Why Did You See Fighter Jets Flying In Southwest Michigan?

It's not every day that someone gets to see a fighter jet as they are mostly used in war or are kept on Air National Guard Bases around the country. Every once in a while, we are lucky to see a fighter jet unit grace us with their skills and magnificent machines. The last time I saw one was at a High School football game in Battle Creek on what was a beautiful day where they celebrated alumni from the 2013 state champion runner ups.

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The Air National Guard is a part of our illustrious military that is here to keep us safe and protect our liberties. Most of the time that they take their planes out are for drills and exercises to be prepared for whatever may happen. Most of us don't get to experience or catch a glimpse of those so flyovers will have to do.

With that being said, many people in Southwest Michigan may have looked up in the sky earlier today and heard or seen a fighter jet. If you were lucky enough you may have seen more than one fighter jet soaring by, but why were the jets in the air in the first place?

Well, members of the 180th Fighter Wing were going through in-air exercises between 8am and 11am on Wednesday, January 8th. It's weird to see the 180th unit as they are a Toledo-based unit of the Ohio Air National Guard. Although Toledo is a little way away from Southwest Michigan, they needed the conditions and air space here.

Residents in Southwest Michigan city Coldwater may have seen the fighter jets flying in close proximity to a Civilian Air Patrol aircraft which will be posing as a "track of interest" or an aircraft that has been identified as a threat. They are doing these exercises to evaluate response and coordination procedures.