BUZZ CUT: 2 TEXAS PILOTS SENT PACKING

New York Post ^ | 3/01/02 | Neil Graves

[kattracks]

March 1, 2002 -- The two military jet pilots who buzzed lower Manhattan last week have been shipped back to their home base in Texas, officials said yesterday.

The unnamed pilots, from the 147th Fighter Wing based at Ellington, Texas, caused an uproar on Feb. 18, when hundreds of Manhattan and Brooklyn residents were awakened at 4:30 a.m. Air Force officials chalked up the incident to the two F-16s being at the wrong altitude at the wrong time of day.

[hchutch]

This really stinks.

Fighter pilots need to be fighter pilots. They need to buzz things at times.

[Poohbah]

Not at 0430 they don't.

Between 2200 and 0600 is when most folks are trying to get some sleep. Lord knows how many times I had to knock off the fun stuff because of taps, these guys could do it too.

[Centurion2000]

This is nothing. At Cherry Point there were A-6 pilots ducking under the bridges.

I wonder how New Yawkers would react to that.

[hchutch]

How much trouble are the pilots in?

[Poohbah]

If I had any say, they'd be transferred to Nome, Alaska (DIFDEN to boot) for processing of their resignations from active duty. Said processing could be expected to take approximately five years.

[hchutch]

Kinda harsh, IMO.

Ground `em for a couple of months, then send `em to patrol no-fly-zones over Iraq.

[Poohbah]

Well, waking up soundly-sleeping civilians and convincing them that the Islamic crazies had gotten ahold of another airplane or two was pretty damn stupid.

[hchutch]

I know, but it's not a career-wrecking stupid thing. Besides, one of these guys could be the next Richard Bong (who got in trouble for a little buzzing prior to combat duty, IIRC).

[Poohbah]

I'm sorry...but after the events of 9/11, these chuckleheads should have used some of their neurons to figure that this was felony stupid.

[deport]

This is the Air National Guard unit that was activated by President Bush on Sept. 20, 2001... Also this is the unit he was in during his tour. They fly the F-16C Fighting Falcon.

[-YYZ-]

I've seen a Sea King pilot fly his chopper under one of the Halifax-Dartmouth bridges. Got in big doo-doo, as I heard it. Standing order against it, now. I also saw one of the landing gear assemblies fall off a Challenger jet into Halifax harbour one time. They'd been doing touch and go's, and I guess the last one was a little too hard. I ended up working in the hangar where the post-landing remains were kept.

[Khurkris]

Oustanding flying Gentlemen!

Now take yr next assignment to Flight School and instill that bravado in the next group. We need Warriors - both on the ground AND in the air.

Expect the Un-Expected and Render Same.

[catpuppy]

... it's not a career-wrecking stupid thing

Maybe, maybe not. In recent years as in most military organizations during peacetime, the accumulation of square-filling perfumed princes in the upper ranks means that minor screw-ups by aggressive soldiers/sailors/airmen often result in career ending actions. Sad but true.

[Reeses]

It's never a good choice to tick off New Yorkers, as the Taliban found out.

I was outside for lunch on a foggy day in San Francisco a few weeks ago and a loud low jet flew somewhere overhead. All I could think was here we go. It turned out it was the Blue Angels doing a fly-over for a baseball game. If they did that in New York I'm sure they'd get an earful.