Air Force One Backup Rattles New York Nerves

Air Force One Backup Rattles New York Nerves

cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com

An Air Force One lookalike, the backup plane for the one regularly used by the president, flew low over Manhattan on Monday morning, accompanied by two F-16 fighters, so Air Force photographers could take pictures. But a lack of awareness about the flyover led to the evacuation of several buildings in Lower Manhattan, and perplexed officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and other authorities were inundated with calls from anxious ferry passengers, office workers and residents in the area.

(visit the link for the full news article)

We had a bit of a scare this morning around NYC. A low flying 747 was circling lower Manhattan and came very close to buildings across the river in Jersey City, NJ. Some construction workers said that the plane came within maybe 20 feet from a building. All the buildings in the area were evacuated. The military is saying that this was a training excercise. People in the area are not really buying this explaination. Usually there would be advanced notification about something like this and the plane came very close to occupied buildings in the area. I saw the plane flying at about 1000 feet over my building followed by 2 military jets. Bad idea if this was just training.

cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

A 747 20 feet from a building? I think some exaggeration is making it self prominent in this story.

Originally posted by Erasurehead

Some construction workers said that the plane came within maybe 20 feet from a building.

I REALLY doubt that part!

Although, if I was on top of one of those buildings, it may have SEEMED like 20 feet!

I'm really more interested in the "why" than I am about the "how close".

A training exercise? For what? NYC is probably one of the most hot spots to be targeted in the US; given that, what would they be training for exactly? To bring the POTUS to a spot of activity if/when it ever happens?

That makes no sense...


AB1

I avoid usually replying but in this case I think it is worthwhile.

My girlfriend saw the plane go between two different buildings (one was hers). She is not one to exaggerate--either the media isn't getting this accurate or someone seriously screwed up in the Air Force as there is no plausible reason for the plane to be coming that close to occupied buildings.

Either we are being lied to or someone better get fired pronto.

Also, my girlfriend said people were having heart attacks and one woman went into labor. Everyone there with her disagrees with initial media report. I wouldn't chalk it up to terrorism yet though.

[edit on 4/27/2009 by ragman]

What an odd story.

Why would they not send out advanced warning of something like this to EVERYONE?

Especially being in Manhattan, with the past terrorist attacks they had to know that something like this was going to scare a LOT of people.

What a stupid thing to do.

Something isn't right here.

What i find funny about this is that although for all anyone was aware it was another terrorist threat yet i seriously doubt anything will come of this, no one getting sacked/fired over it...nothing

Originally posted by MajesticJax

Originally posted by Erasurehead

Some construction workers said that the plane came within maybe 20 feet from a building.

I REALLY doubt that part!

Although, if I was on top of one of those buildings, it may have SEEMED like 20 feet!

I agree it most likely was not that close but it was close enough to scare the heck out of those workers on the building next door. Very strange story. A lot of people were very concerned.

NYT1 in NYC is reporting that the photo shoot was done at the Statue of Liberty and that the City Officials were aware this was going to happen.

Good report from WSJ with video and pictures here:

blogs.wsj.com...

Stupid, an utterly stupid reckless thing to do.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to look up and see that plane being followed by fighter jets.

I bet some frightened New Yorkers are now pretty pissed off, and who could blame them?

[edit on 27-4-2009 by Walkswithfish]

www.silive.com...

Another good picture there... But what is more interesting are the comments below the news report.

That wasn't really a plane, it was a hologram!

Sorry, had to throw that in there!

Unless it was a pre-planned exercise to guage the public's reaction. (i.e. how effective WERE we on 9-11 into scaring them into submission? Is it still effective, or do we need a REFRESHER?!)

Any legal experts out there?

A question for you...

If there had been any injuries or deaths resulting from panic evacuations who would have been liable here?

Sometimes, before a terrorist attack is carried out, a "hoax" will be carried out in the same area to judge what evacuation procedures will look like, to figure out what areas they need to hit. For instance, they'll call in a bomb threat to building A, then watch the evacuation. When they actually attack building A, they will not only attack A, but the areas most populated after the evacuation.

That's what this made me think of almost immediately after I heard about it. Perhaps "they" are gauging what a certain area will do in the event of such an attack in the future. And taking pictures...

What a disgustingly tacky thing for the Obama Administration to do. For A photo op?!?

I can only hope they had a VERY good secret and alternate reason for doing this.

I thought that low would be a no fly zone? Why would they need to take pics of a look alike to air force 1? They could just use CGI if they needed it as a backdrop.. and they've just told the world they've got a decoy plane..? Put civilian life in danger (not to mention multimillion dollar aircraft) for some promo pics? Sounds like bollocks to me.. unless they've completely done away with risk assessment.

I think it was the real plane but they had to make a detour because of a security threat. Perhaps the airport he was meant to land at had a swine flu scare or something.. the timing is a little odd.

[edit on 27-4-2009 by riley]

Here is a short clip of the event



[edit on 27-4-2009 by ae0nflux]

Originally posted by riley
I thought that low would be a no fly zone?

When it comes to Air Force One and the USAF I don't think there is any such thing as a 'no fly zone'!

It does seem like a bit of a daft thing to do... But if they are going to do it I guess they are stuck between a rock and a hard place - you could fore warn the public through the media and risk someone trying to take the thing down that would be a major score for whoever would want to do that or they could do as they did and tell limited people and just go ahead and do it.

20 feet from a building?? Flying between buildings?? some how I doubt it

Yes, I don't buy the "training exercise" excuse... no sir.

Call me a tin-nut, but this smells fishy.

What kind of training exercise has to be done with Air Force One (backup) scratching sky scrappers on a city ALREADY traumatized by "airplanes on buildings" crashes?


What is the message here?

"..Look folks, more planes - including possibly the one used by the POTUS - are really going to keep falling from the skies on your heads, ok? So get use to it..."


Someone please hand me a Blue Pill, perhaps it will still work..

Peace