I will still travel (I'm booked to go to London at the end of the month and will go whether war starts or not), but similarly to CoMooter, I expect some heavy weather from Mrs. Law Lord if I plan a trip anywhere near the Middle East.

I wouldn't worry about it, since such cruise missles will never climb to the altitude that a 747 flies by, nor are they heat-seekers.

Employer and client just banned all new travel, and have urged employees to cancel all non-essential travel.

Looks like my wings just got clipped.

Define atrocious...

Compared to the Vietnam war, Korean war, or WWII, the accuracy was astounding.

I'm flying transpac on UA in about 14 hours from when I type this, and then transtlantic in 2 days (to LHR). While Ozstamps aserts that flying transatlantic is no worries, I actually am more aware than ever that flying specially into the UK from the US, both "allies" in the war ahead, will be likely terrorist targets. Added to that, a US major carrier must look tempting.

Having said THAT, I still think the chances are pretty low, and I'm happy to fly, but also wary. I guess I feel it is down to Fate now. As someone else said.. it could strike anywhere.. and I reckon if my time is up then my time is up.. Plus I also don't want to let fear rule my life and NOT do the things I have planned to do, paid to do and darn it WANT to do.

So I'm flying!

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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

I'm actually more concerned about trans con travel than those outside the U.S. I currently fly SFO to PHL each week and am slated for a SFO to BOS route in the near future. I admit to feeling more wary now that war appears inevitable. Probably not a terribly rational fear as I figure terrorist acts will be targeted at land concerns and not airplanes.

My husband and I have award tickets to MAD scheduled for late April and have no plans on cancelling them (we're flying AC which makes us feel a tad more secure). We figure that as long as we get there, if air travel becomes hairy there are worst places to be stuck than a villa in the Andalucian mountains.

Not much of a concern on this end, with the exception of Japan if the NKs start feeling their oats...

I'll be following you by 24 hours, same Bat-channel, same Bat-time. I am not anticipating anything out of the ordinary...although I expect things will be a little 'tense'...by Wed. evening.

My greatest fear is UA doing a slash and burn on the schedules over the weekend, forcing me onto another return flight next week.

LHR should be nice and lengthy for both in and out...

Probably stay away from the Middle East, but otherwise travel as usual.

No intention of canceling flights that are planned already (MX glitch trip to CUN this weekend!) but if fares fall.. I'm all over it.
Nothing like helping out the economy.. a shame we can't write that off as a tax deduction (Economic Altruism?).

I am flying to Washington D.C. this weekend (Sun-Tue) to do some museum-hopping. As I expect the war to start this week, the only way I will take UA up on their re-book offer is if we go to Condition Red and they close the Smithsonian (sic) complex.

Just flew PSC-SEA-IAD yesterday. Return is set for Saturday. Mrs. PSC 1K another couple and I are SUPPOSED to head to LHR (SEA-SFO-LHR) on the 26th. Just got an e-mail from Mrs. - "I'm more worried and think we should cancel." The other guy and I have some work to do, because we want to go VERY badly. Now if the question is ...Will Tony and George keep us safe? That is different!

Sorry to hear.

As a former (albeit briefly due to the late 80's draw-down) 'ground pounder' it amazes me as to what is now possible compared to ancient history - say 1991. Through plentiful air-support with long loiter times, US Army tactical commanders can bring down a horrendous amount of firepower almost instantaneously on any enemy.

In WWII we (the U.S.) eventually came around to the British belief in (strategic) bombing due to horrendous inaccuracy of U.S. daylight raids over Germany. RAF SOP was - don't burn the factory down - burn the city down and take the factory with it - it's easier. Also unfortunately somewhat more barbaric, but the Nazi's - or the Japanese for that matter - didn't have nearly as effective PR machine as the Iraqi's do now.

As far as tactical air support went, WWII and Korea were not overtly different - Find target, drop munition of choice in its area, and hopefully hit it. Quite bit was not even close.

By the end of Vietnam, the dawn of laser guided PGM's (radio guided missiles and even drone aircraft had been tried with limited effectiveness) had improved guidance systems by many factors. Even though the laser (and to a much more minor extent active systems like IR and radar guided - as well as HARM systems - which lock on to various active electrical emmissions - like radars) were the wonder weapons of Gulf War that was shown on TV, far and away most weaponry dropped during the first Gulf War were still of the old fashioned 'iron bomb' category.

Although accuracy was again much, much better in Gulf War I (due to very good computerized aiming systems), there was a still a greater revolution coming.

In fact, the first Gulf War allowed U.S. conventional stocks left over from the Vietnam War to be expended. Laser PGM's are very expensive and somewhat difficult to guide since most systems are not of the 'fire and forget' variety, an aircraft has to loiter in the area to 'designate' the target until the bomb hits. This time interval can be very dangerous to the designator aircraft.

What has really changed in the last 12 years (and which is really amazing) is the preponderance of cheap GPS systems that are basically just a bomb with a GPS seeker that guides itself, from usually a very high altitude (longer glide path to target=more range) to a pre-programmed 5'x 5' spot on the earth (military GPS is more accurate - on purpose - than civilian systems, even though it uses the same satelites). Fog, rain, smoke have no effect on the munition. The weapons are cheap, easy to deliver, and extremely accurate.

Errors (baring VERY RARE mechanical failure of some type) are now strctly on the part of bad intelligence/G-2 (aka the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade).

In fact, there have been more than a few complaints coming from pilots grumbling that their job has become little more than 'bomb truck' drivers dropping weapons from very long range (and little threat) and going home. The exciting (and life-threatening) jinking 'ack-ack' days are over.

Also, don't worry about Uncle Sadaam causing any damage to a 744 at FL310. Unless someone schedules a commercial flight across Iraq in the first 6 hours of the campaign (the mid/high altitude SAM systems - and radars - that Iraq has that could reach even a nice easy commercial target at usual cruising level will be the first to go bye-bye) there is nothing to worry about.

Final approach (basically crossing the fence at the airport) is the time to worry - a man-portable SAM system would be quite effective against a commercial airliner. But as the Nairobi failed attack against the El Al flight just showed, even these attacks are not easy to execute.

[This message has been edited by CoMooter (edited 03-17-2003).]

All of my flying this quarter is domestic, so I'm not worrying any more than the low-level concern that's always there post 9/11.

Look at the bright side: If the international schedules are slashed, I just might find myself in a 777 DEN-SEA, or a 744 DEN-MIA!

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Brian/\/\