Pilot: Flying Bush was 'just awesome'

usatoday.com ^ | 2/05/03

[Jakarta ex-pat]

Navy pilot John "Skip" Lussier has made hundreds of aircraft carrier landings but none like his pressure-filled touchdown on the USS Abraham Lincoln with President Bush in the cockpit.

"The pressure was ratcheted up just a little bit, but I tried not to think about it," Lussier said Friday on ABC's Good Morning America. "I just wanted to focus on it as a mission and make sure I got the president aboard safely."

[Wolfstar]

I wonder what he was saying in that pic.

[Wolfstar]

First, you need to understand that few in the media know the difference between a nautical mile and a standard mile. Second, you need to understand that facts to many in the media are nuisances that can get in the way of telling the STORY. Since I live in L.A., I got to hear the local media give all sorts of distances for the flight: 30 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles. I'll be willing to bet there isn't one reporter out of 100 anywhere in the country who knows the correct distance. Yesterday's media theme du jour was that the President's flight was a political stunt, so any short distance figure will do whether or not it's accurate.

[Wolfstar]

That is one of the best images ever of any president. Eat your rotten heart out, Hollyweird. Who needs Tom Cruise or Harrison Ford when we've got the real deal in our Dubya.

[DB]

Well then the Fox reporter on the ship was wrong and not me.

I'm just repeating what the reporter said as I indicated.

I didn't claim to "know" myself.

[Wolfstar]

He was piped aboard, and it is "United States" arriving (short for President of the United States).

[Wolfstar]

When they said he got a tour of the 'Abe' they weren't kidding, LOL! Gosh I adore this guy.

[Wolfstar]

Those are the "Skittles." They work the flight deck during flight ops, a very dangerous occupation. The different colors designate different work groups, and the brightness of the colors helps people see them across roughly 1100 feed of deck with all sorts of things happening on it at very quick tempo.

[Wolfstar]

Actually, the plane in question can carry and drop bombs. The particular plane that became Navy 1 yesterday flew refeuling missions over Iraq during the war.

[gcruse]

No, he doesn't have to request permission to come aboard. I'd imagine that they "piped" him aboard as "Commander in Chief, arriving".

According the Fox News, Bush was piped aboard as
"United States arriving."  The phrase gets me choked up.
Apparently heads of state are piped aboard in that fashion.

[6ppc]

Four wire huh?

[6ppc]

Nice pic!

[NEWwoman]

Cool!

[Ruth A.]

I will be so heartened when we can have a thread about a great president and never have any reference to the worste president. The sorid remarks should not be placed in any proximity of Pres. Bush.

We have had few presidents who were physically capable of such a flight and landing. He wears the flight suit with honor and pride and military bearing.

Thanks for the pics. He is out among the enlisted and having a great experience.

[ladyinred]

"He was great," said Lussier. "Once he got into the brief he just started remembering. It was a bonding of aviators. When we got into the plane, I gave him the stick and it was like he hadn't left the cockpit."

Oooo, I love this! Wonder how it makes all those who call him a draft dodger feel?

[ladyinred]

It was Awesome, eh? Um, Duh!! This is breaking news?

It is to me!!!!

[Destro]

it's fun news -- just not breaking news

[csvset]

"United States arriving." Apparently heads of state are piped aboard in that fashion.

Thanks. I didn't think CIC was correct.

[csvset]

Was this the visit where he and his co-horts looted the cabins?

No, the 'Toon's Posse robbed the USS George Washington.

Prior to arriving in the Mediterranean Sea, USS George Washington JTG will participate in the 50th anniversary of D-Day in the United Kingdom and France. As part of the commemorations, President Bill Clinton will embark in USS George Washington and travel with the ship across the English Channel, re-tracing the path of the Allied invasion force from England to France.

[csvset]

Actually, the plane in question can carry and drop bombs.

Operating from the flight deck of the USS America during the Gulf War, history was made of 20 February when the embarked Maulers of ASW squadron VS-32 in their S-3Bs were the first to successfully engage, bomb and destroy a hostile surface vessel. This was accomplished with three 500-pound bombs and by accident the air-refueling buddy store.

I was stationed aboard the USS America during the Gulf War. The S-3 had a picture of the buddy store breaking a ship in half stenciled on the fusalage.

VS-32 Maulers

[gatorbait]

RE;Caligula on Base,, Were you at Barksdale?