what a waste?

[Top West 50]

Reading the US papers, i see that the USN spent $450 000 flying 4 x f18 over the cowboy's stadium with the roof closed!

[zondaracer]

The liberal papers that question military expenditure are the ones quick to point out costs of military flights in the US. It is not all a waste.

Flyovers always provide valuable TOT (Time on Target) training. That´s how they justify the cost.

Do you think flying aircraft for airshows is a waste? The pilots receive valuable training. Fighter jets are always expensive to operate, doesn´t matter if they are doing a Noble Eagle patrol, training sortie, combat sortie, repositioning flight, or a flyover. If you can complete training or mission objectives in every flight, then it is not such a waste.

NFL Videos: Salute the sky (http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d80924c91/Salute-the-sky)

[ATCAdam]

You can request a fly-past by the Red Arrows, you might be lucky enough to get one if it's en route to their destination. It doesn't mean they have especially flown past for you, but if they are going in that general direction anyway what harm does it do?

Even if the flight path of the day was changed to encompass the stadium it still provides
valuable flight time for the pilots as previously stated.

Also if you know anything about these American sports events, they have huge screens which I'm sure the footage of the aircraft would have been shown on.

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

I think that Top West 50's point is not so much that there was a flypast; it's that the roof of the stadium was closed when the flypast took place!

On time; on target; no-one saw it!

I think that I can see his point:O

Duncs:ok:

[TBM-Legend]

I bet everyone heard and saw it on the big screen. When the planning was done I guess they hadn't figured on old man winter being in Texas then....usually warming up then...

Good form practice. Allocated hours so no real cost. I'm sick of the journos etc putting prices on things that are already paid for...:hmm:

[Dengue_Dude]

They could have opened the roof with a JDAM or somesuch presumably :E

[minigundiplomat]

£300,000 to launch 4 F18's? Where were they based?

[kiwibrit]

minigundiplomat, Virginia Beach (http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/Super-Bowl-flyover-costs-taxpayers-450000-115109249.html)

[XV277]

You can request a fly-past by the Red Arrows, you might be lucky enough to get one if it's en route to their destination. It doesn't mean they have especially flown past for you, but if they are going in that general direction anyway what harm does it do?


We had them at our Village Gala day on the way to an airshow - of course it probably helped that one of the kids in the school's dad was with RAFAT at the time.......

A yank friend did wonder why they flew the F-18s half way across the country when there was a local unit.

[Biggus]

£300,000 (ish) for 4 F-18s, so that is £75,000 ish per aircraft.

How long was the whole sortie? If it was say 1.5 hours that is £50,000 per hour, if the sortie was longer then less.

Given that costs for Typhoon have been quoted at £70-80,000 per hour...?


Costs per hour are a highly debatable, but at the end of the day operating any fast jet is expensive, hence no doubt the drive to do more in simulators....

[Thelma Viaduct]

I doubt most spams knew what has happening inside the arena, let alone outside. :}

[Airborne Aircrew]

The flyby was not done for the benefit of the spectators in the stadium. It was for the benefit of the 111 million television viewers in the USA alone. Just a few seconds I know... But to get the attention of those 111 million viewers it would have cost $3M for 30 seconds. I see about $2.5M savings...

[Airborne Aircrew]

Stalled that little outrage bus then.... :E

[moggiee]

Are we sure they found the correct stadium?

[Vox Populi]

A septic friend did wonder why they flew the F-18s half way across the country when there was a local unit.

I hope your friend gets better.

[racedo]

Hey don't knock it they found the target, did as they were requested to do and returned successfully..........................Mission Accomplished

Next time they might even get a chance to bring some noise and fireworks:E.

Remember the occasions that have attended Basketball and Ice Hockey in the US in various states and people showed what they thought of those who served. Hell even the cops got a good reception.

[spaniels ears]

No, not a waste!

[Hacker15e]

People seem to forget that a unit's flying hours are "paid for" at the beginning of the fiscal year. The unit that performed the flyby was going to fly those hours no matter what, regardless of if it was around the flagpole and the home 'drome or if it was over the top of a closed stadium.

Certainly there was no extra taxpayer funds spent specifically on this flyby.

Besides, the "price" quoted was simply a critic's best guess at the cost.