Here's why I was hiding under my desk:
Lieutenant governor buzzes Downtown in jet fighter
By Matt Tullis
The Columbus Dispatch
Thursday, August 17, 2006 3:55 PM
Don't fret about the jet fighter that buzzed Downtown this afternoon. It wasn't part of a Homeland Security alert.
Rather, the F-16D was giving Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson an "orientation" ride over the Capitol Building. The jet roared over Downtown twice.
The flight was designed to give Johnson an idea of what the F-16 does in flight, said Lt. Katherine Arvai, a spokeswoman for the National Guard. The jet was with the 178th Fighter Wing and flew out of the Springfield Air National Guard Base.
She said it didn't cost taxpayers anything extra because the pilot was already scheduled to fly a training mission today. Johnson just tagged along in the back seat, she said.
"It was done by the books," she said.
Arvai said she didn't know who initiated the ride-along, but added that Johnson has been instrumental in trying to bring a new mission to the Springfield base, which is slated to lose its F-16s during base closures in 2010.
"This helps him understand what he is helping us fight for," she said.
Training flights typically avoid flying over cities, but because Johnson was along, the jet flew over the Capitol, Arvai said.
Aircraft are not allowed to fly within 1,000 feet of the top of the tallest structure Downtown, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
"We do not believe they did that," said Elizabeth Cory, spokeswoman for the FAA's Great Lakes Region.
The F-16 can travel up to 1,500 mph, according to an Air Force fact sheet. The F-16 D model costs about $18.8 million..
http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=205996
