Merged Plane off course / Where were the fighters?

[gumboot]

As a matter of interest how long would it take to actually launch a fighter to intercept an internal commercial flight in the US.
And what would the chain of command be?
Just so the kooks have some idea of how things work in the real world

It depends on what you intend to measure. From the moment of the scramble order being issued until "wheels up" you're looking at fifteen minutes (that's the allowed time, it would more likely happen a little quicker).

How long would it take to get the scramble order? That's anyone's guess. The protocol hasn't really changed. It has to pass up the FAA chain of command to the hijack coordinator who then makes an escort request to the NMCC at the Pentagon. After SecDef approval the scramble order then has to pass from the NMCC down the military chain of command.

 

[jaydeehess]

Well, given that the original reason for fighter scrambles was to have them intercept Russian bombers coming in over the far north of Canada I think that 15 minutes is plenty on time.

Trying to intercept aircraft already flying within the USA before they can do damage,,, um,,, to targets within the USA would require that the pilots be sitting in aircraft , at the runway button, fueled and engines hot, at all times. Yet even then it could easily take 15 more minutes to have then in position to positively ID the errant craft.(after all at how many airfeilds will this hot and ready situation be in place?)

 

[Obviousman]

Poor old Unca Fetz is having his rump handed to him regarding the Wellstone claims:

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=4542&st=285

As Jay says: "Facts are stubborn things"