While all this may be true, it was also stupid not to let the public know. People are scared by the unknown or unexpected and that's also how rumors get started.
I didn't say anything about requesting permission. It probably would be a good idea to notify the pubic though, through a press release or something. I would see this as being a friendly neighbor and CYA. Suppose it caused a panic and someone got hurt. You can be sure they would be suing the airline.
So here's the true story:
Barack Obama is a Muslim, everyone knows that. Being as such, he must also be a terrorist, since everyone knows that Muslims are terrorists.
So the obvious story is that he hijacked AF1, and missed the building in that photo. After missing, he realized he'd never get away with it, issued a press release that it was not really AF1 since he was "not" on board, and the coverup has begun.
We have idiots in charge.
At least the idiots recognized their faux pas and apologized.
NY Times said:
I realize they apologized. But, how dense do you have to be to not realize a low-flying airliner is going to get some serious attention, particularly in the very area that suffered attacks not historic enough in the hearts and minds of those living and working there?
That's way over the top IMHO.
Wow...don't see too many real unequivocal apologies these days from those in the political world...mostly it's "I apologize if anyone took offense", not an actual "I screwed the pooch on this one, sorry." like that statement appears to be. Good on him.
You're correct. However United airlines, nor anyone else, probably isn't flying around wherever thay want. I'm pretty sure thay can request a clearance for an area and altitude block for this sort of thing. The controller doesn't have to grant the clearance.
Not really. At least it would have been in the hands of area news outlets. Making it a national release would allow anyone to publish it. Selective release in only New York could be taken wrong.
In all of their security paranoia they wanted AF1 to be safe while it was doing something to make the citizens think they weren't safe.
I abhor Chicken Little-ism too, but as the woman says in the video as she's watching:
"This isn't normal. An airliner (she couldn't ID it as presidential transport) with a fighter... it must be a hijacking!"
That's pretty sound reasoning, especially if the last time you saw an airliner that low it was plowing into a building.
As for offices evacuating, etc... if you were at your desk in a hi-rise and saw that, especially if the last time you saw that it was plowing into a building, would you wait until someone checked with the FAA, or would you hit the stairs? If I were at the next desk, you wouldn't be able to ask me wat i think, because I'd be gone.
The jittery citizens of NYC do need educating about these things, but surprises are not the way to do it. Confirmation that the local rags and TV had picked up the word of this scheduled event early on, and that people in general were aware, would be a good start.
Point taken, that applies to many, many situations nowadays (and it drives me batty too), but it wasn't just "anything out of the normal"- it was an airliner (again, most folks on the ground probably had no clue what airplane it was), maneuvering at a low altitude, on a path that is never taken by heavies operating near any of the three NYC-area airports... with a fighter formed up on it. Deducing that this may indicate a hijacking, and a potential threat to one's safety,is not silly or far-fetched, IMHO. Remember, now, some of the people who were, shall we say, not thrilled to see this were also eyewitnesses to, and maybe survivors of, "you know what".
I know what he means, but there's useless or self-serving hand-wringing and fear-mongering, then there's remembrance and vigilance. As a "sort of" New Yorker, I don't get too worked up about it... until I see people smiling for photos in front of "the pit", as if it were merely a tourist attraction. It just bothers me, because people I know died there. I can tune out the rest of the "9/11 hysteria", but that makes my blood boil.
I disagree.
