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<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 3.75pt; margin-right: 0.5in;"><b><font
color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">Too
funny not to pass along<br>
<br>
</span></font></b></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 3.75pt; margin-right: 0.5in;"><b><font
color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">Subject:</span></font></b><font
color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;"> Marine
Pilot with Attitude</span></font><font color="black"><span
style="color: black;"> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">In addition to communicating
with the local Air Traffic Control facility, all aircraft in the
Persian Gulf AOR are required to give the Iranian Air Defense Radar
(military) a ten minute 'heads up' if they will be transiting Iranian
airspace. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">This is a common procedure for
commercial aircraft and involves giving them your call sign,
transponder code, type aircraft, and points of origin and destination. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">I just flew with a guy who
overheard this conversation on the VHF Guard (emergency) frequency
121.5 MHz while flying from Europe to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city
w:st="on">Dubai</st1:city></st1:place> . It's too good not to pass
along. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><br>
</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">The conversation went like
this... </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">Iranian Air Defense Radar:
'Unknown aircraft you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself.' </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">Aircraft: 'This is a <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>
aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace.' </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">Air Defense Radar: 'You are in
Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch
interceptor aircraft!' </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="ececmsonormal"
style="margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 75.75pt; margin-right: 1in;"><font
color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">Aircraft: 'This is a United
States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter. Send 'em up, I'll wait!' </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<font color="black" face="Arial Unicode MS" size="3"><span
style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">Air Defense Radar: (no response
... total silence)</span></font>
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