Twelve F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft are currently based at Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands, for a six-month deployment to Europe.

The 125th Fighter Wing, Florida Air National Guard, from Jacksonsville, Florida, leads the first ANG  TSP (theater security package) to deploy in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the second such TSPs in Europe (12 A-10 of the Air Force TSP deployed to several airbases across eastern Europe beginning last month).

The F-15s and personnel taking part in this TSP are based out of units in Florida, Oregon, California, Massachusetts and various bases throughout Europe and they are grouped, regardless of their origin, in the 159th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

They will attend Frisian Flag exercise, due to start on Apr. 13, then, as done by the USAF A-10s, they will head east, to Bulgaria, where they will conduct training alongside other NATO allies and show U.S. support to local allies.

The images in this post were taken on Apr. 5, by photographer Marco Ferrageau, at Leeuwarden airbase, as the Eagles launched for their first missions over Europe.

Image credit: Marco Ferrageau

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First ever Air National Guard Theater Security Package has arrived in Europe.

The first six F-15C Eagles from the Florida Air National Guard’s 159th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron have arrived at Leeuwarden airbase, Netherlands, on Mar. 31.

Twelve Eagle jets are deploying to Europe as the first ever ANG theater security package in the continent. The second wave of F-15s is expected to arrive at the Dutch airbase on Apr. 1.

They will initially operate from the Dutch base, where they will take part in Frisian Flag exercise before moving to Bulgaria to conduct training alongside other NATO allies “to strengthen interoperability and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the security and stability of Europe.”

The air superiority planes complement the 12 A-10 of the Air Force TSP deployed to several airbases across eastern Europe beginning last month and the 14 F-16s from Aviano airbase, deployed to Amari airbase, in Estonia, to conduct joint training with regional allies.

Image credit: U.S. Air Force

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A Socata TBM-700 flown by a non-responsibe pilot crashed 14 miles off Jamaica, while enroute to Naples, Florida. Several U.S. Air Force plane took part in the escort mission.

On Sept. 5, a Socata TBM-700, N900KN, departed at 08.26LT from Rochester, New York, end en route to Naples, Florida, whose pilot had become unresponsive, crashed 14 miles off the coast of Jamaica, after running out of fuel.

The pilot had requested the Air Traffic Control to descend to a lower altitude because of a problem but became unresponsive as the TBM-700 was flying at FL250.

Military Radio Comms Expert Allan Stern monitored most of the flights involved in the escort of the unresponsive private plane and his logs helped us to draw a more detailed picture of the U.S. Air Force’s response to the emergency.

Image credit: U.S. Air Force

At 10.00 NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) scrambled two F-16s out of McEntire ANGB, South Carolina, callsign “Stalk 52”. The two “Vipers” escorted the TBM-700 until they were reached by a flight of two F-15s, belonging to the Florida Air National Guard, out of Jacksonville, Florida, radio callsign “Lucky 01”.

The fighter planes were heard on frequency 141.625 talking one another about the TBM plane flown by a non-responsive pilot who was slumped forward.

Both tried to contact the pilot on VHF Emergency “Guard” frequency 121.5 MHz.

The interceptors were supported by “Gasman 02”, an Alabama ANG KC-135R, 58-0106, out of Birmingham AL, under control of NORAD’s Huntress on UHF frequency 260.9.

As the TBM-700 continued to fly southbound, they switched to Miami Control at Palm Beach, on frequency 270.325.

Later on, Stern heard “Stalk 52” as it was RTB (returning to base) to McEntire, telling NORAD’s Huntress on 228.9, that he was able to see the pilot slumped over, but that the pilot began to breath when the plane descended to lower altitude, indicating that he had been oxygen starved.

The two F-15s shadowed the unresponsive plane until it entered the Cuban airspace. The TBM-700, overflew Cuba and started to lose altitude approaching Jamaica. It crashed about 14 miles off the coast of Port Antonio, Jamaica at about  2:15 p.m. EDT.

Image credit: Flightradar24.com

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