So what is the difference between 09/11/01 and 02/16/04

[DoYouEverWonder]

I can testify that it now takes about 5 minutes to intercept a questionable aircraft. The seaplane pictured below landed on my lake this afternoon. It was quiet a surprise to see this thing flying past my window, especially considering that I live on a 'no motor' lake in the middle of Gainesville, FL.

Within about 5 minutes of this thing landing, a police helicopter showed up and circle around and around the seaplane which by then had pulled up on the bank over by a hotel on the other end of the lake. Within another 5 minutes after that a squad car was on the scene.

Anyway, it just blew me away that on 9-11 three planes hit their targets and not a single one was intercepted. Now a little seaplane who probably had permission to be in the area is intercepted within less than 5 minutes. Go figure? I guess we can take some comfort that no one is going to hijack a plane in the US again and not be intercepted in short order.


West Palm Beach Post



Tom Goodwin of Nassau, Bahamas, made a quick stop with his single-engine seaplane at the South Causeway Park boat ramps along the Fort Pierce Inlet on Monday afternoon. Goodwin landed on the inlet and floated to the docks to check in with U.S. Customs and to add some fuel to the plane's tanks. Goodwin was flying from the Bahamas to Georgia to look at a new plane

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. I've said it here before many times,

But on 9-11 I was next door to the WTC in the WFC. As I walked away from the mayhem, my biggest question was "Why aren't they any fighters in the air? There are supposed to fighters by now - both to intercept planes off course, but especailly considering that the buildings have (at that point) fallen down."

I couldn't believe. When I fighter finally showed, on or about the time that the north tower (the second one) fell down, I both thanked God, but also couldn't believe it took so long. I have blamed Shrub - blamed him as I was walking away - and I blame him yet to this day.

Protocol was for fighters to intercept any plane off course and not responding. protocol was also for fighters to address any airplane that flew too close to the WTC ever since the '93 bombing.

I should also think that protocol is to have a fighter, or some military response, show up at any place where a war has been started.

Unless someone at the very top told the military to stand down, there are enough air bases in this area (in the surrounding 18 or so states) that fighters should have been here. In fact, they should have intercepted the airplanes before they even got to New York.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Did you know that Gen Myers testified

in his Senate confirmation hearing that there were a number of fighter jets already in the air doing practice runs, all along the east coast, because it was perfect day for flying.

There was no need to scramble jets from anywhere because there were already plenty of them up in the air.

Will we ever know the truth about why SOP was not even attempted that day?

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Wow! No, I hadn't heard that!

But hell, there's an air force base close enough that a pilot could have DRIVEN to NYC in the time it took to get a plane here (a plane that wasn't smashing into stuff, I mean).

It was a beautiful day. Absolutely beautiful.

So we had jets in the air, and yet in 2.5 hours (the time it would take an F-16 to get here from LA), they couldn't manage to get a plane over NYC.

Yeah, don't tell me there wasn't a stand down order. "Incompetence" or "miscommunication" could never, ever explain something of that magnitude.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

5. Otis Air Force base in SE Mass

could have scrambled a fighter in no time. I always wondered too why there weren't fighters circling by the time the towers fell.

[MrScorpio]

2. That's because the Gainsville PD couldn't seize the 911 planes ...

For carrying drugs.

They're going to be looking over your seaplane with a fine-toothed drug dog, fersher.