Fed Photo Op Creates A Panic In NYC

Chalk this one up to poor communication: one of the Boeing 747 jetliners that carries the president was used in a photo opportunity yesterday. That op had the aircraft flying down the Hudson River between New Jersey and Manhattan at a very low altitude, not much above the level that two hijacked planes were flown at when they smashed into the World Trade Center’s twin towers on September 11, 2001, killing thousands.

Prior to the terrorist attacks, a low flying jetliner wouldn’t have gotten any reaction from normally steely New Yorkers. But, 9/11 forever changed the way New Yorkers look up to the sky, raising suspicion, even panic whenever a low-flying jet is spotted. Yesterday, thousands of workers evacuated their offices, with many fleeing on foot to move away from the “attack zone” just as they did in 2001.

Not A Comedy, But Almost A Tragedy

Yesterday’s incident might have been dismissed as a comedy of errors had it been recognized for what it was: a poorly executed photo op. Worse, the jetliner was trailed the whole time by an F-16 fighter jet, suggesting to many people in the city that a follow up attack was underway, with the Air Force jet dispatched to intercept the wayward aircraft.

Most insulting of all was that Air Force officials, who were behind the assignment, asked that the flight remain confidential. New York City’s police department knew about the photo op as did a junior aid in the Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s administration. That aid never informed the mayor who was understandably livid over the communication snafu.

A Flying Photo Op

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent an email to City Hall which outlined a “flying photo op” designed to snap glamour shots of the 747 jetliner as it winged its way down the Hudson River, circling past the Statue of Liberty. Flight patterns were identified as was the 1100-1500 foot altitude of the shoot.

However, the FAA instructed that the only those persons “with a need to know” be informed with specific instructions to keep the public out of the loop due to public concern over low-flying aircraft.

Huh?!

Obviously, someone goofed within the FAA, failing to realize that keeping the information hush-hush would create more of a problem. The weather on Monday was beautiful not unlike the conditions on that fateful day in 2001. Take similar weather conditions, add in a low-flying jumbo jetliner and follow that up with a “pursuing” attack jet and you have the makings of 9/11 Redux.

Lessons To Be Learned

The rebuke from the Bloomberg administration was swift as was it forceful. That junior aid had a warning letter put into his personal file, but you have to wonder if the photo op would have taken place had the mayor known about it. Sensitive to the feelings of New Yorkers, Bloomberg most likely would have objected to the flight or at the very least insisted that the public had the right to know.

For his part, PresidentObama voiced his strong displeasure over the communication snafu, a mission which simply would have updated several photo files, but ended up causing panic that resulted in mental harm to fleeing workers as well as millions of dollars in lost productivity.

These days, many Americans simply don’t trust their elected officials. Yesterday’s events gave them one more reason to doubt the actions of local, state and federal officials, resulting in a fall out which cannot yet be measured.

Additional Reading: Lessons From The Great Cuil Failure

49 States In 9 Days For Charity

I’ve been entertaining thoughts of getting in my car and heading to California to arrive in time for the press days for the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.  If I were to leave Raleigh, NC during the last week of November, I’d be at the L.A. Convention Center on December 1st, just in time for the preview which begins the following day.

Then again, I’ve never driven more than one thousand miles in any one direction — six thousand miles round-trip would be a real chore!

Taking America By Storm!

Well, my dream will have to wait until I have the time to make such a trip as well as the right kind of car to drive. Then again, having an older set of wheels isn’t stopping Dave Staub from making the most amazing cross-country trip I’ve ever heard of, a venture where he plans to touch 49 states and one Canadian province in just 9 days and in a 1932 Ford Highboy Roadster no less!

Staub’s trip will take him from his native California on a circuitous trip that will head south and east to Florida then up the east coast to Maine before heading across the northern fringes of the country, coming to an end in Alaska.  He’ll be driving about 9800 miles in just 9 days, an absolutely wearisome trip!

Helping Ronald McDonald House Charities

But, Staub isn’t hitting the road just for pleasure. An avid automotive enthusiast, Staub is using his trip as a way to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto, California. Ronald McDonald House Charities was founded by the hamburger chain and whose mission “is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children.”

Among the many benefits offered by the Ronald McDonald House is temporary housing for families whose children are being cared for by a local medical facility. Oftentimes, children must be treated many miles away from home if they have a life threatening illness. By providing housing and other services a Ronald McDonald House removes a cost prohibitive burden off the backs of impacted families.

Staub won’t be setting out on his journey until September 8th, which gives him some time to raise the $100,000 he wants to give to the Ronald McDonald House through donations which are being received through his site or by sending a check directly to the organization. Once he is on the road, you can follow Staub’s progress online as well as track the amount of money raised for the charity.

For additional information visit 49in9.com and take a look at the following video which tells what Staub is planning to do: