FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic

[RamboLiberal]

Source: WCBS-TV

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CBS 2 HD has discovered the feds will have plenty to question.

Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.

In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration's James Johnston said the agency was aware of "the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes" in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor's office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.

The NYPD was so upset about the demand for secrecy that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly vowed never to follow such a directive again and he accused the feds of inciting fears of a 9/11 replay.

The mayoral aide who neglected to tell Mayor Michael Bloomberg about it was reprimanded.

Read more: http://wcbstv.com/topstories/air.force.one.2.996457.html

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Heads should roll on this one!

The Memo:

FROM: FAA Air Traffic System Operations Security (AJR-2)

SUBJECT: Flight Notification- New York City -Statue of Liberty Photo Op, Upper New York Bay / Newark Bay on April 27, 2009, 10:00L. (amended 4/23)

The information in this document is considered FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY, and should only be shared with persons with a need to know. Information in this document shall not be released to the public or media.

1. The Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will conduct a flying photo op in the New York City Area on April 27, 2009 involving a transport and fighter aircraft. Below are the details regarding the operation.

• Date: Monday April 27, 2009 (Primary), April 28 or April 30 (weather backup dates)
• Number / Type Aircraft: 1 VC-25 and 2 F-16s. Actual photo op will only have VC25 and 1 F16.
• Callsign: VENUS01
• Departure point: ADW
• Arrival point: ADW
• Flight Plan: Crews will file two separate IFR flight plans:
ADW-JFK: KADW.. PALEO V44 SIE CAMRN4 JFK
Requested altitude FL190B210
EWR-ADW: KEWR..EWR7.BIGGY J75 MXE V378 BAL KADW
• Planned Departure Time: 0930 approximately
• Planned Time On Photo Op Location: 10:00 -10:30L.
• Planned Photo Op Altitude: 1000-1500ft
• Number of Passes: 2, possibly 3

The aircraft will depart ADW via IFR clearance as a three (3) ship formation to Sea Isle (SIE). At SIE one (1) of the fighters will leave the flight and return to ADW IFR via SIE ATR V308 BILIT ADW.

The VC25 and 1 F16 will proceed IFR to CAMRN intersection south of JFK. In the vicinity of CAMRN intersection the aircraft will cancel IFR and proceed VFR with New York TRACON (N90) towards the Verranzano Bridge. N90 will hand the aircraft off to Newark Tower (EWR) for the flight in the Upper NY and Newark Bay. Upon completion of the final pass the aircraft will be treated as a EWR departure and pickup an IFR clearance back to ADW.

The photo op portion of the flight will be VFR in accordance with the specified ground track as per the attached map (Attachment 1). On the northbound flight segments the fighter aircraft will be offset to the east by approximately ½ mile. During the southbound flight segment the fighter will re-position to remain offset to the aircraft within the depicted box.
The operation will be monitored by FAA Air Traffic Security Coordinators (ATSC) at the Domestic Event Network at FAA Headquarters from start to finish. Any questions or issues can be directed to the FAA ATSC at the DEN. The FAA ATSC can be reached at [phone].

The Public Affairs posture for this effort is passive. No media or press releases are planned. Please direct all media inquiries to the FAA Air Traffic Security Coordinator at [phone]. Due to the possibility of public concern regarding DOD aircraft flying at low levels, coordination with Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies, emergency operations centers and aviation units has been accomplished.

//SIGNED//
JAMES J. JOHNSTON, FAA Air Traffic
AJR-2 System Operations Security

http://ohmygov.com/blogs/general_news/archive/2009/04/28/air-force-what-faa-memo-details-presidential-photo-flop.aspx

[hedgehog]

1. Did they think it would stay a secret?

[Berry Cool]

8. They didn't realize that they weren't using Wonder Woman's invisible plane.

Definitely one for the "What WERE They Thinking (Assuming They WERE Thinking)?!?!?!?" Department.

[alarimer]

11. Is only the plane invisible?

Because if the pilot is not also invisible, it would sure be weird to see someone up in the air, flying an invisible plane.

I've wondered that for a long time for some reason.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

24. Only the airplane was invisible

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_oXbt-ROvmE4/SdRKa9fAWJI/AAAAAAAAF70/CGkiNO1j6_Q/s400/wonder+woman+invisible+plane-1.jpg

[Blue_Tires]

29. lol at that!

how did she read the gauges?

[dipsydoodle]

2. IMHO

It was disgusting for that to have occured. Talk about completely fucking thoughtless............

[valerief]

3. Was this a Stop Talking About Torture deal? nt

[RamboLiberal]

5. Anyone know if the guy in the WH in charge of this

was a Bush leftover? Or is he new with the Obama Admin? Guess Obama found his "Heckuva job Brownie"!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

9. President-elect Barack Obama names Louis Caldera Director of White House Military Office

http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/president_elect_barack_obama_names_louis_caldera_director_of_white_house_mi/

Both Caldera and Johnston need to be canned ... I would be if I pulled an idiotic stunt like this.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Thanks - I was hoping he was a Bush leftover

Yeah, he should be canned. If this is the worst guy in the Obama administration, time to let him go. Unlike Brownie at least no one died!

[Individualist]

38. Louis Caldera is a New Democrat

[vow66]

4. [Video] 747 Over NYC - April 27th

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x304347

[Algorem]

6. some kind of experiment?

wanted to see how many peons would pee on themselves

[LakeSamish706]

7. Heads should certainly roll on this one.... It was very insensitive indeed...

I can not imagine how many citizens of New York must have felt with this going on, must have scared the living crap outta them.

[aquart]

16. I don't have to imagine and I'm furious about it.

[Hekate]

12. I want names, dammit, not departments. NAMES. Who, exactly, thought this abomination up?

:grr:

As always, ask yourself "Who does it serve?" and remember that Bush left moles behind.

Hekate

[No Elephants]

32. On the Today Show this morning, they said the photos were to be for Obama's website. It

started as a training mission, but was converted to a photo op. Don't know if that is true, but I don't think Bush holdovers have much to do with Obama's website. (I am assuming they mean whitehouse.gov.)

[Ohio Joe]

37. It is not who thought it up

Turning this into a photo-op was probably the suggestion of some type of PR guy for President Obama. S/He probably had nothing to do with it being done without warning. I think the name you really want is the one belonging to the dope that decided it should be a secret.

[KoKo]

13. Kickety Kick! ...There's been surprisingly little interest in this "Fly Over" here on DU...

I'm glad to see the Grassroots from other sites has finanally gotten some traction.

Good NEWS! :applause: This should never have happened and why it happened does lend itself to either "incompetence" in Obama Administration (even with a Clinton Holdover in charge) or "Tinfoilhat Conspiracies" that it was Cheney and his Moles within the WH.

We need to keep after this for the TRUTH!

[TwilightZone]

14. There were quite a few threads on it last night.

So many, in fact, that some idiot posted a couple of "what's the big deal?" threads that ended up being locked.

[KoKo]

17. Do a DU Search...it was me that posted them....

nuff said.

[aquart]

15. "Little interest"? Do you not come here every day?

[KoKo]

19. Ummm...you posted on the OP's I posted about this yesterday....

Maybe my little name just doesn't strike a bell in your memory. It's OK....I don't always remember the person who posts articles I reply to here on DU these days, either.

:hi:

[northofdenali]

18. Holy shit. We just handed the repukes a silver platter -

with this fuckup.

K& off to the greatest with ya.

[harun]

21. Even the repukes can hit this softball we just threw them.

[winyanstaz]

20. and it is just a coincidence that flu breaks out right afterwards too...

..sheesh heads should roll in the DOD...we obviously have idiots in charge.

[TwilightZone]

22. Yes.

It is a coincidence, especially considering that the flu outbreak started before this event did.

Does everything have to be a conspiracy?

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

23. Panic and sound

there must have been hundreds of thousands in NY who could hear and not see what was happening in the air. At 1500 feet the sound would be horrifying to people in the city.

What a nightmare. Hearing and not knowing how many planes, what kind of planes, and where they were at.

Total Terror.



The operation will be monitored by FAA Air Traffic Security Coordinators (ATSC) at the Domestic Event Network at FAA Headquarters

War Games, Again.





ENOUGH!

[struggle4progress]

25. We need to know exactly who was involved in this

[northofdenali]

26. And they need to be fired. Immediately! n/t

[Baby Snooks]

27. Public policy versus public relations...

I will probably have my post deleted again by a moderator but this points out a problem with quite a few of our presidents of late and that is that they seem as occupied with public relations as they do public policy. We could do with less emphasis on public relations and more emphasis on public policy.

As for the Republicans using this apparently there were two other incidents which occured during the Bush presidency - one was announced and one was not from what I was told. In both cases, there was still some panic by those who didn't know. Which is probably why the FAA knew this would cause some panic. And yet they proceeded?

Apologies mean nothing. Those who made the decision should be fired. Walk the talk.

[NashVegas]

33. Public Interest vs Authority

Is a fight going on all over the place, not just in government.

[OwnedByFerrets]

28. Has anyone explained what kind of

FUCKING photo-op they were expecting to achieve from this fiasco?

[No Elephants]

34. On the Today Show this morning, they reported that this started as a training mission, then

someone (They did not say who.) decided to turn it into a photo op mission to get new photos for Obama's website. I am assuming they meant whitehouse.gov, but that is just my assumption.

[OwnedByFerrets]

40. I believe you are correct...next time however, they

could obtain my photoshopping services for just HALF of what it cost to fly these planes. Man, what a great guy I am for offering to give them such a deal.:rofl:

[mountainvue]

30. My question is what were they really doing? Am I supposed

to believe this was a photo op?

[Politicub]

31. Truly - the only thing to fear is fear itself

Enough already with the flyover. Yes, it was scary. But that's all it was - scary! Some people have a real knack for going on and on about how scary it was. Get over yourselves. Christ.

[NashVegas]

35. Yay! Let's Hear It For the Idiots In the Marketing Department! Yay!

Woot.

[ieoeja]

36. I want to see the secrecy order.

This still sounds to me like public relations standard operating procedure, i.e. refer any questions to us at 202-493-5107; do not attempt to answer any questions yourself.

[windowpilot]

39. maybe we could use this as

a cry for a real 9/11 investigation.