Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and a 747 from the presidential fleet 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.
The cost of the frivolous flight was about $60,000 an hour and that was just for the presidential aircraft. That doesn’t include the cost of the two F-16s that came along. The flight by the VC-25, a modified Boeing Co. 747, and two F-16 fighter jets cost $328,835, Air Force spokeswoman Vicki Stein said. That includes $300,658 for the larger plane, which flew a three-hour mission, and about $28,178 for the F-16 jets, which flew 1.8 hours each, Stein said in an e-mailed statement.
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.
So are we being used as guinea pigs? Was this just a Psyop to see how we would react? It wouldn’t surprise me.
#29, bobbo, hehe, that crane does kinda look like a missile.
Damn Bush and his evil plots. He probably planned this last year in an attempt to embarrass Obama.
It isn’t Air Force One. It isn’t Air Force One unless the president is on it.
Idgits
#39, Mr. Diesel,
ha ha ha, good point. I had forgotten about that.
#40. Then you didn’t RTFA. Its there.
They were just testing their “let’s distract the public while we pass a 3.6 trillion dollar bankrupt America” propaganda weapon. It might come in handy again for next years swine flu/airline panic attack budget signing.
>> Was this just a Psyop to see how we would react? It wouldn’t surprise me.
Really? No surprise at all?
Using Air Force One to _intentionally_ cause mass evacuation of skyscrapers in New York?
Nothing surprising about that!
If this had been a psch op the move might have been half way sane but then they would have told the locals at the top that as a way to calm them a bit.
I think the public reacted very well.
I’m pretty sure this was some second tier chair polishers proving they were brain dead and giving the boss a wonderful reason to kick their butts as hard as he can.
>> deowll said,
>> If this had been a psch op the move might have been half way sane but then they would have told the locals at the top that as a way to calm them a bit.
You’re right if the account listed in this blog is true. But don’t be so sure.
Elsewhere, I’ve heard a very different account that NYC was notified but THEY dropped the ball. (I didn’t see a link to the “secret” memo anywhere in the original story, did you?)
I have no idea what’s true but I do know that initial reports on these type stories are almost never what they seem to be.
>> “To say that it should not be made public knowing that it might scare people it’s just confounding,” Sen. Charles Schumer said
Confounding? Really?
I assume that Air Force One’s flight plans are a pretty strict secret.
I don’t know, for sure, but I’m sure Schumer knows. Maybe he’s easily confounded.
#41, sam,
#40. Then you didn’t RTFA. Its there.
Then enlighten us and point out where in the article it states that it does not become AF-1 until the President is aboard. If you can’t find it then you are just another idiot poser.
# 46 Greg Allen said, “I assume that Air Force One’s flight plans are a pretty strict secret. ”
Not so much when the President isn’t flying.