It must be such a terrible feeling to relax in your pilot seat, have your eyes wander to the left, and see a fighter trying to get your attention. All because you forgot to check your radio.

"Turn off your engine and step out of the vehicle, NOW"

As a military member who worked in one of the Air Defense sectors the amount of stress and paperwork that gets involved when international pilots "forget" to switch their codes, or roll the wrong way going over some very key numbers, is to this day one of my most hated memories.

Fighter jets, the most expensive alarm clock in the world.

When he wiggles his wings. You do the same. Then you commence the dogfight although he shoots you down while you just scream "pew pew"

Your girl checking to see if you’re really on the plane or not.

I had a coworker who was copilot on a restored B-17. On the way to Oshkosh every year, they would almost always get escorted through MOAs even when they had clearance because the fighter pilots loved flying alongside an old warbird.

why am I watching this?, I don't even have a bicycle

You missed one reason for intercept: during my flight trainig my instructor and myself got intercepted in our C172 by F16's for which ATC gave us a heads up in good time. They acutally asked us if it was okay to use us to practice an interception.

I once got intercepted when I had a medical emergency mid flight (hypoxia and also other issues). The fighters helped me more than anything especially with navigation, but also monitoring my actions and helping me land the plane. Cause by the time they intercepted me I was way further than I thought I was and I was very unaware of the severity of the situation (even got a low fuel alarm prior to landing).

Me: Has never flown a plane, will never fly a plane Mentour: Uploads a video explaining how to handle being intercepted Me: Watches it twice just in case

I like that a $60 million aircraft gets turned into a glorified highway patrol vehicle

I was a passenger in a small 5 seat private plane which was intercepted by 2 F-16s. The F-16s were doing parade flybys over several parades that day and they needed our attention to tell us to ascend 1000 feet to give them enough room to perform their flybys without having to worry about flying too close to us. It was fun watching them rocket up into the sky and then dip down for different flybys. Saw them visit at least 4 parades before we lost sight of them.

When you get called by your mom and you don't answer so she sends fighter jets

What do your airplane looks like? Me “Big tube with long wings, white?”

I've messed up at work and had the feeling of having to "go to the principal's office", but I can't imagine the gut check an airline pilot would have when a couple of fighters rolls up on them.

I was intercepted once when I accidentally strayed into military airspace, and they escorted me out without any hassle. Didn't even threaten me, just warned me I was in restricted space and asked me to follow them out.

Wow, that is one expensive way to alert a person of an incoming call.. lol

Imagine being a fighter pilot who signed up because he saw Top Gun only to do traffic stops his whole career

After binge watching your videos, being a pilot seems like a VERY stressful job. Attention to detail is a must!

*AVIATION CHEAT CODES* 7500-fly in formation with jets 7600-atc mute button 7700-priority landing anywhere *edit omg thanks for the likes

Short answer: It's airforceproud95

Fighter pilot: "Pull over. License and registration? You know you ran an international border back there? I clocked you at 510 knots. That's 10 over. You can't do that buddy, I don't care if you took off late. I'm gonna have to cite you."

“They’re not there to shoot down the aircraft”... Fighter Pilot: I’ve got good tone...

The fighter pilots could also be really pissed since thy had to interrupt their poker game due to some civilian pilot that forgot to ask for clearance.

When you fill up your stars in GTA

I believe there's also the _"headbutt"_ ... interceptors use their wake to cause turbulence and get the PICs attention. Causing much swearing... and a sudden new-found eagerness to communicate. There's also a bee-like system of wiggles and waggles, to let the interceptors know if you have some communication failure, or are somehow navigationaly constrained. But, thinking on all those costly interceptions... It's a shame that intercept aircraft / ground stations cannot broadcast a "wake-up" packet on the squawk frequency of the aircraft, causing audible and visible alert in the cockpit - on any aircraft squawking the matching ID. The beauty of such a scheme, is that it would be fully independent of the radio configuration. Since the transponder equipment is always on proper frequency and can be identified and has a known individual address, it would appear to be an excellent backchannel to the cockpit systems when voice contact cannot be made. Buzzing the transponder for attention would allow early abandonment of a LOT of those intercepts. I believe there are also other text and telemetry systems on board... so, really, it should be almost impossible to find an airliner without working comms that are configuration independent. But the transponder seems to be the obvious radio to use as a backchannel - it should also be fitted with a backup battery to ensure it's squawking is not interrupted by power bus problems. So, should all transponders have a 'doorbell' function ? I may be naive, but it seems like a good idea : )

One of my friends, had the radios fail in the plane and was intercepted. This was about 6 months after 9/11, so they made an early landing.

Long Story Short: Fighter Jet Interception is the equivilant of the Traffic Cop.

Every few years Apaches practice landing on my hospital roof helipad, which is in the centre of a city. My department is directly below (although about 7 floors down). The difference between an Apache and Airbus H145 air ambulance is incredible. The air ambulance makes a bit of noise and rattles the windows, but the Apache makes you think the building is falling down.

Mentor flew to Scotland from Spain return - then gets home and makes a video. Amazing work ethic.

I once read a story of a couple of British interceptors who asked if they could do a practice intercept on a Concorde that was going from London to New York. The pilot knew he was coming up on the acceleration point (he's not allowed to fly full speed over populated areas), so he said yes. They were being vectored towards the airliner, when it reached the end of the speed limit and started accelerating. "Target in 15 miles". "Target in 14 miles". "Target in 13 miles". "Target in 14 miles". "Target in 15, 16, 17 ah forget it..." I think it was a pair of Tornados, who had no chance to get even close to the Mach 2 speed of Concorde, nor even get near the altitude it was climbing to...

Brilliant video, I'm an old retired air force pilot, I've performed two of these interceptions during my career, I laughed at 6:50, that's so true "HEY, WAKE UP". and we couldn't shoot you down if we wanted to, he's right about the flares, but other than that the aircraft was unarmed, admittedly this was back quite a few years before the 9:11 terrorist attacks. (why waste time & fuel carrying a lot of weight that you can't use?) Even on this video, look closely at 7:38 & notice the fighter carries only a fuel tank, no weapons & even the wing rails are empty.

The proper procedure is to go inverted and give them the bird at two meters.

6:44 actually woke me up from my midday nap god damn

Slow down to five knots above stall speed so they have to keep flying circles around you they really like when you do that

You omitted the final step in the procedure: A change of underwear when you land the aircraft :D

I got the chills a few times watching this. I was a private pilot as a kid and then lived in the penthouse of a big building in a major metropolitan area on 9/11, and the corporations were evacuated- while I stood out and watched fighter aircraft circle the downtown area. I'll never forget that feeling- the streets were dead and the only noise came from the twin-engine fighters that seemed to be using my street as a visual... People under 40 just don't understand how the world has changed.

Black hawk intercepting a Cessna was the highlight of the video

This happened on a Ryanair flight from Stansted UK to Pisa Italy. Exactly on the left side of our aircraft, somewhere above the swiss alps. Fighter pilot mstve made contact with our aircraft crew after about 5 minutes as the single fighter i saw lowered his altitude and accelerated away under us and off to the right, eventually our aircraft changed heading and then no more sightings of the jet and we landed at Pisa with no problems.

Next week: "I was intercepted by a UFO" Week after: "I was reassigned to ground staff"

"Two pilots nosediving into the radio" haha

Small addition, a) at the Helios case, HAF pilots had a green light to prevent the 737 of going down το a populated area (using deadly force to make that happen of course), b) according to the investigation, the aircraft was still in auto mode, circling east of LGAV right up to the point of fuel starvation which was the cause of the crash.

Man I wish I followed my dream to become a pilot when I was younger, now I found this channel and I'm hyped again about this kind of stuff

It was the day after 9/11 and while walking outside (at the time, I was living in Ann Arbor, Michigan) I was struck by how quiet it was without any aircraft in the sky. (Ann Arbor is very near to Detroit International Airport.) But, then...I heard something which stuck out precisely because of the lack of air traffic: the sound of a single engine propeller driven airplane. I looked up and spotted the small craft circling in the sky. Suddenly, the sky was filled with the roar from two F-15 fighters streaking in to intercept the small plane. It was amazing. I'm sure most of us are fairly used to what conventional commercial jets sound like, but the sound of military jet aircraft, especially when nearby, is almost deafening and you can feel the thunder of their engines in your body cavity. Anyway, the fighters circled (as well as such fast aircraft can "circle") around and the propeller plane started flying in a fairly tight circle. The fighters made another pass before finally heading off in the direction they came from. I don't know if it turned out that the small plane was authorized to fly or not, but it continued flying. At any rate, it was a fairly alarming experience from the ground. I can't imagine what it would be like to get buzzed by military aircraft while flying in a small plane, let alone an airliner.

What are the consequences for a pilot that finds themselves in this situation? I would imagine their airline won't be happy about it

Me, sees fighter: dispense flares and chaff, select sidewinder ready to acquire lock, commence evasive manuvers My copilot: Um.... we are in a 737 without any of that....

Personally I’d just find it pretty cool if being on a flight and seeing a fighter jet outside the window because I know they’re just there to check on the situation and making sure everyone is safe. The piloting skills of a fighter pilot has always been fascinating me too, ever since I saw The Red Arrows at an air show in 1996 when I was about to turn 11. Been loving the sounds and smell of airplanes ever since that day! Needless to say, I didn’t have a problem with living a couple of minutes away from Kastrup airport for some time, though it was eerily quiet when all flights were grounded in 2010 due to the volcano ashes from Eyjafjallajökull. So nah, seeing a fighter yet outside the plane wouldn’t worry me, if it was truly hostile we’d likely not even see it but be shot to pieces instantly, and looking at the statistics, an event like that is very very unlikely to happen anyone, and even less likely to happen to YOU. I’m more afraid of getting out of bed in the morning, or taking a drive to a nearby town, than I am when boarding a flight somewhere. Was on a flight from China the very same day that the Malaysian airplane disappeared and crashed, but uneasy when hearing about it the day after, then remembering that accidents like that are extremely rare. Flying is the safest way of traveling over long distances, any fighter jets are there for everyone’s safety, and there’s just no reason to be like Stig Helmer and his ”Jag kan flyga, jag är inte rädd”

You will never be intercepted flying over Ireland because we don’t have anything to intercept with :-)

The most useful channel on aviation. The presenter is amazing at explaining things in a very clear and concise manner and the topics are interesting. I've watched several videos so far and now subscribed. Thank you.

I rode submarines most of my career, but my last tour was on a carrier; I watched Tomcats launch at night sometimes (from vulture's row) and i have to say those afterburners are amazing to look at

Thank you so much for pointing out that just because as a middle school or high school student people are saying that you are not capable of being a pilot that you might really have the ability and just not been able to apply yourself. There are plenty of late bloomers who just figure out their potential late in life. If you are 30, 40, or 50 and still have the PASSION to fly, follow your dreams. I don't care if it is FAA part 103. You will have a giant smile on your face every time that you fly, guaranteed.

Very interesting episode :) btw Swiss Air Force has "STBY 121.500" painted in red on their QRA fighters external fuel tank, which imo is quite clever...

Could you make a video aboute the different types of controlled airspace?

gets close enough to hand a speeding ticket out the window

The passengers in the back « wow so funny a fighter jet saying hello to us » The pilots in the cockpit: incapacitated Haha I swear I would have a panick attack if I saw fighter jets checking on us

Wife checking to see who you’re on a supposed “business trip” with?

Mv bro (Used to be Cpt. on a BA146) got intercepted over France on a scheduled flight from BSL to LCY about 20 years ago. Just a sidenote: When taking off in BSL you are already in french airspace, so no need to further identify yourself. Turned out to be a pure training session by the french airforce. Impressive to see two Mirages so close by your side. He filed a report complaining about not being informed about it beforehand. So there is actually another reason. These guys scared the shit out of some passenger and it wasn‘t funny at all. Vive la France!

My favorite video yet!!! I needed this in particular to answer many questions I’ve had for 21 years. Your knowledge is precise and thorough. Thank you (love your accent). I’ll have to watch this again and take notes 📝. I know I have questions.✌🏽

Your videos are always so interesting and informative. Thank you for taking the time to make them. You and a certain 747 pilot are my "go to" for breakdowns of all things flying related. Whether it's accident related or just general information....👍

This video helped me to learn more about the city I grew up in(and still live). Tucson, AZ. Love your videos.

Fighter pilot next to your airplane: You have *one* missed calls.

I just found your videos and I absolutely LOVE them! Thank you for your videos. I've always loved Aviation and am thinking of becoming a pilot. Thank you for your videos and advice! Stay safe up there 💕

funny suggestion in my feed, explaining what I have been wondering for about 20 years now. I can add one piece of information to the story: when a jet is intercepting a very slow plane like a Cesna, they will do 2 fly-by maneuvers, one indeed coming up from left in the same direction, then one perpendicular to the flight path, and a third approach from head-on. In our case, this final approach from head-on was aborted about 1 mile in front of us (scarily close from what I remember), by a sharp left and upward maneuver, just like explained in this video. There were a few electronic issues with our plane and some components were in repair. The transponder was not in the airplane and only the pilot had a radio set. (I think we also weren't monitoring 121.5 because we were trying to stay outside of restricted airspace after an earlier event...) We were probably picked up by the NATO radar with whom we did not have any contact. I'm assuming that because the interception was not performed by local air force, but by jets from a USAF base near SHAPE (NATO military headquarters). My buddy was flying to rack up hours as PIC for his next promotion, and we were doing just some flights for fun. Still made for an interesting flight and a good story :) (some other interesting things happened that flight, but none were related) He was (is) a genius pilot who can fly through storm like a Russian ice skating ballerina... Good times =))

OOOOhhhh, this looks like a cool one, I'll get my popcorn ready!

Interesting, informative, well explained. Really enjoyed this video, thanks Mentour.

That's a pretty damn expensive wake up call

I had to take a flight out of St.Louis,Mo. to Dallas,Tx. right after 911 incident. We were escorted by the Mo.Air Guard all the way with F-15s. You could see them out the window. I had no problem with that being done and could understand fully why it was done. I'm sure the jet jock wasn't too thrilled of that duty. Some folks freak out. Just go to sleep, don't worry.

I've actually listened to the online ATC talk with the guy (Rich) on the Dash-8 and it was a sad case. The guy said many times he did not intended to land the plane ... he snapped ... and killed himself. Sad day.

Love this channel .

Another great insight into the layers of civil aviation and the issues that happen. Superb.

F-15**** Hey, put the stew down and pick up that microphone!"

Brilliant video. I mean your channel is very good normally. But this video is really really good. Thank you.

Thanks for the video Mentour Pilot!

I have watched a lot of videos of yours man you have got a great channel keep it up!! But that fighter jet cruising next to the wing is freaking AWESOME!!! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS!!

I was on a flight that was intercepted by the US Air Force. This was in ‘77 and lasted for 4 hours and was a recognition of my parents and me being transported from our home on a base until Copenhagen. I was a 10 weeks too early premie and was an emergency flight and they wanted to make sure that the flight was protected and had no issues with getting me to the hospital in Denmark. The other passengers sure got a ride for their money that day. As I’m writing this it went perfectly well and I know that my parents was incredibly grateful for the support and safety brought with us in our fight for my life. Although I am not prone to drama at all.

Good video. Intercept often occurs because the airliner wants to change final destination due to a in-flight disturbance such as an unruly passenger. This has occurred frequently over North America and for some reason, flights across the Pacific Ocean. This ratio is more than 10% of all intercepts. It's pretty rare communication breakdowns occur over North America. Have a nice flight! U.S. or Canadian Air Force Jets will scramble to analyze the situation and sometimes, escort the aircraft to the airport or International border and be handed off.

Mentour if u see this I believe you flew me from luton to Girona 1 week ago we was delayed by 1 hour 30 minutes and I recognised the voice but didn’t know where from then iv realised it was you

Such a great video ! Amazing to know this ! I don’t know how I got here but I subscribed because I am now interested in your other videos 👌🏼👌🏼

One of the most interesting videos I've watched so far. Great job!

RIP SkyKing; Amazing loop my friend, tally-ho!

If you ever go on tour, name it “Mentour on Tour”

This channel is SERIOUSLY addictive! Thanks for sharing!

Glad to see you are wearing 4 stripes. I seem to recall you wearing 3 on earlier videos. Great explanation! This has happened to me many times but always because the controller I was working with failed to hand me off in a timely manner and I flew out of his frequency range.

I also got learned in flight school, that the fighter pilots would also show their belly with their weapons if you didn't respond to the gentle turn with the wings

Thanks a lot for doing this video requested by me!

This happened to a flight I was on from Scotland to Malaysia in the mid 90s. Always wondered to this day why they were there. Thank you. Just after that we asked if we could get in to the cockpit to see it. They let us in (just over india) and let us take the pilots seat. Something we will never get again since 9/11

10:15 I learned something new today: "Flares is little, small, colored rockets".

Thank you sir for this kind of video, so THANKS

A very expensive way of getting your attention 😅

Your english is so easy to understand for a french native ! ! Awesome !

you must admit that the kid who stole the plane in Seattle was the funniest nut case. and those barrel rolls...the best Q400 free marketing promo in the history of aviation. poor guy :(

11:08. The air pressurisation system had no problem on Helios 522. The ground mechanic had set it to manual to test the system because a flight attendent had seen ice around the rear passenger door. So the mechanic manually pressurised the plane on the ground in manual mode to see if there was a leak. However, the ground mechanic did not change the pressurisation system back to auto like he should have. The pilots didn't notice and they started to become incapacitated without realising it. The flight attendent on the flight (the one who was at the controls and seen by the fighter jet pilots) had training scuba diving (I think). So he was able to stay conscious for longer than everyone else. Additionally, he had a portable oxygen tank, however, this ran out before he could figure out what was wrong.

Thank you for this video!

I’m so glad you posted this video cuz that’s one of my biggest concerns as a student pilot: to accidentally fly vfr into an airspace I didn’t get clearance for 😂😂😂 and get intersepted and arrested and fined 😂😂

Another great video thanks for sharing this with those that enjoy your channel.

Excellent explanation, Captain.

99,99% of the cases it all ends up well, but in at least two occasions the interception ended with the downing of the plane, both times a South Korean plane invading Soviet airspace (Korean Air Lines 902 in 1978 and Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983). In times of political tensions, those things can happen. My advice is, if Russia invades Ukraine, stay clear of that airspace and the entire region. Actually, stay clear if tension mounts.

When I was learning to fly over 34 years ago at Old Sarum England I was regularly intercepted by Fighter Jets from Boscombe Down ..one Fighter Pilot visited our Flying Club said to me "Aah it was you ...got you " although I was doing nothing wrong !

that is so cool! being Abe to fly anything is so cool! you're going to inspire many new pilots that would've been doctors or computer geeks.