Per our local 11 o'clock nooz: F16s to "patrol" airspace at the Superbowl next week.

[Stinky The Clown]

[DJ13]

1. They didnt have any armed drones available?

[HeresyLives]

2. Well, the Taliban you know, might fly over and attack.

[PacerLJ35]

7. Yeah, they'd never think of flying airplanes into populated buildings...

[babylonsister]

3. I thought that was standard ops. Makes sense to me.

And me just typing that sentence is sad to me, but true. Big venues warrant security.

[arcadian]

8. It's a useless show of arms.

How do we know Al Kayda doesn't have a giant drill bit and they slant drilled a mine under the stadium and have placed an A-bomb under it? Are they planning security around that scenario?

[ddeclue]

4. More idiotic paranoia...

sigh..

[Brother Buzz]

5. Ten miles high, no one would even know they were up there without the 11 o'clock nooz

But they could drop down real fast if required. You know what I mean, Vern?

[PacerLJ35]

6. Ten miles high? Damn, it's an F-16, not a U-2...

[Fumesucker]

9. The ceiling on an F16 is over 50,000 feet..

http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/air/fighter/f16.html#spec

[PacerLJ35]

13. What's the definition of a service ceiling....my point being...

Just because it CAN get up that high, doesn't mean it does regularly. See my post below...anyone flying over 50,000 feet must be in a pressure suit. Another point...a "service ceiling" only means (under normal USAF definitions) that it's capable of a 300 foot per minute climb rate at light weights. The F-16 that will be flying CAP over the stadium will likely be orbiting much lower...

[Fumesucker]

14. Eh, even if it's only seven miles the plane is going to be pretty much invisible from the ground..

Which I think was the point the poster was trying to make, I think.

Even jetliners are very near specked out from the ground when at cruising altitude and an F16 isn't nearly as big as a 747..

[TheWraith]

10. Ten miles is only 52,000 feet...

And at top speed an F-16 could drop down from that hight in less than 40 seconds.

[PacerLJ35]

11. "only"....USAF rules specify anyone flying over 50,000 feet must be in a pressure suit

Like an astronaut's pressure suit...F-16s might be able to get there with a light fuel load, but they don't typically operate that high.

[cherokeeprogressive]

17. The Gulfstream G650 has a service ceiling of 51,000 feet.

Do you think anyone requires its passengers to wear pressure suits?

[Warren DeMontague]

12. Thank God.

[bobburgster]

15. If they didn't fly....

and something happened....just imagine the reps. reaction.

[cherokeeprogressive]

16. And if the shoe were on the other foot, imagine OUR reaction... n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

20. I know.

I just couldn't pass up a chance to reference that flick.

[onethatcares]

18. the other side won,

but if we put one or two aircraft carriers in Shreveport, we might stand a chance. Don't forget to have the marines on standbye if case the wrong team wins.

Gaud, I just realized I don't know who's playing.:wtf:

[Occulus]

19. Theater.

Just like the game itself.

[Skidmore]

21. We are in the bread and circus phase of empire.

[zbdent]

22. I'm sure that, if someone tries to light his shoe,

the F16s will be able to take out the shoebomber without any innocent bystanders ...