from ABE.
Crownvic From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 1596 posts, RR: 6 Reply 6, posted (4 years 11 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1646 times:
What about the 747SP that was based at ABE for awhile could it have returned???
CFMitch56 From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 94 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (4 years 11 months 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1545 times:
Quoting Crownvic (Reply 6): What about the 747SP that was based at ABE for awhile could it have returned???
I've never heard of such a thing. When was there ever a 747 based at ABE? It certainly wasn't the one I saw, but I'd like to know what you're getting at.
FLYjoe From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 250 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (4 years 11 months 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 1111 times:
Quoting AndrewC75 (Reply 10): My step father-in-law has lived near ABE all his life and says AF1 crew used to do training there.
I read this thread yesterday and thought I would finally stop lurking and sign up. I was going to offer the same insights. I grew up in the ABE area and it was very common to see the VC-25 (747) doing touch & goes for a few hours. I remember skiing at Blue Mtn. a little north of the the Allentown area one day & saw it many times that afternoon.
It was quite a sight to see, when the largest we saw was a MD-80, 727, or 737.
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