U.S. Aircraft Bombs Texas Home
July 20, 2002 8:20 AM   Subscribe

U.S. Aircraft Bombs Texas Home Kinda gives new meaning to "dummy bombs".
posted by Espoo2 (7 comments total)
 
[Brig. Gen.] Rogers said training flights are routinely flown around the Southwest using cameras to simulate bombs aimed at targets, sometimes in populated areas.

Is it just me or is this *incredibly* disturbing? It's one thing for residents of areas near military bases to have fighter planes flying overhead regularly, but to be routinely targeted? That creeps me out like the guy I know who likes to point his (thankfully, ammunitionless) sniper rifle out his attic window at passersby for fun.
posted by skoosh at 9:05 AM on July 20, 2002


practice makes perfect - trial and error - duck and cover - another cliched response

After several strong coffees with a former military flight instructor describing his youthful antics, I suspect he personally turned at least one midwestern farmer into a true believer in UFOs.
posted by sheauga at 9:40 AM on July 20, 2002


HA!

He didn't know he was carrying bombs... Targeting trash bins... Beautiful.

I mean, I know that's what I'd do if I had a stealth fighter. I'd be playing imaginary elementary-school playground games, but I'd be the freakin' king of the playground! I wouldn't trust me anywhere near a toy like that.

... but I sort of expect the fine members of the US armed forces to be slightly more, um, disciplined than I.
posted by whatnotever at 9:43 AM on July 20, 2002


The pilot should get nailed to the wall for this. Part of the preflight is the walkaround, and one of the important things you do in the walkaround on combat aircraft is to check what stores are loaded. The idea that he didn't know that he had practice muntions onboard the aircraft means one of two things -- he didn't do a proper walkaround, and flew without realizing he had mutions on board, or he *did* know, and lied.

In either case, he screwed up badly.

As to training in urban areas -- that's normal. Training is supposed to prepare you for the real thing, and if all you ever do is fly across one training range, you won't be ready for combat. Urban attacks on radar and command installations are an important part of the strike mission for stealth aircraft.
posted by eriko at 11:29 AM on July 20, 2002


I've always had a place in my heart for the time we dropped a nuclear bomb in South Carolina, destroying a house and spewing nuclear material all over the place.
posted by Ptrin at 12:22 PM on July 20, 2002


I've always had a place in my heart for the time we dropped a nuclear bomb in South Carolina, destroying a house and spewing nuclear material all over the place.

Not as uncommon as one would think. My personal favorite is the one located a few miles from Savannah, GA.
posted by cedar at 1:15 PM on July 20, 2002


so... if they're allowed to fly around doing practice bombing runs, am i allowed to practice laser-flashing incoming bombers? it may play hell with the IR cameras, but I've gotta do my part for homeland defense.
posted by fnord_prefect at 2:16 PM on July 20, 2002


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