AIR PICTURE — CHAGRIN FALLS, OH — 2026-09-14
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Unusually quiet day over the Falls — traffic running 59% below the 7-day average, with 639 contacts logged against a baseline of 1,569. The sky is not empty, but it is conspicuously underfurnished.
NOTABLE TRAFFIC
SWA3688 — Southwest, eastbound at 26,650 ft, cooking along at 542 knots. Fastest Southwest contact of the day.
GJS4463 — GoJet regional, eastbound at 37,000 ft, 560 knots. Highest speed contact in today's picture. Making good time.
DAL74 — Delta mainline, northbound heading 016°, 35,000 ft at 497 knots. One of few aircraft actually going somewhere north of here today.
FDX4 — FedEx, northeast-bound at 35,000 ft, 523 knots. Someone's package is in a hurry.
EDV4975 / JIA5287 / JBU1341 / SWA1070 / FFT4638 — Multiple contacts clustered near 41.42°N, 81.85°W, all below 1,000 ft, all heading 230°. Consistent with sequenced arrivals into Cleveland Hopkins. Nothing unusual beyond the volume.
ANOMALIES
MVJ65 [A88B97] — Transiting westbound at 47,000 ft. That is above standard commercial ceilings. Large business jet or military high-flyer. Watching.
VPCPH [4002C6] — UK-registered aircraft, westbound at 30,000 ft. Perfectly legal, mildly exotic for northeast Ohio airspace.
G72289 [AE2030] / VM714 [AE1439] — Two contacts carrying US military hex codes, observed on multiple sweeps. Neither squawked conspicuously, but they showed up twice each. Noted.
RPA9939 [A4F05D] — 2,750 ft, 200 knots. Low and fast. Flagged as anomalous; probable approach or misreported altitude, but worth a second look.
ITY637, UAE2VL, ICE824, AMX692, AMX680 — Five contacts with ICAO hex codes outside known national allocations. Unusual cluster of unknowns for a single day.
KAL093 [71C009] — Saudi-registered hex squawking a Korean Air callsign at 37,000 ft. Registration and callsign don't align. Could be leased airframe. Could be data artifact. Either way, it made the list.
PATTERN NOTES
Traffic volume is significantly suppressed across all hours — the deficit appeared early and never recovered. Over 250 expected regular flights failed to appear, spanning every major carrier operating through the Cleveland area: Delta, United, Southwest, American, and a parade of regionals. The shortfall is system-wide, not carrier-specific, suggesting a network-level cause rather than a local disruption. Canadian traffic (multiple Air Canada Jazz, Cargojet, WestJet, and charter contacts) appeared normally. The anomaly is domestic.
END OF DAILY AIR PICTURE