Posted on 05/11/2009 6:37:28 PM PDT by Fred Nerks
This is a great video. It shows the three aircraft orbiting over the Statue of Liberty during the Air Farce One incident. (The money shot is near the end)
The "Red Tail F-16" is clearly a prop.
If the George Lucas' film "Red Tails" has, as is likely, a 3D IMAX version, and this sequence were to be used as an epilogue, the camera plane would likely have an external camera mount to attach an IMAX camera. Publicity stills would have been photographed by an air combat photographer during the flight.
According to this Wall Street Journal article, the camera plane was also an F-16, with a combat photographer on board. While the F-16s were flown by guard pilots, the photographs were taken by Master Sgt. Andrew N. Dunaway, a specially trained Air Force photographer based with a combat camera squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
Could that "special training" have been in the operation of an IMAX camera?
Check out Dunaway's work. This guy is definitely a "pro from Dover."
And here is a photo of Lucas, lady-friend Mellody Hobson, Michelle Obama, "Red Tails" cast-member Sidney Poitier, Barack Obama, and Ford Theater's Paul Tetreault. George Lucas contributed $33,100 to the Obama Victory Fund, an additional $28,500 to the DNC Services Corp (D), and another $4,600 to Obama, Barack (D) -- that's a total of $66,200. Just friends helping friends, no doubt.
Lucas was quoted as saying, "We have a hero in the making back in the United States today because we have a new candidate for president of the United States, Barack Obama," when asked who his childhood heroes were.
Obama, "for all of us that have dreams and hope, is a hero," Lucas said.
Just another coincidence -- an old name and a famous paint scheme is returning to the skies above central Alabama. The commanding general of the Air Force is reactivating the 100th Fighter Squadron as part of Montgomery's 187th Air National Guard Wing.
Tip of the hat to FReeper Plutarch
Good enough, but there still is no “commanding general,” which makes me wonder how many other inaccuracies there are in the article.
It may well be a haze result, but it looks more like poor exposure, or even that there are two different pictures superimposed. The Statue is just so dark and distant for haing AF 1 at only 1000 ft above Sea Level while The Statue reachs 300 and some ft into the sky. Something Stinkith badly:-(
Further, one just doesn’t try to take promotional pictures in bad weather whether it is rain, snow, or Haze! You just Dont! So taking them on a day when You witnessed the bad haze just raises more questions and makes it more likely it was what Zero stated it was Saturday night; His two crumb crunchers got loose and took a Joy ride in AIR FORCE ONE! Its GROSS and OBSCENE ZERO would even attemrt to joke about that, but then We are speaking about Obama’s behavior, of which nothing should surprize Us anymore:-(
“...Further, one just doesn’t try to take promotional pictures in bad weather whether it is rain, snow, or Haze! You just Dont!...
an enlargement of this image shows just how bad the ‘haze’ was.
http://weblogs.amny.com/entertainment/urbanite/blog/planescare.jpg
There’s only one chase plane(F-16) in that video along with AF1/2
If this was for a film, where’s the camera crew on the ground or in the air? Somebody would have noticed them.
you will find the sources quoted are linked at:
http://www.theobamafile.com/ObamaLatest.htm
see entry dated 5/10/09
from the Wall Street Journal article linked at THE OBAMA FILE LATEST NEWS ENTRY FROM 5/10/09:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124093288256863979.html
The 747-200B aircraft, one of two used as Air Force One, was accompanied by two F-16 fighters from the D.C. Air National Guard, which operates out of Andrews.
“We’ve never been asked to do this before,” said Capt. Byron Coward, a spokesman for the guard unit.
While the F-16s were flown by guard pilots, the photographs were taken by Master Sgt. Andrew N. Dunaway, a specially trained Air Force photographer based with a combat camera squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
Only one of the F-16s was involved in the photo shoot; the other peeled off once the 747 reached New York, but both accompanied the plane back to Andrews
No offense to you, of course. I've just seen a slew of silly claims about this incident that were not true (ex: there are no 2-seat F-16s, you would never take pictures through a fighter canopy, the F-16 was tailing AF-1 the whole time).
This whole thing is a sham, but wild, ill-informed Internet theories don't help.
No. 735-08
September 02, 2008
General Officer Announcements
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nominations:
Army Brig. Gen. James L. Hodge for promotion to the grade of major general. Hodge is currently serving as commanding general, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12176
You, and the "Obama File" don't know enough to recognize your error.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/187th_Fighter_Wing
The many accomplishments of the 187th Fighter Wing have received praise and recognition from the highest levels of the U.S. military leadership. The unit enjoyed nineteen years and over 55,000 flight hours without a Class A aircraft mishap and has received numerous Flight Safety awards from the Air Force Air Combat Command and the Air National Guard for its safety record. The Wing has also been recognized by Air Combat Command and the 9th Air Force Inspector General for excellence during Operational Readiness Inspections and Unit Compliance Inspections over the last two decades.
Accuracy matters.
http://states.ng.mil/sites/DC/leadership/Pages/aagair.aspx
The District of Columbia Army National Guard has a unique mission. It is led by a Commanding General, and is the only Army National Guard organization activated by the President of the United States for natural and civil emergencies.
The D.C. National Guard is also unique from other National Guard organizations because, unlike state organizations who have dual jurisdiction for federal and local matters, the D.C. National Guard has no local jurisdiction. This means the mayor cannot call upon the District of Columbia National Guard forces to protect local interests in Washington, D.C. (hence the City’s nickname, the Federal City).
LINDA K. MCTAGUE
Brigadier General, DCANG
Assistant Adjutant General, Air
Brigadier General Linda K. McTague is the Deputy Commanding General - Air, Joint Force Headquarters, District of Columbia National Guard, Washington, District of Columbia. She is responsible for the command and control and operational readiness of the headquarters element, 121st Weather Flight, Detachment 1, and 113th Wing which provides expeditionary combat forces, homeland air sovereignty, and world-wide transport in F-16 (Air Combat Command) fighter and C-38/C-40 airlift (Air Mobility Command) aircraft. General McTague also serves as the Commander of the Joint Task Force - District of Columbia.
(It’s all a bit above my paygrade LOL! ...but the connections are interesting. If she’s the Deputy Commanding General, who’s the boss?)
I’m not sure what this post has to do with anything???
Google returne 4,170 items for “187th Air National Guard Wing”
And, this is the statement from the source/writer:
“An old name and a famous paint scheme is returning to the skies above central Alabama. The commanding general of the Air Force is reactivating the 100th FS as part of Montgomery’s 187th ANG Wing.”
I believe “commanding general” in that context, is correct.
thank you Beckwith.
Believe what you want. You are wrong. The term is "Chief of Staff of the Air Force." This is 28 years of Air Force experience telling you.
No, it returns one. item.
I understand what you are saying.
However, the writer (probably a civilian) doesn’t have your precision and experience.
In the context of the writer’s words, he’s correct from his viewpoint. There is a “commanding general” of the Air Force. His title is “Chief of Staff of the Air Force.”
Your statement about the 187th Air National Guard Wing is incorrect.
I didn’t use quotes and there’s plenty of articles about the 187th.
Here is the Wikipedia entry for the “The United States Air Force’s 187th Fighter Wing (187 FW) is a unit located at Dannelly Field, Alabama.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/187th_Fighter_Wing
In your precision, I think your being unduly critical of the writer of the source article. The guy probably was writing his article from notes, and once again, does not have your background.
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