Obama's low flying plane causes distress.

[jetEnglandDotCom]

THE White House has been forced to apologise after one of Barack Obama's planes zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline – sparking fears of
another September 11.

The Boeing 747 — one of the aircraft designated as Air Force One when the President is on board — and an F-16 fighter jet escort were taking part in a
photo opportunity.

But workers fled their offices in panic and phoned emergency services fearing a repeat of the terrorist attacks.

Furious

President Obama – said to be "furious" by the stunt – was not on board the plane at the time.

Angry New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: "The good news is it was nothing more than an inconsiderate, badly conceived and insensitive photo op
with the taxpayers' money.

"They should know how sensitive people would be if they had low-flying planes down around the World Trade Centre site."

Mr Bloomberg said he would have protested had he known and blamed a breakdown in communications.

Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, said he approved the mission and took responsibility for the decision.

"While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created
confusion and disruption," he said.

"I apologise and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/new...399852.ece



Post Edited ( 04-28-09 17:41 )

[Thunderstorm]

I saw it in the news today but when they showed the plane (and I think I'm not the only one) I directly knew that it was Air Force One.
But I can understand that the people were terrified it is really mad to let a plane fly over ground zero in this altitude...... and no one knew of it.
They maybe could show it in the news and on posters to "warn" the people but nevertheless it is macabre

[Joeflyer]

Frankly, it was a bone-headed move on the administration's part. It shows they are in a pre-9/11 mind set.

[ameval]

Very dumb to do such a thing...

[SkyAirWorld]

Sydney had the same thing last year, the final Boeing 707 flight around sydney made people fret...


Shame people are so jumpy, and didnt acknowleadge the beauty of the 707's last flight in the RAAF

[969SQN]

No warning what so ever. Very strange...

[SkyAirWorld]

Security risk to tell people

[969SQN]

hmm good point.

[whiskey-zulu]

When I'm at home I have RAF aircraft overflying my house at extremely low altitudes - have actually had a flight of 3 C130s in formation fly 30 feet
above the roof, was a sight, but the local RAF station CO got an ear full given I live on the outskirts of a small town. Perhaps in the UK there's
a slightly different attitude to aircraft in these situations, but low flying aircraft generally don't cause widespread panic here.

[timtomairways]

this kinda scaers me.

how orginized is the Obama administration.

probly as orginized as my high school student council.
we are doomed

[DSW334]

Joeflyer wrote:
Frankly, it was a bone-headed move on the administration's part. It shows they are in a pre-9/11 mind set.

[off-topic]
So because of the acts of one stupid man, the whole administration is in a wrong mind set? That would mean that if Tracky would be a
bad pilot, the rest of us booze crew are as well? hehehehe
[back on topic]

[Joeflyer]

DSW334 wrote:

Joeflyer wrote:
Frankly, it was a bone-headed move on the administration's part. It shows they are in a pre-9/11 mind set.

[off-topic]
So because of the acts of one stupid man, the whole administration is in a wrong mind set? That would mean that if Tracky would be a
bad pilot, the rest of us booze crew are as well? hehehehe
[back on topic]

Well, errr, it takes a bunch of people to make this sort of thing happen...one person doesn't make the decision, so yes, it's a bunch of
folks in the administration who are the blame for this fiasco. Obama said he found out about when the public did This guy seems to
not know anything until everyone else hears about it...at least that is his usual excuse. Of course Obama knows where AF One is at all
times...he just wants to shrug his shoulders and give the usual "I don't know" response

Now, Tracky is a different scenario altogether...what he does affects EVERYONE

[Sam Breese]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8021904.stm

They were barely flying 1500ft? Crazy.