"Iron 99" flying over Denver?

[screenersam]

on another board I see a discussion about a mystery plane, call sign or referred to as 'Iron 99'.

any nolluj here of this entity?


Mystery flight circles over Denver; officials have few answers, page 1

"Thousands saw a plane circling the Denver metro area late Wednesday morning, questioning where it may have come from and what it may be doing. Officials at a host of federal organizations had few answers. Denver7 began tracking a flight named IRON99 as it traversed from California over the pacific. It traveled over the Rocky Mountains and eventually over the Denver metro area.

When contacting the military, including both U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM), neither organization could confirm the identity of the plane, or even locate it."
source: Mystery flight circles over Denver; Officials have few answers - ABC15 Arizona

 

[MtnBiker2005]

Gussing it’s the E-6B aircraft flying over.
ABC7 photos shows 4 engines and E-6B has 4 engines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_E-6_Mercury

“direct path to Oklahoma”

Some of the E-6B fleet is based in Oklahoma.

It was using mode-s code of 249249. One of the E-6B aircraft always used that mode-s miscode.

 

[kma371]

Correct. Iron 99 took off from Travis AFB in California where there is an E6 squadron. That callsign has been associated with E6s in the past as well.

I was tracking it when it was over CA.

 

[screenersam]

thanks!
posted info on other forum.

is 'Mercury' the west coast version of 'Giant Killer'? monitors trans-continental traffic?

 

[kma371]

thanks!
posted info on other forum.

is 'Mercury' the west coast version of 'Giant Killer'? monitors trans-continental traffic?

Mercury has also been callsign for E6, but I think out here they use something different for the giant killer type operations.

 

[AI7PM]

The media coverage on this is BS. Nothing unusual at all about this flight.

 

[W6SAE]

Is the E-6B a white 707-type aircraft? If so I've seen it flying out of Travis recently (I live in the flight path). I was not aware there was E-6 squadron at Travis; I thought it was purely transport (C-5, C-17, KC-10).

 

[kma371]

Is the E-6B a white 707-type aircraft? If so I've seen it flying out of Travis recently (I live in the flight path). I was not aware there was E-6 squadron at Travis; I thought it was purely transport (C-5, C-17, KC-10).

Yes.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/images/e-6a-dvic213.jpg

I think there is only one based there.

Here's a local article

http://www.dailyrepublic.com/news/m...-communications-open-with-nations-submarines/

 

[W6SAE]

Yes.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/images/e-6a-dvic213.jpg

I think there is only one based there.

Here's a local article

Navy at Travis quietly keeps communications open with subs

Thanks!

 

[kma371]

For those that don't know, a good sign to tell if they close/in the area, listen for open carrier on 338.950.

 

[mtindor]

There was an IRON## flight over Ohio this evening, west to east. I forget the exact ident. It was a C17.

Mike