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Interesting, but when you look at the history of military aircraft, especially the "black aircraft", there are a lot of airborn assets that the Defense Department refuses to acknowledge. The B-2, the F-117, go back as far as the SR-71 and the U-2, there was denial as to the existance of most fo those aircraft.

I honestly believe it was the "Doomsday Plane" with some member of the cabinet onboard. There were so many stories that day about the number of planes hijacked and potential targets - including one rumor that Air Force One was to be targeted while in the air - the executive branch was taking all possible contengency actions. Press pool photos released later showed AF1 on the way to Omaha and the old SAC command bunkers there flying with F-16s on the wing for protection.

Other possibile (but much more far fetched IMHO) identification for the plane could be:
1)a decoy AF1. If there was a possibility that the plane was a target, put up a decoy near DC in airspace that planes being recalled for the groundstop wouldn't be venturing into. When the President is on Marine 1 (the whitetop helicopter) they fly two, sometimes three identical helos on zig-zag patterns to keep people from being able to pick out which one is the "real" one.

2) The BL YAL 1A Airborne Laser. Supposedly this is still on the drawing board, but it could be already flying. The airborne laser system is built on a 747 platform and was developed to shoot down incoming ICBMs. If you have rouge aircraft and don't think you have time to scramble a conventional fighter to intercept it, laser the thing down.

There was no need for an air defense of the POTUS at that moment.

He had already chosen to remain secured in a small classroom, and continued to review important emergency procedural documents, aptly code-named:

MY PET GOAT

PJ wrote:Interesting, but when you look at the history of military aircraft, especially the "black aircraft", there are a lot of airborn assets that the Defense Department refuses to acknowledge. The B-2, the F-117, go back as far as the SR-71 and the U-2, there was denial as to the existance of most fo those aircraft.

I honestly believe it was the "Doomsday Plane" with some member of the cabinet onboard. There were so many stories that day about the number of planes hijacked and potential targets - including one rumor that Air Force One was to be targeted while in the air - the executive branch was taking all possible contengency actions. Press pool photos released later showed AF1 on the way to Omaha and the old SAC command bunkers there flying with F-16s on the wing for protection.

Other possibile (but much more far fetched IMHO) identification for the plane could be:
1)a decoy AF1. If there was a possibility that the plane was a target, put up a decoy near DC in airspace that planes being recalled for the groundstop wouldn't be venturing into. When the President is on Marine 1 (the whitetop helicopter) they fly two, sometimes three identical helos on zig-zag patterns to keep people from being able to pick out which one is the "real" one.

2) The BL YAL 1A Airborne Laser. Supposedly this is still on the drawing board, but it could be already flying. The airborne laser system is built on a 747 platform and was developed to shoot down incoming ICBMs. If you have rouge aircraft and don't think you have time to scramble a conventional fighter to intercept it, laser the thing down.

I think the Defense Department didn't want to admit it because they don't want other countries/terrorist organizations to know about this.

aeroparrot wrote:

PJ wrote:Interesting, but when you look at the history of military aircraft, especially the "black aircraft", there are a lot of airborn assets that the Defense Department refuses to acknowledge. The B-2, the F-117, go back as far as the SR-71 and the U-2, there was denial as to the existance of most fo those aircraft.

I honestly believe it was the "Doomsday Plane" with some member of the cabinet onboard. There were so many stories that day about the number of planes hijacked and potential targets - including one rumor that Air Force One was to be targeted while in the air - the executive branch was taking all possible contengency actions. Press pool photos released later showed AF1 on the way to Omaha and the old SAC command bunkers there flying with F-16s on the wing for protection.

Other possibile (but much more far fetched IMHO) identification for the plane could be:
1)a decoy AF1. If there was a possibility that the plane was a target, put up a decoy near DC in airspace that planes being recalled for the groundstop wouldn't be venturing into. When the President is on Marine 1 (the whitetop helicopter) they fly two, sometimes three identical helos on zig-zag patterns to keep people from being able to pick out which one is the "real" one.

2) The BL YAL 1A Airborne Laser. Supposedly this is still on the drawing board, but it could be already flying. The airborne laser system is built on a 747 platform and was developed to shoot down incoming ICBMs. If you have rouge aircraft and don't think you have time to scramble a conventional fighter to intercept it, laser the thing down.

I think the Defense Department didn't want to admit it because they don't want other countries/terrorist organizations to know about this.

Like NORAD and Area 51 before it, the government would like to keep the lid on a lot of it's dealings,
(and they've just hidden more of these goodies behind legislature called the Patriot Act).
Rather than concern themselves with "failsafe/doomsday" scenarios from the aged Cold War mindsets that still haunt the Pentagon, it would be more favorable to see
stronger efforts made to COEXIST in this not-so-big-anymore world we live in.
If we ever are forced to experience the moment of a brilliant white flash as one of our last on Earth, it will give me NO SOLACE WHATSOEVER to know
that a big ol' "flying government" 747 may already be airborne overhead!

See, I have the completely different look on things. Given that it would take an arsenal of nuclear weapons the size of (or larger than) what the USSR had at the height of the Cold War to eradicate the entire US, I would much rather have a functioning government and chain of command to defend what is remaining of the country. Even a high level coordinated attack would hit the major population/business areas of the country (NYC, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, LA), leaving a large part of the population in need of a government, even in limited form.

Also, according to all the timelines I've seen, POTUS left the school building somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 minutes before the Pentagon was hit; we know now there was still at least one more rogue aircraft in the air and turning toward the DC metro area, at that time I don't think anyone knew how many more planes had been compromised.