Bush Piloted Guard Trainers Before He Quit (AP buries new info on hoax)

AP ^ | Sep 10, 2:40 AM EDT | MATT KELLEY

[Rome2000]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- George W. Bush began flying a two-seat training jet more frequently and twice required multiple attempts to land a one-seat fighter in the weeks just before he quit flying for the Texas Air National Guard in 1972, his pilot logs show.The logs show Bush flew nine times in T-33 trainers in February and March 1972, including eight times in one week and four of those as a co-pilot.

Bush, a first lieutenant, flew T-33s only twice in the previous six months and three times in the year ending July 31, 1971.

Meanwhile, questions were raised Thursday about the authenticity of newly unearthed memos purporting to have been written by one of Bush's commanders in 1972 and 1973. The memos, which were publicized by CBS "60 Minutes", say Bush ignored a direct order from a superior officer and lost his status as a Guard pilot because he failed to meet military performance standards and undergo a required physical exam. The personnel chief in Killian's unit at the time also said he believes the documents are fake.

"They looked to me like forgeries," said Rufus Martin. "I don't think Killian would do that, and I knew him for 17 years."

Independent document examiner Sandra Ramsey Lines said the memos looked like they had been produced on a computer using Microsoft Word software. Lines, a document expert and fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, pointed to a superscript - a smaller, raised "th" in "111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron" - as evidence indicating forgery

Microsoft Word automatically inserts superscripts in the same style as the two on the memos obtained by CBS, she said.

"I'm virtually certain these were computer generated," Lines said after reviewing copies. She produced a nearly identical document using her computer's Microsoft Word software

[vanagoner]

"George W. Bush began flying a two-seat training jet more frequently and twice required multiple attempts to land a one-seat fighter in the weeks just before he quit flying for the Texas Air National Guard in 1972, his pilot logs show."


This is news?

[CDHart]

"It means that CBS lied."

Oh, the horror! CBS wouldn't lie to us -- would they? This just keeps getting better! :^)

Carolyn

[RVN Airplane Driver]

That's a new one on me....logs that show how many approaches a pilot shot vs landings...full stop or touch and goes...where the hell do these fools find this nonsense.

[SkyPilot]

Unbelievable.

"Meanwhile, questions were raised Thursday about the authenticity of newly unearthed memos purporting to have been written by one of Bush's commanders in 1972 and 1973. The memos, which were publicized by CBS News on its "60 Minutes" program...

I flew jets in the Air Force and I needed training missions in 2 seaters too. So did Gen Chuck Yager.

Jeeez!!!

[CMAC51]

the Media is trying to make it sound as if flying fighter jets during the cold war was some sort of criminal offense.

During that time period, the US was involved in two interrelated wars, Vietnam and the Cold War. More US service personnel were involved with the Cold War than Vietnam. Vietnam held more immediate danger for the military personnel. The Cold War held more immediate personal danger for the citizenry. Serving in the Cold War was not less honorable than serving in Vietnam.

[Guillermo]

It's buried below "It took Bush several attempts to land a plane..."

[Amore]

I had just posted on another thread about the clever way the AP tried to trash Bush again, and only then got into the hoax stuff.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Boycott CBS and email their sponsors until CBS issues a retraction and/or an apology to Bush and to America.

Boycott their sponsors. Boycotting CBS is a waste of time because of the Nielsen ratings. If your home isn't a Nielsen home then CBS doesn't know or doesn't care if you're watching or not.

[Bonaparte]

It's going to be up to people like us to keep this alive, because the MSM sure isn't going to do it unless they're forced to. They'll give it scant, equivocal mention and then relegate it to "old news.. inconclusive... no reason to doubt Dan Rather's longstanding reputation for journalistic integrity... etc." If we don't put their feet to the fire and keep them there, Dan Rather's lie will stick. They're taking the route of brazen denial, as Rather's statements on CNN show.

I wish we could all just kick back with our hot buttered popcorn and watch the story crash and burn, but that's not going to happen if we don't make it happen. The ball is definitely in our court.

[Bonaparte]

CBS sponsors

As I've said, this is all going to be up to people like us. Nobody else is going to challenge CBS and Dan Rather on their lies. If we don't give their sponsor plenty pain, CBS will win and we will lose.

[CDHart]

From what I've been reading and hearing, the story definitely has legs. And McAuliffe is blaming Karl Rove! I'd be more inclined to think Clinton was behind it -- so that Kerry would lose and Hillary could be the 2008 candidate. This is really getting good, IMO.

Carolyn

[jwpjr]

I could not agree more! Our problem is that we don't hate George Bush. President Bush spent more time learning in basic training, learning to fly, getting qualified to fly the F-102 and then keeping himself qualified than Kerry spent in the service all together. There is simply no comparison between being on a Swift boat for four months and what it takes to become and remain a US Air Force fighter pilot. Very few people are qualified and able to become a fighter pilot. If George Bush had what it takes then his time in the service was a great deal better used as it was than being in another position. It's slap in the face to every person who ever served in the National Guard to portray George Bush's time in the Guard as anything other than fully acceptable.

[SkyPilot]

President Bush spent more time learning in basic training, learning to fly, getting qualified to fly the F-102 and then keeping himself qualified than Kerry spent in the service all together.

Your whole post was wonderful---I just highlighted a portion of it.

I wish you worked for USA Today, NBC, or one of the other brain donors who got their dual degree in Journalism / Phys Ed.

[jwpjr]

Thank you for the kind words! I would love to see a time line that compares the President's time in the ANG with Kerry's time with the Naval Reserve. I think it would be pretty interesting. From entering basic training at Lackland AFB to flying solo in the F-102 was a long, hard road. George Bush may have had someone use some pull to get him into the ANG, but once he was in flight school he was on his own! No instructor pilot was going to give him a free pass for hear he might have to fly with him one day. In view of the fact that George Bush had what it takes to be a fighter pilot it would have been very wasteful to have put him in some other position. If he had someone pull strings to get him into the Texas ANG it was certainly as advantageous for the ANG as it was for George Bush.

[SkyPilot]

You're welcome.

Let me focus on one thing you said:

George Bush may have had someone use some pull to get him into the ANG,

AHHHH! That is something the Media is focusing on.

Let me all let you in on a not so secret:

Getting into ANY Guard unit requires pull. They are very close, and don't wish to fly with some yahoo. Furthermore, Active Duty (today) who wish to get into a Guard Unit (like the 170th Fighter Squadron at Illinois or the 174th at Syracuse flying F-16s) had better know someone--or you ain't gettin in!

[AndrewC]

Further, it is not only good sense, and usually required -- either informally or in hard copy by aviation commands.

Absolutely! I flew (as a back seat Electronic Warfare Officer) with staff weenies who only flew in fighters once a month and they verged on dangerous. In a bomber, the Wing Commander put in his time with an Instructor Pilot. Flying regs covered all aspects of the training required when an individual did not accomplish, for whatever reasons, the necessary events mandated to maintain flying currency. The pilot might require an instructor if the pilot did not accomplish the requisite number of night landings in a specific period.

[Bob]

I've heard that there's a technical term for a pilot who refuses to abort landing attempts: "Deceased".