Aircraft interception: Difference between revisions

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'''Aircraft interception''' is when one aircraft moves up to another aircraft.  Most often this relates to when a military aircraft is intercepting a civilian aircraft that is entering restricted or prohibited airspace or are having communication failures.  For those cases there is internationally standardised procedures.
'''Aircraft interception''' is when one aircraft moves up to another aircraft.  Most often this relates to when a military aircraft is intercepting a civilian aircraft that is entering restricted or prohibited airspace, aircraft having communication failures or aircraft that can not otherwise be identified.  For those cases there is internationally standardised procedures.
 
Aircraft that have not filed a flight plan and/or have no transponder and can not be contacted can only be identified by interception.


There is of course also the case of military aircraft intercepting other military aircraft.  During the Cold War many interceptions of intelligence, surveillance and spying aircraft from both the the western and eastern block where made.  Interceptions where also sometimes made to redirect aircraft that actually tried to probe the opponents airspace. And of course there is interception to shoot down enemy aircraft.
There is of course also the case of military aircraft intercepting other military aircraft.  During the Cold War many interceptions of intelligence, surveillance and spying aircraft from both the the western and eastern block where made.  Interceptions where also sometimes made to redirect aircraft that actually tried to probe the opponents airspace. And of course there is interception to shoot down enemy aircraft.


While in real life practice interception of civilian aircraft is not supposed to be done it can be fun in FlightGear.
While in real life practice interception of civilian aircraft is not supposed to be done it can be fun in FlightGear.
== Some background on radars ==
On the [[MPMap|multiplayer maps]] FlightGear anyone will see some information about an aircraft.  Callsign, type of aircraft, altitude and speed are all readily available.
In real life this is only the case if the aircraft both have filed a flight plan and are equipped with a transponder and there is both a primary radar, which bounces radio waves at the aircraft, a secondary radar, which interrogate the aircrafts transponder.  Note that the transponder only will supply an four digit identity that the pilot have gotten from air traffic control and sometimes the altitude, which will be given in 100 feet intervals.
Basically an older primary radar would only report the position of an aircraft and nothing else.  Sometimes there would be a height finding radar co-located with the primary radar, but the height finding radar could only be used to find the altitude of one aircraft at a time.  Newer primary radars will often report both the position and and approximate altitude.
When an aircraft is not equipped with a transponder and have not filed a flight plan, air traffic control or an air force will only see an unidentified blip moving.  The only way to identify it is to get an another aircraft close enough to do a visual identification.


== Reasons for interception ==
== Reasons for interception ==
=== Reasons for interception of civilian aircraft ===
=== Civilian aircraft ===
;Identification
;Identification
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified.
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified.
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:*is a hazard to other aircraft
:*is a hazard to other aircraft


=== Reasons for interception of military aircraft ===
=== Military aircraft ===
;Identification
;Identification
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified.  Sometimes done well outside of sovereign airspace or air defence identification zones (ADIZ's) to identify aircraft appearing in regular patterns and and with regular timing.
:Visual identification of aircraft that can not otherwise be identified.  Sometimes done well outside of sovereign airspace or air defence identification zones (ADIZ's) to identify aircraft appearing in regular patterns and and with regular timing.
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There is a set of standard procedures defined by ICAO that includes radio communication and visual signals both for night and day.  There are procedures both for the intercepting aircraft and for the intercepted aircraft.  These are defined in annex 2 to the convention on international civil aviation, ''Rules of the air''.
There is a set of standard procedures defined by ICAO that includes radio communication and visual signals both for night and day.  There are procedures both for the intercepting aircraft and for the intercepted aircraft.  These are defined in annex 2 to the convention on international civil aviation, ''Rules of the air''.


=== Intercepting aircraft procedures ===
=== Intercepting aircraft ===
The intercepting aircraft should try to contact the intercepted aircraft using 121.5 MHz, using the call signs ''Interceptor <call sign>'', ''Intercepted aircraft'' and ''Intercept control''.  If that fails the intercepting aircraft should try the ATC frequencies or try to contact the intercepted aircraft through the ATC.
The intercepting aircraft should try to contact the intercepted aircraft using 121.5 MHz, using the call signs ''Interceptor <call sign>'', ''Intercepted aircraft'' and ''Intercept control''.  If that fails the intercepting aircraft should try the ATC frequencies or try to contact the intercepted aircraft through the ATC.


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If the intercepted aircraft have to be redirected the flight leader takes up a position ahead, above and normally to the left of the intercepted aircraft making sure that its pilot can see the intercepting aircraft.
If the intercepted aircraft have to be redirected the flight leader takes up a position ahead, above and normally to the left of the intercepted aircraft making sure that its pilot can see the intercepting aircraft.


=== Intercepted aircraft procedures ===
=== Intercepted aircraft ===
When intercepted the pilot of the intercepted aircraft should:
When intercepted the pilot of the intercepted aircraft should:
* Follow instruction given by intercepting aircraft,  
* Follow instruction given by intercepting aircraft,  
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=== Visual signals ===
=== Visual signals ===
  To be added later
==== Initiated by intercepting aircraft ====
  To be added later.
 
==== Initiated by intercepted aircraft ====
To be added later.
 
== Some background on radars ==
On the [[MPMap|multiplayer maps]] FlightGear anyone will see some information about an aircraft.  Callsign, type of aircraft, altitude and speed are all readily available.
 
In real life this is only the case if the aircraft both have filed a flight plan and are equipped with a transponder and there is both a primary radar, which bounces radio waves at the aircraft, a secondary radar, which interrogate the aircrafts transponder.  Note that the transponder only will supply an four digit identity that the pilot have gotten from air traffic control and sometimes the altitude, which will be given in 100 feet intervals.
 
Basically an older primary radar would only report the position of an aircraft and nothing else.  Sometimes there would be a height finding radar co-located with the primary radar, but the height finding radar could only be used to find the altitude of one aircraft at a time.  Newer primary radars will often report both the position and and approximate altitude.
 
When an aircraft is not equipped with a transponder and have not filed a flight plan, air traffic control or an air force will only see an unidentified blip moving.  The only way to identify it is to get an another aircraft close enough to do a visual identification.


== External links ==
== External links ==
Retrieved from "https://wiki.flightgear.org/Special:MobileDiff/54701"

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