Pilots Violate Air Space at Bush Campaign Events

The Conservative Republican ^

[joevberry333]

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20041023170609990008

MELBOURNE, Fla. (Oct. 23) - Two small private aircraft violated restricted air space Saturday over two of President Bush's campaign rallies in central Florida, authorities said.

In both incidents, fighter jets led the planes to nearby airfields.

''The president was never in any danger at either event,'' White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.

In Lakeland, a small aircraft flew too close to Bush's rally at Ty Cobb Field and was escorted to Gilbert Field in Winter Haven, Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur said. Later, in Melbourne, an F-15 escorted a plane to Merritt Island Airport near Cocoa Beach, said Greg Martin, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington.

The Secret Service interviewed both pilots. The FAA will determine whether further action should be taken, Martin said.

The F-15s were in the air at the time, a standard practice when the president makes an appearance. Reporters covering Bush's campaign event at Space Coast Stadium in Melbourne said the military jets drowned out Bush's words at one point. The activity in the sky repeatedly distracted the crowd from Bush's speech, but Duffy said the president continued speaking through the incident.

10-23-04 1657 EDT

Does anyone get the feeling this was intentional? Another Dem ploy??

[Boundless]

Also being discussed on other threads, most recently:

Fighters Escort Two Small Planes Away From Bush Rally
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1254714/posts

Deliberate? Probably not. See.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1254714/posts?page=36#36

[DSBull]

What would have been really cool would have been if the jets had shot them down, providing a nice fireworks display..

These people did not accidentally slip into a no-fly zone. They would have been warned repeatedly to change course by controllers..It has to be a Kerry plot...maybe he was hoping the planes would have been shot down so he could use it against Bush..who knows? I don't put anything past Rats these days.

[joevberry333]

actually I think the planes flew over to disrupt the Bush speach. It is very odd how this happened two times on the same day...In two different locations...

[Drago]

VFR...no controllers involved.

[Nik Naym]

Nope. The sky was clear, these guys were most certainly flying VFR. No controllers telling them what to do. It is easy enough to wander accidentally into a permanent restricted area, it is REALLY easy if it is temporary, and you just never got the word. Not excusing the pilots, they should have checked the notams for the area, etc.

I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to intentionally violate restricted space, particularly when it is being watched over by armed military aircraft!

This was an accident, pure and simple. I bet the pilots were crapping their pants when they realized where they were, too.

Nik