Does anyone else see these fighter jet "flyovers" as wasteful, meaningless, militaristic

[Atticus]

nonsense? Just a coincidence that the recent Blue Angel's flyover "to salute the nurses" is featured in Trump's latest campaign ad?

[rurallib]

1. totally - money and effort that could be used for good

[jaxexpat]

49. Does the GOP inherit the military when democracy dies?

And I want to see the coroners report!

[SharonAnn]

77. They have to maintain flying hours and precision training. No air shows this year? Do this!

It's money that would've been spent for other displays in order to maintain them.

I'm OK with it.

[TomSlick]

99. There you go making logical, fact-based arguments.

[dware]

100. Stop being so logical,

it ruins a good rant.

[sop]

2. Think how many face masks and PPE the nurses could have purchased with the money it cost.

[Lindsay]

3. This,

absolutely.

[MFGsunny]

4. + 1000 n/t

[Raster]

68. +10,000

Waste. Of. Money.

[ahoysrcsm]

98. I get what your saying but the federal government don't run like a household budget.

money printer go brrrr

FEMA is still stealing the PPE destined to states.

[xmas74]

105. The hrs were already written into the budget.

They must maintain flight hrs. Many times this includes air shows and that's not happening this year.

They were already in the air. They're giving the public a show for a change.

(I live a couple of miles from an air base. They're in the air all the time, no matter what. )

[empedocles]

5. Of course

[Solly Mack]

6. Feel-good insanity for the unhinged.

K/R

[SheltieLover]

30. This!👆

I think it is creepy.

[Solly Mack]

34. It is creepy.

And I am reminded of Pavlov's dogs.

[SheltieLover]

35. Good one!

Reminds me of shitstain's desire for military parade.

[montanacowboy]

7. Yes, another campaign ad

everything is about him remember

[Yonnie3]

8. Yes

I used the word bullshit instead of nonsense.

[SoonerPride]

9. Worse, they were done for Trump's campaign ads.

I've already seen them.

They weren't to support the nurses.

They are a tax-payer funded campaign stunt.

[crickets]

33. +1

[jojog]

118. +2

[virgogal]

10. A lot of people just enjoy them in these trying times.Morale boosting,I guess.

[RandiFan1290]

19. Was a waste of money

for scumbag trump's campaign ad "in these trying times"

[Amishman]

43. this, a lot of people like them and they don't do any harm

people could use something to distract them and maybe bring a smile.

[LisaM]

60. But why do people like them?

They are just war machines, they are noisy and scary. What's to like?

[sarisataka]

66. Why do people like things I don't like?

People like golf, basketball and karaoke. I just don't get what's to like.

I raced bikes for several years, loved the competition. For the life of me, however, I could not understand the people who came out to watch and cheer. I appreciated that they did, but to me it seemed it would be the most boring thing in the world watching us go by.

[LisaM]

96. Well, of course. But you can (presumably) avoid all those things.

They planned flyovers up and down Puget Sound today and if it goes overhead, I can't avoid it. When the Blue Angels practice downtown, I can't avoid them. And I don't go to football games to see a bunch of planes fly over the stadium, either. I go to watch football. Geeze, once I went to the Stratford Shakespeare festival in Canada and when we stepped outside to go to dinner, the freaking Snow Birds were doing some sort of show!!

So it's not just about what I like and what you like. It's the fact that they fly over my apartment or my office building or even me sometimes, and I can't avoid them.

[Amishman]

85. i like them, they're big cool loud machines

it's probably a guy thing

[RandiFan1290]

90. No, it's not. nt

[xmas74]

106. Youd love my backyard.

B2s fly over all the time

[SQUEE]

94. These particular planes are former front line planes that will never see combat again.

Plowshares from swords.

They perform a beautiful ballet of machine and man.

[GeorgeGist]

11. YES,YES,YES

[Tipperary]

12. It strikes me as a USA! USA! type thing.

Not a fan of this in these times.

[MacKasey]

13. Unless this is being done as part of the normal training excercise, it's ok

When it is saying thank-you to the front line workers, ok but I rather see then delivering PPE, masks, etc that says more of a thank-you.


I have a huge problem with Donny Bodybags using it in a commercial. His campaign should have to pay for it.

[xmas74]

107. They are already required the hrs in air.

This just gives a slight reroute over more populous areas so everyone can see them. Our local base said it's also a small token for cancelling the air shows this summer.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. I do. In normal times I like airshows, but obviously these aren't normal times

and it seems to me that flyovers which are ostensibly a gesture of thanks to medical workers are really just publicity stunts. A truly sincere gesture would involve providing them with PPEs. Maybe they could airdrop them out of C-130s if they wanted to fly airplanes.

[Judi Lynn]

21. Now that's an idea, all right! Good one. n/t

[trixie2]

78. I agree with you

I live close to a superbase and have always loved the air shows. The base is situated on Lake St. Clair so you can see by land or boat. I once went to a funeral of a freind's dad who was retired air force and they did a fly over for the funeral. Picture Michigan's mitten and we live in Macomb County. The base is also located in Macomb County on the lake. They had to fly all the way up to the tip of the thumb and turn to fly over the funeral. I thought it was cool. This was during Obama and he and our County Executive worked hard to reopen and make Selfridge a superbase.

[Moostache]

15. Nothing accidental about it at all...

Trump is focused on ONLY one thing...getting enough electoral college votes to secure a second term...notice he is NOT concerned with actually winning re-election, it is blatantly obvious by now that his support hovers between 40-45% and will not move off of that point.

He is using EVERYTHING he can to stack the decks and set the wheels in motion to allow just enough chicanery to be seen, but not so much that its obvious to the Fox News crowd too. Willful suspension of disbelief is necessary for people to enjoy movies or books or entertainment - they must be willing to accept certain premises or the experience is ruined...for example, Superhero stories only work if the audience is not thinking about the physics of Superman flying or Flash running through time...it is the exact same principle in play with Trump.

His facade is miles wide and fractions of a cm deep, but his fans and supporters DO NOT CARE...they simply accept what he says and do not question it. They are along for the ride and damn the consequences. This is even more obvious with the recent 'protesters' who want to 'reopen America' because that was Trump's wording..."damn the consequences, we want what our Tangerine Mussolini wants!"

Unless we figure out a way to pierce that willing suspension of disbelief - and we have not been successful with - TREASON, Foreign interference in elections, Extortion of another foreign leader, Nepotism, Cronyism, Incompetence, Racism, Sexual Assault or the out right cause of TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DEAD AMERICANS have not worked yet - unless that veil is pierced and Trump is seen by all how those who do not blindly worship him to feel better about themselves - the collective 'we', the United States is doomed.

[phylny]

16. Yes.

I was slapped down by a friend who said thought it was great for morale and, "I have a lot of friends in NYC." I responded, "Half of my friends and family are from New York. This was still a huge waste of money."

[RobinA]

17. No

That money was never going to masks and gowns or food stamps. I enjoy the excellence those guys and girls demonstrate. Better they take the show on the road than practice for the residents of Pensacola. I don't even really consider it particularly military, as I've seen both acts many times and most of what they do would not be considered military flying. I just like air shows with loud jets. Shoot me.

[kimbutgar]

18. Last night during the NBC evening news one of the commercials was a pro mf45 and it had

Footage of those flyovers. It talked about how he well responded to the cv19 and how he has been great for the economy.

But there was the flyover footage featured prominently.

[Judi Lynn]

20. It's damned creepy. No need for them to remind us our military can lay waste to the planet so often.

It would make the world a lot more civilized if people could act like grown-ups, and stop all the ####-waving.

It's the really stupid ones among us who feel the need to threaten violence.

[smirkymonkey]

22. YES!

It actually makes me sick. I can't stand these airshows even in normal times. I think they are loud and obnoxious. During a time like this they are especially pointless. Our priorities are so far out of whack it's painful.

[Happy Hoosier]

23. Not wasteful....

The pilots need to fly to maintain training currency. Might as well do it publicly.

The other issues are another matter.

[Aristus]

24. Oh yea. Huge waste of money.

Wasteful military displays are the Band-Aid incompetent leaders put on a bleeding national wound, hoping we won't notice it doesn't stop the bleeding...

[NRaleighLiberal]

25. yes, but I am not at all nationalistic/ patriotic

[Blues Heron]

26. It causes people to crowd places to watch like the mall in dc

Literally sickening. You can't bomb a virus idiots, the ten trillion wasted on this evil crap could come in handy right now.

[Totally Tunsie]

81. +100

[JCMach1]

27. Ask the nurses

[ooky]

28. Of course it is.

It follows the script of all the other nonsense Trump produces that has no relevance to any helpful actions to deal with the issues at hand.

A real patriot would have organized a federal effort to provide the PPE that his country desperately needed. All he wants to do is wave the flag while others do all the work.

[Ron Green]

29. War Porn. It's a reliable move to rally gullible people to a cause.

Loud, fast things that we can’t all use but that we all pay for.

[Merlot]

31. Nurses would prefer new PPE would be my guess.

and for what this cost, it would have been a good amount of PPE.

[subterranean]

53. Trump says nurses and hospitals have all the PPE they need.

One nurse the other day mentioned to him that supplies have been "sporadic." He took umbrage at that, saying, "Well, maybe for you, but everyone else has more than enough." He was basically telling her "Don't contradict my story."

[Liberal In Texas]

32. Campaign video paid for by taxpayers.

Give us fast test kits. Give us PPE. For chrissake gives us some rubbing alcohol!

[Wounded Bear]

36. What I used to say when the base had open houses and shows.

"I have to wash those planes."

Not literally true, but as one who worked the flight line to keep them in the air, it was close. It's wasteful and militaristic, but the planes, like old cars, need to be flown and the pilots need their flight hours.

Flying the Blue Angels and T-Birds around the country leaves me feeling kind of meh.

[Pantagruel]

42. "need to be flown and the pilots need their flight hours."

Isn't it just a handful of pilots being kept sharp? What about the cost of all that flying? A weekend appearance usually involves multiple weekday practice runs, I know because every "Fleet Week" I see and hear them screaming thru the skies, Wed. thru Friday.

[tiredtoo]

37. A massive waste of our tax dollars

How many lives could have been saved with this money? How many hungry people could have been fed?

[Bucky]

40. That's not how Federal budgeting works

They have their operating budget for FY 2020 and that's what paid for the flyovers. I mean, look at the huge deficits we run up. It's not like budgeting is a zero-sum operation anymore.

[tiredtoo]

88. Don't get serious now.

My post was just intended to make a point.

[intheflow]

38. I felt that way when I first heard of them a couple weeks ago.

but learned that incident was part of the USAF graduation ceremonies. So, still somewhat wasteful, but an okay addition to a graduation for people who fly planes. But these random flyovers? Pure bullshit Trumpian jingoism.

[Bucky]

39. No money is being diverted from healthcare to jet flybys

The operating budget for the Blue Angels and all the rest of the Air Force was set in law months ago. They can spend it flying around Pensacola or they can put on a little show over your town, where it puts a little thrill in somebidy's day.

They can't legally transfer that money to PPEs or whatever. So there's no waste going on

I liked the one they did here in Houston. They PR'd it as a hat tip to the medical workers saving lives. It felt normal for a second. I needed that.

[iluvtennis]

41. The money being paid to fuel those jets could be used

to feed people who are short on food.

[warmfeet]

44. It's what authoritarian regimes do.

Military parades, military flyovers - all things military, rah, rah, rah. Think North Korea/Russia. From our perspective, it is a waste. From the perspective of an authoritarian, it is essential to showcasing the hierarchical power structure of their society. What remains here, is merely the facade of democracy.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

45. I mean, I do like airshows and all, but...

...when I found out that Trump was using footage of the flyovers in his personal campaign ads, I can't help but think that's the entire reason for all of it as opposed to it being some sort of benign morale booster.

Get us tests and a vaccine now, and after that I'll be more than happy to watch all the airshows you give me.

[Yavin4]

46. Whatever problem that we cannot bomb from the sky, we just walk away from. n/t

[Sloumeau]

47. To me, the money spent on the flyovers could be better spent on PPE gear...

and medical equipment for hospitals.

[Loki Liesmith]

48. They're fine

[mahannah]

50. Waste (as at sporting events)

[aggiesal]

51. I agree but ...

they're using military money on the wall, not PPE.

Come on, get with the program here.
Work with me!

[Dios Mio]

52. Yes.

I’m sure a few people could use the money they easy.

[ProfessorGAC]

54. Yes, Yes,& Yes

And, it was Thunderbirds too.
At $60,000 per hour!
How many N95 masks would that buy?

[sarge43]

55. The only flyover that should be done is one for a departed airman. n/t

[citizen blues]

56. YES, YES, YES!!!

Where's the PPE?

Where are the tests?

[ihaveaquestion]

57. Yes! There are better uses for National Guard units

My son is in the Air National Guard in MD and his unit was activated recently. They are loading trucks with PPE and other medical supplies and delivering them to various medical facilities. His regular military job is fixing jet engines, but he is happy to be loading trucks. 😻

[NoMoreRepugs]

58. Taxpayer funded tRUMP campaign ads. Why would anyone expect anything less??

[LisaM]

59. Yes.

I always hate them

[CloudWatcher]

61. Practice for bombing runs on the hospitals?

Maybe they're just trying to keep the reported numbers down. I hear the virus is killed by Napalm.

[totodeinhere]

62. No, I don't have a problem with it. The idea I think is to do something to raise the spirits

of people being weighed down by covid-19 restrictions.

[sarisataka]

63. No

They would be flying anyway so it doesn't likely cost any more than if they were flying out of sight somewhere.

Also I doubt there will be a single person who says 'I was going to vote against Trump but then I saw that ad with the Blue Angels...'

[PatrickforO]

64. Oh, THAT's what it was for.

We didn't really watch, but we heard them for sure.

[yaesu]

65. Good point, another national symbol taken down by the tRump cancer. nt

[Raster]

67. YES!!! These are NOTHING but a waste of money and appeal to trump*s fanbase...

... the money would be better used FOR TESTING, FOR PPE, FOR REAL RELIEF FOR CITIZENS.

Fuck trump!!!

[sinkingfeeling]

69. Absolutely. Think what good just the money wasted on fuel could do.

[IronLionZion]

76. How much is wasted on fuel?

estimates online are that 6 blue angel jets use around 7,200 gallons per hour. At $6 per gallon it would be around $43,200 per hour.

https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-to-fuel-the-Blue-Angels-for-an-air-show

[IronLionZion]

70. Dude hijacks shipments of PPE from states intended for nurses and first responders

so why does anyone think they would use flyover money for anything useful?

And after the trillions given away to large corporations as emergency stimulus immediately after the longest bull market in history, massive tax cuts, and record low interest rates, the real problem is the cost of jet fuel for planes and pilots who get paid whether they flyover or not. And oil is at record lows now too.

I have beef with the MAGA flyovers in that Italy does it way better

When MAGAts whine about processed meat shortages leading to socialist limits on purchases to promote a libtard vegan agenda, I show them this Italian video of pasta shortage

[overleft]

71. Total waste of money and time.

[Warpy]

72. Yes.

Never mind that hospitals are not places that need to be buzzed by loud fighter jets.

Fucking grandstanding.

[leftyladyfrommo]

73. I love the Thunderbirds.

They come to KC every once in a while. The whole city turns out to see them. They do practice runs iver my house and it's so neat.

This adm. has cost us trillions as all the grifters steal what they can as fast as they can. At least we get something back if we get to watch the jets.

[Blue_true]

102. When I was a teen, I was out on a golf course playing golf with a lot of other kids.

The Blue Angels were doing an air show 90 miles away that Saturday. Somehow they found the thinly populated area with the big open space golf course and practiced over that area, doing all types of stunts. Of course we stopped everything and started jumping around and waving at them. They practiced for about 15 minutes, then blade away back toward where the air show was to be done.

It is sad to see Trump defile another national icon, like he has done to the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall, and will do to Mt. Rushmore in July.

[xmas74]

108. Come sit in my backyard sometime.

We can mix margaritas and watch the Stealth shake my house.

[DavidDvorkin]

74. Absolutely

They're absurd.

[Pepsidog]

75. Now we know how Roman citizens felt when the emperor called for gladiator games.

[riverbendviewgal]

79. Yes

Absolutely

[Dial H For Hero]

80. Nope. Love 'em.

[fishwax]

82. where I am (NYC metro area) I think they were something of a morale boost

Yes, I get that the money could have been spent on other things, but that's true of tons of stuff. It's shitty that they're apparently turning up in trump's commercials, but that guy could ruin just about anything.

On the day the blue angels and thunderbirds did their flyover here, there were a lot of people talking about it and excited about it. I was outside when they flew over my neighborhood, and while it was a very brief thing it also was an infusion of positive energy, with various neighbors out on patios and porches and landings, all social distancing and most in masks, but having a communal experience for a moment--and that's something that has been quite sorely lacking for the last 8 weeks here.

It was an opportunity to share a moment and an experience as a community. People took pictures and passed them around online in groups on reddit and facebook and NextDoor and so on. It provided a brief but satisfying drop into the void left by the elimination of sporting events or concerts or theater or all the usual opportunities we have to come together to share an experience with strangers.

And, yes, there were people here at the time, too, who made the point about how that money might be better spent on PPE. But that's true of just about anything and everything anybody ever does for fun.

[rickford66]

83. I like airshows.

The announcer at one said it was an expensive way to turn kerosene into noise. This isn't quite normal training, but pilots are required to fly regularly. Some people will get something out of this. So be it.

[vanamonde]

84. Absolutely.

$30000 an hour to fly 4 F35 boondoggles over Utah for 2 hours. $240000.

[SunSeeker]

86. Well, since the feds are hoarding PPE for themselves, flyovers are all they can offer.

I guess it's better than accusing the doctors and nurses of faking Covid-19 death numbers like right wing websites are doing.

[struggle4progress]

87. They could ask nurses: "Would you rather have us flyover, or would you like a visit from Mike?"

[Squinch]

114. How about flyover or PPE?

[MH1]

89. Yes and no.

Personally, I agree with you.

But I have seen some people who are generally not open about their politics, but seem like nice people who might vote Democrat, who enjoy watching a flyover and think it is a great tribute to the front-line workers in this crisis.



I think NASCAR and gambling are blatant wastes of money, harm the environment, and particularly gambling is merely organized exploitation of others. But, lots of people enjoy these things and even throw their money at them.

[Stinky The Clown]

91. Neither wasteful nor meaningless.

Let's start with the notion they're wasteful.

They are wasteful only if you think our military pilots should not keep their skills sharp. Every pilot is required to log some minimum number of flight hours. The Thunderbird and Blue Angels crews are among them. This gig flying "show" planes is actually just an assignment, a tour of duty, not a career; just another duty station. It seems very reasonable to me use the flight hours to entertain us.

As has been expressed right here in this thread, some people see this in a negative light. And that's okay. I am not here to change minds. Rather, I am here to state my own view. I see these flights in a very positive way.

I am a Navy vet. By choice, not conscription. I served during (not in) the Vet Nam War. That war was horribly wrong. As have been so many. But that is the fault of American voters. The military is necessary. Even today. Even as it gets all-too-often misused.

These flights are simply a routine part of keeping up our readiness. With a side of entertainment. Overall, more on the plus side than the minus side.

[xmas74]

109. I heard the same complaints when they did AF flyovers

a week or so ago.
The pilots need their hours. They're out all the time but most don't realize it. (I've felt my house shake recently. It's so common you don't think about it.)

This was already budgeted. I don't go out to look because I'll watch an F16 or a Stealth in my backyard while drinking a beer. Someone else might enjoy what I take for granted.

[Stinky The Clown]

110. Not sure where you are . . . . .

. . . . . my brother lives a few miles south and east of Miramar. He's not in the flight path but they do get to see F18s and F35s quite often. There was a wider variety to see when it was the Navy there. Now the Marines use it.

[xmas74]

116. Next to Whiteman AFB.

They're up practicing regularly.

They've cancelled this year's air show so why not take those additional hours and do some public flyovers? It cost no extra since practice hours are already budgeted.

[Stinky The Clown]

119. Was else flies there besides the B2s?

[xmas74]

122. Talons,

Thunderbolts are the big ones. With the National Guard unit assigned we have Apaches. There's also a Naval unit assigned to Whiteman.

I'm sure there's others but those are up the most. I do know recent focus is on it becoming a heavy drone use. They even work in conjunction with a local university on an aviation major specializing in drone tech.

[Squinch]

113. OK, then they should say that's what they are: pilots keeping up their skills. Instead, they're

pushing this bullshit that their flying somewhere is somehow a "thank you" to the first responders.

The same first responders who we are now treating like cannon fodder.

It's crap.

[Stinky The Clown]

120. Their flying is already in the budget. Where they fly, and what they do makes the difference

The flying is routine. Doing flyovers above NYC (and elsewhere) is not routine. Therein lies the difference.

And no one is hiding the facts nor pushing bullshit. It is what it is. Its all out there if anyone cares to learn about it.

[SammyWinstonJack]

92. Me. Always did.

[ecstatic]

93. 1000%. nt

[BigDemVoter]

95. Yes--100%

[Caliman73]

97. I have nothing particular against the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.

It is militaristic and likely wasteful, but as someone said, it offers flight hours and training for fighter pilots for the military. I like jets and at one point for a brief time, I wanted to be a fighter pilot.

My major problem is the motive. As with anything that comes out of the disgusting Trump administration, this is only done to benefit Trump. That is it. You see the video with Italy's flight team uniting the country and bringing some relief to the country ravaged by COVID-19. Trump immediately thought, "That will make me look good". He didn't think that it may uplift people or be patriotic, or whatever, he thought, "This will be good for me." He never has a good or pure motive ever! He is a POS.

That is my problem with the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds stunt.

[Texaswitchy]

101. I do.

It was a ego boost for Trump.

He used it already in a campaign commercial.

[niyad]

103. Incredibly so. All I can see is the burning up of our tax dollars. And I don't want to hear about

"recruitment", blah, blah.

[G_j]

104. I suppose the air pollution levels are getting

dangerously low

[DeminPennswoods]

111. The Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Black Knights

are precision demonstration teams. They are never going to go into combat. Their planes have specific modifications so they can do the aerial acrobatics. Their job is to put on shows for the purpose of recruiting for their respective service. In fact, the formal name of the Blue Angels is Naval Flight Demonstration Squardon.

[Raine]

112. No, not at all

I would love to see them!

[robbedvoter]

115. Not to mention 9.11 memories triggering for us in Lower Manhattan

where they insist of doing that 💩. President Cuomo repeatedly panned it "thank the nurses and drs not with flyovers, but by staying home"

[Autumn]

117. Yes a complete waste of time. nt

[Jamaal510]

121. I wonder where

the supposed deficit hawks are now on this actual waste of money, after all the years they screeched about Obama.