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To nitcharoo who wrote about - On Monday, January 30, 2012 I see this large (and noisy) military aircraft appearing to be making a landing and all of a sudden it ascends into the air and does a large 360 degree around the entire airport and attempts to land again and does the same thing, it ascends into the air and does a 360 degree around the entire airport

FYI - Earlier in the month there was a military tanker, KC-10, I believe out of McGuire AFB in New Jersey

I was told it was at TF Green practicing approaches while on a training mission. You may have seen the same aircraft.

My understanding is that KC-10 out of McGuire frequently flies refueling missions in the Atlantic region and the aircraft is also used as a trainer.

The day I saw the aircraft, runway 23 was the active runway. The aircraft made several approaches from the Northeast to the Southwest, making a few touch-and-goes for practice and a low approach / flyover, each time circling the airport in a standard left hand race track pattern. A lot of people saw the aircraft.

Very unusual for here. While I have a lot of faith in the safety track records of larger aircraft, I admit I was a bit uneasy seeing a fuel tanker flying low to practice approaches over our densely populated neighborhoods, especially a KC-10 series aircraft with their known lack of redundant hydraulic lines to control surfaces. When I saw the aircraft, it was low on approach, very close to stall speed as evidenced by the angle of attack and I don't believe its a good idea for those types of practice missions to take place over a densely populated neighborhood with a tanker.

I was also told the aircraft made a few low approaches over Quonset. I'm wonder who you got your info from at RIAC, Please post contact if you can.

You can Google [ KC-10 ] or [ KC-10 McGuire AFB ] for more info.

I agree with you that there is no need for an 8,700' runway. The mayor's proposal for the FAA to go with an 8,300' would save money and reduce the noise impact and still allow aircraft in the current fleet to fly non-stops to the west coast if that need developed 15 years from now.

From: Council airport list is step toward agreement

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