My neighbor runs one of the sightseeing helicopter companies in NYC. After
a lot of discussions concerning security for the RNC this week, the TSA made
a ruling that sightseeing helicopter flights over the Hudson were OK, but no
Charter or Corporate flights. The Corporate people were insensed, but the
TSA was calling the shots. Gotta let those delegates see Manhatten.
Sightseeing flights were assigned a special frequency so that there would be
no confusion. Right.

The other morning, on the first day of the restrictions, two sightseeing
flights took off. One was a few minutes out, headed toward the Lady, and a
second had just gotten airborne when two military choppers blew down the
Hudson. THEY were on the wrong frequency, and could not contact the two,
completely legal, sightseeing choppers. Of course they immediately assumed
that these two copters were violators. The one closest to base was forced
to return immediately. The one downriver was then intercepted and escorted
to Morristown, where it and its passengers were held for several hours and,
because it was now outside the inner TFR, had to be completely security
cleared before it could return to its base. All because the "security"
forces couldn't get the procedures right. It's a good thing they didn't
shoot first. Might have killed some Republican delegates.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

I don't have to like Bush and Cheney (Or Kerry, for that matter) to love
America