# Psst...hey, buddy....maybe you've seen an F-35 fighter jet someplace 'round here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 18, 2023, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295 "2023-09-18T04:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/21 "2023-09-18T16:31:27Z")
I’m in the upper left of South Carolina and out of the running. It has been 80 years since the last [military aircraft crashed near my yard](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-bombed-my-grandmother/780309). ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/22 "2023-09-18T16:40:58Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > But in this day and age, the fact that they did not have any kind of telemetry that would have still been active seems… odd. If the aircraft were destroyed at the end of its unattended flight, any active telemetry systems would be offline. Don’t forget, this is an operational airframe. The type is in fleet service. It’s no longer experimental or testing, so it wouldn’t be broadcasting any kind of developmental telemetry. That’s a bad idea for an aircraft designed to operate in stealth. Since is was operating out of US airspace, it might have been participating in ACARS, but I would expect it could also have not been. It would have been militarily appropriate for the aircraft to have been operating “radio silent”. So expecting some kind of traceable transmission footprint may be mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/23 "2023-09-18T16:44:39Z")
Sure, I believe a guy ejected from a working stealth fighter and coincidentally the transponder stopped working at the same time and there’s no trace of the plane, and the Air Force thinks the public can help find it. Yeah, I believe that. I just told my wife Morgan Fairchild about this. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/24 "2023-09-18T16:49:27Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > If the aircraft were destroyed at the end of its unattended flight, any active telemetry systems would be offline. Not to mention that they are searching “around Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion”. Which means it might be at the bottom of Lake Moultrie or Lake Marion. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/25 "2023-09-18T16:54:56Z")
I am sure the enemy trying to shoot them down would appreciate such a device. > [@TriPolar](#): > > the transponder stopped working Yes, a transponder would do fine too. ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecccb3/32.png) [@Old\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Wench)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/26 "2023-09-18T16:55:11Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Missing: One jet. Answers to “Skippy.” Very friendly. Reward if found. Does it have a chip? When found, they’ll need to make sure it’s not some other stray F-35. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/27 "2023-09-18T16:58:41Z")
Here’s a circle of where the aircraft might be, based on its range. It could potentially have been been guided to Cuba in a James Bond-style plot, or even made it to the Bermuda Triangle, in which case it will likely never be found. [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F6UP3sZWwAAVugC?format=webp&name=900x900) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F6UP3sZWwAAVugC?format=webp&name=900x900) ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/28 "2023-09-18T17:03:05Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > I am sure the enemy trying to shoot them down would appreciate such a device. Anybody close enough to a crashed jet to have their IPhone pick up the air tag would likely be able to see the wreckage. Most military aircraft are broadcasting their location most of the time. It’s kind of a safety thing. Some legislators want to limit that: > **[Tracking U.S. Military Aircraft Online Could Become Much Harder](https://www.twz.com/tracking-u-s-military-aircraft-online-could-become-much-harder)** > > Senators want the military to use uniform practices to make online flight tracking, especially of senior officials' planes, more challenging. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/29 "2023-09-18T17:03:14Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Well, it is a transsonic jet. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/30 "2023-09-18T17:08:04Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Here’s a circle of where the aircraft might be, based on its range. It could potentially have been been guided to Cuba in a James Bond-style plot, or even made it to the Bermuda Triangle, in which case it will likely never be found. The Payne Stewart crash was an example of that. Took off from Florida, everyone died from hypoxia, kept going on autopilot until fuel ran out and it crashed in South Dakota. > **[1999 South Dakota Learjet crash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_South_Dakota_Learjet_crash)** > > On October 25, 1999, a chartered Learjet 35 business jet was scheduled to fly from Orlando, Florida, United States to Dallas, Texas, United States. Early in the flight, the aircraft, which was climbing to its assigned altitude on autopilot, lost cabin pressure, and all six on board were incapacitated by hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the brain and body. The aircraft continued climbing past its assigned altitude, then failed to make the westward turn toward Dallas over North Florida and continued... ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/31 "2023-09-18T17:10:09Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Well, it is a transsonic jet. Golf clap ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/32 "2023-09-18T17:10:56Z")
And if it turns out they lost it because the transponder failed, there will be hell to pay. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/33 "2023-09-18T17:12:23Z")
Too bad the pilot didn’t leave his phone in the jet. Find-a-phone is an amazing thing. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/34 "2023-09-18T17:18:16Z")
And now, a serious question: The original article states that the pilot’s “wingman safely landed in a separate aircraft”. my question is: What is a wingman\*, and why did he land instead of following the abandoned plane? \*(I only know the term from bad movies about fraternity guys in bars ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/35 "2023-09-18T17:18:58Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > If the aircraft were destroyed at the end of its unattended flight, any active telemetry systems would be offline. Sure. But even location data from a few seconds before could be helpful. > [@](#): > > Don’t forget, this is an operational airframe. The type is in fleet service. It’s no longer experimental or testing, so it wouldn’t be broadcasting any kind of developmental telemetry. That’s a bad idea for an aircraft designed to operate in stealth. > > Since is was operating out of US airspace, it might have been participating in ACARS, but I would expect it could also have not been. > > It would have been militarily appropriate for the aircraft to have been operating “radio silent”. So expecting some kind of traceable transmission footprint may be mistaken. I absolutely understand why a fighter jet on any kind of active mission or even forward deployed training would be ‘radio silent’. I am modestly surprised that a training flight in US airspace would be so tightly locked down. It’s not uncommon for me to see military aircraft of many kinds on my ADS-B receiver. I thought the military might also be keeping tabs on aircraft location via one kind of technology or another. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/36 "2023-09-18T17:29:06Z")
Seems like a good time to remind people that the United States has lost six nuclear weapons that remain unrecovered. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/37 "2023-09-18T17:34:04Z")
Fighter aircraft usually deploy at minimum in pairs - one is the lead and the other is the wingman. The wingman’s job is to watch the lead’s “6” (backside) during a mission. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/38 "2023-09-18T17:34:22Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > Seems like a good time to remind people that the United States has lost six nuclear weapons that remain unrecovered. I love the wikipedia disambiguation page for “Broken Arrow”: - Places - Films - Music - Songs - Other arts and entertainment - Lost nuclear weapons It all seems so bland and ordinary. > **[Broken Arrow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Arrow)** > > Broken Arrow or Broken Arrows may refer to: ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/39 "2023-09-18T18:45:25Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > What is a wingman\*, and why did he land instead of following the abandoned plane? > > \*(I only know the term from bad movies about fraternity guys in bars [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eYNSmTjA-tE/maxresdefault.jpg ""You are still dangerous... But you can be my wingman anytime!" - TOP GUN / TOM CRUISE & VAL KILMER.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYNSmTjA-tE) Do DO do do do do do do do, do do do do do do do do DO do. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295/40 "2023-09-18T19:49:10Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > What is a wingman\*, and why did he land instead of following the abandoned plane The wingman’s responsibility is to check for a good parachute deployment, observe the landing position, and direct SAR\* assets for recovery of the pilot. - Search and Rescue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-hey-buddy-maybe-youve-seen-an-f-35-fighter-jet-someplace-round-here/990295.md?page=3)