An unarmed Russian Air Force aircraft overflew the US Capitol, the Pentagon, Central Intelligence Agency and Joint Base Andrews at low altitude on Wednesday as part of a longstanding treaty that allows the militaries of the United States and Russia to observe the other from the air, according to two people familiar with the flight.Our Air Force has specialized airplanes for such flights.
The flight was part of the Treaty on Open Skies, which allows military aircraft from the United States and Russia and other nations to fly aerial observation flights to observe military sites of the 34 signatory nations.
The Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-154 on Wednesday afternoon passed at around 3,700 feet over downtown Washington and Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where Air Force One is based, according to tracking website Flightradar24.
This is, essentially, no big deal. Anyone who is panicked by it is advised to breathe into a paper bag or, alternatively, into a plastic one that is secured tightly around their neck.
Callsign " Open Skies", OSY. Had one a few of weeks ago, overflew Barksdale AFB at about 2,000', but had to be at 11,000 passing over Carswell JRB due to all the DFW terminal area traffic. Kinda annoying flights, in that their turns are 270's instead of 90's, plus they get to stay on their route, period.
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