jrc@ritcv.UUCP (James R Carbin) (09/12/83)
About a week ago, I pointed out that even private pilots are expected to be
able to identify various types of aircraft when they utilize major airports.
(You don't see many 747's landing on grass strips.)
As a result of some mail which suggested that AWAC's are 747's, I am asking
if anyone knows of military/government use of a 747. I don't pretend to be
an expert on military aircraft, but every AWAC (either in flight or in a
picture or on TV) that I have seen was a military version of the 707. I
know that NASA has 2(?) 747's for transporting the space shuttle.
The reason for this question is simply: could the Russians have suspected
some type of espionage activity even if they did properly identify the
KAL flight 007 as a 747? Granted in no way does this lessen the gravity
of their response nor does it in any way excuse their actions.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
Jim Carbin
Rochester Institute of Technology {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!jrcakt@mcnc.UUCP (09/14/83)
the only 747's used for military use [which the general public knows about] are the flying command posts that the president might use in case of nuclear war. no other unclassified data regarding military use of 747's is known [to me] akt at ...decvax!mcnc!akt