watching the fighter jets leave or take off in formation is a sight to see. The sound of the aircraft is very different from anything else you hear out there, even the big tankers.

Necessary tool of freedom and protection. Glad we have them.

Possible temporary relocation out of the expected path of Hurricane Earl?

Yeah, like I said, FA-18s.

Just now got around to reading the earlier thread........

Taking pictures of the pretty jets is one thing. Providing numbers, flight intervals, times and dates, etc., well that's just poor "operational security" as they say in the military. Tell me, R.Neal, why such information is newsworth? Do you know why we build, maintain, and train to fly the pretty jets? Not so yahoos can provide flight data to sleeper cells thinking about a strike from Dollywood. Show some street smarts, taxpayer.

Somebody should alert the AP. And not park them by a busy highway. And take them off in the middle of the night instead of putting on a loud ass air show during rush hour.

@ Hello Woman

"Taking pictures of the pretty jets is one thing. Providing numbers, flight intervals, times and dates, etc., well that's just poor "operational security" as they say in the military. Tell me, R.Neal, why such information is newsworth? Do you know why we build, maintain, and train to fly the pretty jets? Not so yahoos can provide flight data to sleeper cells thinking about a strike from Dollywood. Show some street smarts, taxpayer."

I see your point, although it's rather irrelevant. Those "pretty jets" are really not available to protect us, as you may remember from the events of 9 years ago.

We had asked their public affairs office about the jets. Here's the response from Capt. Joseph L. Keith, TN ANG 134 ARW Wing Executive Officer:

I don't have any information about the jets that were here at McGhee Tyson Airport. Due to our location in the country as well as proximity to many active military installations, we frequently have visiting aircraft from all over the country. Most of the aircraft that stop in are either for fueling or they come here to work on some cross-country training.

As for anything specific on those Hornets/Harriers, I do not have any knowledge of their objective. I do know that it wasn't due to Hurricane Earl.