Where would jets scramble from to buzz Cincinnati?

Dennis E. Taylor said:

In my current WIP, I've got a couple of F-16s scrambling from Wright-Patterson AFB to buzz the Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds. I think I have the baseball info correct, but I'm told the military stuff is out to lunch. So realistically, where would jets scramble from, and what type would they likely be?

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Seems to me your F-16s would likely come from the Ohio Air National Guard, which would mean the Stingers (112 FS) of Toledo Air National Guard Base, Ohio. Military fly-bys are often part of training exercises, so the jets wouldn't be "scrambling" unless that was part of the day's drill.

Take this with a grain or three of salt. I'm a mere enthusiast, and all my flight hours to date have been logged in video games.

However, the Great American Ball Park is indeed home of the Reds.

I don't think WPAFB has an active air wing, or at least not a fighter wing. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright-Patterson_Air_Force_Base#Based_units.

You're saying "scrambled;" is this in response to a terror incident? It's my understanding that there are or may be fighters airborne almost all the time in the US, and I'm sure that duty rotates among different posts. Or is this more of a flyover at the beginning of the game? Pretty sure that kind of thing rotates as well.

This ESPN article notes that the aircraft that did a flyover at Dallas Stadium for the 2011 Super Bowl were out of Virginia

Just a note - ever since shortly after 9/11, major sporting events are automatic TFR's (temporary flight restrictions). Here is the language from the FAA directive:

Pursuant to 14 CFR section 99.7, special security instructions, commencing one hour
before the scheduled time of the event until one hour after the end of the event. All aircraft
operations; including parachute jumping, unmanned aircraft and remote controlled aircraft,
are prohibited within a 3NMR up to and including 3000ft AGL of any stadium having a
seating capacity of 30,000 or more people where either a regular or post season Major
League Baseball, National Football League, or NCAA division one football game is
occurring. This NOTAM also applies to Nascar Sprint Cup, Indy Car, and Champ Series
races excluding qualifying and pre-race events.

In itself, a report of a 'flying saucer' isn't going to result in the scrambling of fighter jets, if it is even taken seriously at all. However, a report of an unauthorized aircraft as described above would by virtue of the ballpark TFR. Zombie's post is probably the best guess of where they would come from. And, it wouldn't be outside the question for an LEO helicopter to fly in and investigate prior to jets arriving.

Ah, well, given that info, this Wiki article should get you started: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Defense_Sector

Aircraft will either be F-15 or F-16. I'd guess you could pretty much choose your base. I'm 95% sure that there are aircraft in the air at all times, but I have no clue about their patrol sectors or how many patrols are up. You might be able to contact the EADS Public Information officer, but they may well decline to give that info.

A sharp-eyed fan with binoculars might be able to catch a tail code and figure out what base they're from. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_code and http://www.military.cz/usa/air/air_accessories/usaf_tail_cod/usaf_tail_cod.htm for more info on that.

I agree with Zombie--the 180th Fighter Wing (112the Fighter Squadron) supports 24-7 air defense and launching them from Toledo (or diverting them from their airborne patrol) would make sense. I'm a 30-year AF vet, but flew the heavy stuff not the fighters. Good luck.