Perhaps others on the Politics Forum are familiar with the 'sensitive alert system' you speak of; I'm not. 

On one trip to the coast, the pilot got on the horn and told us he went a little off course to give us a look at a particular area of the Grand Canyon.  I suppose back then NORAD would have scrambled jets. 

I miss your Astrophysics blurbs and the responses you get from Mr. Enderle and others.

Bob