Airplane ‘Photo Op’ Angers 9/11 Witnesses

A Boeing airplane escorted by a military jet flew low over lower Manhattan on Monday, frightening office workers and spurring evacuations in what turned out to be a U.S. government-approved publicity operation.

The maneuvering of the 747, which circled around some skyscrapers, recalled memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which resulted in the deaths of thousands after two hijacked commercial airplanes rammed into the World Trade Center. Onlookers and evacuated workers said they were incredulous that government agencies didn’t issue an advisory to alert a public still scarred from 9/11.

The U.S. Air Force confirmed that an “aerial photo mission,” which involved an F-16 fighter jet, had been carried out Monday in the area of New York City by the Presidential Airlift Group, which according to the White House Web site is responsible for maintaining and operating presidential airliner Air Force One.

“This mission was conducted in conjunction with normally scheduled continuation training for assigned aircrew members,” the Air Force said in a statement. The mission was scheduled to last from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. EDT.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the maneuver wasn’t an emergency and was coordinated in advance with state and local officials. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates bridges, tunnels and airports in the area, said initially the agency had no knowledge of the low-flying plane, according to a spokesman. But several Port Authority executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to an ongoing investigation, said that the agency received a memo from the FAA, but not until sometime Monday morning. (source- WSJ)

White House Official Apologizes for Air Force One Photo Op in New York City

White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera apologized for any panic caused by a flight mission and photo op that looked like Air Force One and fighter jets heading toward the New York City skyline Monday morning.

Caldera said he approved the mission last week and that federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey. (source- Fox News)

Bloomberg, Flyover “ridiculous and just poor judgement” and “defies the imagination.”

nobody informed Mayor Bloomberg, who found out that his city was being buzzed by planes  when his BlackBerry began buzzing.

“I’m annoyed — furious is a better word — that I wasn’t told,” the mayor said.

Bloomberg said a deputy commissioner, whom he would not name but derided as “dumb,” failed to inform
him that the planned photo shoot.

“If I had known about it, I would have called them right away and asked them not to,” the mayor said.

Bloomberg said a flyover within site of Ground Zero is “ridiculous and just poor judgement” and “defies the imagination.”

It also terrified lots of New Yorkers.  (Source- NY Daily News)