Today I noticed an interesting flight on flightaware.com. The tail number reported there is N968. The flight path I'm interested in starts at KAUS goes northwest, then goes back and forth along lines spaced about 2 km apart, and then returns back to KAUS several hours later.
The registration information for N968 indicates a MiG-17, which can't be right for this flight. But what is it?
So I thought I'd listen to the ATC audio archive for a hint.
On the landing, I selected KAUS for 12-29-2015 at 2100z. The plane landed at about 15 minutes in. Around the appropriate time, there is chatter about a Cessna, and commercial jets are directed around it. Then it seems like a plane referred to as 1-7-2-whisky-golf is directed to land on 1-7-left. That seems to match the path, so I figure that's it.
However, flightaware lists N172WG as a flight originating in Denton, flying south, then returning to Denton without landing. The time in Austin is right, but the plane doesn't land. The type of plane also seems to match the flight pattern of the mysterious N968.
Not having anything conclusive, I turned to the take-off. About 18 minutes in, there's some chatter about someone taking off on 17-L, but I can't understand what's being said.
Maybe someone who is more used to listening can give it a listen and let me know what you hear. Or if you happen to know what plane the log for N968 today belongs to, let me know that. I don't think it's possible that it's a MIG.
