White House Apologizes for Air Force Flyover

[cal04]

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/air-force-one-backup-rattles-new-york-nerve/

Updated, 5:08 p.m. | An Air Force One lookalike, the backup plane for the one regularly used by the president, flew low over parts of New York and New Jersey on Monday morning, accompanied by two F-16 fighters, so Air Force photographers could take pictures high above the New York harbor.

But the exercise — conducted without any notification to the public — caused momentary panic in some quarters and led to the evacuation of several buildings in Lower Manhattan and Jersey City. By the afternoon, the situation had turned into a political fuse box, with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg saying that he was “furious” that he had not been told in advance about the flyover.

At 4:39 p.m. Monday, the White House issued an apology for the flyover. Louis E. Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, who served in the Clinton administration as secretary of the Army, said in a statement:

Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.
The mission on Monday, officials said, was set up to create an iconic shot of Air Force One, similar to one that was taken in recent years over the Grand Canyon.

When President Obama learned of the episode on Monday afternoon, aides said, he, too, was furious. Senior administration officials conveyed the president’s anger in a meeting with Mr. Caldera on Monday afternoon.

[annabanana]

1. Finally getting to the bottom of that clusterf*ck. .

What a screw-up. .

[tekisui]

2. Louis E. Caldera, you're fired.

Should be anyway. What a moron.

President Obama was furious? Doesn't happen often, it was justified.

[luvspeas]

5. He became THE ROCK OBAMA!!!!!

The rerun was on this week. I love the Rock and I love Obama

[tekisui]

8. LOL!

More angry and more erratic. He needs to drop that guy out the first floor window.

[backscatter712]

3. Glad the apology came out quickly.

SNAFUs happen, and I think that now that we know what happened, and a few people got some Obama-and-Bloomberg-induced wedgies, I consider it case closed.

Of course, the freeptards are going to howl about this for weeks...

[Individualist]

4. Louis Caldera - New Democrat

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=3758&kaid=110&subid=134

[onenote]

17. so?

He was Secretary of the Army under Clinton and was appointed to his current post by President Obama.

He fucked up, but there is nothing about his being a "New Democrat" that caused this fuck up.

[JuniperLea]

6. We have simulated terror and other events in Downtown Los Angeles all the time...

And we are always, without fail, advised in advance. Just last week the LAPD and "others" used one of the floors in the building where I work (second tallest here) and there were emails from the building security department to all of the office managers in the building, a lot of detail too... we were even told we may hear gunshots. I'm the office manager in my suite, so I forward the info to everyone, and I make sure our visitors are aware as well.

I'm all for the training, I can't imagine being opposed to it, but dammit! Let people know! Especially if you are flying planes in NYC! Jeez... a little thought, people, please. It's not that hard.

[KoKo]

32. BUT...could Downtown Los Angeles...EVER be the same as New York in "9/11?'

That's the equation that we deal with here, it would seem to me. :shrug:

[JuniperLea]

37. "Hollywood" sure thinks it is...

We have film crews down here all the time... sometimes i think I've landed in NY by mistake with all the NYC taxis and cop cars around! Summer and over 100 degrees, and there's phony steam coming up from the sidewalk and people walking around in full coats with gloves, hats and scarves!

If you didn't know it, you'd never know the difference. All the buildings, old and new, smashed up together... traffic... pedestrians... only the street signs and weather are different as far as I can tell.

[Better Believe It]

7. So what was the purpose of the flight? It wasn't a photo op!

It clearly wasn't for a photo op of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background.

Why is that?

Well, anyone aboard Air Force One simply can't take such a photograph.

And I don't think the pilot on the fighter jet was on a leisurely flight and could easily take photo's while piloting the jet and it doesn't appear he was in a formation to take such a photograph!

So was someone on the ground suppose to snap some really cool pictures?

I doubt it.

We probably won't hear any more detailed explanations on what that flight was really all about and it's unlikely the mass media will pursue it .... in the interests of "national security".

[Fumesucker]

10. I can ride a bicycle and shoot pretty good video at the same time..

Fighter jets have autopilots, quite sophisticated ones.

A pilot shooting a photo wouldn't be a problem at all.

[Better Believe It]

39. Was the autopilot set on "follow Air Force One"?

:)

[Fumesucker]

51. Set autopilot, take picture..

Reset autopilot, take another picture.

People who are adept at flying and picture taking can do both at the same time, don't really even need autopilot.

[TahitiNut]

22. Fighter jets can be fitted with very high resolution cameras for surveillance.

Furthermore, they could have been two-seater versions.

[Better Believe It]

40. I believe that only the "trainer" versions of the F-16's are two seater's.

Yes, their cameras are great for high altitude spying, but, we're talking about a low-level photo shoot of the 747 in front of the Stature of Liberty.

[KoKo]

35. Maybe Rogue Bush Bots..still implanted in Obama Admin? Exercising their Power?

I really can't believe that Obama would have EVER SANCTIONED an "AF-2 Flight" that would TERRORIZE NY'ers and NJ Folks into believing that some plane flying around Manhattan and over Jersey and Staten Island with a Fighter Pilot "on the tail" would just be a simple "Photo Op" for Obama to put in a "Glossy Magazine" like "Newsweek or Time."

I dunno...it seems very "out there" to me. :shrug:

[Wednesdays]

36. I was thinking the same thing. nt

[robinlynne]

42. Noone said the photographer was ON airforce one. It was a photo OF Air Force One.

WHo knows where the photog was? Who cares? They cOuld have done it in photoshop.

[NCDem60]

9. Obama got lucky.

Could you imagine the coverage of this if it wasn't a big flu day.

[Beetwasher]

11. This Explanation Makes No Sense Whatsoever

None. :shrug:

[onenote]

13. actually it does make sense if the idea was to get a pic showing the F16 escort

Sort of like this one:
&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.surclaro.com%2Fphoto788.html&size=46.7kB&name=Air_Force_One_Es...&p=air+force+one+escort&oid=d4b4b72b529cd016&no=1&tt=56&sigr=115b9ak6m&sigi=123is9t1n&sigb=13b6ksht7

[Beetwasher]

27. Not Buying It

I'm not slamming the admin over it either, but my spidey sense tells me there's more than meets the eye here. I fully understand the sometimes operational necessities behind the contents of official explanations of events. Not slamming the admin, just saying this has feel of acover story.

Additionally as a 9/11 suvivor whose wife cuurently works in WFC, (and I was on the phone w/ her as this was happening this morning) I reserve the right to be a tad freaked over this incident.

[Better Believe It]

30. I'm not buying it either. Not a very credible cover story.

Two Air Force jet fighters along with Air Force One were used for an Obama photo op?

I don't think so.

If the New York Times, Washington Post and other more credible newspapers don't follow up on this that would be a sure indication that something other than a photo op was taking place.

They would let the story die if told it's in the interests of "national security".

If the "story" is true, who is being fired or discharged from the military? If President Obama is indeed furious, heads would roll.

[Towlie]

12. It would have been a lot cheaper to just Photoshop it.

[geek_sabre]

14. Why would they choose NYC of all places? I mean, really?

Just watching the video, and seeing how low they actually were flying was chilling.

[onenote]

16. because that's where the statute of liberty is?

Not defending it -- it was dumb as hell. But that appears to be the reason: to get the NY Skyline in the shot.

[Captain Hilts]

15. I wonder why NYC folks felt they shouldn't tell anyone about it? This isn't the whole story. nt

[Beam Me Up]

18. Yes, why the "need to know" basis? That makes no sense to me.

I get it, someone didn't think this through. It apparently NEVERE occurred to anyone that flying an airliner around skyscrapers in lower Manhattan with F16s in hot pursuit would cause alarm. :crazy: Yes, I believe people who really ought to know better can be that utterly clueless. But what I can't understand is why this "operation" or whatever you want to call it wasn't highly publicized in advance. What the hell is that all about?

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. A crazy hopeful thought popped into my mind..

bear with me here..

"maybe someone is checking out details of the 9-11 story"

[backscatter712]

26. Not with the President's VC-25...

They'd use more mundane aircraft if they were conducting an investigation and exploring how the planes were piloted.

Or more likely, they'd use simulators instead of real planes.

[RufusTFirefly]

28. I had that thought too... n/t

[hileeopnyn8d]

24. I agree

There is no way this is the whole story.

The thing is, I've run through a ton of scenarios in my mind, and none of them make any sense. Unless it really was just stupidity.

[TheBigotBasher]

47. Often the simplest explanation is right.

This stupidity should get someone sacked. This was beyond wrong.

[SidDithers]

20. At least he apologized with a real apology...

not one of those "I'm sorry if you were offended" cop-outs.

Sid

[KoKo]

38. I don't know if it's quite what we would have wanted to hear, though...

it seemed weak...Bushlike...:shrug:

[Individualist]

41. A Bushlike apology

from a New Democrat. Who would ever have expected something like that?

[TahitiNut]

21. I really have to wonder what a "furious" President Obama looks like.

But I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end. :scared:

[PopSixSquish]

23. According to ABC News - The Meeting was with Rahm and Deputy COS Jim Messina

I'm thinking some paint got blistered off the walls...Messina is apparently as much of a hard case as Rahm is...

And nobody from this dude to the Air Force, to the pilots, to the FAA, to the NYPD thought to say "Hey wait a minute..."

What a bunch of idiots...

[spanone]

25. what the fuck were they thinking? boy, the mayor was pissed.

[CTyankee]

29. It's not just one guy. Who are the people that approved of it?

Sorry. We can't scapegoat just one person...

[janx]

31. Yep. He's probably taking the heat, but if he even knew about it...

fire him!

[Schema Thing]

34. nobody's getting scapegoated. This is Obama's Whitehouse.

someone fucked up, probably a few someones. They will take responsibility and move on. And if someone lower on the administration side really didn't do their job (ie: the f/up is more than just a failure of imagination), they may well be sanctioned or fired, although I think it's unlikely we'll hear about it. But that won't be a "scapegoat", that will be consequences and responsibility.

[CTyankee]

52. I trust that the Obama White House will set things right.

If it was a failure of the system (which is often the case) they have to fix the system they have in place to prevent such a thing from happening again. I'm somewhat interested in knowing how this happened, not obsesively so but how these things slip up is intriguing...

[RebelOne]

33. This idiot Louis E. Caldera should go on nationwide TV

and make a formal apology to NYC and not just by a written statement.

[Stinky The Clown]

43. Someone ought to be kind to Mr. Caldera and coach him on the art of filling out ......

..... unemployment forms.

[lonestarnot]

44. Tell him to get in line for his debit card and all the fees that go with it!

:rofl:

[cboy4]

45. Fire his ass....A seventh grader would know what a ridiculous

stunt that would be so close to Ground Zero.

Unbelievable.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[alcibiades_mystery]

48. You don't consider Obama the president?

:wow:

"Mr. Obama is forever Mr. Obama to me. Not a president at all. Not to me. "

You're at the wrong website, asshole.

[cboy4]

49. Believe me, everyone here knows I'm not the biggest fan

of the guy, but I feel he's smart enough not to have approved such a ridiculous stunt.

Bush never fired the people who needed to go. I hope Obama is not following in those footprints.

Apologies and being furious is not enough.

[autorank]

50. This traumatized tens of thousands. Fire the guy who authorized it.

What a pathetic and stupid idea.