The White House will release Air Force One photos over Manhattan. Or, at least, one Air Force photo.
The White House plans to soon release a photo from the controversial Air Force One-style flyover of Manhattan last week, despite claiming earlier that there was no need to release any official images from the incident.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday that an internal report will probably be completed this week.
“We’ll release its findings and release a photo,” he said.
That was after Gibbs indicated Tuesday that the White House would not release any images.
Good call. Although it is a bit surprising that they went to all the effort and expense for “a photo.”
You almost get the sense that Mr. Gibbs finds all this “transparency” and “openness” business something of a bother.
Will it be real or Photoshopped?
I would think they pretty well have to cough most of them up, sooner or later.
If the photos aren’t protected for reasons of opsec or national security, then somebody will get their mitts on them via FOIA.
That’s a certainty.
I bet it will be a photoshop.
I think the photog forgot to take the lenscap off.
BTW, where _was_ the photog? In the F16? Really?
Still want to know where that F-16 came from.
A VA ANG F-16 driver who knows the DC ANG Viper pilot told me that CAPITAL92 was flying an airframe from 187FW AL ANG.
He said there was no special reason (i.e. Hollywood) other than logistics. 113FW did not have a D-mod available for the photo op at the time that it was needed, so they borrowed one from AL ANG. Guard units have close working relationships and frequently move and swap tails and personnel. This particular VA-based Viper driver spent 6 months sitting alert with 113FW (DC ANG), for example.
According to him there was no other D-mod camera bird aloft, so there would be no pictures featuring both the vermillion-tailed F16 and the VC-25.
From a filmmaking perspective, you wouldn’t want a motion picture cameraman stuck in the tub of an F16 with a relatively small camera. You’d want a larger platform with an outboard camera pod. Just like they use for filming the “breakaway” shots in airline commercials.
I find the whole bro-haw haw over flying up the Hudson pretty amazing. It used to be not unusual at all to fly from Norfolk in the trusty War Hummer- fly an IFR route up past Long Island, and if the weather was good request an altitude block from ATC so you could fly up the Hudson. I have some good pictures of the Manhattan that were taken that way. You were talking to ATC the whole time, the route was pretty well scripted and it was no big deal. They would give you a descent to the block, you’d fly your circle and then they would give you climbout instructions. It was great way to put some fun into a hop for both pilots and NFO’s.
Then again, this was before havng fun while flying became a sin and before 9-11. I am assuming they don’t let you fly up the Hudson River anymore like they used to in the good old days.
The Hudson River Corridor is still alive and well. Just be sure you get cleared into the Class B where appropriate and stay well clear of the not-so-temporary TFRs.
You know Skippy, you should have stayed in Japan. Being a resident of the NYC environ I can tell you of the complete terror of a jumbo jet descending on NY.
You, I am sure, don’t want to hear that.
Your “fun times” prior to 9/11 only make you sound like a fool.
babs/
Although I understand your sensitivity regarding the matter, go easy on Skippy–seriously–gadfly that he is (and I bow to no one in my “gadflyness quotient/bona fides” in a previous life) he’s paid his dues defending this country, and all he was saying, imo, was that “my oh my, how times have changed,” that’s all. I, for one, didn’t read a cavalier disregard for the feelings of the people of NYC into his statement at all.
VX, Suggest you re-read the first line of Skippys comment # 5 above… so cavalierly delivered … alas the Far East Cynic has struck again…you two ought to get a room . Best
Snake/
Suggest you re-read Skippy’s second-to-last sentence in which he qualifies comments as pre-911 thinking. I read his comments in toto as his being amazed at the scope of the changes, that’s all. One doesn’t have to be solemn about something to be serious about it, you know. Don’t confuse the two. Some people here are unfortunately hair-trigger primed to over-react to certain others.
Michelle Malkin has submitted a FOIA request for the information about the flight and the photos (internal and external)
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/05/06/obamas-transparency-policy-dont-let-the-sunshine-in/
lets see how transparent this administration really is
You know, shortly after 9/11 we had a jumbo jet crash in Queens and many people taken out by that. Then, we had the anthrax attack which killed a woman in CT and severely sickened a clerk at NBC (I think).
To make light of the good old days is to say that these three events were something that New Yorkers, generally speaking, should just get over.
So while thousands of people ran for their lives because the Obama admin wanted to garner photo ops is something not worthy of discussing just makes me sick.
I can remember to this day the quiet of the skies after 9/11. The only sound out of the sky was the roar of U.S. and Canadian military jets flying a race track pattern over my home, trying to keep me safe.
To belittle this not only insults me but insults our entire country.
How many funerals did you attend?
We all remember the quiet Babs. It was across the entire country.
FYI, we flew up the Hudson all of the time.
And you never even knew it.
RE: AF1 Photos.
Does anybody here remember the old Loony Tunes Sylvester & Tweety cartoons? And remember the running theme where Sylvester would swallow Tweety and only with great reluctance spit him out after being hit on the head with an umbrella by Tweety’s owner? Followed by a cowed, lowered head, sly, out-of-the-corner-of-his eye squint-eyed grimace of unrepentant disgust at being forced to disgorge the bird?
That’s my mental picture of Obama/Gibbs upon being forced to reveal the facts only under great duress–an unrepentant, recalcitrant, Sylvester. LOL!
While I love seeing the administration turn in the wind, my biggest disappointment is that some smart USAF JO didn’t keep his superiors out of hot water by asking the question of “shouldn’t we let someone know ….” . After all the average Joe on the ground couldn’t tell the difference between chasing and accompanying in form flight.
The flag I worked for used to tell me when I’d start out with “Admiral, I’ve got a dumb question but….”. he used to say “dumb questions are unlimited in scope and generally asks what needs to be asked but others are too embarassed to ask”.
I found that most military superiors that I’ve interacted with (O-6+) generally know everything and will respond to something like that with either
(1) Verbal Tongue Lashing with no substance whatsoever, or
(2) Bury the JO in paperwork to prove their obvious point.
Personally, they know everything (or think they do). Sometimes a JO gets to have his day by NOT saying anything.
“Sorry sir, I just didn’t think of that… did you?”
Sweet justice, sweet justice…
@Babs, who was president at that time? Refresh my memory.
Alos:
And just which President appointed the head of the CIA & FBI, both of whom were in charge at the time (minus one week for the FBI guy) and were supposed to connect ALL the dots?
Me needs memory refreshment..
O.K., just calm down…
Let’s get a count of the funerals everyone attended… I went to 5.
How many months did you spend on the line, putting steel on target Babs? How many friends have you see lose their life in ROUTINE CARRIER OPERATIONS, not to mention combat operations?
Why don’t you make a “5 Funeral” Patch and wear it on your sleeve, since you are obviously so proud of it.
I feel for NYC, however they don’t have any monopoly on sacrifice…
Rhinowso, You are indeed a mighty, albeit ill-tempered warrior …beating up on babs as you did … no problem…easy pickings… she’s a flippen civilian after all … she just dosen’t understand you say… I say she does. Best
To Alos -
Just to refresh your memory, the 9/11 hijackers were in our country during the Clinton admin and the FBI and CIA were unable, according to law, to talk to each other…
Nice try you idiotic tool.
babs, I have nothing against tools per se…truth be told some of my best friends are tools…but calling someone an ” idiotic tool” in a comment is clearly not a good way to further the conversation…suggest that in the future you seek out an appropriate alternative rather than risk the dreaded wrath of the Blog Meister. Best
The conversation’s tone approaches the limits of your host’s endurance.
Lex/
Yeah, you actually have to slog thru every word soaking it all in, don’t you? As opposed to darting in and out like guys like me. LOL. Better you than me–but then you asked for it by hanging out the shingle, fool that you were, you must be thinkin’ ’bout now….
Lex, you are so dang diplomatic
Wish more blogs/pundits/authors took ownership of the comments section.
Regards,
I won’t respond to Rhinwso as I think it would not progress the topic as he clearly has an axe to grind. I wear my badge on my heart , I don’t need to put it on my sleeve. I rarely bring it up, as a matter of fact, because I don’t want to think about it.
After all 9/11 is soooo yesterday. Greater injustices have been done since then…
Screw the residents of NYC, what a bunch of wussies!
We are in the new Obama times!!!
Snake -
Thanks, good advice. I regret calling names. Sorry.
There. All better.
babs, It’s 20 min and counting until tea time here in paradise…suggest you join me at that time as I quaff one or two…or… in rememberance of all those who went down on 9/11. Best
PS, Never fear Mother Lex’s bark is worse that his bite.
Revising and extending my remarks………
My point about this is simple-a military aircraft under ATC control the entire time did a photo-ex. That happens a lot-although generally not with a 747 and not in New York city. Should they have let someone in the city government know? I think that’s been fairly well established. It should be pointed out though that, as far as I know, so long as the FAA is in the loop from start to finish there is no requirement to do that-its only as a common sense courtesy that it should be done. Especially in these hypersensitive times.
That’s all I was trying to say. No disrespect to New York or New Yorkers intended (I’ll save that for discussions of the Yankees thank you very much)-nor does it mean I am not aware of 9-11.
Geez
Back on point: that the white house didn’t foresee a problem sending a 747 up the Hudson, outside of any typical pattern for the local airports, escorted by fighters which to the surprised residents probably looked like they were about to shoot down the jumbo, is just about as well thought-out as this sentence! Stuck on stupid….
“Should they have let someone in the city government know? I think that’s been fairly well established”
I’m pretty sure they did let the mayor’s staff know about the flyby, but the mayor himself wasn’t told.
I’ve pretty much bought into the conspiracy theory that the photo op was done to provide a picture of a ‘redtail’ F-16 escorting AF-1 for the movie company currently making a movie about the Tuskegee airmen.
Jim Howard/
I have too. But to give the Devil his due, I see nothing wrong with the first “Black” President doing a photo op with the Ala ANG F-16 painted birds honoring the Tuskegee Red Tails–that’s a very natural thing, considering the historic nature of Obama’s Presidency. And they have to put time on the bird anyway, right? And some of those hrs can be logged as filling tng squares (maybe). And the pilots are drawing salaries whether they’re asleep or on the photo-op, right? So even the fuel costs aren’t a TOTAL extra cost to the tax-payer. In other words, this jaunt (aside from the abominable coordination effort) could be reasonably and rightly justified as one of the legitimate ways President’s use the power and majesty of their office to build general support for their overall administration and it’s programmatic activities while at the same time celebrating American history, n’cest pas?
EXCEPT, EXCEPT, for the minor detail that Obama has been lately much preachy about how everyone should tighten their belts, should weed their own Victory/survival/”crisis” gardens, ride bicycles, lower their thermostats in winter, raise them in summer, pay higher utility rates, drive smaller cars less miles at slower speeds, etc., all, all of it in an attempt to condition us to lower our expectations and accept a lowered standard of living to save the Earth and gain respect of the world, yadda yadda, etc.
Juxtaposed against all this high visibility preaching of the virtues of “less,” suddenly the dollar cost of what they fear can be spun by their political opponents as a frivolous waste of taxpayer dollars and an example of a narcissistic Imperial Presidency, (the details of which about the actual accounting breakout are lost on the avg citizen) when combined with the already disasterous PR from the terror the unannounced flight caused an unsuspecting public, has caused Obama and his minions to lose the courage of their convictions. Now all is to be attributed to a gaffe by minor administrative bureaucrats who thought up the whole thing on their own. Which only shows the contempt Obama has for the general public. He must think we’re all total fools who are unmindfull of the fact that the wheels don’t turn a quarter turn on AF1 without the President’s say so. (maint hops excepted–and even then he’s briefed on readiness status)
Despite the uproar, a good argument could have been made for the justification for the flight and they could have STILL dumped on the underlings for poor execution. Instead, Obama’s first instinct is to lie, hide the facts, and stonewall. Gutless Bastard.
I guess I should just suck it up and forget all my fears. After all, I’m getting what, $13 bucks a week in my paycheck from my most benevolent master…
(Thank God I didn’t invest in an auto company. Oh, that’s right, I did through Fidelity! I guess I need to share the pain) Hello, Mrs Mossholder, we just sold your portfolio of bonds to the
gov’t for 33 cents on the dollar! The gov’t forced us to do it!
Is there anyone out there that thinks this is a reasonable way to progress? Skippy? Anyone?
Buy Gold.
But, but, what about global warming/climate change? What about the “carbon footprint”? The execs of the “Big Three” got reamed-out for flying to DC in their corporate-jets but “The WON” gets a free-pass for a 747-200 and two F-16s for a photo-op? Not to mention the terror the high-rise dwellers got from seeing a 747 outside their office windows. I’ve got to ask WTF, O? What were they thinking? Were they thinking? This was one of the most brain-dead, dumb-phuq operations I have ever seen. People were evacuating buildings, pulling fire-alarms, and scared to death.
The current pResident is a moron, and I think this wonderful little country of ours is in great danger.
I’m very glad that I’m old, and will not live to see the outcome of this. Another democracy(republic) that lasts about 200 years and then fades away.
I fear for our children, and their children.
The end of an era.
Cheers!
ChrisP
This deserves a long reply…
Because some things need context and explanation and its better to do it over here-than to try to explain it over there….
And he’s outta here –
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_low_flying_plane
Skippy,
I know where both you and Babs are coming from. That was then. This is now.
I was in a 3 plane over the Lady once and on the same hop had a shot with the Twin towers in the background…. About 200 agl. All legal, all ATC approved. The old days and I cherish both pics. At one time one was allowed to do a Grand Canyon run below the rim..Awe inspiring. Fun in a scooter. Now you can’t even approach the rim I understand. Too many folks making a living off it.
RhinoWO- wait till you make O-6. You’ll know it all too, I promise. Or not. JOPA whining from a cold steel type ain’t becoming. LOL.
Re AF1 pic: Dummies. Why didn’t they wait until Obama was aboard to get the pics? He must go there 10-20 times a year. Nobody in the MSM would have even picked up the story if’n the Messiah was aboard!
b2
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