Military Flyovers: Are they still worth it?

[unhappycamper]

A flyover and flag were part of the ceremonies remembering the 2001 terrorist attacks at the Jaguars' Sept. 11, 2011, game.



Military Flyovers: Are they still worth it?
By Charlie Patton
Posted: November 25, 2011 - 8:21pm | Updated: November 26, 2011 - 2:04am

As former “American Idol” contestant Phil Stacey finishes the national anthem Sunday, a team of six jets will fly over EverBank Field as the crowd roars, anticipating the kickoff of a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans.

~snip~

For the 2008 Super Bowl, the Navy’s Blue Angels flew over the University of Phoenix Stadium. A spokesman estimated the cost of sending the six F/A-18A Hornets from their base in El Centro, Calif., to Glendale, Ariz., and back at $36,000, the Sentinel reported. And the jets were unseen by anyone at the game because the stadium’s roof was closed.

Two weeks later, the Air Force’s Thunderbirds came from Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas to perform a fly-by before the Daytona 500 at an estimated cost of $80,000, the Sentinel reported.

Lt. Col. Richard Bittner, public affairs director for the Florida National Guard, whose 125th Fighter Wing, based at Jacksonville International Airport, did a flyover for Sept. 11’s opening game of the Jaguars’ regular season, said a ballpark estimate would be that each hour of flight time by each plane costs more than $6,000.

[originalpckelly]

1. Hey, gotta have weapons at the test-fest...

and a flyover is one of the only safe ways to do it. The morons might get drunk and steal a tank, and most stadiums aren't near the ocean.

[Scuba]

2. They were never worth it. Just more glorification of war. n/t

[trof]

3. Kinda

Military pilots must log a minimum number of flight hours each quarter to maintain proficiency and qualifications.
And to get flight pay, which is in addition to their base pay.

For those who perform precision aerobatics in close formation, this is even more important.

They have to practice anyway, so why not at public events?

[Obamanaut]

6. 'Great minds' and all that. Your post appeared while I was typing mine. nt

[Earth_First]

4. "...the jets were unseen by anyone at the game because the stadium’s roof was closed."

Uhhh... :shrug:

[trof]

9. Yeah, that was dumb.

[Obamanaut]

5. Yes, the flyovers are worth it. There is the PR value for one thing. Also, the

pilots must get a certain amount of training time per month to remain current, and the flyover counts toward that total.

In addition, the actual cost of the flyover is taken from the training budget (refer to previous sentence).

The dollar per flight hour cost is not JUST for that hour of flight, but also for the maintenance time leading up to the flight and the maintenance time following it - for technicians and parts/equipment.

Inasmuch as the money would be spent on training anyway, why not use the time for PR - two birds with one stone.

[Earth_First]

7. Great points... n/t

[sam11111]

8. 1.7 million homeless...12 million in hunger...Flyovers are worse than stupid

[dembotoz]

10. at lambeau during opening game flyover

although working concession stand inside stadium so i did not actually see it.
but the whole damn place shook.

everyone looks at each other and smiles.

a bit of pride, rather a nice thing.

yes worth it.

i think also worth it because we see such antiseptic filming of bombing missions.
we do not get a concept of the horror and the noise.
This is at least a sample.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Just commercials for America's most Sacred, and useless, Cow.

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. LOL..... if pigs could fly

well some do within the Pork budget that is the military

Flyovers are part of the bread and circus.