So where's the outrage?

[Tiki Torches]

Imagine the response if the shoes in question had been a Margaritaville, Inc. product. It would be praise, not outrage.

[LIPH]

Especially if she had been drinking a Landshark while wearing those Margaritaville shoes.

[Lightning Bolt]

Photoshop is an amazingly powerful application.
One of it's selling points is it's ability to CUT COSTS of expensive lighting and travel

Brad, the cost is a moot point. If those planes flew to Peoria they were still going to fly and burn up the same number of dollars worth of jet fuel. The pilots still have to log so many training hours. If they can get good PR and Public Affairs pics while they're at it, great. But someone's idiotic notion to fly low over NYC is what caused the problem. Photoshop wouldn't have saved money in this case but it would have eliminated the fear and anxiety caused in NYC that day.

You're right...and didn't you mean to say Photoshop WOULD have saved BOTH money and undeserved anxiety to those in NYC?
I would not say that the cost is simply moot, but, yes, it really did take a backseat to the poor judgement towards the public.

Either way, the director who made the call resigned yesterday, which I see as a fitting conclusion to THAT particular blunder!

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Photoshop is an amazingly powerful application.
One of it's selling points is it's ability to CUT COSTS of expensive lighting and travel

Brad, the cost is a moot point. If those planes flew to Peoria they were still going to fly and burn up the same number of dollars worth of jet fuel. The pilots still have to log so many training hours. If they can get good PR and Public Affairs pics while they're at it, great. But someone's idiotic notion to fly low over NYC is what caused the problem. Photoshop wouldn't have saved money in this case but it would have eliminated the fear and anxiety caused in NYC that day.

You're right...and didn't you mean to say Photoshop WOULD have saved BOTH money and undeserved anxiety to those in NYC?
I would not say that the cost is simply moot, but, yes, it really did take a backseat to the poor judgement towards the public.

Either way, the director who made the call resigned yesterday, which I see as a fitting conclusion to THAT particular blunder!

No, I meant "wouldn't" have saved money... Those were training dollars; they would have been spent anyway for training on a flight we would never have heard about if they'd flown over, say, a Kansas wheat field. I've been on a ride-along a few times when pilots were flying for training. If you're military and there's an empty seat, sometimes you get a good deal and a cool flight. Sometimes the "ride-alongs" are public affairs people who are taking pictures (other planes, bases, etc). I'd be pretty sure that's what happened over NYC; the pilots have to practice, someone just made an incredibly stupid decision on when, where, and how.

[ph4ever]

Photoshop is an amazingly powerful application.
One of it's selling points is it's ability to CUT COSTS of expensive lighting and travel

Brad, the cost is a moot point. If those planes flew to Peoria they were still going to fly and burn up the same number of dollars worth of jet fuel. The pilots still have to log so many training hours. If they can get good PR and Public Affairs pics while they're at it, great. But someone's idiotic notion to fly low over NYC is what caused the problem. Photoshop wouldn't have saved money in this case but it would have eliminated the fear and anxiety caused in NYC that day.

You're right...and didn't you mean to say Photoshop WOULD have saved BOTH money and undeserved anxiety to those in NYC?
I would not say that the cost is simply moot, but, yes, it really did take a backseat to the poor judgement towards the public.

Either way, the director who made the call resigned yesterday, which I see as a fitting conclusion to THAT particular blunder!

No, I meant "wouldn't" have saved money... Those were training dollars; they would have been spent anyway for training on a flight we would never have heard about if they'd flown over, say, a Kansas wheat field. I've been on a ride-along a few times when pilots were flying for training. If you're military and there's an empty seat, sometimes you get a good deal and a cool flight. Sometimes the "ride-alongs" are public affairs people who are taking pictures (other planes, bases, etc). I'd be pretty sure that's what happened over NYC; the pilots have to practice, someone just made an incredibly stupid decision on when, where, and how.

Although Caldera is the military liaison and I'm not sure just how much input he had in the decision; he lost his job because of it. I would hope that anyone else involved in this "bright idea" along the path from conception to the final decision face reprimand. Maybe not loose their job but face some type of disciplinary action but then I am not going to pi$$, moan, groan and biatch about it if that doesn't happen. At this point it's pretty much over and done. Complaining is not going to do one bit of good. Like Jen said - it was incorporated into a training mission so it's not an extra expense. It should be used to perhaps revise rules for future training missions. IMO there's no more need for "debate" on the subject as the appropriate actions have been taken.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

Although Caldera is the military liaison and I'm not sure just how much input he had in the decision; he lost his job because of it. I would hope that anyone else involved in this "bright idea" along the path from conception to the final decision face reprimand.

He's supposed to be the guy with final approval on those kinds of events. It sounds like, unfortunately, he got one of those "Unless otherwise directed we're going to go ahead with the shoot" emails that he never saw until after the fact because he went home sick. Too bad, but he's the Captain and he goes down with the ship. There was no real alternative but to resign. He didn't have his staff trained well enough to make sure they had his okay before they moved ahead with a potentially controversial plan. If what was in the media was true (I know, I know, but they quoted Caldera on some of this), his staff screwed him over royally by going ahead without his approval....