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Emirates flight being escorted into jfk by f15s as we speak.


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Not only do they want to have the option of splashing the plane if needed, the AF probably wanted to have eyes on the aircraft incase the bomb did explode and the plane went down in a remote area. That way, once it was lost on radar, the F-15's could still help vector in rescue people into the area quickly.

Aaron

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Why "splash" the plane? Are they afraid that a team of terrorists will pop out of a 10" x 12" cardboard box and start a hijacking?

If there was that much danger, why let the plane get anywhere near NYC? Why not have it land at Halifax or Pease or something, and keep it there until the cargo is inspected?

And this all sure is a surprise, here in October. On the Friday before a big important election and all.

This story is damn odd.

Edited by Antonov
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Why "splash" the plane? Are they afraid that a team of terrorists will pop out of a 10" x 12" cardboard box and start a hijacking?

If there was that much danger, why let the plane get anywhere near NYC? Why not have it land at Halifax or Pease or something, and keep it there until the cargo is inspected?

And this all sure is a surprise, here in October. On the Friday before a big important election and all.

This story is damn odd.

Good points.... seems like there was really no valid reason for scrambling fighters for something like this. Just a waste of taxpayer's money.

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Good points.... seems like there was really no valid reason for scrambling fighters for something like this. Just a waste of taxpayer's money.

the Emirates' plane was a passenger plane - they talked about how the suspicious package might be triggered with a cell phone. If a passenger(s) started acting overly suspicious to do such a thing - again as mentioned, it is to show force as well

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the Emirates' plane was a passenger plane - they talked about how the suspicious package might be triggered with a cell phone. If a passenger(s) started acting overly suspicious to do such a thing - again as mentioned, it is to show force as well

Re: the show of force part, if someone is one the plane and is determined to die (as your average suicide bomber usually is), I really don't get how seeing an F-15 out of his window would change his mind. Unless of course the Eagle had Bruce Willis in the back and Bruce would jump out of the F-15 cockpit onto the 777, force open a door and then rip the terrorists' head off with his bare hands. Otherwise, the Eagles have zero ability to influence a guy that is determined to die by triggering a bomb onboard.

Also don't see how an F-15 would be able to interfere with a cell phone activated explosive.

Unless additional new info comes to light, this just seems like an expensive airforce PR exercise (Don't worry New York, we've got your back!). There is not a single thing that those Eagles could have done to prevent this and as someone else mentioned, if they really thought there might be an explosive on the aircraft, why would they let it land at JFK???

Divert it to Bangor so that if it goes down, it will only take out a bunch of pine trees. The fact that they let it land at JFK seems to indicate that it was never thought to be a real threat.

I'm curious what the cost was for that little exercise.

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Oh man.....can you imagine???

"Ok folks.......here's the situation as we know it.......the aircraft is being escorted by the Montreal Canadian's Air Force.....flying their F-19's....they're going to be forcing the jetliner to land in the Hudson River, but they first need clearance from the US Marines....and Sully Sullenberger......we're on top of the story, and we'll make sure to twitter you any updates as they happen!!!"

:worship:

:worship:

The scary thing is, that's pretty darn close to how he'd report it ... :huh:

Gregg

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The fact that they let it land at JFK seems to indicate that it was never thought to be a real threat.

With Two F-15s with Eyes on it.

I'm curious what the cost was for that little exercise.

How much would the cost be if it was to land in Bangor?

The Pilots and most likely the A/C would have logged Hours for the Month anyway, So either they fly around to check the scenery out or "fake" an Alert mission chasing a ghost plane.

Some how my mind has me thinking tax dollars and training was best spent in a true environment other then the two above, no?

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Nah, come on folks, Canada finally revealed that it secretly bought Russian Mig-28's and this intercept and escort of a cargo plane was the best place to tell the world we have a fleet of Mig-28's now. :crying2:

"Talk to me Goose."

Edited by Les / Creative Edge Photo
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How much would the cost be if it was to land in Bangor?

The cost to the taxpayer if ATC radioed the the Emirates plane and directed it to land in Bangor for a thorough inspection of it's cargo and passengers by local TSA personnel? I'd say probably next to nothing compared to having two completely unnecessary fighters follow it down the East coast into JFK.

BTW, I'm not sure I would agree with your statement that when they are conducting training missions, they are doing nothing more productive than checking out the scenery.

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The cost to the taxpayer if ATC radioed the the Emirates plane and directed it to land in Bangor for a thorough inspection of it's cargo and passengers by local TSA personnel? I'd say probably next to nothing compared to having two completely unnecessary fighters follow it down the East coast into JFK.

What part of those Pilots and the fighters would be logging the hours anyway don't you understand?

BTW, I'm not sure I would agree with your statement that when they are conducting training missions, they are doing nothing more productive than checking out the scenery.
Yet, you think they should not have to do their job when called to do it, go figure. Edited by Wayne S
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The point isn't the cost, it's logic. Let's assume there's really a bomb on the plane. If so, where would you rather risk having it blow up (presumably showering flaming jet parts onto the ground below) - over rural upstate New York, or over Queens? If the answer is the former, why not have the plane land at Plattsburgh or Griffiss (or Barnes, or Westover, or Halifax, or Pease, or Stewart... there's no lack of good candidates) until you check out the cargo and make sure it's not dangerous? The answer, though, is apparently the latter.

I wouldn't let a plane with a bomb on it get anywhere near New York City - or any other big metropolitan area. Can someone tell me why I'm wrong on this, because I just don't see it.

I really am not any kind of conspiracy theorist at all, but this whole story just doesn't make sense.

Edited by Antonov
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The point isn't the cost, it's logic. Let's assume there's really a bomb on the plane. If so, where would you rather risk having it blow up (presumably showering flaming jet parts onto the ground below) - over rural upstate New York, or over Queens? If the answer is the former, why not have the plane land at Plattsburgh or Griffiss (or Barnes, or Westover, or Halifax, or Pease, or Stewart... there's no lack of good candidates) until you check out the cargo and make sure it's not dangerous? The answer, though, is apparently the latter.

I wouldn't let a plane with a bomb on it get anywhere near New York City - or any other big metropolitan area. Can someone tell me why I'm wrong on this, because I just don't see it.

I really am not any kind of conspiracy theorist at all, but this whole story just doesn't make sense.

I agree.

That's why I say say this smells of "Wag the Dog". There's been a real threat but it's been managed for political gain and media sensationalism. If that makes me a conspiracy nut than so be it.

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What part of those Pilots and the fighters would be logging the hours anyway don't you understand?

Despite your assumption that their training consists of nothing more than flying around, racking up flight hours and "checking out the scenery", most, if not all training missions are pretty closely scripted, with multiple tasks that have to be performed during each flight (tanking, BVR combat, dogfighting, etc.).

Your assumption works if you are a civilian learning to fly a Cessna, not so much if you are an F-15 pilot.

More than likely, that escort flight would have been in addition to a pilot's normal training requirements.

BTW, from what I have been able to find, the cost per flight hour of an F-15 is ~ $17,000/hour.

Edited by 11bee
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Because of these suspicious packages, we should allocate all 3.2 trillion dollars of our federal budget to fighting parcel bombs in the mail from terrorists. Thatll show em.

Only reason the war on terror has not been won yet is we have not spent enough money on it yet.

Edited by Superjew
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