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Loud jets will scream overhead to salute healthcare workers early this afternoon
By adamg on Wed, 05/06/2020 - 8:17am
The Massachusetts Air National Guard will fly several F-15s over Boston-area hospitals roughly around 12:15 p.m. The Guard reminds people to maintain social distancing if you go outside to look for them.
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Comments
HOW ABOUT SOME TESTS!!!!?!?!?!
JESUS H MOTH$@!&$^÷%G CHRIST ON A WHOLE WHEAT CRACKER!!!!!
Ironic
The US will show military power when it's meaningless but won't show procurement power when it's important. We can buy a planes for $100 million which will kill thousands but we can't stockpile face masks to save the same number. (One F15 cost the same as all the facemasks needed, if purchased in advance.)
Had the US prepared in January and February, a jet flyover wouldn't need needed since the death rate would be a lot lower and healthcare workers wouldn't need to be asking for PPE donations.
Never forget, this pandemic shows how the most wealthy and scientifically proficient nation completed bungled a response to something that was widely predicted.
But hey, planes are cool, right?
Honestly, I think it reinforces the purchasing expertise
of the government. I am sure we paid 4 times what those planes are actually worth.
How many
What was the number of masks if asked in January that you would say should be “stockpiled”? What is the number of people who have died because that didn’t happen? And what does that have to do with this flyover...it’s easy to Monday morning quarterback the presidents response but look at the actual facts and I think we have done well as a nation. Enjoy the flyover and stop being a whiner
The US did buy PPE in January
The US did buy PPE in January and February from 3M plants overseas. It was impounded at ports and not allowed to leave China and France.
Would would have helped in January and February is if the existing supplies at domestic distributors had not been allowed to be exported to China. In January and February China bought up 2 billion masks from global stockpiles. Supplies were going out and not being allowed to come in.
It wasn't just the US, every country except Taiwan made the same mistake until it was too late.
You are mad. This idea of a
You are mad. This idea of a flyover serves as displeasure in a matter of your personal opinion. Your feeling matters to us all. I shall call to have the flyover cancelled.
Bwaaaahahaha
This sentence would merit a "well aren't you convinced of your own precociousness?" if you were twelve, but I think you claim to be a grown up, right? So it's really just...sad.
Thanks
Thanks for getting that taken care of.
Flyovers should celebrate a victory. No one can say the US has been victorious when 100k people are dead before their time.
So I guess you could say I am mad.
I think you're mistaken
I believe our beloved President has already said words to that effect. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that no one with an ounce of sense would say that.
To be clear, this wasn't the
To be clear, this wasn't the federal government's flyover, it was the state's, you can either thank or criticize (or both) the governor.
Whose bright idea is this?
Is this ridiculous and wasteful spectacle a federal directive, or a Charlie Baker initiative? I think there are better ways to salute the essential workers who are keeping us alive. Start by paying them more.
The usual reason given
I've seen comments/questions like yours before and the justification in response is that the pilots require a certain number of hours of flight time anyway so all they are doing is shifting these "training" missions to include a flight path over the city. I'm not saying it's worth it, but that's the response I've seen in the past to claim that it isn't really any extra spending.
That's also the claim this time
That's also the claim this time, according to what I've read elsewhere. Some people don't know the meaning of "read the room".
In some communities, police and fire departments are holding "parades" in which they slow-roll down streets, lights flashing, sirens blaring, to "honor" healthcare providers, six year olds having birthdays, or anyone else who seems like a reasonable excuse for a parade, I guess. It's not always received well. I would really love for proponents of these displays to take a long hard look at who they're really for.
Not as wasteful as it could have been.
I totally agree with all of the previous posts - this administration has (and continues to) worked to do nothing more than gaslight the American public. The plan here is clear, shift all blame to State and Local government and just keep telling the same lie over and over, that the Federal response was “perfect”.
Just to note, today’s flyover is being tacked on to already scheduled training flights. While it’s an unnecessary stunt, at least it’s not huge of a waste of taxpayer funds as the Blue Angels doing flyovers of Manhattan.
Still, how a jet burning $25k worth of fuel an hour is a tribute to front line health care workers who still lack sufficient PPE is lost on me. Where are the tests?
Boston to Worcester in 10 minutes
According to their schedule. That's almost as fast as the yahoos racing on the Expressway last weekend.
Follow the money
Echoing Copley Scott's questions, I would encourage anyone and everyone in the news media to get answers . IMO this is a criminal waste of money. Medical supplies are in short supply, millions are out of work or forced to work under dangerous conditions, a depression is looming, and some government official(s?) think this is a good idea? Seriously wtf?
This display, unlike the
This display, unlike the National Display, is part of their regularly needed flying hours. These particular pilots needed to get these hours in to stay up on their credentials anyway. The public spectacle is just an added benefit.
I understand the concern and anger but lets not freak out everytime someone tries to brighten our days. It is ok to have a little enjoyment every so often.
What’s to enjoy....
.... about loud ominous sounds overhead, jet fuel exhaust and the possibility of another crash like the one in 2014?
Analogy seen on the internets
No but you see that's actually OK
because they were already in the habit of buying flowers daily, they just routed some to you this time.
I keep thinking about
that Celtics/Philly playoff game a couple years ago when the 76ers dropped confetti all over the floor to celebrate a win, except they hadn't won, they just forced the game into overtime, and they lost the game and eventually the series.
This is like that
only much more sad and stupid.
And a lot of people have/will
And a lot of people have/will die.
Knock it off with these
They need to knock off all these fly-overs and parades going on to "honor" hospital workers and first responders. It only encourages people to gather and gawk, and, in case you haven't noticed, a lot of people aren't exactly practicing social distancing. Talk about counterintuitive.
They're not helping
Flyovers and parades may make people on the front lines feel slightly better, momentarily, but they do nothing to actually help those people do their jobs, or to protect them. If the effort and resources spent on these feel-good displays were instead spent on things that do help and protect them, I'm sure no one would complain.
It's like thanking me for my service. It does nothing for me; but I guess it makes the speaker feel better.
Don't participate if you don't like it
I have mixed feelings about these sorts of displays, so I partially agree with you. That said, if the official messaging is to be believed, today's flyover didn't cost us taxpayers anything more than the what we're already spending on our military's training exercises.
My girlfriend and I walked down to the Allston footbridge over the Pike to watch it, and we were not alone. We were all practicing social distancing, though. The only people who were not separated were obviously families and close acquaintances, like my gf and I. There was plenty of spacing between the groups, plus we were outside with a nice breeze, and everyone I saw was wearing a mask. There were a few kids trying to get passing trucks to honk their horns, and they were elated every time a trucker obliged. Overall, it was a safe and pleasant experience. Nice to get out of the house for a change.
"Don't participate"
How does someone "not participate" when they're occupying the sky, or the street outside your house?
Ignore it
That's all I meant, and I was referring to today's flyover rather than a parade. Don't join the "crowds" outside if there are any, though I doubt there are many large gatherings outside peoples' houses to see a few planes in the sky. Maybe outside a small number of houses on hills... maybe. But come on, this story is about a small group of jets moving overhead at ~300 mph. It lasts less than five minutes if you're watching from elevation. Less than a minute if you have obstacles obscuring your view. Add 15 minutes prior for the people who show up early, and even then, it's still a measly 20 minute affair. Hardly deserving of the uproar IMO.
Everyday helicopter and airline flights are a bigger noise and "sky occupation" nuisance than this was, and I haven't heard of any actual crowd issues caused by today's flyover. If you were planning on occupying that particular stretch of sky today, well, I'm sorry you couldn't (but also please tell me more about your plans, I might want to watch that). I could certainly see crowding as an issue for the mini parades, but that's a different subject. I'm personally not going out of my way or neighborhood to watch some police cars and fire engines with their lights flashing. There's plenty of that to be seen on a normal day in the city.
For the pilots this will go
For the pilots this will go down as a training mission. Reserve pilots have to get their flight hours in to remain qualified.
Probably meet up with re-fueling aircraft over the Atlantic. Hit their marks on time and head home.
Magoo sez
Magoo bless America. Land that Magoo loves. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from the Man on the Moon. Magoo.
I think some posters are over-analyzing
the flyover. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Chill out.
Proponents say it isn't
Please note that it's the proponents of these displays who claim that it's doing several things at once: "honoring" "first responders" or health care workers or somebody, giving people a show, giving pilots flight time, etc. Not exactly "just a cigar" then?
F15 flyovers must be a great trigger
for anybody who's ever actually lived and suffered in an active warzone.
But that trivial and inconsequential concern is far outweighed by the adrenaline rush given to the rest of us, right?
Lighten Up
And cars must be great triggers for people hit by them. Someday, houses may be great triggers for people quarantined in them.
At some point, everyone has to make the decision to get on with it and live their life and stop finding things to complain about.
Our Mass ANG trains regularly so exploding heads over
wasteful spending on a training mission used as a feel good event for hospital staff and COVID testing/mismanagement is an overreaction. Thank you Colonel Green for making people's day a little brighter.
Indeed they do,
But they train in places like Yankee 1 & 2 MOAs (Military Operating Areas) over New Hampshire and Vermont, or Panamint Valley MOA near Death Valley National Park. These training areas are far away from heavily populated areas for very good reasons, reasons like noise, maneuverability, less of a risk of collateral damage when things go wrong. Personally, I'm indifferent to it, but I can't think of any legitimate reason that flyovers like this are the least bit helpful. As far as it being a "feel good event", I find it extremely doubtful that any overwhelmed hospital staff are going to run outside to try to see this, never mind give a rat's ass that it's happening at all.
Flying in formation, in clear weather, at 275 knots is not
the same risk profile as flying 675 knots in simulated combat.
For whatever TV news coverage
For whatever TV news coverage is worth or can be believed, any overwhelmed hospital staff did run outside to see this.
BRookline Flyby
I literally just saw them fly by my BRookline apt on Beacon! Jumped right on here to see if it was for the healthcare workers since they were flying twrds the Longwood campus. Pretty cool!!
Flew over our apartment, not
Flew over our apartment, not screaming. Was pretty cool! Nice break to see something like that when you're stuck inside for 6 weeks.
Fly Over, etc.
Leave it to this crowd to criticize a gesture of goodwill. I'm guessing this was rolled into to the aviators flight training. So why not?
Have a great afternoon everyone!
To our military and healthcare
I thank you
I will thank them both, too
On Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
another way to look at it
this is a great Storrowing opportunity
Good lord... These comments.
Good lord... These comments.
I took my lunch break to check it out. Found a spot where I was mostly alone and ran into a photographer friend. We stayed ten or more feet apart. My shots ended up being a waste but it was nice to be out watching for a few. Being in Chelsea we got the lame end of the stick as they literally turned around right before us (nevermind the presence of the Soldiers Home, highest impacted city etc but I'm over it) but it was a nice diversion.
I think people need to just chill out.
That's nice for you
So, you liked it, so no one else is allowed to not like it?
Lbb
I bet you were the first kid in 3rd grade to let everyone know that Santa Claus wasn’t real.....
You have my permission to be
You have my permission to be miserable I do here by declare...
Just don't drag me into your pit of despair
lol
...said the person who voluntarily clicked on the article and wrote in the comment section,,,
I clicked on the article , if
I clicked on the article , if you read it Adam just gives facts. So I check the comments to see what's going on with this otherwise because on this site sometimes comments are useful... So I honestly do not see your point. Maybe if Adams initial post was cranky? It wasn't tho.
No one can drag you...
...without your consent.
That's called the "sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" rule, my friend.