AIR PICTURE — CHAGRIN FALLS, OH — 2026-05-25
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Dramatically below-average traffic day — roughly 69% below the 7-day norm — with a handful of genuine oddities worth the commander's attention.
NOTABLE TRAFFIC
The overhead picture today was thin but not entirely uninteresting. Standard commercial flows were present: Delta, United, Southwest, American, and JetBlue all put contacts over the area at cruise altitudes between 28,000 and 38,000 feet, predominantly on eastbound and westbound headings consistent with normal corridor routing. Nothing remarkable about their behavior.
FFT2280 [A9AB87] was observed at 3,450 feet doing 224 knots on a heading of 079° — low, but within the threshold for a normal approach profile. Worth a note; not worth a phone call.
Several Canadian-registered operators (Air Canada, WestJet, Jazz, Porter family) transited the area in normal numbers for this corridor. The Canadians, as ever, are punctual.
ANOMALIES
N270SC [A2A80F] checked in at 45,025 feet — just nudging above the standard commercial ceiling. Consistent with a large business jet or someone who really doesn't want to talk to anyone. No other data available.
EDV5133 [A145B7] reported at 76,900 feet. That is not a typo. Either the altimeter encoder has developed ambitions, or something very interesting is happening up there. Filed for further review; almost certainly a transponder fault, but noted.
ACA1322 [C03069] reported at 122,000 feet. At that altitude, the aircraft would be in the mesosphere. We are skeptical. Likely a garbled Mode C. Canadian-registered hex, so diplomatically, we'll say nothing further.
ICV81L [4D010C] carries an ICAO hex that falls outside any known national allocation. Callsign matches no recognized format. Contact was fleeting. Flagged.
Military contact 205991 [AE77A0] made multiple passes at low altitude — as low as 1,525 feet — at speeds between 203 and 239 knots. Consistent with low-level military training. Not a surprise on a holiday weekend.
AFR099 and AFR173 — French-registered, callsigns matching a government/military prefix list. Both transiting at high altitude. Noted without drama.
PATTERN NOTES
Traffic today ran 69% below the 7-day average of 5,011 contacts. The missing-regulars list is extraordinarily long — well over 200 expected flights absent. This is consistent with a holiday weekend reduction rather than any specific event. The sky didn't empty; it just went on a long weekend, same as everyone else.
END OF DAILY AIR PICTURE