AIR PICTURE — CHAGRIN FALLS, OH — 2026-05-29
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Exceptionally quiet day overhead — 327 total contacts against a 7-day average of 4,000, meaning roughly 92% of our usual traffic simply did not show up. The sky was not empty, but it was doing a convincing impression of it.
NOTABLE TRAFFIC
The day's high-altitude parade was dominated by the usual suspects moving east-west and west-east at cruise altitudes. EJA304 (A32F9D) led the executive jet contingent eastbound at 38,625 ft and 464 knots. UAL1855 and UAL2248 pushed east at 39,000 ft, both well above 500 knots. DAL716 transited the area on a near-due-east heading at 31,000 ft. At low altitude, PXG985 drew attention moving southwest at 1,900 ft and 166 knots — conspicuously low and slow relative to the jet stream above. JZA735, a Canadian-registered contact, descended through 7,475 ft southwestbound. ERY917 crossed at 5,800 ft heading west at 287 knots, consistent with a regional arrival sequence. One Swiss-registered contact, SWR9G (4B1917, Netherlands ICAO block), transited east at 35,000 ft.
ANOMALIES
Seventeen contacts transmitted Mode S with no flight ID broadcast — the "name tag fell off" club was well attended today. Notable members include AC5B89 at 41,000 ft, AA7864 at 40,050 ft, and A39C62 at 39,000 ft. One contact, AE4D69, falls squarely in the US military hex range and had nothing to say for itself at 34,000 ft. One Canadian-registered contact, C0003E, operated anonymously at 36,000 ft. Contact A9A1F0 was observed at a leisurely 70 knots and 1,825 ft — either a helicopter, a very tired turboprop, or someone reconsidering life choices.
PATTERN NOTES
Traffic volume was catastrophically below historical norms throughout the entire observation window, never recovering. Over 500 flights flagged as regular contacts failed to appear. Eastbound flow was steady across the 27,000–41,000 ft band; westbound flow was lighter but present. The missing regulars span every major carrier — DAL, UAL, AAL, SWA — suggesting a systemic cause rather than isolated cancellations. Worth following up.
END OF DAILY AIR PICTURE