John_In_Dakota

**Compair the two planes and end of story and decide for your self what plane was in charge up there!**


EL MONTE -- Air Force fighter jets on Monday chased two small airplanes out of restricted airspace during the president's visit to Rancho Cucamonga, forcing them to land at area airports, authorities said.
"We did some things to get their attention, including in one case, dispensing flares," said Michael Kucharek, a spokesman for North American Aerospace Defense Command. "We had a fighter jet fly in front of him and drop the flares."

The roar of jets could be heard throughout the San Gabriel Valley as one of the pilots was chased off by F-16 Air Force Fighting Falcons. He was flying a Sunset Sport airplane and was forced to land about 4 p.m. at El Monte Airport, according to the El Monte Police Department and NORAD.

The other was flying a Cessnaand was forced to land about 2 p.m. at Corona Municipal Airport, according to Corona police and NORAD.

Both pilots were detained for questioning by the U.S. Secret Service, according to police.

Their names were not released, and it was not clear if the men were arrested on suspicion of any crime.

Eight other pilots violated the restricted airspace, but they left the area after being contacted by radio, according to NORAD.

The Federal Aviation Administration routinely puts out notices to warn pilots of restricted areas, according to Donn Walker, an FAA spokesman.

A notice released Monday morning notified those planning to fly small, privately owned aircraft to stay at least 10 miles away from Rancho Cucamonga, Walker said.

Another part of the advisory told pilots to stay 10 miles away from Ontario International Airport, where the president's plane landed, Walker said.

Pilots also were warned to stay 30 miles from both locations unless they had filed a flight plan with the FAA and were in contact with the FAA, Walker said.

"The airspace is restricted in parts of that area, so when planes go in there, the military sends fighters in there and tells them to go away," Walker said. "Pilots are supposed to read those (advisories) before they take


Lets look at the two planes shall we?

F-16 Air Force Fighting Falcon

General Characteristics
Primary Function: Multirole fighter
Builder: Lockheed Martin Corp.
Power Plant: F-16C/D: one Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or General Electric F110-GE-100/129
Thrust: F-16C/D, 27,000 pounds
Length: 49 feet, 5 inches (14.8 meters)
Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches (9.8 meters)
Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude)
Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 37,500 pounds (16,875 kilograms)
Range: More than 2,000 miles ferry range (1,740 nautical miles)
Armament: One M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon with 500 rounds; external stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods
Unit cost: F-16A/B , $14.6 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars); F-16C/D,$18.8 million (fiscal 98 constant dollars)
Crew: F-16C, one; F-16D, one or two
Date Deployed: January 1979
Inventory: Active force, F-16C/D, 738; Reserve, F-16C/D, 69; and Air National Guard, F-16C/D, 473


The other a$$hat's plane:

Airframe:
2368 since new

Engine Specs:
268 since factory new

Prop(s):
since factory new 268

Additional Equipment:
Full Horton Stol Kit. New banner tow kit.

Exterior:
been in hangar since painted.

Avionics / Radios:
Skyhawk II Option-Appointments. Garman 295 gps. New Narco Mk 12 D Cessna Replacement, VOR, ILS. Cessna ARC 328T Nav-Com. Cessna ARC switch panel-3 light marker. Apollo 604 Loran. Cessna RT359A transponder. Narco AR-850 Mode C Alt. Encoder. Cessna R546E ADF. Sigtronics 2 place intercom. Alcor EGT. Belly Strobe--Whelen.


Modifications / Conversions:
Penn-yan STC 180 h.p.

Inspection Status:
due October 1, 2005