I happened to be outside yesterday evening taking pictures of the glorious sunset …
… when I heard, and then finally saw, these guys overhead:
They were so loud, I’m sure the whole town must have heard them. I only wish I had a better lens on my camera at the time.
I’m guessing the jets were part of a flyover at Gillette Stadium before last night’s game.
This tidbit, and others like it, are perfect for hometown Web sites. I, too, heard the roar and pondered where they were headed. Good stuff.
I saw them too. Couldn’t help but wonder what a “flyover” costs us taxpayers. Isn’t it bad enough that we have been financing an unpopular war, but to use fighter jets as “entertainment” at a sports event, especially when we are at war, seems inappropriate to me.
Hate to be a party pooper, but this irks me.
The sunset was beautiful though, as are your photos of it.
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/04/08/air_force_cutback_still_allows_roaring_fly_by_at_game_today/
Calling these flyovers “training missions” sounds like justification to me. If you need to train, then train, but don’t combine it with sports entertainment. It is a bad combination for pure appearances sake as well as many others. I feel sick just thinking about the wasted fuel, the wasted money and the flippancy of oohing and aaahing over a weapon of war.
JHMO and I am sure there are others.
The “Fly-Over” mission I feel is a necesity for the training of combat pilots. It is a way of pride or a moment of self respect. Not many times flying a F-15 can a pilot look back on it and say it was a gratifying, inspirational or a memorial type of service.
The oohing and aaahing I believe is much more than just entertainment. Simply ask anyone who’s been at a sports entertainment while a flyby has occurred…chills go down every spine old and young.
Cost is a debate, I agree it costs alot, but atleast when push comes to shove you know the planes are properly maintained and ready at a moments notice.
I am proud the Government uses my tax dollars for these flyovers. This is an excellent public relations campaign by the Pentagon. When doing a flyover, thousands of people get really excited and feel really good. That turns into support for the military and brings patriotism back. It’s an awesome site to see, so keep using my tax dollars for more flyovers. It was a great show in my own back yard! Bring it on!!
They don’t just “call” them training missions, they really are training missions. The flyby is usually timed so that the aircraft arrive over the stadium just as the national anthem ends. It’s called “time on target”, and it is a very important skill for military pilots to maintain.
I’d say – combining hands on “training” for pilots flying a complex piece of machinery – instead of computer simulation – is a better bang for the buck to the tax payers – than the cost of the recent pageant for the late Senator Kennedy. With all due respect..
Those that protect all of us and are ready to put their butts on the line.. I’d rather have my dollars go to them in preparation for the next event….
If you don’t feel pride in this country when you see these magnificent planes flying over your “protected” head… I guess you’ll never understand…
Freedom isn’t free – We pay for it EVERY day… and there are those among us – who are paying that debt everyday.
JMHO
Just to be clear, I never said it wasn’t a magnificent display and I am far from unpatriotic. I tear up at the playing of the national anthem. It doesn’t take a show of military fource to the tune of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to make me feel pride in my country.
Also, if these are truly training runs, they are a good idea. Yet the article, which Clare provided the link for, stated that they have decreased these flyovers very drastically in recent years. “Last year, the Air Force approved 843 flyovers, down from 1,009 in 2006.” So, obviously they were not all training exercises and I am not way off base here.
I’m out on this one. I don’t like the decidedly “accuse anyone who disagrees with you of being unpatriotic” tone this has taken.
So, obviously they were not all training exercises and I am not way off base here.
Why does the fact that they have cut the number of flybys mean it’s obvious that they’re not training flights? The obvious implication of that statement is that the Air Force has been forced to cut training.
Mimi22, Please dont call this an unpopular war. Alot of people have sons and daughter out their fighting this war. Remember when it started on 9/11 and why were fighting so it wont happen again.
The fly over was awesome and Iwish they had one everyday.
Support the troops. Support the USA.
Ooooraaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!
I visited the Moving Wall in West Roxbury this weekend – A replica of the Vietnam Memorial – to honor the 58,000+ names on that wall..
The name of a son from Southborough is still on that wall. It didn’t change that was KIA’d in Vietnam – serving his country and it didn’t bring him back….
There was also had a flyover on Friday night – In HONOR of those who served and those who have the watch now……
We don’t forget …….. We must never forget…………….
Sadly – I feel this nation – is becoming far to PC…… People have forgetten -that Freedom isn’t Free….. There is always a cost….
They forget to quickly………….
I happen to work on those F-15s and to say that it’s a waste of taxpayers money is ridiculous. It’s a morale boost for a nation in economic turmoil. Yes, I understand that it’s not extremely cost-effective but 90% of those flyovers are post-training mission. They sometimes need to fly past Gillette on the return trip from designated airspace. If you want to think about a waste of taxpayers dollars look at the welfare system. Think real hard the next time you decide to criticize where our money goes.