Why are recon planes called spy planes?

[Felch]

There's an important distinction. Spies don't identify themselves openly as being a part of a military. But reconnaissance groups, in whatever form, do identify themselves, and are therefore protected.

The most famous recent incident would be the American place that took an emergency landing on a Chinese airbase after a collision a couple years ago. But just recently there was a dangerous shadowing of an intelligence aircraft by the N. Koreans. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...us_north_korea

Why don't news agencies make it clear that these flights are legal and not "spy planes?"

[SlowwHand]

Spy=observe.

[KrazyHorse]

That's what I was going to say. The reason the word "spy" is used instead of the less pejorative reconnaissance or observation is probably because of the high-profile cases in the early 1960s...

[DeathByTheSword]

spy
this way the news people can still spell the word

[Felch]

Well, yeah to spy does mean observe. But it has the connotation as KH pointed out of being more perjorative than simply saying "reconnaissance" or "observation." It should be made clear that these aren't planes that are violating international law like Gary Powers' U2 flight or anything. These are simply planes that peer in from the outside, while remaining within the bounds of the law.

[KrazyHorse]

I'm not sure, but isn't there still disagreement as to the exact flight path of that reconnaissance plane that was brought down in China?

[H Tower]

i think the problem was more about chinese pilots hot dogging within close range of the plane.

[KrazyHorse]

Yes, but were they playing fun and games inside or outside of chinese airspace?

If they were inside, the Chinese could have just blown the plane out of the sky if they'd wanted to...

[H Tower]

I don't think it was in internationally recognized chinese airspace, although china IIRC, does claim airspace and the ocean for a significant distance outside of internationally recognized borders.

[KrazyHorse]

IIRC the dispute was over the actual flightpath, not a unilateral extension of sovereignty.

God knows I don't necessarily trust the Chinese government but it wouldn't be the first time US planes have pushed the envelope a little bit.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Frogger
IIRC the dispute was over the actual flightpath, not a unilateral extension of sovereignty.

God knows I don't necessarily trust the Chinese government but it wouldn't be the first time US planes have pushed the envelope a little bit.

Everyone pushes the envelope. The action by the Chinese has to be intentional. I think they wanted to get a good look at the plane.

[KrazyHorse]

Yes, but was the US plane inside or outside Chinese airspace. Were they maybe dipping in a couple of hundred meters or were they staying out and playing by the rules?

I don't doubt that the Chinese fighter was the major cause of the crash, given its greater speed and maneuverability.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Frogger
Yes, but was the US plane inside or outside Chinese airspace. Were they maybe dipping in a couple of hundred meters or were they staying out and playing by the rules?

I don't doubt that the Chinese fighter was the major cause of the crash, given its greater speed and maneuverability.

The plane was in international airspace until after the collision, when it made an emergency landing on Hainan. Take a look at the area on a map. The plane flies at fairly high altitude, and can see from one side of Hainan to the other confortably from international airpsace. Even if you don't trust the Bush administration, it doesn't make any sense for an unarmed and slow plane with a lot of people on it to be used in an attempt to test Chinese air defenses. This is the sort of plane in fact that would be standing well off while fast planes tested the defenses as was often done against the Soviets in the 1950s. It is rarely done today, if complaints about it are any indication. So, I think the plane was doing just as its crew said, flying in international airspace until it was severely damaged in the collision.

Another factor that tends to support this view is the reaction of the Chinese to the incident, specifically their attempt to blame the spy plane (akin to a flying pig) for wrecklessly smacking into their fighter. If the spy plane was really in their airspace I think that they wouldn't have to resort to such tortured conclusions to lay the blame on the U.S.

[Sava]

It is spying Felch... I'm not saying its right or wrong, but don't piss on my boots and tell me its raining

[KrazyHorse]

It's quite possible, Sik. I just don't know. I also don't know iif they strayed of their flight plan or not.

Like I said, I don't see it as a stretch to believe either side on this one. I wouldn't even fault the Bush admin too much for lying about the location of the plane, if it turned out they knew it had strayed into Chinese airspace.