Word: mig
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...means 6 p.m. G.M.T. and 2 p.m. E.D.T.). Although the full transcript shows four planes in contact with ground controllers, only two closed in for the kill. The number 805 identifies the pilot of the Su-15 who shot down the wayward airliner; 163 denotes the pilot of the MiG-23 who accompanied him in the chase. Communication from the Soviet ground stations to the pilots is not available...
...MiG-23 signals that it has reached an altitude of 8,000 meters, or about 26,000 ft. Course 30 refers to a magnetic directional heading, used by air controllers throughout the world to steer planes from the ground. Magnetic north is 0°, magnetic east is 90°, magnetic south 180° and so on. Thus, on course magnetic 30, the south MiG-23 is flying in a northeast direction. Moments later, however, at ground instruction, the pilot swings around, heads east-southeast, and eventually falls in line behind the Su-15, where he will stay for the duration...
...Soviet interceptors are notorious fuel guzzlers. Even with extra drop tanks, their endurance is brief; the maximum flying time for both an Su-15 and a MiG-23 is just under an hour. As a result, the nervous pilots refer repeatedly to their remaining fuel levels throughout the 50 min. of elapsed time reflected in the transcript...
...what may have been a belated attempt to muscle in as the main stalker, the MiG-23 fighter confirms that he is also in the favored 6-o'clock position 25 km, or 15½ miles, behind the target, ready to go in for the kill...
...pilot of the Su-15 announces his intention to down the passenger plane with an air-to-air missile. Meanwhile, the MiG-23, some 7 miles from the target, reports to ground control that he has both the Soviet hunter and its Korean prey squarely in his field of vision...