Bush's Baghdad-bound plane was spotted by British Airways pilot (story altered, WH explanation)

Sign On San diego ^ | Dec 2, 2003

[hotpotato]

WASHINGTON – In a footnote to President Bush's surprise trip to Baghdad, the White House identified the location and time when Air Force One was spotted en route to Iraq last week by a British Airways pilot.

The sighting occurred Thursday morning, just after daybreak, off the western coast of England, said White House communications director Dan Bartlett. If it had led to public disclosure of Bush's trip, the mission would have been scrapped, Bartlett said.

He said the pilot of the British Airways plane radioed the tower in London and reported the apparent sighting of Air Force One. The tower, apparently relying on phony flight-plan information filed to protect Air Force One's identity, radioed back that it was a Gulfstream Five, a much smaller plane.

Bartlett said he had left the wrong impression Thursday that the conversation had taken place between the British Airways pilot and the pilot of Air Force One, Col. Mark Tillman.

British Airways spokesman Jeff Angel said the airline has hundreds of planes in the air in the United Kingdom and around London and none of their pilots had come forward indicating they made the comments or overheard them. "We are not going to be asking every single one of our pilots" about the exchange, he said.

Bartlett said Bush and his senior aides were not aware of the spotting until Air Force One was on its way home from Baghdad.

[hotpotato]

There are those attempting to discredit the report about a British Airways pilot spotting Air Force One during Bush's trip to Baghdad last week but not providing the explanation from the White House (such as Keith Olbermann on Countdown who labeled it as a false report from the Bush Administration claiming the White House had no comment once the lie was discovered... it appears the White House did have a comment as noted above).

[MonroeDNA]

(yawn)

[Maximum Leader]

Unless British Airways has encrypted communications with its base, it's hard to believe a British pilot would broadcast that fact from a war zone (with the DHL missile strike just the week before).

I totally believe someone told the White House this and they passed it along thinking it was true, but I wonder if it really happened.

[harrowup]

Not sure why AF One set its transponder for a Gulfstream 5, but it beats pretending to be Lindy's Tri-Motor...or a Cub.

[Last Visible Dog]

it's hard to believe a British pilot would broadcast that fact from a war zone

The Western coast of England is a war zone? Did I miss something?

[DefCon]

"...The sighting occurred ... off the western coast of England..."
- - -
"... it's hard to believe a British pilot would broadcast that fact from a war zone ..."
- - -
Do you think the western coast of England is a war zone?

[DB]

I have a hard time believing that the planes came close enough together for someone to see that it was AF1. Normal air trafic control keeps the planes miles apart.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Next the media will be saying that there were only 60 soldiers visiting with the President,not 600. Then the Democrats will demand an Independent Counsel to sort out the truth. Now that the Democrats are scrambling for an election issue-all they will have left is exactly how many soldiers were actually with the President at Thanksgiving. Guess Carville will be spouting " It's the Dining Facility,Stupid " !

[CyberAnt]

I don't think "off the coast of the UK" would be considered a "war zone".

[hellinahandcart]

The sighting occurred Thursday morning, just after daybreak, off the western coast of England

"Somebody" needs to get this information to Wayne Madsen immediately! ;D

[SolidSupplySide]

He said the pilot of the British Airways plane radioed the tower in London and reported the apparent sighting of Air Force One.

There was more than one person taking part in this conversation. The press should try to find out who was working air traffic control in London at that time.

I find it interesting the article refers to "the tower" in London. I always thought "the tower" primarily dealt with ground traffic at the airport along with departures and arrivals. I wouldn't think a pilot over the ocean would be communicating with "the tower".

[DefCon]

"...Normal air trafic control keeps the planes miles apart..."
- - -
You might be surprised at the close proximity
on some of the transoceanic routes.
The 'separation' can be just in altitude alone
and even then by just a few thousand feet or so.

[hotpotato]

Planes travel in corridors and can pass fairly close underneath or above at different levels, depending on direction. It would not be unusual to be able to identify another jet.

[Pukin Dog]

I have a hard time believing that the planes came close enough together for someone to see that it was AF1. Normal air trafic control keeps the planes miles apart.

Dont fly much, do you?

Any decent pilot can spot a 747 from 10 or more miles away. The aircraft is very distinctive with the hump in front, the very tall tail and on the -400s there are winglets too.

Planes are rarely more than 2-3 miles apart. I fly between San Diego and San Francisco once or twice a week, and I can spot commercial aircraft all around me during the entire route.

[_Jim]

Not sure why AF One set its transponder for a Gulfstream 5,

WHAT number would that be?

(ATC normally assigns some arbitrary number that *only* represents a blip on a screen.)

[CedarDave]

If it wasn't Air Force One to the international flight controllers (instead just a military Gulfstream 5), it's possible it was placed in a queue with just the normal vertical/horizontal separation so that it was just another plane. If that was the case, the WH was depending on the flight controllers to do just their regular job without foulup. I know on my flight from Vegas to Texas last week, I saw more than one plane going fast in the opposite direction beneath us at a distance I thought was too close.

[_Jim]

I find it interesting the article refers to "the tower" in London.

It saves explaining to the public what a TRACON is ...

[faithincowboys]

SO it happened. I hate the Left. It was the stupid media (per usual) getting it wrong. Next...

[SolidSupplySide]

Any decent pilot can spot a 747 from 10 or more miles away.

Can you see a 747 from 10 or miles at night? If so, why did the Secret Service allow the thing to be lit up like a Christmas tree during such a sensitive trip?

[CedarDave]

Answer:
The sighting occurred Thursday morning, just after daybreak, off the western coast of England...