If it's a security issue then maybe they shouldn't do it for a photo op. Use photo shop and save my tax money!

Yes - it is a security issue. If we can't have our Presidential Aircraft fly by our Statue of Liberty for a photo op - then the terrorists really did already win didn't they?

USMCFLYR

People of New York City can answer you on this one. It was stupid, and shouldn't have been done period.

You can't really be serious about trying to defend the Air Force on this one.

They are going to take a lot of heat, and deservedly so.

This is not a security issue. It is a (lack of) public relations issue.

The President CAN and WILL do alot of things that not everyone will agree with.

It wasn't stupid. I wonder if it is the first fly-by of the SOL since 9-11? I bet you that it is not.

My guess is that the President had nothing to do with this.

It was a photo op for an FAA video.

Yes - I am absolutely defending the SECURITY portion of why advance **warning** to the public wasn't provided. So....you don't see a security issue with telling the whole world that a B-747 (and not just any B-747) is going to be flying circles at low level? Am I defending the AF or the White House or whomever? I don't know - I said it was a security issue. I also said that if we have come to a point that we can't have a photo op then the terrorists really have won.
It seems that the White House has already given an apology. It may have been a public relations blunder, but the security issue was necessary IMO.

USMCFLYR

You can't really be serious that it isn't a security issue. It should be quite obvious why you wouldn't be blatantly advertising this photo op publicly. I highly doubt that the AF/government didn't expect some sort of stink would be raised by the public who witnessed the fly-by, but that potential for a small public outcry was justifiably decided not a large enough factor to outweigh the issue of maintaining a secure environment in which to operate this special aircraft.

I expect that the 'concerned' public will have forgotten all about it very quickly.

There was NO reason to do this. Computer Graphics could have save A LOT of gas. I think the "carbon footprint" for this flight kicked us all in the @ss.