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)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMoy8JprKI0]

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)

Boomberg, “The good news is it was nothing more than an inconsiderate, badly conceived and insensitive photo op with the taxpayers’ money”

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized the federal government and his own administration for failing to warn the public, which was shocked by the image of a jumbo jet flanked by an F-16 flying near the World Trade Center site.

“The good news is it was nothing more than an inconsiderate, badly conceived and insensitive photo op with the taxpayers’ money,” Bloomberg told reporters. (source- UPI)

Gibbs – I would refer you to….The White House???

At a White House press briefing Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged questions about the flyover, even referring the media to the White House (that he represents).

Gibbs said he had no other information about the flyover other than news reports he had seen. “I was working on other things,” Gibbs said. “You might be surprised to know I don’t know every movement of Air Force One or what happens to it.” (Source- ABC)

Click here to watch Bloomberg and Gibbs speak about the flyover.

FAA Memo: Feds Ordered Secrecy Knowing NYC Flyover Could Cause Panic