Battery Park City Life

Did you see or hear some jets fly over Lower Manhattan?  Don't worry, it was a planned aerial mission.  It would be good if they would have notified the people first. 

"In coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Presidential Airlift Group conducted a aerial photo mission in the New York City area on 27 Apr 2009. This mission, involving the VC-25 and an F-16, was conducted in conjunction with normally scheduled continuation training for assigned aircrew members. This mission was coordinated for the Upper New York Bay, south of the Holland Tunnel and in the Newark Bay north of the Staten Island Expressway between the hours of 1000L and 1030L."

The maneuver, part of a photo op, was coordinated in advance with the FAA and state and local officials.

The Defense Department "coordinated the flight with FAA," Peters said, "and we made the notifications to the city of New York, as well as the 311 and 911 centers, the NYPD, New Jersey State Police and various operations centers in the New York area."

City officials were notified, but not the general public.

Many frightened residents and workers in Lower Manhattan called authorities asking for information, and some buildings even self evacuated.

The planes flew over Lower Manhattan and in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty during the 30-minute flight, between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.