Military aircraft at airports?

So, sometimes when I go to airports for vacation, I'll see military aircraft. In Oregon I saw F-15s or 16s (can't remember which it was). We already have airbases and I'm pretty sure they're better equipped to handle those than a civilian airport, so anyone know why this might be?

I told asked my dad what he thought and his best theory (note he doesn't frimly believe this, just a stupid guess) is that they're there to prevent a 9/11-type situation and shoot down the plane instead of having more people killed. It makes sense, but I doubt that they would have fighters attack citizens (then again, if there's no other choice, then those on the hijacked plane don't havea chance either way. Let's just hope it never comes to this), especially with air marshals, locked cockpit door rules, and pilots with firearms (I heard that last one on Fox, so if it's not true, that's why).

Also, I was at Long Beach airport for a choir trip to Chicago this week and I saw what I believe was a C-130. Normal I guess considering I've seen military craft at civilian airports before, but I thought I saw a Canadian flag (it was during takeoff, so it might not have been there) on it. I know the US and Canada are good allies, but why would there be a Canadian cargo plane here?

Any and all answers appreciated! Just curious is all.

There can be many reasons why an Air Force aeral vehicle lands on a civilian or commercial airports. Here are some reasons I can think of:

Aircraft Servicing

>The military aircraft needed to refuel and that the commercial airport is the ideal place to be, based on its geographical situation.

>The military aircraft needs some maintenance or overhall repairs and servicing and that the particular commercial airport is better equiped with personnel & materials for the process than its root air force base.

Mission

It can also be a mission order from high command like escort service, search & rescue, etc.

The military aircraft needs some maintenance or overhall repairs and servicing and that the particular commercial airport is better equiped with personnel & materials for the process than its root air force base.

JCblueside

There is no way a commercial airport can be better equiped to repair a fighter jet then a military air force base. My dad is in the airforce, so I know what its like on air force bases. Very little amount of people at the base are there to pilot the planes, most of the people in the air force (Actually all the people in the air force except for the reserves) are there to maintain the aircraft, or for weapons. They wouldn't let a non-military personel touch on of those planes, so why would they maintain a fighter jet at a commercial airport? Sometimes they will land a jet on a commercial strip, but usually only for emergency landings, or for transportation (Refueling, pilot switch)

For upcoming airshow? Possibly for rapid deployment. You can better deploy equipment when it's spread out at several locations. Reduces the amount of time it takes to reach the objective.

I've seen em sitting at Hopkins before, but Hopkins always puts on airshow every year. Besides that the the jets were unarmed. No rocket so I'm sure the cannons were empty too.

It's an airfield. What better place would there be to put aircraft? Maybe they were refueling or repairing. I've seen military blackhawks, seaknights, chinooks, hues and loaches (both gunships & slicks) taxing down the Hopkins runway.

Airports have always had military aircraft. How do you think they get a fighter jet or attack helicopter or cargo plane, slick or cargo helicopter into civilian territory so quickly? How do you think they refuel them? They probably have some tanks & APCs stowed away in one of them hangers.

The soldiers that travel from strip usually wear civillian cloths but you can tell it's them because they always travel in an O.D green, forest green or black humvee. And they look like soldiers.

[QUOTE="JCblueside"]

The military aircraft needs some maintenance or overhall repairs and servicing and that the particular commercial airport is better equiped with personnel & materials for the process than its root air force base.

GTA_dude

There is no way a commercial airport can be better equiped to repair a fighter jet then a military air force base. My dad is in the airforce, so I know what its like on air force bases. Very little amount of people at the base are there to pilot the planes, most of the people in the air force (Actually all the people in the air force except for the reserves) are there to maintain the aircraft, or for weapons. They wouldn't let a non-military personel touch on of those planes, so why would they maintain a fighter jet at a commercial airport? Sometimes they will land a jet on a commercial strip, but usually only for emergency landings, or for transportation (Refueling, pilot switch)

They may outsource the repair works?