On CNN.com this morning, I saw a link to a video entitled "9/11 mystery jet possibly 'doomsday plane'.
Mystery plane? Huh. Never heard of it. So I clicked the link and the video started. The voiceover gave the standard "Towers collapsing... Pentagon burning... White House evacuating... Mystery Plane overhead..." narrative and then cut to video of said plane. I immediately thought "Oh. That's just 'kneecap' (NEACP). Nothing odd about seeing that plane there on that day," and toddled off to the Smallest Room while leaving the video playing.
From what I heard wafting from the computer's speakers while I was in the head, that's a very exciting plane to people who don't know what the hell they're talking about. I envy those folks, I really do; ignorance seems so thrilling. I wish my world was that exciting.
Bet they'd wet their pants if they read up on Looking Glass.
ReplyDeleteFUnny, I don't know how many times I've explained that to people; or had the same damn thoughts about ignorance for that matter.
ReplyDeleteAh, but they make so...interesting for the rest of us...
ReplyDeleteActually, my first thought was the rather snarkier "Either the boys at Offutt damn near jumped the chocks while Bush was still reading to the kiddies in FL, or it was parked at Andrews being used as a high-dollar VIP taxi that week..."
ReplyDeleteI'll bet there was an alternate E4 at Eglin, or another base in FL or possibly Barkdale in LA, while Bush was there.
ReplyDeleteThat E4 was possibly scrambled for real time airborne threat assessment and vectoring interceptors in as needed. Since on standby, perhaps quicker to get airborne than AWACS. Or maybe the VP was put aboard when he was on his way to a "secure location" to maintain redundant civilian command and control in the event of a broader attack that threatened the Pres himself. I recall hearing Air Force One was a possible target 6 years ago.
Just my theories to add to the rest.
Yup. Silly CNN. It's an E4B, from the 1st ACCS at Offutt AFB. If any government aircraft had clearance to be over the White House on that day, it was most assuredly an E4B.
ReplyDeleteI was assigned to the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron and their WC/RC-135 fleet, under the 55th Wing at Offutt - the same parent wing of the 1st ACCS and their E4B. As an aside, the submarine ELF communications duties of the former LOOKING GLASS mission transferred from the now-retired EC-135 fleet to the Navy's E-6B TACAMO aircraft out of Tinker AFB.
The 1st ACCS may or may not have jumped the chocks. Like any other 4-engine heavy, they fly routine CONUS training sorties for proficiency, etc. In-flight diversions due to real-world situations are very much part of the checklist, and it's part of their crew briefing. I'd wager that it was doing pattern work off-station when diverted, vs. playing VIP taxi at Andrews. The 89th AW has plenty of VIP taxis there already.