The Sky is Not Falling

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

In an attempt to preclude the otherwise-inevitable OMG-WHAT-WAS-THAT-NOISE posts later this afternoon, I'd like to remind everyone that the Green Mountain Boys of the 158th Fighter Wing will once again be doing a flyover to mark opening day at Fenway Park. (I remember the first time I was directly under one of those -- we had no idea what was going on and thought a bomb was about to blow or something. If you know what it is, it's just kinda cool, though.)

But if the sky really does fall, I will be deeply embarrassed.

Go Sox!

Comments

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I grew up near an AFB, and every so often you could see a B2 Stealth Bomber going overhead - very cool. I wonder if they'll switch from F16s to F22s for these flyovers anytime soon? Probably before they get all those blue line trains upgraded.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Probably JSF. The F-22's are intended to fill the F-15's shoes.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Thank you. The sports-uninitiated appreciate your forestalling of panic.

[veek.livejournal.com]

Seconded!

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

And then way the Sox were playing in Toronto, we might need some air support! :/

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

But now all the snarks are going to be miffed because you prevented a snarkable anti-airplane thread from being born!

Actually, there will probably be one anyway. :-)

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Oh, come on. I posted these warnings last year and there were still at least 10 posts between here and b0st0n screaming about invaders and loud, mysterious ufo's and so on. There will be PLENTY of snark material, I'm sure.

[komos.livejournal.com]

Any noise not directly attributable to the flyover is most likely my car alarm going off.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Or mine.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

But the REAL question here is...will this spawn another post about air traffic noise over the quiet suburb that is, Davis Sqaure? Will there be petitions to ban all military aircraft along with passenger jets? Will the voice of the people be heard over the roar of the jet engines???

Only time will tell...

[komos.livejournal.com]

None of this would problematic if we built a dome.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Only accessible via T or bicycle. Pre-approved admittance a must.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

No, I'm from Vermont, I know the Green Mountain Boys a bit. They've got a Hellfire missile with whiner names on it.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

[snerk] I didn't think they could write that small...or that the Hellfire came in such a large size.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

It's new technology, they're field-testing it.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Over Boston or Somerville? Either way, it's a win.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Both, they're hitting the whiners on Davis Square and then they're doing a test run with the vulcan cannons on the crack dealers on the Common.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Oh SWEET!

Hopefully they've got more than one test Hellfire for DS though. It's going to take a lot more than that to determine the accuracy of the system.

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

See also:
http://www.hubarts.com/weblog/2008/04/red-sox-ringsta.html
"And while we're at it, is spending $100,000-plus of taxpayer money to burn up a shitload of precious fuel for an ear-splitting flyby over Fenway Park on Opening Day, or any other sporting event for that matter, really a good idea? Oh yeah, it's recruiting. Uh huh. Maybe we could use all that money to pay for some more flak vests or better-armored Humvees for the troops in Iraq - I hear they still don't have everything they need. How about it?"

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I was coming here to say something similar. bah!

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

You pay taxes in Vermont? National Guard is state funded. And wow, way to be pissy.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

I tend to agree that the money could be put to better use right now, regardless of who's paying the tab, but...I don't know. I find it difficult to get too worked up about it. I'd rather have those planes and pilots buzzing Fenway than heading to Iraq and potentially, you know, dying. Of course, I could say the same about most of our soldiers, and have been saying it for about five years now...

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Well, look at it this way. It's being put to dual use since pilots are required to have so much stick time to stay qualified. Today's flight from VT to Hanscom and then the fly-overs and the run back will give them their hours for the month.

So, the crowd gets a show, the pilots get their monthly stick time to stay qualified and the money, therefore, is not wasted on "recruiting".

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

No, I agree that, at first glance, it appears a tad unnecessary.

But...

1. I do question the $100,000 figure to start. It seems like an awful lot, but it may be accurate for all four.
2. As others have pointed out, an analogous mission would need to be flown regardless, as pilots require mandatory flight time.
3. Let's assume the whole ordeal cost $100,000. How much in tax dollars a day do the Red Sox bring the state and New England? Every one of those T-shirts on Yawkey Way being rung up has sales tax on it.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

FYI, the sky fell at 12:58 pm EDT today and J.P. Licks is now covered in gross cloud guts. I would stay far, far away if I were you. FAR away. Allllll day. Especially around 7:45 pm, when, uh...

...what? No this has nothing to do with any kind of Free Scoop Day. Don't be ridiculous.

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

Gives me the shivers when I hear them overhead, military industrial complex or no. THERE THEY GO!!!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

I didn't know what they were doing it for, but when I heard it, I thought, "Damn, that sounds like fighter jets flying overhead!" Sure enough.

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

Same here!

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

I ran out tonight to see more fighters, nope, just the planes from Logan all evening.

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

thank you for posting that. we were totally wondering in our office!

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

I can't remember who posted the link to the real-time flight information at Logan, but we dialed that up around game time yesterday. It soon became apparent that the plane(s) doing figure eights around Medford and Malden at 2000 feet was going to be involved in the flyover, and it was pretty neat to watch it make its way southward over Cambridge, Fenway, and JP.