Manhattan, NY – Mayor Bloomberg went ballistic after the U.S. military – without any warning to the public – buzzed New York City with one of the presidential planes trailed by an F-16 fighter jet.
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Flying in as low as 1000 feet to 150 feet above New York City and taking photographs along the way, the planes circled the Statue of Liberty and flew over Manhattan, Staten Island, and New Jersey – then vanished.
Before they were gone, hundreds of frightened people had jammed the emergency lines, thousands of terrified people evacuated from buildings in the city and across the river in Jersey, and many New Yorkers had flashbacks to the 9/11 attacks.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” said Eunice Davis, 41, of Brooklyn, who was evacuated from the New York Mercantile Exchange. “Some planes were circling the building. I was afraid. I was here when the World Trade Center went down.”
“We thought we were under attack again,” added a shaken Wall Street worker, who declined to give his name.
Angry that an unnamed but “dumb” city official failed to notify him of the Pentagon’s plans, Bloomberg said a flyover so close to Ground Zero was insensitive and showed “poor judgement.”
He said the first he knew of it was when his BlackBerry began buzzing.
It “defies the imagination,” said Bloomberg, who insisted he would have tried to stop the shoot had he known about it.
The NYPD confirmed that it had been told of the Pentagon’s “aerial photo mission” last Thursday but ordered to stay quiet about it.
Sen. Chuck Schumer called the whole incident “absolutely outrageous and appalling.”
“To think that the FAA would plan such a photo shoot and not warn the public, knowing full well that New Yorkers still have the vivid memory of 9/11 etched in their minds,” he said.
“In New York, of all places, to not warn the public that one of the largest jets in the county tailed
by a fighter jet is going to fly low over their communities defies logic and borders on simply being cruel.”
Asked about the incident, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said only, “I have no information beyond what I saw” on news reports.
The flyover was staged by the people whose job it is to protect us from terrorist attacks.
The bigger plane was one of the customized Boeing 747s that serve as Air Force One when the President is aboard. President Obama was not on the flight.
“This was a planned, pre-approved military flight over New York to take photos,” said FAA spokesman Jim Peters. “It was pre-coordinated with everyone involved, including the city.”
The planes flew back to Andrews Air Foce Base in Maryland after scaring New York.
**UPDATE** 5:00 PM From CBS News
The head of the White House Military Office issued an apology just after 4:30 p.m.
“Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused,” Director Louis Caldera said in a statement.
Way to go, DOD, create panic in the streets.
It all points to Obama. He should apologize to Bloomberg and the people of NYC. What a stupid thing to do.
For once I agree with the Mayor. How DARE Obama’s people terrorize our residents? Have they at least apologized (not that that makes it right) or is Obama’s arrogance showing? I can only imagine the terror people down there felt. B”H my husband worked from home today. He doesn’t need to re-live the horror of watching people jump from the Twin Towers and go through his own personal angst from that time again.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters. “It was pre-coordinated with everyone involved, including the city.”
So they don’t consider Bloomberg too important if “everyone” knew except Bloomberg.
Bloomberg must have been busy giving out Traffic Tickets again. He would have issued a Ticket to Air Force one if he could.
It was Bibi flying over with IAF planess in honor of yom ha’atzmout
who knew theres extra money to take pictures!! what a stupid way to blow $$$$
Can’t they take pictures with a helicopter?
now I’m getting really scared that obama has a close picture of NYC
Yup, let’s blame the President. And let’s blame former Vice_president Al Gore for the unseasonal hot weather we are having.
A few weeks ago a movie crew was filming in Washington, DC. They planned to set off and film a simulated explosion in the Potomac River near the center of the city (i.e., White House, Pentagon, National Monuments, etc.). They informed EVERYBODY days in advance. It was in the papers and on all the radio and television news shows. The event occurred without any problems at all.
They should have f16 flying evrey day over new york.
The mayor should do what he does best. Give them a ticket.
However, by the time one of his ex welfare 300 pounders gets the ticket book out of that hard to reach back pocket, the planes will leave the scene of a crime. So, then Bloomberg should give them another ticket for leaving the scene of a crime.
By the way, how does the city pay to keep those huge ones eating their potatoes while collecting their welfare checks before being hired to give tickets?
Answer: He pays their salaries through the tickets he tells them to spread faster than the Swine Virus he allowed in.
What was even he point of the photo shoot? Just to waste money? They don’t have enough pictures of the Air Force One plane? If they wanted it with a background of the Statue of Liberty and didn’t have one, I can sell them a copy of PhotoShop and it would have cost a lot less than having that giant plane fly all over the place.
This article does not discuss the claim that the White House tried to hush this up.
For those of us who care for people with post-traumatic stress disorder, a surge in cases is likely in the next few days as people by the hundreds will experience flashbacks.
The arrogance of this new administration is striking, but most of their arrogance will be directed at the Jewish state (as Rahm Emanuel has already hinted in warning a supporter of Israel that Obama will establish a Palestinian state–including Hamas–whether Israel wants it or not.)
Is THIS what Obama is wasting MY tax money on?
Do you have any idea what that photo shoot cost?
I want to know what government agency to write to express my outrage about the expenditure of money and the total insensitivity of this unannounced photo-op. Too many of us remember September 11 (although few in the current administration seem to care) and not to have Bloomberg et.al. in the loop is simply irresponsible.
“” Angry that an unnamed but “dumb” city official failed to notify him of the Pentagon’s plans, Bloomberg said a flyover so close to Ground Zero was insensitive and showed “poor judgement.” “”
if i understand correctly blumberg is saying that the city was notified just that “city official” didnt pass along the message???
I wonder how much Obama added to his big fat carbon footprint with the wasted fuel today? A bunch of loser liberal lying cheats!
thats weird b/c today when i was in school (in jersey) they had us evacute for no known reason maybe it had somthing to do with this