FAA memo: Feds knew Scare Force One would cause panic
posted at 7:45 pm on April 28, 2009 by Allahpundit
Via JWF, I’m almost comforted by the revelation. The possibility that they’d be so stupid as not to know that buzzing lower Manhattan with a jumbo jet might freak people out is too terrible to contemplate.
Now all we have to do is figure out why a “photo op” would be such a terrifically big secret that not even the mayor of New York was in on it. Does that make any sense at all? “We need a new stock shot of Air Force One near the Statue of Liberty. Don’t tell a soul.”
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…
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.
The cost of this debacle, by the way? Just shy of $329,000. Think of it as a stimulus: The amount of booze, smokes, and anti-anxiety meds alone that New Yorkers must have consumed in the aftermath of this mass panic attack was probably worth $10-20 mil to the city.
I just got this info sent to me about the photo op / flyover yesterday with Air Force One ….the one that sent people running in NYC…yes, scared them to death! They now say it was a training mission…hhm….they needed training? and the cost? see (by the way, how much flu vaccination can you get for $325,000+? )
Follow the link for a breakdown of the cost. Question for Air Force vets: Is “training mission” military jargon for “photo op”? What were they “training” to do here precisely, besides killing people on the ground from fright?
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 3 4 Next »
Obama flied, people died.
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Martial law.
ZJPolitical on April 28, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Ace of Spades Headquarters.
Wethal on April 28, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Can’t they take an Obama Joke?
Firebird on April 28, 2009 at 7:49 PM
O-Force One doesn’t need no stinkin’ flight plan!!!
“I won” blared out of external speakers of 0-Force One.
portlandon on April 28, 2009 at 7:49 PM
Next time Obama take the train.
William Amos on April 28, 2009 at 7:49 PM
The theory is that they didn’t want anybody to try to shoot down the plane.
But the very fact that Obama contemplated this stunt shows that he is in a 9/10/01 mentality.
fossten on April 28, 2009 at 7:50 PM
Where are my show trials?
Theworldisnotenough on April 28, 2009 at 7:50 PM
Somebody actually died because of this? With the federal government in the hands of idiots who needs terrorists?
Browncoatone on April 28, 2009 at 7:50 PM
With this Administration the people’s fear is to be ignored.
coldwarrior on April 28, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Not exactly…it’s BS smokescreen to cover Obama’s ass for this idiotic debacle.
AUINSC on April 28, 2009 at 7:51 PM
The only training you could get out of that flight is if you were a terrorist trying to fly into a sky scraper. For them to claim this is outrageous.
portlandon on April 28, 2009 at 7:51 PM
This is your President, America. Had enough?
windbag on April 28, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Someone’s going under the bus.
artist on April 28, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Leaving on a Jet plane
William Amos on April 28, 2009 at 7:52 PM
I wish this video hadn’t cut off before (what I consider) the money quote from Bloomberg:
jix on April 28, 2009 at 7:52 PM
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.
That’s a part of the story that I find interesting.
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 7:53 PM
Pilots do sometimes need flight time, so that might have been the justification. I still would love to know who in the White House ordered it and why – I doubt that Caldera thought this up on his own. Was it a photo op for O’s 100 days celebration? Renewing stock photos seems like a really weird excuse – after all, it is quite certain that AF One had not flown at low altitude over the Statue of Liberty for at least seven years…
Realist on April 28, 2009 at 7:53 PM
If the responsible party is Axelrod or Emanuel, someone else will take the fall for them. Obama depends as much on them as on TOTUS. Ok, almost as much.
Wethal on April 28, 2009 at 7:54 PM
Gibbs just blamed The plane, and Boeing, and New York, and the F-16s.
portlandon on April 28, 2009 at 7:54 PM
Call me paranoid, but I’m convinced the Specter coming out party today was to cover up this story. First it was a photo op, now a training mission. What’s the next excuse?
Something smells really bad.
Knucklehead on April 28, 2009 at 7:55 PM
It is just fortunate that no one stumbled and died running down stairs. Could well have happened and even caused a chain reaction. Ditto people in cars speeding to clear the area and hitting people.
MB4 on April 28, 2009 at 7:55 PM
There’s all kind of messed up going on here. I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but Barry’s lying through his teeth when he puts his big boy voice on and tells us, “It was just a mistake, no big deal” I’d hate to think the POTUS was so inept that both he and his secret service were able to misplace Airforce 2 for even a brief time.
I guess he assumes we’re all as stupid as the 54% that elected him.
anniekc on April 28, 2009 at 7:55 PM
Wicked.
Cicero43 on April 28, 2009 at 7:55 PM
It was a clear day. Perhaps it was a photo op of a different sort. Did someone want a satellite image of New Yorkers fleeing in panic??? Any big donations get deposited into the Obama campaign coffers?? Donations from overseas??
Nothing surprises me.
If they knew this would cause a panic,, someone somewhere wanted a panic to be caused. Now who would that be???
Yeah,,, maybe it was a photo op. Not just the kind we were thinking.
JellyToast on April 28, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Who came up with this part of the plan?
Loxodonta on April 28, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Something stinks here. They knew it would cause panic, and they enforced secrecy. I don’t get it.
Rush had a caller today who said he was former secret service and he said that it’s not really possible for Obama not to know.
Spirit of 1776 on April 28, 2009 at 7:56 PM
How did that memo not end up in a shredder?
myrenovations on April 28, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Count me as paranoid too then.
I made that contention in one of the Alren threads.
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 7:56 PM
This AF vet says that “training mission” covers virtually any flight that does not have a specific military objective. That does include joyrides.
Beats me. Jihadist sensitivity training for AF pilots?
Maquis on April 28, 2009 at 7:57 PM
I just posted these questions on another thread, and I agree with ya Allah.
I want to know why they did this, and was certain they knew it would scare people. More ammo for terrorists perhaps? I’m so mad, that the conclusions I come up with in my head, seem rational.
capejasmine on April 28, 2009 at 7:57 PM
10 people killed in bus crash in California, Office of Emergency Services says.
amerpundit on April 28, 2009 at 7:57 PM
I hope this scared people enough to see that waterboarding can prevent future attacks a’la 9/11. But I doubt it.
RMCS_USN on April 28, 2009 at 7:57 PM
We call that bad smell “BO”
ace tomato on April 28, 2009 at 7:58 PM
I want to know why this photo op was so friggin important that it was worth wigging out half of Manhattan. They knew what would happen yet they did it anyway. Why?
CookeyD on April 28, 2009 at 7:58 PM
…And you know O’dbag will be using the photos taken in the next few months when people forget about this, and his own ‘outrage’ fades. I’m sure it will be for some new campaign, whatever that may be…
SoxNation on April 28, 2009 at 7:58 PM
Every day we ask ourselves,,, Is Obama really that stupid??
There are only two explanations for all these events.
He is either incompetent. Or he knows exactly what he is doing.
JellyToast on April 28, 2009 at 7:58 PM
Once the media get the passenger list, we should know. Can’t see how it would be a state secret who was on the plane, if it was a “training mission” in US airspace in broad daylight.
Wethal on April 28, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Don’t you love how terrorizing New Yorkers in the middle of a Wall Street crash and pandemic scare is called “training?”
I can see how there’s some government logic there.
econavenger on April 28, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Like Sheriff Joe.
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Waterboarding is nothing compared to this torture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg8FQiJ-Rcw
ace tomato on April 28, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Doesn’t matter what the hell it was. No one should fly a plane like that over NYC for any reason other than an emergency/
The WH is stupid and incompetent. And no one should give a crap about what Specter does. The spectacle is in the WH.
ORconservative on April 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Brilliant.
therightwinger on April 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Obama is a f**king douchebag / he terrorized these people (a.k.a. AMERICAN CITIZENS) both knowingly & smugly. Then acts like he knew nothing about it. I.HATE.HIM. Tells me to be frugal then spends 300K to frighten people. TOTAL utter piece of shit.
Ris4victory on April 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Chuckles Schumer almost had a good point but he had to work in a Bush reset at the end to try to let Ogabe off the hook and blame the FAA….
hey Genius your fella is in charge of the entire executive branch “those are our planes” etc etc etc
sven10077 on April 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM
This is going from ‘dumber than a rock’ to something worse.
The stupidity meter has been maxed out, and the needle’s bent.
Chaz706 on April 28, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Publish the memos that spoke about this “training mission” before it happened.
How many f#ck ups will it take before The Precedent is standing in front of a court defending himself?
progressoverpeace on April 28, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Who would try to shoot down an empty “Air Force One?”
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:01 PM
Not an original comment, but thought it worthy passing on – Obama & thugs release Top Secret National Security Interrogation tactics to the world, but buzzing lower Manhattan must be kept top secret.
SoldiersMom on April 28, 2009 at 8:02 PM
No kidding. Gibbs answered a question by saying that the reporter would have to ask “the White House”.
Dude, look at your damn job description.
Spirit of 1776 on April 28, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Gibbs blames Harrison Ford for making such a great movie “Air Force One” and causing Barry to demand to Re-enact it for staff and friends.
portlandon on April 28, 2009 at 8:03 PM
George Soros wanted to see Manhattan close up?
coldwarrior on April 28, 2009 at 8:03 PM
Have they blamed
SnowballBush yet?ace tomato on April 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM
4-27 was an inside job
Boot Hill on April 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Passenger manifest list: William Ayers, Bernadette Dorn, Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Prompty can’t apologize for mistakes he has made, only for those America has made for the last 200 years. Prompty never makes a mistake. It was all some other guy’s fault. yeah, Prompty’s big finance men were on the flight (probably) and Prompty is the man in charge, but he gets none of the blame. Right?
if we apply prompty’s executive responsibility to that of GM, then Wagoner would still be CEO because he couldn’t have been responsible for everything that went wrong.. right?
What’s prompty spin machine putting out? New Yorkers are a bunch of p*ssies who can’t deal with a buzzing and the right wing are racist!!
James on April 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM
The flying version of Clinton’s Lincoln Bedroom donation reward plan.
rsl775 on April 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM
From http://confederateyankee.mu.nu/archives/286564.php
SoldiersMom on April 28, 2009 at 8:04 PM
Even empty, Air Force One (which this technically was not) is a powerful symbol of the United States. If it were fired upon or actually shot down (which would be difficult) it would be a huge psychological blow.
myrenovations on April 28, 2009 at 8:05 PM
That’s not only interesting, but that’s where the story is. Why the secrecy, what were the sanctions and who made the threats?
This is worse than the big lie we were fed about the “bow” that we really didn’t see.
Knucklehead on April 28, 2009 at 8:05 PM
LOL Soldiers Mom
ace tomato on April 28, 2009 at 8:05 PM
This is the best theory at this point.
Cindy Munford on April 28, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Who’s security are they protecting?
Loxodonta on April 28, 2009 at 8:06 PM
Either NOTUS knew about it, approved the plan, scheduled around it so he didn’t need the airplane, notified the Secret Service, FBI, FAA, Flight Controllers, NYPD, NYFD, NY 911 Dispatchers, the Air Field, Maintenance Workers, Fuel Trucks, Pilots, Escort Aircraft, Their Air Squadrons, etc., as a President of the United States would have because those are his planes and his planes alone to fly………….
…………. or he is unqualified fool, a head piece for a shadow government that uses him as a talking head as long as the teleprompter is working, and something very sinister is happening behind the scenes as we watch our banks, auto industry, and soon to be health care industries all nationalized, along with Fairness Doctrines, and Amnesty for all.
You make the call……………
………….. what did he say, “I didn’t know…”
Seven Percent Solution on April 28, 2009 at 8:07 PM
But surely when the President travels his schedule is known. ‘Seems to me I’ve seen plenty of footage of presidents on the tarmac. So why was this flight, which took what everyone is saying was an unusual flight path, secret when all of those aren’t?
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:07 PM
I smell a Southside rat. If all this was simply a promo pic flight, there was no valid reason on earth not to tell everyone in NYC well in advance.
NYC Public Service Announcement: Hey folks, on April XX, 2009, AF1 will be buzzing around town and past Lady Liberty for a new set of WH promo pix. Please dont freak out. It is not another 9/11. We will keep reminding you of this right up to the minute it happens.
NYC Television and print news media: Hey folks, just a reminder we’ve been handed by FAA and the WH: On April XX, AF1 and some F-16 escorts will be buzzing around town and past Lady Liberty. Please dont freak out. Its a promo pic not a terror attack. We here at (Insert media outlet here) will keep reminding you all about this event, coz we are sensitive to the idea of jumbo jets flying low and slow over Manhattan shadowed by fighter planes.
See??? How hard was that?
There was something else going on here. Flood the zone with FOIA’s. Additonally, tho I cant remember where I saw it, theres a pic showing that one of the F-16′s had a red-tail, reminiscent of the WW2 black aviators from Tuskeegee. Supposedly, the Alabama ANG uses red tails.
Can someone verify that a) Alabama ANG Falcons have red tails, that in fact these red tails were used in the photo op and not photo-shopped in, and if so…WHY?
Mike D. on April 28, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Take a poll of the people in NYC who saw it live and thought AF One was hijacked for a second 9/11 with Obama on board. Would they rather have been stuck in a box with a bug or even waterboarded instead of being terrorized by a fake 9/11 photo op gone wild?
econavenger on April 28, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Yep, I was surprised Allah missed that.
Update Allah?
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Maybe someone’s already said this, but I’d guess they’re saying it was a training mission to justify the statement in the memo that “the hours would have been flown regardless”, and thus lower the estimated price.
mikeyboss on April 28, 2009 at 8:08 PM
OK…one mystery solved:
Alabama ANG does use Red-tailed F-16′s.
Mike D. on April 28, 2009 at 8:09 PM
Obama lied and people may die
William Amos on April 28, 2009 at 8:09 PM
I’m pretty sure Charles Johnson is working on a developing story now that implicates Glenn Beck and Ron Paul.
;-)
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:10 PM
These justifications for the secrecy are the weakest talking points to come out of the White House since he bowed on bended knee before the Saudi King.
Loxodonta on April 28, 2009 at 8:10 PM
Who was on the plane?
WisCon on April 28, 2009 at 8:10 PM
Bloomberg lied. The Feds told the NYPD 2 weeks ago, do you think they wouldn’t tell the Mayor? Pleeze.
denniscb on April 28, 2009 at 8:10 PM
I recall being on a plane in the MPLA airport a few years ago. The pilot said we were on hold as AF1 was taking off, He told us where to look, and we saw it go down the runway.
Wethal on April 28, 2009 at 8:10 PM
Apparently, yes. They were threatened to keep quiet.
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:11 PM
Well, it’s ok to shoot down AF1 with Bush in it. C’mon, man. Keep up.
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:12 PM
And how much did they donate to the DNC?
Loxodonta on April 28, 2009 at 8:12 PM
MPLA= MPLS
Wethal on April 28, 2009 at 8:12 PM
I wanna know who was on that plane since Im paying for the gas…
canditaylor68 on April 28, 2009 at 8:12 PM
No idea. I think the secrecy thing is bogus. Kept secret because it was a silly photo op or a donor appreciation trip or some such thing, most likely.
myrenovations on April 28, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Yeah but Hizzoner said he didn’t know about it. They were told not to inform the public, I don’t think that included their boss.
denniscb on April 28, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Boy this story is now way worse for Obama. If only the media had the guts to press the issue.
Who made the decision to keep it secret?
Why?
How far up the chain does it go?
This is extremely serious in my opinion. What POSSIBLE rationale could they have for keeping it secret and threatening federal sanctions if it was made public?
Instead, we’ll spend the next week drowning in stories about the heroic Arlen Specter and the amazingly awesome first 100 days of the Obama presidency.
BardMan on April 28, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Records? Who keeps donor records?
People, people, have you learned nothing about the Chicago way?!
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Imagine if someone died from fright, i.e., a heart attack, at the very real threat of again being attacked.
Would the media have mentioned that?
Or would his worshippers have played it up to be an “offering” to his greatness?
madmonkphotog on April 28, 2009 at 8:13 PM
JewllyToast may be on to something. What if that was payback to some of his donors? If that is true, and Fox News got the list, it would be dynamite.
kingsjester on April 28, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Or Michelle Malkin and R.S. McCain; they are on his enemy list now for some reason.
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 8:14 PM
I imagine the WH dork that gave this order simply didn’t want Ellis Island flooded with Zero’s groupies spoiling their photo-op.
Maquis on April 28, 2009 at 8:15 PM
And ACE ’cause you know those morons over at AoSHQ swear and shi+.
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Shortsighted and just plain dumb…
Not closing the border assumes that there are no new infections taking place anywhere in Mexico or Mexico City. The original strain of the virus that passed into the US a few days ago being “under control” or at least the victims are being treated does not rule out the probability of further strains of the same virus, or, worse, new srtains of the virus having mutated, coming across our border….today…tommorrow…or sometime next week.
Until all the victims of this virus in Mexico are cured, or quaranteened, and all vectors of this disease have been identified and intercepted…closing the border makes perfectly good public health sense.
Now…politically…a different story.
So…the Obama Administration would much prefer more Americans contract the disease, and that a potential for another strain of the virus coming here be ignored, and sickening or perhaps killing Americans is less important than trying to placate the Left?
It is all about the “O” indeed.
coldwarrior on April 28, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Yeah, there is something stinky going here…why was the FAA ‘threatening’ anybody, let along the FBI with ‘sactions’ to keep it quiet? Really, really weird.
AUINSC on April 28, 2009 at 8:15 PM
I guess since Obama hasn’t fired anyone, the “heads will roll” theme is no longer being circulated.
Loxodonta on April 28, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Good point. Remember when NYTimes did a “travel” feature on the MD area where Cheney was retiring. Near Rumsfeld, too. I think they pretty much identified the address without exactly giving it out. And pointed out the birdhouse neasr the entrance had security cameras in it.
Wethal on April 28, 2009 at 8:16 PM
There’s no way he’s going to fire a Hispanic lawyer turned university president.
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:17 PM
This stunt and the news coverage has the Taliban wettin’ their pants.
Cybergeezer on April 28, 2009 at 8:18 PM
I’m pretty convinced no liberal has enough of the Force to kill off Darth Cheney… and for that I’m eternally grateful!
Y-not on April 28, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Training mission my ass,never,ever,ever. This was a political pay back/motivation flight, wouldn’t be surprised to find out it was the good Rev Wright, Farrakhan, Ayers, Michelle’s posse or even the Iranian midget. More shameless gangsta livin’ from pimp daddy O…stay tuned, next week pimp my limo!
nObama or Die
dmann on April 28, 2009 at 8:20 PM
I don’t own a TV, but I’m sure Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Stephen Colbert and Jay Leno all made late night fodder from all this right? I mean the jokes just write themselves.
carbon_footprint on April 28, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Comment pages: 1 2 3 4 Next »