Flight Intercept Training before Super Bowl 51
By Russell Slater
The sentiment is a common one: it’s better to be safe than sorry. For this reason, members of the Texas Wing of CAP assisted the Air National Guard in training exercise prior to the 51st Super Bowl to help further preparedness of the aerial defenders.
16 Years and Counting
The Flacons and Patriots weren’t the only teams involved in a confrontation; a different, simulated, face-off occurred in the skies near Houston in the lead up to the big game. A learning experience for all those involved, members of the Texas Wing acted as target aircraft for pilots of the state’s Air National Guard during crucial flight intercept training. This type of simulation takes place annually, and CAP has provided support for the air defense flights prior to the Super Bowl for 16 consecutive years.
CAP spent two days in January and one day in February flying their Cessna 182s and a GippsAero GA8 Airvan “low and slow,” acting as mock intruding aircraft for the Air National Guard pilots. A no-fly zone, which forbids planes and drones, was established within 34.5 miles of the NGR Stadium in downtown Houston.
Simulating a classic game of cat and mouse, CAP pilots made their way into the restricted airspace while F-15 and F-16 jets out of Ellington Field scrambled to intercept them.
Standard operating procedure for the intercepting pilots includes establishing basic radio contact and identifying the trespassing craft. From there, pilots will indicate to either “fly this way,” slowly turning away and communicating to the offending craft to follow them, or will perform a breakaway maneuver, suddenly breaking away from the pursuit once they understand the intentions of the plane. Occasionally, Blackhawk helicopters are employed for pursuit purposes, as they are easier to fly alongside the slower, smaller aircraft. In a real-life situation, if hostile intent is clear, pilots would hypothetically engage the target craft with weapons, but only as a last resort. However a civilian plane has never been shot down within the United States.
Maj. Chuck Lexa, Deputy Commander of the TX Wing’s Sabre Squadron, said, “I was one of the pilots that flew a target aircraft. We were positioned about 40 miles on the southwest side of Houston, where we waited to start. Once we were notified to start, we headed for the stadium. About halfway there, we were intercepted by an F-16 and given instructions about what to do.”
A Great Honor
These and similar exercises are known as Falcon Virgo and Felix Hawk, part of NORAD’s Operation Noble Eagle, which was launched in the wake of the 9–11 terror attacks. Since the launch of the operation, NORAD claims that 1,800 non-military aircraft have been successfully intercepted when they strayed into the protected airspace that the FAA calls TFRs. These temporary flight restrictions, which prohibit non-authorized aviation traffic in order to ensure the safety of those on the ground, have been and continue to be implemented in the skies over major events such as a presidential visit, disaster site, or the Super Bowl.
“CAP’s participation in exercises like Falcon Virgo and Felix Hawk provide our members with another opportunity to demonstrate their skills and professionalism, a great honor in a very high-visibility mission like the Super Bowl,” said Col. Brooks Cima, former TX Wing Commander who served at the coordinator of print and social media for the event.
Not only mock targets
In additional to the flight intercept training, CAP also assists in giving access to teams of media professionals to showcase the organization’s joint training. Wing members also fly to various airports to help raise awareness about the TFRs, to explain their purpose and potential penalties in cases of violation.
Lexa added, “CAP’s role in these training exercises is very important to the intercept aircraft as well at Air Traffic Control operators. It provides them with an understanding of what they might be up against in the event of an actual attack by small aircraft. They’re not use to flying so slow. On the flip side, we get to see what would happen if we were to inadvertently fly into a restricted airspace. It definitely makes us work to be more aware of our position.”
CAP will undoubtedly step forward to fulfill their role in assisting with similar exercises for future events like the Super Bowl, wherever the game is hosted.
*Originally published in CAP Volunteer Magazine
