10 French Fighter Jets Forced To Land In N.J. - Credit card maxed out

[slackmaster]

POSTED: 8:12 am EDT June 3, 2005
UPDATED: 9:28 am EDT June 3, 2005

POMONA, N.J. -- Nine French fighter jets and a radar plane stayed overnight at Atlantic City International Airport after one suffered a mechanical problem and bad weather prevented them from returning to their aircraft carrier off the Virginia coast, authorities said Friday.

The U.S. State Department was contacted by French officials after one of the pilots tried to buy fuel Thursday and couldn't because he didn't have the available funds on his credit card, a Philadelphia television station reported....

:freak:

[Zuni]

1. this has got to be bullshit

fighter jets buying fuel on a credit card? :wtf:

[babylonsister]

3. Everyone uses credit cards, I would think. I can't

imagine them carrying wads of cash around...:shrug:

[DS1]

2. Well, it's illegal to pump your own gas in NJ, so maybe the extra

cents tacked on for that blew their account :shrug:

:sarcasm:

[billbuckhead]

5. You can see them at an air show Saturday in Burlington NJ

French fighters forced to land

"The planes, scheduled to perform Saturday at an air show at McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County, were conducting military exercises with the Canadian military in international waters when they were forced to land about 3:45 p.m. Thursday, apparently because of poor visibility and high winds.

"We brought them in and parked them overnight," said Peters. "Our role ended there."

A group of French marines was being dispatched to the airport to guard the planes. WPVI said officials from the French Embassy and translators were also expected to arrive at the airport to assist the pilots."

<http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2005/06/03/1069792-ap.html>

[Wickerman]

4. It makes sense

They weren't planning on having a stop. He probably used his personal CC and didn't have several K$ on it to pay for jet fuel.

An F-16 carries 7,160 lbs of fuel. Don't know what these guys were flying, but that would put a real dent on many low ranking officers' personal cards.