Cheney closes Falcon Field

pilot602

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Well want to know how to close down a Class D airport and all the streets surrounding the airport? Fly V.P. Cheney in for a campaign stop. So yesterday around 3p.m. Cheney flies into FFZ and creates chaos in Mesa. What total B.S.

They were blocking peolpe from even driving on the adjacent streets (which is a four-plus mile perimeter) just so this politician (and I use that term very loosely) could come in and talk to some Vets and raise money to keep his boss's job and by extension his own.

I'm all for security and such and could even understand (slightly) grounding flights in and out of FFZ while he was there but to shutdown four miles of roads just because he's in the vicinity? There were porbably at least 30 or 40 businesses that were affected by this. What total B.S.
 
Yes, it is aggravating, of course, but these types of security restrictions have been in place for years for Presidential and Vice Presidential travel. It was that way when the Democrats were in charge, it is that way now, and it will be that way for the next President when the time comes.

Back in 1996 I was flying in DAB one day ... called approach to return to the airport and got, "recommend maximum forward speed, airport closing in ten minutes." I was the second-to-last airplane to land at DAB before it was shut down for a couple hours because President Clinton was making a whistle-stop on his re-election campaign.

The good news was, I had a primo view from the ERAU ramp of Air Force One landing on 25R at DAB.

FL270
 
I was sitting here thinking hmmm....nothing around here was closed yesterday, I am working directly adjacent to Falcon Field. I even went so far as to ask someone..."noo....he wasn't here..."

Then I realized it was a different field. I'm by Falcon Field in Peachtree City GA, not AZ.
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Duh.
 
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Yes, it is aggravating, of course, but these types of security restrictions have been in place for years for Presidential and Vice Presidential travel. It was that way when the Democrats were in charge, it is that way now, and it will be that way for the next President when the time comes.


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Yup. I realize this. And I don't care if it's a Dem, a Rep or a friggin Commie. It bugs the hell out of me that everything shuts down just so they can raise money. It's insulting.
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When Bush was in Orlando last year, they did some major rearranging to Colonial/Hwy 50 between the downtown area and 436. Those of you that know the area KNOW how much of a headache that is on a normal day. Imagine it ONE LANEed! Took four hours to get anywhere. And why is it that the smaller airports close when the pres comes in, yet the int'l airports don't? In the name of "security" shouldn't it all be equal?
 
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Yup. I realize this. And I don't care if it's a Dem, a Rep or a friggin Commie. It bugs the hell out of me that everything shuts down just so they can raise money. It's insulting.

[/ QUOTE ] if you think about it, it doesn't make much sense.. yes, they have political power and are powerful men.. but there out there to "raise money" for an objective other than what their "job" is right now... Cheney's job is vice president.. not campaign manager...

and if you think about it - they were there to raise money and in the process, people's businesses in the surrounding area LOST money.. how is that good for us - the citizens? it's not.. but it sure is good for them....
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how is that helping the economy of our great nation??

and you'd think they'd AT LEAST plan that stuff around rush hour right!?! NOT!
 
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and if you think about it - they were there to raise money and in the process, people's businesses in the surrounding area LOST money.. how is that good for us - the citizens? it's not.. but it sure is good for them.... how is that helping the economy of our great nation??

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Not only that, but who gets to pick up the tab for these trips? You got it, John Q. Taxpayer. We pay for the aircraft, the ground transportation, the extra law enforcement needed to block off the area. That just stinks!
 
Must be Clinton has a thing for DAB. I also saw him come in there in AF1. Would've been mid 2001 probably. Kinda neat seeing AF1 parked on the ramp from my dorm room window.
 
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Not only that, but who gets to pick up the tab for these trips? You got it, John Q. Taxpayer. We pay for the aircraft, the ground transportation, the extra law enforcement needed to block off the area. That just stinks!

[/ QUOTE ] why aren't we charging for these trips? maybe someone needs to bring up the question?!
 
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Must be Clinton has a thing for DAB. I also saw him come in there in AF1. Would've been mid 2001 probably. Kinda neat seeing AF1 parked on the ramp from my dorm room window.

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Ahhh, that's why you're so bitter. You went to Riddle! Took me a while to figure that one out.
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(Sorry, can't help the cheap shot)

GW likes it here as well. He's been in and out twice in the last 2 years.
 
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Ahhh, that's why you're so bitter. You went to Riddle! Took me a while to figure that one out.
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(Sorry, can't help the cheap shot)

GW likes it here as well. He's been in and out twice in the last 2 years.

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haha...well, I suppose if I do have any bitterness that it *might* be an indirect result of the screwing I got at Riddle...
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And I just realized that I'm retarded. If it was mid 2001, then it was Bush, not Clinton. Duh...
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GW likes it here as well. He's been in and out twice in the last 2 years.

[/ QUOTE ] comeon - you know why!
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it's not that he likes the area or has a vacation house there at all or anything - it's all about trying to maintain a republican state.. cuz if not for the fubar in the last election - florida would have gone democratic which is a NO NO for the republicans! so of course, he's massaging the residents there to "keep their vote" (per se)...
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haha...well, I suppose if I do have any bitterness that it *might* be an indirect result of the screwing I got at Riddle...

And I just realized that I'm retarded. If it was mid 2001, then it was Bush, not Clinton. Duh...

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I started my master's there and decided to leave. I'd say that 95% of my students go there and decided to fly elsewhere. I just freaked out when I saw the costs of flying at Riddle. I think it's close to $300 and hour for an instructor and a Seminole. OUCH! I was also here DAB in 2001 when GW was here. I saw him land and I was out on the ramp watching AF1 use up all of 7L to get it stopped.
 
We're used to this kind of nonsense in the DC area. And it's worse because they don't just shut things down for the President and VP. Nope, some random ambassador from some country that 95 percent of us have never heard of will get a police escort, with police blocking off the streets that they're on for a couple of minutes.
 
Hey, wait one second, even the opposite party counted the votes 4 times, and what do ya know, Bush still won in Florida. Time to move on and look for another reason the Dem’s lost the election.
 
Oh yeah. Don't forget that GW's brother is the governer of Florida. That might have something to do with the amount of vacations he takes here, among other things.
 
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Well want to know how to close down a Class D airport and all the streets surrounding the airport? Fly V.P. Cheney in for a campaign stop. So yesterday around 3p.m. Cheney flies into FFZ and creates chaos in Mesa. What total B.S.

[/ QUOTE ] Well John, technically he flew into Williams and closed two class D airports! Furthermore, I had a stagecheck scheduled for that day which obviously got cancelled. Thankfully I was able to reschedule for today, but of course we couldn't get the plane started. So, the stagescheck I was supposed to have yesterday, has been rescheduled for next Friday, meaning I'm grounded until then!

A friend and I tried to get close to see him board the plane but were repeatedly chased off by police and secret service. I did eventually manage to get right next to his motorcade as he entered the airport to board his plane.

AF2
 
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