View Full Version : Statue of Liberty flyby startles New Yorkers
Our tax dollars at work. Not only did it cost us tax $$ - it cost us NYSE/AMEX/NASDQ $$, too. :rolleyes:
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Statue of Liberty flyby startles New Yorkers
Robert Gibbons and Ellen Freilichm, Reuters, 27 apr 2009
An Air Force fighter jet and one of President Barack Obama's official planes on Monday flew low over the Statue of Liberty in an approved photo opportunity that startled some New Yorkers who have memories of the September 11 attacks.
New York City officials notified some businesses but not all city agencies or the general public. People in New York remain sensitive to such incidents in lower Manhattan, site of the 2001 attacks involving hijacked airliners that destroyed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
Many people left their buildings, and stock prices extended losses at the time.
The U.S. Air Force, which operates the president's plane, said the "aerial photo mission" involved an F-16 fighter jet escort and one of the Boeing 747s designated as Air Force One when the president is aboard. Obama was not on board.
Police said federal authorities told them not to disclose the information ahead of time but to direct inquiries to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA called it "an approved military photo op." The White House declined to comment.
"After our history with planes in lower Manhattan, you would think they would consider doing their exercises over the Potomac (in Washington) instead," said Peggy Lewis, who heard the planes from her Manhattan home.
The mid-morning flyover made traders jittery at the New York Mercantile Exchange, where they reported seeing the plane flying low over the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, banking, and repeating the pattern.
"We took it upon ourselves to leave the building. We asked police downstairs about it, and they said they didn't know anything. It could have caused some real panic," said Dominick Caglioti, an independent commodities trader who works next to the site where the Twin Towers formerly stood.
After the incident, the city released an advisory stating that the flyover was "part of an approved federal activity."
"We made the notifications to the city so they were aware that the flight would take place between 10 and 10:30 this morning," FAA spokesman Jim Peters said.
The World Financial Center across the street from the World Trade Center site did not call for an evacuation, although many tenants in the building decided to leave. A spokeswoman said tenants were told the flyover was authorized and that there was no reason to worry.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090427/us_nm/us_newyork_plane
Police said federal authorities told them not to disclose the information ahead of time but to direct inquiries to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Frik-n Idiots,
Talk about a complete lack of SA
^%(*^%%#(^%$*^((&*@)^&^)^@#%$%*@)&_@*%^)^%)&^)@$&)&#:mad:
:mad:
:mad:
:mad:
"in an approved photo opportunity"
Approved by who? Sad Sack? What moron would......oh, I forgot :rolleyes: :mad:
Defender968
04-27-2009, 14:58
"After our history with planes in lower Manhattan, you would think they would consider doing their exercises over the Potomac (in Washington) instead," said Peggy Lewis, who heard the planes from her Manhattan home.
Yea will someone please just go ahead and have the statue of liberty moved out into the Potomac, that way Peggy doesn’t have to be bothered by the jet noise for the Presidents photo op. This op only annoys me a little because we should all be trying to conserve money including the president and because I'm sure we don't have any pictures of AF 1 flying by the statue of liberty :rolleyes:
I really hope they took her out of context, but as I’ve pretty much lost my faith in the intelligence of the general public, Peggy please, for the love of god find out the details first, then think, and then maybe just maybe open mouth, if you don't follow these simple steps you are likely to come across sounding like a complete moron. Just my .02
It seems that a variety of explanations were offered by different sources. At least one of these explanations described the fly over as a test.
Source is here (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/air-force-one-backup-rattles-new-york-nerve/).
"People came pouring out of the buildings, the American Express Building, all the buildings in the financial district by the water,” said Edward Acker, a photographer who was at the building, 3 World Financial Center. “And even the construction guys over by 100 North End Avenue area, they all got out of their buildings. Nobody knew about it. Finally some guy showed up with a little megaphone to tell everyone it was a test, but the people were not happy. The people who were here 9/11 were not happy.”
Also, the president wasn't exactly happy himself. (Eventually, to paraphrase Letterman, the president will use the same method to fire a member of his team that he used to select his team in the first place--a dart board.)
When President Obama learned of the episode on Monday afternoon, aides said, he, too, was furious. Senior administration officials conveyed the president’s anger in a meeting with Mr. Caldera on Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Robert Gibbs again demonstrated his mastery of his job.:rolleyes:
Mr. Gibbs, pressed by reporters, said he had seen news reports of the flyover, but declared: “I was working on other things. You might be surprised to know that I don’t know every movement of Air Force One.” Later, he added that he would look into the matter.
My two cents are that those who live and work in NYC, especially if they were in the city on 9/11, have every right to be a tad alarmed. Several days after the attacks, I had a chilling conversation with my sister, who lives and works in NYC. Her refrain was: "We're fine...everything is fine...we're fine.":eek:
Utah Bob
04-27-2009, 21:38
What in God's name were they thinking??
I can imagine a 9/11 survivor looking up and seeing a low flying 747 apparently being chased by a fighter!
Just really stupid! I wonder where the buck will stop on this one.:mad:
BMT (RIP)
04-28-2009, 03:32
I did a quick check and it's look's like AF-1 has been up 25-30 times since 20JAN.
I know some were maintenance flifgt's and crew training.
BMT
GreenSalsa
04-28-2009, 04:30
"a photo op"?!
Why with the current "Green" culture of this President and administration, why didn't they just photo shop the plane over / by the Statue of Liberty? I wonder how many "tons of carbon" were used for this stunt...(sarcasm here folks).
Besides I guarantee there are plenty of AF1 shots with that landmark in the background, why the need for a "new" picture?
cback0220
04-28-2009, 07:55
I really doubt the President had any say in the matter, or anyone in his administration. The President does not own the planes the US Air Force does, if they decided to do a photo op it is on them. This has nothing to do with the President or his administration.
The USAF took a beating over this on the evening news last night - also reported that the POTUS called in the senior military liaison to the White House and the conversation was a heated one. ;)
Richard's $.02 :munchin
The Reaper
04-28-2009, 08:16
I really doubt the President had any say in the matter, or anyone in his administration. The President does not own the planes the US Air Force does, if they decided to do a photo op it is on them. This has nothing to do with the President or his administration.
Not exactly.
If the POTUS wanted new pics, he can task the AF to go get them.
It remains to be seen who actually created this requirement. So far, White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera looks like he is taking the heat as he apologized for any panic caused.
"Caldera said he approved the mission last week and that federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey."
Of course, he could be covering for someone else in this matter.
This means that the White House originated this request, not the AF.
TR
Team Sergeant
04-28-2009, 08:21
"a photo op"?!
Why with the current "Green" culture of this President and administration, why didn't they just photo shop the plane over / by the Statue of Liberty? I wonder how many "tons of carbon" were used for this stunt...(sarcasm here folks).
Besides I guarantee there are plenty of AF1 shots with that landmark in the background, why the need for a "new" picture?
One thing I have learned about the Far Left, "Green" is something one "says" in front of cameras and it has nothing to do with what one actually "does".
Some one needs to introduce them to Photoshop. At some point in the planning and execution of this you would think at least some of the Aviators would think.. "wow this is a really dumb idea..."
Utah Bob
04-28-2009, 10:11
They needed a photo due to the new paint job.
First you buff off the old design.
Like This (http://www.detailersofairforceone.com/storage/Lake%20Country%20Pads%20Used%20On%20Air%20Force%20 One%20Brings%20American%20Pride.jpg)
Then you paint the new one on
Like This (http://sassvets.homestead.com/af1tail.jpg)
This is true. I heard it from a guy who has a friend, and his sister knows an A2c who used to air up the tires on AF1.;)
Not only was the Air Force wrong but so was the local government who failed to notify EVERYONE...via the news, the newspaper, radio,even flyers in the mail, etc. All the alarm could have been prevented if the local authorities had just done something that makes so much sense! Good job, Mr. Bloomberg, you and your administration should be held accountable for this!!
I can honestly say, that if I still lived in NYC, I would have been scared as well. I was there for 9/11, my loss, like many others, was insurmountable. Seeing that jet flying overhead AGAIN, would have only served to relive that horror again. One man ran down 20 flights of stairs in a panic....now what if he had had a fatal heartattack from this run and from the extreme amount of fear he was probably feeling? Or in a panic stampede mode that humans have been known to do....people are trampled to death?
Fox News asked this morning "Are NYers overreacting, are they too sensitive? We want to hear your opinion".
<shaking my head in disbelief>
Utah Bob
04-28-2009, 11:05
Not only was the Air Force wrong but so was the local government who failed to notify EVERYONE...via the news, the newspaper, radio,even flyers in the mail, etc. All the alarm could have been prevented if the local authorities had just done something that makes so much sense! Good job, Mr. Bloomberg, you and your administration should be held accountable for this!!
I can honestly say, that if I still lived in NYC, I would have been scared as well. I was there for 9/11, my loss, like many others, was insurmountable. Seeing that jet flying overhead AGAIN, would have only served to relive that horror again. One man ran down 20 flights of stairs in a panic....now what if he had had a fatal heartattack from this run and from the extreme amount of fear he was probably feeling? Or in a panic stampede mode that humans have been known to do....people are trampled to death?
Fox News asked this morning "Are NYers overreacting, are they too sensitive? We want to hear your opinion".
<shaking my head in disbelief>
Bloomberg was too busy giving Swine Flu press briefings.:mad:
Bloomberg weighed in saying that it was "an ill-conceived, insensitive photo op" and said that if he had known about it before hand he would have not authorized it. He further stated that it was at the expense of tax payers but in the end it's the federal government and they can do what they want.
OH FOR THE LOVE OF PETE....does he honestly expect people to believe that he didn't know!?
The POTUS said it wasn't a good idea, he found out about it when we all did and that it would never happen again. Interesting look on his face, I would hate to think that that was a smirk on his lips when he said those words!
rubberneck
04-28-2009, 11:32
As someone who lived through 9-11 in a very personal way I think people are overreacting here. When did New Yorkers become such a bunch of spineless whimps?
It was a stupid thing to do but the paint job on Air Force one is very unique and easily identifiable at the altitudes that they were operating. Anyone that saw it first hand had to know that it wasn't just any plain old jumbo jet. Several months after 9-11 as we started to move troops into Afghanistan it was a fairly common occurrence for military transport planes to orbit ground zero so that the troops on board could get a good look at the reason why they were going over there. And the Air Force flew CAP missions over the city for several weeks. Like I said it was handled very poorly and there was no reason for the secrecy as the President wasn't on board but in general New Yorkers need to chill out a bit.
In case anyone feels that is callous I would like to point out that I went to so many funerals and memorial services for friends and neighbors after 9-11 that I had to establish a set of criteria to determine which ones I attended, as some of them over lapped.
Retired W4
04-28-2009, 13:27
I did a quick check and it's look's like AF-1 has been up 25-30 times since 20JAN.
I know some were maintenance flifgt's and crew training.
BMT
I believe one of his first flights in AF-1, if not THE first, was to a little Dem Party shindig in Williamsburg, VA. When I heard about it I ran the flight on my Jepp flight planning software on 5 FEB. The flight from KADW (Andrews) to KJGG
(Williansburg-Jamestown) is 95NM (GPS-Direct). In the old S-76B, or maybe Marine One, that would be a 45 minute flight. It's not exactly a very efficient flight in a 747. Hell, that's way too short a flight for a C-20. But, "It's a cool ride."
Meanwhile this cost over $325K according to a report just a few minutes ago on Fox News.
I'm glad I'm rich enough to pay for a freaking photo op, God knows it was needed. :rolleyes:
Source is here (http://wcbstv.com/topstories/air.force.one.2.996457.html).
FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic
Threatened Federal Sanctions Against NYPD, Secret Service, FBI & Mayor's Office If Secret Ever Got Out
Furious Obama Apologizes: "It Will Never Happen Again"
A furious President Barack Obama ordered an internal review of Monday's low-flying photo op over the Statue of Liberty.
CBS 2 HD has discovered the feds will have plenty to question
Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.
In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration's James Johnston said the agency was aware of "the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes" in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor's office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.
"To say that it should not be made public knowing that it might scare people it's just confounding," Sen. Charles Schumer said. "It's what gives Washington and government a bad name. It's sheer stupidity."
The flyover -- apparently ordered by the White House Office of Military Affairs so it would have souvenir photos of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background -- had President Obama seeing red. He ordered a probe and apologized.
"It was a mistake. It will never happen again," President Obama said.
The NYPD was so upset about the demand for secrecy that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly vowed never to follow such a directive again and he accused the feds of inciting fears of a 9/11 replay.
"Did it show any insensitivity to the psychic wounds New York City has after 9/11? Absolutely. No questions about it. It was quite insensitive."
The cost of the frivolous flight was about $60,000 an hour and that was just for Air Force One. That doesn't include the cost of the two F-16s that came along.
The mayoral aide who neglected to tell Mayor Michael Bloomberg about it was reprimanded.
Amateur hour continues.
from the public view in the middle of the day?
I trust the DOD to do their jobs to keep us safe, Nationally. I'll trust myself and team mates to cover our own ground within 100 meters.
6.8SPC_DUMP
04-28-2009, 18:57
CONTENT DELETED. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING - PEREGRINO
CONTENT DELETED. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING - PEREGRINO
Man, that's kinda like those posted "Off-Limits" areas....just makes one want to really KNOW what's going on there...:D
....It was a stupid thing to do but the paint job on Air Force one is very unique and easily identifiable at the altitudes that they were operating........
The city has a bunch of people in many locations - it's a city.
Being able to ID the plane as Air Force One would depend on distance and angle.
A Blimp was over Fayetteville the other day as I was driving to Lowes. Not more than a mile or so away. I knew it was a Blimp and was trying to keep my eye on it as I was driving - wanted to ID the company.
With the turns and trees I never could get a look at the side while it was close.
By the time I got to the open area near Ramsey Street and Lowes all I could see was the back end as it was down near the VA Hospital heading south.
And let's not forget - most of them are civilians. "The plane, Boss, the plane" thats all they see.
"The plane, Boss, the plane" thats all they see.
Not too difficult to imagine an old 747 painted like Air Force One by a group claiming to do a remake of the Harrison Ford movie and then...:eek:
Richard's $.02 :munchin
Ret10Echo
04-29-2009, 05:39
Local radio (WTOP) reported that the Whitehouse has cancelled similar fly-overs of various Washington DC monuments.
The fly-overs were scheduled for next week...
Last week there were evacauations and lock-downs when a private plane wandered into the No-fly zone.
Wonder how much the probe will cost us? :rolleyes:
Richard's $.02 :munchin
White House will probe presidential plane PR stunt
USA Today, 29 Apr 2009
The taxpayer bill for Monday's presidential plane flight over Manhattan was $328,835. The political cost to the Obama White House will be harder to calculate.
"It was a mistake ... and it will not happen again," President Obama said.
But the origins of the government public relations stunt that went awry remained a mystery — and a potential political problem for Obama. The White House military office approved the photo op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts.
"I think this is one of those rare cases where we can all agree it was a mistake," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said of Monday's "unfortunate" flight low over the Hudson River that for many on the ground evoked chilling memories of 9/11.
The sight of the huge passenger jet and an F-16 fighter plane whizzing past the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan financial district sent panicked office workers streaming into the streets.
WCBS-TV in New York reported Tuesday that it had obtained a Federal Aviation Administration memo outlining the photo op. The memo acknowledged "the possibility of public concern regarding (Defense Department) aircraft flying at low altitudes" around Manhattan, but the TV station reported that the FAA demanded secrecy from the New York Police Department, the mayor's office, the Secret Service and the FBI.
A White House official has said the New York City mayor's office and other New York and New Jersey police agencies were told about the Boeing 747's flight. The official said the FAA, at the military's request, told local agencies that the information was classified and asked them not to publicize it.
White House officials did not say why new photos were needed of the plane that is sometimes used as Air Force One — Obama wasn't aboard the flight — or who the presumed audience of the planned photographs were.
Air Force officials began to provide basic information Tuesday about the cost of the flights, but did not disclose how long the public has paid for similar photo op flights.
And public officials from the White House to New York still had not explained why they acceded to a plan that informed several dozen officials about the impending flight but kept the public in the dark.
"I think we've all learned something from it and now it's time to make sure our procedures are better and to get on with other things," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "It does seem like it was a waste of money, but that's up to the federal government."
White House officials said Obama was fuming mad and thinks Air Force One didn't need a new publicity photo anyway.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates "did not know in advance about this flying photo op," Morrell said. "Once he found out, suffice it to say he was surprised and not very pleased."
The presidential air fleet answers to the White House military office, whose director, Louis Caldera, issued a mea culpa on Monday.
"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," Caldera's statement said. "I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-29-low-flying-plane_N.htm?csp=YahooModule_News
BMT (RIP)
04-29-2009, 07:27
ZERO departed DC this mornin' at 0847, with assorted support aircraft. Headed to MO for a Townhall meeting.
BMT
Wonder how much the probe will cost us? :rolleyes:
Richard's $.02 :munchin
White House will probe presidential plane PR stunt
USA Today, 29 Apr 2009
The taxpayer bill for Monday's presidential plane flight over Manhattan was $328,835. The political cost to the Obama White House will be harder to calculate.
"It was a mistake ... and it will not happen again," President Obama said.
But the origins of the government public relations stunt that went awry remained a mystery — and a potential political problem for Obama. The White House military office approved the photo op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts.
"I think this is one of those rare cases where we can all agree it was a mistake," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said of Monday's "unfortunate" flight low over the Hudson River that for many on the ground evoked chilling memories of 9/11.
The sight of the huge passenger jet and an F-16 fighter plane whizzing past the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan financial district sent panicked office workers streaming into the streets.
WCBS-TV in New York reported Tuesday that it had obtained a Federal Aviation Administration memo outlining the photo op. The memo acknowledged "the possibility of public concern regarding (Defense Department) aircraft flying at low altitudes" around Manhattan, but the TV station reported that the FAA demanded secrecy from the New York Police Department, the mayor's office, the Secret Service and the FBI.
A White House official has said the New York City mayor's office and other New York and New Jersey police agencies were told about the Boeing 747's flight. The official said the FAA, at the military's request, told local agencies that the information was classified and asked them not to publicize it.
White House officials did not say why new photos were needed of the plane that is sometimes used as Air Force One — Obama wasn't aboard the flight — or who the presumed audience of the planned photographs were.
Air Force officials began to provide basic information Tuesday about the cost of the flights, but did not disclose how long the public has paid for similar photo op flights.
And public officials from the White House to New York still had not explained why they acceded to a plan that informed several dozen officials about the impending flight but kept the public in the dark.
"I think we've all learned something from it and now it's time to make sure our procedures are better and to get on with other things," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "It does seem like it was a waste of money, but that's up to the federal government."
White House officials said Obama was fuming mad and thinks Air Force One didn't need a new publicity photo anyway.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates "did not know in advance about this flying photo op," Morrell said. "Once he found out, suffice it to say he was surprised and not very pleased."
The presidential air fleet answers to the White House military office, whose director, Louis Caldera, issued a mea culpa on Monday.
"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," Caldera's statement said. "I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-29-low-flying-plane_N.htm?csp=YahooModule_News
I don't care what anyone says, the Director of WHMO did not come up with this on his own. But he will be taking the fall for whoever in the administration thought this needed to be done. Suffice it to say, I bet every administration has done this. Doesn't make it right, just means that this administration is probably not the only one to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on photo ops of AF-1.
Although they may be the only ones clueless enough to do this in NY given what happened on 9-11. I am pretty disappointed in the AF leadership within the Presidential Airlift unit at Andrews that they didn't think this was a pretty bad idea, given the location.
Defender968
04-29-2009, 10:38
Although they may be the only ones clueless enough to do this in NY given what happened on 9-11. I am pretty disappointed in the AF leadership within the Presidential Airlift unit at Andrews that they didn't think this was a pretty bad idea, given the location.
afchic you've had a longer AF career than I had so maybe your experience was different/better than mine, but in my 12 years associated with the AF I met only 1 O-6 or above that was worth the chrome on his eagles (and I was a cadet at the time so I'm not even sure he counts at this point), which is one of the reasons I left. This is par for the course with AF leadership IMO, I guess I'm just a little surprised it continues to surprise you that AF leadership continues to do the wrong thing, the right thing was the hard thing so they steered clear of it like the plague as they always do. No one likes to tell their boss he's presented a stupid idea, but it is their job none the less and it often needs to happen, though it rarely happens.
Curious how many of the citizens of NYC noticed the photographers... if you're spending that much to get the subject on site there better have been a heap of cameras in the neighborhood. Can't wait to see the pictures. This better not have been the best they got. :munchin
PS best news article about this whole thing... "Create-your-own NYC Air Force One flyover photo... we did":
http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_createyourown_nyc_air_force_one_flyover_photo__ we_did.html
Curious how many of the citizens of NYC noticed the photographers... if you're spending that much to get the subject on site there better have been a heap of cameras in the neighborhood. Can't wait to see the pictures. This better not have been the best they got. :munchin
PS best news article about this whole thing... "Create-your-own NYC Air Force One flyover photo... we did":
http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_createyourown_nyc_air_force_one_flyover_photo__ we_did.html
The photographer was in the F-16, not on the ground.
afchic you've had a longer AF career than I had so maybe your experience was different/better than mine, but in my 12 years associated with the AF I met only 1 O-6 or above that was worth the chrome on his eagles (and I was a cadet at the time so I'm not even sure he counts at this point), which is one of the reasons I left. This is par for the course with AF leadership IMO, I guess I'm just a little surprised it continues to surprise you that AF leadership continues to do the wrong thing, the right thing was the hard thing so they steered clear of it like the plague as they always do. No one likes to tell their boss he's presented a stupid idea, but it is their job none the less and it often needs to happen, though it rarely happens.
I have met my fair share of good for nothing senior officers. I have also worked for some of the best in the world.
It does surprise me when the AF leadership does stupid things like this, maybe because I continue to hope that they will do the right thing, especially when the right thing is the easy thing to do in a lot of cases. It doesn't take a brain surgeon.
Caldera falls on his sword for the fly by.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/08/white-house-release-new-york-flyover-photo-friday/
In his resignation letter, the former Army secretary said that he has concluded that the controversy surrounding the photo shoot "has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office."
On the contrary, I think this is a perfect example of his leadership capabilities. Whoever the High Ranking Official was that Caldera was accomodating, hope it was worth it.
Red Flag 1
05-08-2009, 16:28
I have met my fair share of good for nothing senior officers. I have also worked for some of the best in the world.
It does surprise me when the AF leadership does stupid things like this, maybe because I continue to hope that they will do the right thing, especially when the right thing is the easy thing to do in a lot of cases. It doesn't take a brain surgeon.
I have to agree afchic; I expect the same can be said for all branches as well as many corporate offices around the world.
Perhaps the ones who got this right were the stunned NYC folks. Seeing AF-1 means BHO. They ran for their lives....................
RF 1
Utah Bob
05-08-2009, 17:01
I'm not sure you can say "effectively lead" and "White House" in the same sentence.
I'm not sure you can say "effectively lead" and "White House" in the same sentence.
Oxymoron comes to mind...
Meanwhile they have NO intention of releasing the photos. Classified, don't you know.
greenberetTFS
05-09-2009, 11:13
Curious how many of the citizens of NYC noticed the photographers... if you're spending that much to get the subject on site there better have been a heap of cameras in the neighborhood. Can't wait to see the pictures. This better not have been the best they got. :munchin
PS best news article about this whole thing... "Create-your-own NYC Air Force One flyover photo... we did":
http://www.nydailynews.com/tech_guide/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_createyourown_nyc_air_force_one_flyover_photo__ we_did.html
D,
That photo you showed,was that one of those "Atomic cannons"pointing at the aircraft that they have in NYC to protect them against planes like this flying over their city? ;)
GB TFS :munchin
Ret10Echo
05-11-2009, 09:24
Well....the "Wheel of Woe" has come to a rest on lucky number 7.
In true DC fashion,
1. Empty promises and apologies distributed liberally.
2. Disposable employee is "disposed of"
3. The pat on the back circle is formed.
4. Eerie silence of the MSM.
5. Return to normal operatios.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon and Air Force are reviewing whether their officials may be partly to blame for a $328,835 photo-op of a jumbo jet used by the president soaring above New York City that has already forced the White House military director to step down.
Former Army Secretary Louis Caldera, the White House aide who authorized the flyover, resigned under fire Friday as the Obama administration tried to move past the embarrassing incident that sent panicked workers rushing into the streets amid flashbacks of Sept. 11.
The White House released the findings of an internal review that portrayed Caldera as out of the loop in a cycle of missed messages and questionable judgments as plans for the photo shoot proceeded.
But the investigation is hardly the end of the matter.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered a review at the Pentagon; the Air Force is conducting its own review as well.
In a May 5 letter to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Gates apologized for the incident, saying "we deeply regret the anxiety and alarm that resulted from this mission."
McCain posted the letter on his Web site Friday.
"I am concerned that this highly public and visible mission did not include an appropriate review and approval by senior Air Force and (Defense Department) officials," Gates wrote.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama has ordered a review of how the White House Military Office is set up, and how it reports to the White House and the Air Force.
That review, to be conducted by deputy chief of staff Jim Messina and Gates, will also offer recommendations to Obama designed to ensure that such an incident will not happen again, Gibbs said.
According to the findings released Friday, Caldera said he didn't know the jet _ known as Air Force One when the president is aboard _ would fly at 1,000 feet during the April 27 photo session. He also failed to read an e-mail message describing the operation and seemed unaware of the potential for public fear, the findings said.
Local officials had been notified in advance. But it was a shock to New Yorkers who looked up to see the Boeing 747 and its fighter jet escort flying near the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan's financial district, a terrifying reminder of the terrorist attacks in which jets brought down the two towers of the World Trade Center.
The Federal Aviation Administration told local officials in advance of the flight, but asked them not to disclose it to the public, the White House report said. There was a prepared statement for the FAA's New York regional office and for the Air Force in Washington to release if anyone called to ask about the flight.
In his resignation letter, released by the White House, Caldera said the controversy had "made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office," which is responsible for presidential aircraft.
Caldera's office approved the photo-op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts. The Air Force estimated the photo shoot cost taxpayers $328,835. The purpose of the flight was to update the official photo of the president's jet.
To think that some say there's no place for new media and social networking in the armed services.
Source is here (http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090810/D99VV4M80.html).
Air Force used Twitter to track NY flyover fallout
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Aug 10, 6:11 AM (ET)
By RICHARD LARDNER
WASHINGTON (AP) - As the Pentagon warns of the security risks posed by social networking sites, newly released government documents show the military also uses these Internet tools to monitor and react to coverage of high-profile events.
The Air Force tracked the instant messaging service Twitter, video carrier YouTube and various blogs to assess the huge public backlash to the Air Force One flyover of the Statue of Liberty this spring, according to the documents.
And while the attempts at damage control failed - "No positive spin is possible," one PowerPoint chart reads - the episode opens a window into the tactics for operating in a boundless digital news cycle.
This new terrain has slippery slopes, though, for the military. Facebook, MySpace and other social media sites are very popular among service members, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan who want to keep in touch with friends and family. The sites are also valued by military organizations for recruiting or communicating with other federal agencies.
But posting information on these interactive links makes it vulnerable to being lost or stolen by the enemy, according to Pentagon officials. On Thursday hackers shut down Twitter for several hours, while Facebook had intermittent access problems - an indication of the shortcomings of relying on these services.
The Marine Corps' computer network blocks users from accessing social media sites, which service officials say expose "information to adversaries" and provide "an easy conduit for information leakage."
The Marines recently made its ban official. And that prohibition might extend to other parts of the military pending a top-level review ordered in late July by Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn.
In a widely distributed memo, Lynn said the so-called "Web 2.0" sites are important tools but more study is needed to understand their threats and benefits.
Air Force officials are already aware of the potential benefits.
According to the Air Force One documents released through the Freedom of Information Act, a unit called the Combat Information Cell at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida monitored the public fallout from the April 27 flight and offered recommendations for dealing with the fast-breaking story.
Formed two years ago, the cell is made up of as many as nine people who analyze piles of data culled from the Internet and other sources to determine whether the Air Force's message is being heard.
The presidential plane took off for New York from Andrews Air Force in Maryland accompanied by two F-16 jet fighters. The purpose of the flight, which wasn't publicly announced, was to get new photos of the specially modified Boeing 747 with the statue in the background.
The mission quickly became a public relations disaster as panicked New Yorkers, fearing another 9/11-style attack, emptied office buildings. In the aftermath, Louis Caldera, director of the White House military office that authorized the flight, was fired.
The Combat Information Cell's first assessment of the event said "Web site blog comments 'furious' at best." Local reporting of the flyover was "very critical, highlighting scare factor," it added.
A Twitter search revealed a rate of one "tweet" per minute about a pair of F-16s chasing a commercial airliner. A tweet is a text message of up to 140 characters delivered to the author's subscribers, who are known as followers.
Media coverage over the next 24 hours "will focus on local hysteria and lack of public notification," the cell predicted. "Blogs will continue to be overwhelmingly negative."
"Damage control requires timely counter-information," but the opportunity for that had passed, the assessment said. The cell recommended acknowledging the mistake and ensuring it didn't happen again.
Another update on April 28 said the story was still "reverberating, surprisingly resilient." The tweet rate had grown to three per minute and the words "New York" had been pushed into Twitter's high-frequency topic category. Videos of the event posted on YouTube had been viewed more than 260,000 times, it said.
By April 30, the story had faded, the cell reported. The blogs were still very critical, but it was the White House, not the Air Force, that was taking the heat, the assessment for that day said.
The other dominant news story at the time was public concern over the spread of swine flu. According to the documents, the same Air Force cell suggested there may be an opportunity to turn the tide. "Government involvement in this incident could be used to frame expected handling of H1N1 outbreak," one of the PowerPoint charts reads.
A Utah Air National Guard unit, the 101st Information Warfare Flight in Salt Lake City, was also monitoring the social sites. "To say that this event is being beaten like a dead horse is an understatement," reads an April 28 e-mail from the unit to other Air Force offices. "Has really taken off in Web. 2.0."
Both the 101st and the Combat Information Cell are attached to the 1st Air Force, which is based at Tyndall and is in charge of guarding U.S. airspace.
1st Air Force spokesman Al Eakle explained that the command had no role in planning or coordinating the Air Force One flight. But the units tracked social networks and blog traffic "to obtain what lessons we might learn so as not to repeat them in the future." The assessments were sent to the command's leadership so they'd know how the public was reacting, he added.
John Verdi of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington said gray zones can emerge while monitoring social networking sites because viewing and participating is based on trust.
"Lots of times individuals upload private or sensitive information that they expect to share with their friends or family and not the whole Internet world," Verdi said. "It would certainly be a major problem if the government were accessing that information under false pretenses."
Paul Bove, an Air Force digital media strategist, said service personnel are instructed not to do that. Nor are they to use aliases or represent a position that's beyond the scope of what they do.
"We always tell people, 'Stay in your lane and don't talk about something that you're not qualified to talk about,'" Bove said.
The issue of aliases is at the heart of a complaint stemming for the Army Corps of Engineers' performance in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina.
On Tuesday, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., asked the Pentagon inspector general to examine allegations that Corps employees posed as ordinary citizens and posted comments on a New Orleans web site defending the organization from criticism following the disaster.
Jon Donley, former editor of NOLA.com, said in a June 9 affidavit that there were as many as 20 registered users who developed a pattern of not only defending the Corps, but at times being "overtly abusive" to any critics. He said he was able to trace their posts to a Corps Internet address.
Ken Holder, a spokesman for Corps' New Orleans District, said it will cooperate with any investigation.
Ret10Echo
05-21-2010, 04:11
This doesn't qualify having it's own thread....so I thought I would tag it on to here.
Beware the elusive AF-1. It's "everywhere".
FAA May Have Answer To Jet Crash Report
Friday, May 21, 2010
Steve Fermier and York Daily Record
The FAA apparently solved at least part of the mystery that prompted frantic 911 calls this week about a jet flying close to the ground and possibly crashing.
Reports that a jet plane went down in the general area of the Conowingo Dam on Wednesday might have been prompted by an actual low-flying jumbo jet in York County.
Frantic residents were calling 911 Wednesday about a huge jet just 200 feet off the ground.
The FAA confirmed to the York Daily Record that it was acutally one of the 747s used by the President...and stationed out of Andrews.
The crew was making practice landings at Harrisburg International Airport.
At no time was the jet crew or the public in danger, the FAA said.
The Aegis is also reporting that officials in Cecil and Harford counties said a sea plane was taking off and landing near the dam.