E-6B's require pilots to train on landings. They call them touch-and-go's where the wheels touch down but the jet continues down the runway to takeoff again. It's required in their pilot training syllabus to make x number of landings in all situations, such as daytime VFR, IFR, night, different airfields, etc. They beat the crap out of those jets doing them but may have more recently moved to not actually touching down but following the runway at extreme low altitude, then climbing out again to preserve airframe life. Either way, flying around Tinker AFB (their home base) is very normal.
I know what a touch-and-go is and the flight between each tend to be smooth and simple because that is enough work and they aren't training on the Parkinson's patient on crack type flight patterns that we're seeing...
They are a derivative of the Boeing 707 but with enhanced wings and significantly more powerful engines. There is zero possibility of them making turns like that without destroying the airframe. These jets are also past end of life, which was supposed to be 2014. They are on extensions, so they will take extreme measures to not harm the airframes so they last until a replacement is developed.
I suspect it is something with the ADS-B system in the area before an aircraft of that size doing fighter maneuvers. They also have no external search sensors like radars or EO/IR systems to look for anything. They carry weather radar and sensors to alert of incoming missile fire or search radar signals. That's it.
E-6B's require pilots to train on landings. They call them touch-and-go's where the wheels touch down but the jet continues down the runway to takeoff again. It's required in their pilot training syllabus to make x number of landings in all situations, such as daytime VFR, IFR, night, different airfields, etc. They beat the crap out of those jets doing them but may have more recently moved to not actually touching down but following the runway at extreme low altitude, then climbing out again to preserve airframe life. Either way, flying around Tinker AFB (their home base) is very normal.
I know what a touch-and-go is and the flight between each tend to be smooth and simple because that is enough work and they aren't training on the Parkinson's patient on crack type flight patterns that we're seeing...
They are a derivative of the Boeing 707 but with enhanced wings and significantly more powerful engines. There is zero possibility of them making turns like that without destroying the airframe. These jets are also past end of life, which was supposed to be 2014. They are on extensions, so they will take extreme measures to not harm the airframes so they last until a replacement is developed.
I suspect it is something with the ADS-B system in the area before an aircraft of that size doing fighter maneuvers. They also have no external search sensors like radars or EO/IR systems to look for anything. They carry weather radar and sensors to alert of incoming missile fire or search radar signals. That's it.