Photo op over New York

F

FinallyRetired

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Joined
Aug 1, 2002
Messages
1,322
I'd love to see the staff summary sheet that approved this fiasco within the Pentagon.

A plane used as a backup for Air Force One and a fighter jet escort swooped low in the sky over New York Monday morning as part of a government photo-op, panicking workers, forcing evacuations and prompting an outcry from lawmakers.

washingtonpost.com
 
OMG - they just triggered the awful memories of a city full of survivors of 9/11 with that stupidity. :nonono:
My question is...why use a 747 for photo taking? Not my first choice when there are so many other airborne imaging systems out there. :whistle:
There has to be more to this story than the article talked about, but I'm not going there in this open online venue. :-X
 
Prime example of care and consideration by the current POTUS and DHS director(s) having their heads up their a$$es.

Not to mention a waste of fuel, burning several thousand gallons per hour of flight time between the 747 and chase planes. But it is only taxpayers money, why worry?
 
ls99 said:
Prime example of care and consideration by the current POTUS and DHS director(s) having their heads up their a$$es.
Click to expand...

I think you're giving the system too much credit. These things don't get approved at that high of a level.

My guess is that the Air Force Office of Public Affairs got involved in a request to make a movie simulating civilian aircraft escort to showcase the new national air defense capabilities, or to improve recuitment, or some other noble goal.

At some point someone complains about the cost of shooting a simulated scene, so to cut costs someone comes up with the idea of shooting on location. It gets staffed up the chain, someone suggests it should be approved by J3 at the Pentagon to [-]CYA[/-] make sure there's no public concerns. J3 looks at it, decides that as long as they're 1000 feet or more from city buildings, there's no danger. So everything gets signed off, they go shoot the movie, then realize they've just panicked the entire city by recalling 9/11.

I have no idea if this is how it happened, but based on what I've seen, it could easily have been done this way.
 
FinallyRetired said:
I'd love to see the staff summary sheet that approved this fiasco within the Pentagon.
A plane used as a backup for Air Force One and a fighter jet escort swooped low in the sky over New York Monday morning as part of a government photo-op, panicking workers, forcing evacuations and prompting an outcry from lawmakers.
washingtonpost.com
Click to expand...
Disney had the same reaction when they were filming the movie "Pearl Harbor". They planned to blow up a hulk just off the main harbor while Japanese fighter planes buzzed around it. The military and the state were fully involved and approved everything. Disney heavily publicized it for weeks beforehand (radio, TV, newspapers) and even had to back off the crowds who crowded the shoreline for the event.

Yet minutes after the explosion the 911 lines were flooded with hundreds of upset callers who wanted to know how the fleet could get attacked again so easily.
 
In these days when so many movie scenes and commercials are digitized, I think they probably could have done some sort of cinematic magic and merged footage of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan into a footage of Air Force One flying over some uninhabited desert region.

That is, they could have done this IF they had enough common sense to realize what an awful thing they were doing in the first place. :mad:
 
I think this was not a one time photo op - it was done showing AirForce 1 near national monuments.

I guess they didn't get the Global Warming memo.
Maybe should have gotten them Photoshop for Christmas.

Article - WSJ.com
 
FinanceDude said:
Wonder what would have happened if GWB had done this..........
Click to expand...

I think we all know and could write the article that would include the words:
insensitive
out of touch
dumb
global warming
 
I saw the pictures.... You could see it was the President's plane very easily... and there was a FIGHTER plane following behind...

They told the city representatives etc... but they did not pass the word along to the appropriate people... so it does not appear that the White House was where the error occured... and I would say this no matter who was Prez...


BTW, there are MANY planes flying around there... so someone must be freaking out all the time...
 
Texas Proud said:
...BTW, there are MANY planes flying around there... so someone must be freaking out all the time...
Click to expand...
Correct - NYC is one of the busiest air traffic corridors in the US.
Anyone who lives near an airport or active base becomes accustomed to the "normal" air traffic patterns. It is the "out of the ordinary" air traffic that will cause a reaction, especially in the NYC airspace.
I've lived under the approach corridor of a former active airstrip for over 25 years. Many years ago, way before 9/11, my mom was visiting and I forgot to tell her about the air traffic over the house. A really big and loud aircraft on approach spooked her terribly. She honestly thought it was going to crash. :(
 
freebird5825 said:
Correct - NYC is one of the busiest air traffic corridors in the US.
Anyone who lives near an airport or active base becomes accustomed to the "normal" air traffic patterns. It is the "out of the ordinary" air traffic that will cause a reaction, especially in the NYC airspace.
I've lived under the approach corridor of a former active airstrip for over 25 years. Many years ago, way before 9/11, my mom was visiting and I forgot to tell her about the air traffic over the house. A really big and loud aircraft on approach spooked her terribly. She honestly thought it was going to crash. :(
Click to expand...

I concur. We live in an area where there is a constant stream of noises that eventually recede into the landscape like background music. But what gets people's attention (it certainly got mine) is the oddball sound/event which is out of character like that of a very large 747 on a deviant course along with a fighter escort (or in pursuit). Last time people around here saw this type of out of the norm set of patterns was on 911.

Folks around here don't freaking out all the time and most New Yorkers try not to even mention that dark day if possible. Mostly its the politicians and the media that still beat on the same tired drum.:(
 
I'm sure some overzealous underlings came up with this plan, and they are now peeling taters in the White House kitchen... :LOL:

Problem is, someone will be offended/freaked out no matter what. Grow a pair already...
 
Am I the only one who thinks this story is being WAY overblown? I mean come on now, a plane flying around NYC causes panic. I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be a "tough" lot. Seems to be quite a few scardy cats up there to me. Was this the brightest idea ever, not hardly but give me a break, the world didn't end on 9/11 and planes should and will continue to fly around NYC. It seems to me that bin Laden has won if we as a country are so afraid of everything.
 
frayne said:
= I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be a "tough" lot.
Click to expand...

I'll tell you a secret about us NYCers - we are a bunch of whiners. We are always afraid that someone is getting more of the good stuff than we are. So we complain.

Look how the people in the Oklahoma City bombing handled it - 168 dead 800 injured in a city of 445K - very much the same death rate as 9/11 in NYC.
OKC - yes it happened - life goes on
NYC - poor little us; look at us

The secret is out. (also most of the news media is headquartered there - an easy story to cover and the news media are bigger whinners than NYCers)
 
I just reviewed all the posts on this subject and have to add these comments:
1. Stupid idea. I heard and read that it was the brainfart of some underling in the White House and he took full responsibility. SHOULD BE FIRED!!

2. Cost. Read in the paper the estimated cost for fuel, etc. was $300K. More reason to fire the dumb ass.

3. Dex, I'm so tired of hearing about global warming. You sound like Al Gore. Give me a break and put it to bed.
 
JOHNNIE36 said:
3. Dex, I'm so tired of hearing about global warming. You sound like Al Gore. Give me a break and put it to bed.
Click to expand...

Then you didn't understand my post.
 
Give me a break! We are spending the country into the poor house, swine flue is about to kill half the population, and Arlan Specter just turned Democrat! And, the most important discussion we can come up with is someone approved a flyover NYC and the news did not reach every citizen.

As far as the cost goes, I will bet the planes involved were gong to fly somewhere that day anyway.
 
JOHNNIE36 said:
2. Cost. Read in the paper the estimated cost for fuel, etc. was $300K. More reason to fire the dumb ass.
Click to expand...

If it was his money he would have bought "photo shop".

Taxpayers money = spend 300K in a fly by.

Same with me when I worked: lunch if I pay = hamburger. Vendor pays = steak.

We have to keep our money out of their hands.
 
Rustic23 said:
Give me a break! We are spending the country into the poor house, swine flue is about to kill half the population, and Arlan Specter just turned Democrat! And, the most important discussion we can come up with is someone approved a flyover NYC and the news did not reach every citizen.

As far as the cost goes, I will bet the planes involved were gong to fly somewhere that day anyway.
Click to expand...

A jumbo jet escorted by fighters flying low over Manhattan buildings is just another flyover? I guess you had to be there to know the feelings that must have brought back. I still get flashbacks when I see a big jet flying low over the Pentagon, and they're not even escorted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom