Air Farce One - Who Decided This Was A Good Idea?
I’m still angry. Incredulous, too. But really more angry.
I saw them. Maybe you did, too. Thousands of people saw those two planes. One of them, the Air Force One backup plane. The other, an F-16. The fighter jet, shadowing the larger plane, as they fly over lower Manhattan, New York Harbor, Jersey City and the Statue of Liberty. 
Remember, this is New York City. History has made us a little sensitive to things like this.
Why did they do this? Well, because the White House wanted to update it’s file photos of Air Force One. Yeah.
The NYPD says they were told by the FAA not to release information about the flight before-the-fact. Security precautions, they say. The public wasn’t told in advance. And, it scared the Hell out of thousands of people.
Some one, somewhere, thought this was a good idea.
I have four words for that person: You. Must. Be. Fired.
What kind of idiot - knowing the history of big airplanes and lower Manhattan on beautiful, sunny days - would think it’s a good idea to pull a stunt like this without warning the public first?
Look, I support our military. And, I have great respect for the White House and the President of the United States. But, this display of moronic judgement cannot be forgiven. So, hours later, some White House military wonk apologizes? And, those thousands of people who were frightened out of their skin are supposed to just say, “Okay, fine?”
Um, no.
I saw the planes from 39th and 12th on the west side…several miles away. Even from that distance, I was a little nervous about what was going on. My wife works in the financial district in lower Manhattan. She was shaken up. A friend and CBS colleague in Jersey City admits it was, “very, very scary.” He said it looked like the planes were flying straight for his home.
“We’re sorry” doesn’t cut it.
This screw up can not be forgiven. Call whoever gets the axe a “fall guy” or “scapegoat” - I don’t care. Some one, somewhere, decided it was okay to do this. We can’t have a person with this kind of judgement in a position to make these kinds of decisions.
You. Must. Be. Fired.
(Photo above by WCBS listeners “The Loneys”)
We have full multi-media coverage (photos and video) here. Please check it out.
And, have you seen this amazing YouTube video of the planes? This poor woman reacted the same way thousands of other people did.