Fighter escorts worry some

USA TODAY ^ | 1/09/04 | Alan Levin and Tom Squitieri

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON

[cynicom]

Whine, snivel. Big per centage of them are current or former military pilots. It goes with the territory, you don't like, get another job.

[Support Free Republic]

These Guys Don't Want You To Donate!
	Tick them off! Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[thoughtomator]

Pilots and air-traffic-control officials are expressing concern that U.S. fighter jets being deployed to escort some passenger flights could be creating unnecessary risks to commercial aviation.

Too John F-ing Kerry bad. Unsecured commercial flights create an unnecessary risk to those of us on the ground. They should be glad that the airlines are still being enormously subsidized - if they had to bear the full cost of post-9/11 security, there would be very few airlines other than El Al still in business.

[Revelation 911]

When nimble fighter jets zoom up and down

wheeee !

I laughed out loud - just zoomin around -playin on the tax payer time in those shiny and nimble jets - creating a risk to hard working civilian suits

oooooooh - soooo shiny

do I even need a sarcasm tag ?

I have no problem with the escorts

[Blueflag]

And you know, you were soooooo uncontrolled, reckless and irresponsible as you zoomed through the sky. I bet your scarf was flying out the plexiglass.

THe author has no friggin clue.

Sure aerial intercepts carry a miniscule risk of collision, but the risk is FAR higher in the TCA

[citabria]

Methinks Capt. Luckey should go back to Part 135 for $20.00 per hour and let the grown ups handle this. If he came thru Military then the change of uniform was probably best for the Military.

Whine, snivel is correct. Hmmm, maybe Luckey is, dare I say it, French!

Fregards,

[snopercod]

I'm sorry, but you guys or girls don't have a clue. But in your defense, you have a lot of company here on FR. I've pinged some of them.

From discussions I've had here recently, most FReepers are not only willing, but eager for the U.S. military to shoot down any aircraft that strays off it's normal flight path, or loses radio communication. (They want to "feel safe" you understand.)

• Nevermind that the aircraft has 300 innocent souls on board.

• Nevermind that we would then be in the position doing the Taliban's job for them.

• Nevermind that the flaming debris will kill hundreds more on the ground.

• Nevermind that if the missile misses it's target, it will hit something on the ground.

• Nevermind that there are hundreds of innocent reasons why an aircraft might stray from it's flight path or lose radio contact.

• Nevermind that there is no way to tell whether the aircraft is being hijacked or is simply having mechanical/electrical problems.

• Nevermind that the U.S. military is forbidden by law to operate within our borders (WoD excepted in certain circumstance.)

Due process of law? Screw all that, we're at war! By God we want revenge and we want it now (even if we have to kill a few hundred women and children in the process)!!!

Most FReepers think shoting down passenger planes full of innocent Americans is a great idea, regardless of it's advisability, practicality, or legality. How quickly FReepers have been to toss the Constitution and our body of common law aside when "our guy" got into office.

Has FR been infiltrated by the adolescents over on DU or moveon.org? The kind of "thinking" that passes for reasoned debate around here lately seems more like the temper tantrum of a spoiled child throwing a fit on the supermarket floor.

Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I say. I can act like the typical democRAT with their arrested mentality, frustrated housewife machismo and armchair blood lust. It's easy.

I propose that we station tanks at intersections in all major cities to destroy any school bus that strays off it's normal route or loses radio contact. Eighteen-wheelers, Ryder trucks and SUVs, too. If any of those deviate from their drive-plan or stray close to a shopping mall, government building, or sports stadium, then they're toast.

Desperate times require desperate measures. We'll never feel truly safe until we do this. Sacrifices must be made; After all, we're at war.

Oh, and I forgot. It's for the children.

[snopercod]

And I forgot to mention that the military jets have no way to communicate with commercial or private aircraft. They use the UHF band rather than the VHF.

[independentmind]

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, fighters have raced to check out suspicious flights about 1,600 times, according to the North Atlantic Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

I had no idea the number was that large.

[thoughtomator]

A plane, off its scheduled course and not responding to radio contact, assumes a vector directly to the US Capitol.

Should we:
a) not have any fighter aircraft on patrol over our major cities; or
b) not shoot down an aircraft on a crash-course into one of these cities?

These aren't hypothetical scenarios... these are things that have already happened. Hiding heads in the sand is not an option. Losing 300 lives aboard an aircraft would be a horrible tragedy; losing 3000 or more on the ground - again - would be an even greater tragedy.

Air marshals and profiling are two good options that for some reason seem to be off the table.

Do you have any better suggestions?

[Core_Conservative]

They have both - and the rules of engagement are very strict when it comes to shooting down another airplane. Also, a missle that is fired has a certain life expectancey, if it misses it's target - it will likely blow up long before it hits the ground. Try getting your facts straight before blathering about us "giving up our rights".

[Diogenesis]

Your argument seems to ignore that sometimes the good guys' (and gals')
weapons need only be shown to deter evil.

[VMI70]

"And I forgot to mention that the military jets have no way to communicate with commercial or private aircraft. They use the UHF band rather than the VHF."

It's been a long time, but when I was coming along, we had both UHF and VHF in the aircraft. We had ADF, too.
That will date me, I guess.

[Peach]

You really don't seem to have a better idea.

Considering how many times fighter jets have escorted passenger jets, and your ridiculous scenario has NOT happened, I think you are way off base.

Considering also, how many phones there are on planes, including personal cell phones, your scenario of the inability to communicate is just plain silly.

And, BTW, I am NOT on any of your ping lists, I hope.

[ZAKJAN]

when you pass out PEN knives to all people on your flight....make sure you don't forget to give one to Muhammed from syria...

Since you think all should be armed...what the heck..right?

[Naspino]

His example of an accidental shoot-down is 16 years old before the technology revolution and occurred between a warship and a foreign flight in a foreign body of water. I really don't see what it has to do with the current facts.

[Naspino]

I missed the alternative in your tirade. A plane is off course heading into New York City with a full tank of gas? --- and go.

[cynicom]

citabria???????? Wheee..go get em

Been there, retired FAA, military air crew. Had more than one "old lady" type.

[Publius6961]

Give me a break!