Posted on 04/30/2009 8:48:12 AM PDT by TankerKC
An FAA memo ( PDF) floating around the Internet Wednesday suggests that if the FAA didn't originate the secrecy surrounding Monday's White House photo op over New York, it certainly went along with it.
The memoauthored by James J. Johnston of the agency's security operations branchclearly indicates the FAA was notified well ahead of the planned flyover and that it recognized the kind of reaction it might cause. The memo begins by saying: "The information in this document is considered FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY, and should only be shared with persons with a need to know. Information in this document shall not be released to the public or media."
The document then details the flight planning and the schedule, including the intent to fly around as low as 1000 feet in the Hudson River Corridor in the vicinity of the Statute of Liberty. The flyover occurred on Monday morning and raised a considerable ruckus in lower Manhattan and mid-town, as hundreds of workers panicked and evacuated buildings in the city, fearful of another 9/11-type terrorist attack. Also circulating the news sites are recordings of hysterical calls to New York's emergency services numbers.
The FAA did not respond to email and telephone requests for comment and, interestingly, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association told AVweb that it was declining comment because it didn't normally comment on security issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at avweb.com ...
And I don't believe that I've ever heard of an air show that was "buzzed" by a 747!!
Photo Op or Training Flight.
We’ve heard both excuses.
I would be very surprised if flight plans for either of the AF1 planes ever include and “SOB” figure. That sounds like exactly the sort of super-classified information that DoD and Secret Service would not want floating around on flight plans that go to the FAA. How many people are on board AF1 or its decoy is “need to know” type information, and the FAA has absolutely no need to know this.
Would a flight plan include information on a photo op? And would the FAA really approve flying at such a low altitude in NYC? I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem likely.
And if this really was a “training mission,” it’s odd that there was never such a thing during any other administration. obama continues to think we’re stupid.
Yes and you obviously missed all of the threads when San Francisco was attempting to ban the Blue Angels.
This is NOT photoshopped!
Okay, for the most part it was over the bay, but the main viewing stand, for those not in boats, was on the warf. That's basically downtown.
LOL we had the same thoughts. GMTA :)
I saw the Blue Angels in Annapolis. What a demonstration!
That's an amazing photo. Please tell me they buzzed Nancy Pelosi's house at mach 1.
Those guys have the best damn job in the world.
I think after the pics in the '07 show, they made them modify their flight levels a bit.
Silly San Fran wimps.
Isn’t that lower than the US Air plane that went down because of a bird strike.
According to the MSM that never happened. Tell your friend that Newsday says it didn't happen. lol!
According to a June 30, 1993, Newsday article headlined, "Bill's Coif: The Myth; Runway trim delayed no one":
the May 18 haircut caused no significant delays of regularly scheduled passenger flights - no circling planes, no traffic jams on the runways.
1) What is the significance, if any, of the date of the flyover? Most Al-Q attacks are planned on dates with some significance to them. (i.e. 9/11). So is there a known Islamic significance to the 4/27 date?
2) Does anyone have a scan of the map showing the route that was supposed to be attached to this memo? Is there any special significance to the route that was taken.
Blue Angels circled my 49th floor condo in Chicago at eye level. That’s 500’.
I still believe the President would have been notified if the "They" had been doing their job properly. We don't know if the "They" did, or did not notify him but I will lean to thinking that they did and he is just a liar when he says he only found out about it when we did.
Last week Mayor Bloomberg filed suit to find out where all the money has gone.
What if King Abdullah, himself a pilot, was flying AFI? That was more than a “flyover” ...it was an extended middle finger salute by somebody.
Mikey just was given his answer.
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