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Crime & Safety

Fighter Jets Practice Scramble Over Vineyard, Cape

Did you hear the F-15s? Fighter jets from the Massachusetts Air National Guard at Otis Air Base flew a training mission Wednesday morning over Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

If you heard the roar of F-15 jets overhead Wednesday morning, it was just a Massachusetts Air National Guard drill.

According to an announcement from Maj. David R. Mendoza Wednesday morning,

The 104th FW is scheduled to conduct a practice scramble of two F-15 Aircraft October 23, 2013 today from approx. 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. 

The Practice scramble and intercept mission will be over Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. 

F-15 fighter jets will be conducting training with the Civil Air Patrol,
which will be flying a low-speed civilian propeller aircraft (GA-8).  

This 
exercise, in partnership with the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS), and is conducted to facilitate training for alert pilots on intercept procedures, ensuring the Massachusetts Air National Guard is prepared to defend theNortheast airspace against any airborne threat. 

These exercises are carefully planned, closely controlled and include 
exercising airspace restriction violations, hijackings and responding to unknown aircraft. 

Communities on Cape Cod and the islands may experience 
increased aircraft activity during  the duration of this exercise.

Earlier on Patch:


Updated 10:30 a.m.  Wednesday with information from Massachusetts Air National Guard:


If you hear the roar of F-15 jets overhead this Wednesday morning, it's just a drill as the Massachusetts Air National Guard practices interception skills from 10 a.m. to noon.

According to an announcement from Maj. David R. Mendoza,

The 104th FW is scheduled to conduct a practice scramble of two F-15Aircraft October 23, 2013 today from approx. 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. 

The Practice scramble and intercept mission will be over Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. 

F-15 fighter jets will be conducting training with the Civil Air Patrol,
which will be flying a low-speed civilian propeller aircraft (GA-8). 

This 
exercise, in partnership with the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS), and is conducted to facilitate training for alert pilots on intercept procedures, ensuring the Massachusetts Air National Guard is prepared to defend theNortheast airspace against any airborne threat. 

These exercises are carefully planned, closely controlled and include 
exercising airspace restriction violations, hijackings and responding to unknown aircraft.

Communities on Cape Cod and the islands may experience 
increased aircraft activity during  the duration of this exercise.

Read "Fighter jet drills planned today at Otis Air Base" in the Cape Cod Times.

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