Life

Just Plane Stupid

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Last Updated on September 11, 2021

I wish I could take credit for the headline.  It’s actually from Newsday in Long Island; the headline on the New York Post was my second favorite.

President Obama was said to be furious after learning that a fly-over of the plane that is retitled Air Force One when he is aboard caused a 9/11-esque panic in the Big Apple.  The fly-over was scheduled to give the military an opportunity to update its file images of the presidential plane.

Many people have said what a stupid move it was; many have wondered how anyone responsible for this little flight wouldn’t have realized that New Yorkers, upon seeing an airliner close to skyscrapers while F-16s follow closely behind, would have felt a little uneasy at best.

Now, according to WCBS-TV, a memo indicates that if no one else thought of it, the Federal Aviation Administration did, and they made their concerns known. They then threatened sanctions against anyone who leaked the true purpose of the flight to the very locals they predicted would be concerned.

I just don’t understand the secrecy; after all, an airliner is flying around New York City with a pair of military jets in tow.  It wasn’t like someone wasn’t going to notice.  Did they think they could just sneak in, snap a few pictures and slip away without anyone seeing them?!?

the authorPatrick
Patrick is a Christian with more than 30 years experience in professional writing, producing and marketing. His professional background also includes social media, reporting for broadcast television and the web, directing, videography and photography. He enjoys getting to know people over coffee and spending time with his dog.

3 Comments

  • When I first heard about this story, I thought that it was probably an ill-conceived idea. After I watched some of the YouTube videos showing people on the ground in New York, and their alarmed reactions, I have changed my opinion. This was perhaps the stupidest thing any government employee has ever done, in the history of the world. I sincerely hope someone loses their job over this. A person who makes these kinds of decisions is not someone you want making any decisions for you ever again. If people on the ground were panicking and running, can you imagine the reactions of people in office towers, if they happened to look out the window during the incident? I suspect we’re going to hear reports about PTSD incidents brought on by this.

    • Actually, I did read about a therapist who has been working with people since 9/11 who have been suffering with PTSD, who said she suffered a panic attack after seeing the plane!

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