Wish I was surprised.

chcr

chcr

Too cute for words
Pilots Didn't Radio Air Force One, Airline Says
Reuters
Tuesday, December 2, 2003; Page A03

British Airways said yesterday that none of its pilots made contact with President Bush's plane during its secret flight to Baghdad on Thanksgiving, contradicting White House reports of a midair exchange that nearly prompted Bush to call off his trip. Honor Verrier, a spokeswoman for British Airways in North America, said two British Airways aircraft were in the area at the time and neither radioed the president's plane to ask if it was Air Force One.


"We have spoken to the British Airways captains who were in the area at the time and neither made comments to Air Force One nor did they hear any other aircraft make the statement over the radio," Verrier said.
The White House had no immediate comment on the discrepancy.
Bush aides recounted last week that a British Airways pilot thought he spotted the president's blue and white Boeing 747 from his cockpit.
"Did I just see Air Force One?" the pilot radioed, according to the White House.
Air Force One responded: "Gulfstream 5" -- a much smaller aircraft.
As one of Bush's aides recounted, the British Airways pilot seemed to sense he was in on a secret, and replied: "Oh."
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Really, I wish I was.
 
Nope. It took place in the same hangar the moon landing was filmed :horse:
 
Kinda makes you wonder why this is such big news

A British Airways pilot who spotted Air Force One taking President George Bush to Baghdad last week is maintaining his silence.

The pilot saw Air Force One just after daybreak off the western coast of England, said White House communications director Dan Bartlett in Washington.

If Bush’s cover had been blown by the pilot, the mission would have been scrapped, Bartlett said.

Bartlett said the pilot of the BA plane radioed the tower in London and reported the apparent sighting of Air Force One. The tower, apparently relying on false flight-plan information filed to protect Air Force One’s identity, radioed back that it was a Gulfstream Five, a much smaller plane.

Bartlett said he had left the wrong impression last Thursday that the conversation had taken place between the British Airways pilot and the pilot of Air Force One, Colonel Mark Tillman.

British Airways spokesman Jeff Angel said the airline had hundreds of planes in the air in and around London and none of their pilots had come forward indicating they made the comments or overheard them.

“We are not going to be asking every single one of our pilots about the exchange,” he said.

Bartlett said Bush and his senior aides were not aware of the spotting until Air Force One was on its way home from Baghdad.
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The Scotsman 12/03/03
 
Even the LA Times caught that, today

British Airways spokesman Jeff Angel said that the airline has hundreds of planes in the air in Britain and that none of its pilots had come forward to indicate that they made the comments or overheard them. "We are not going to be asking every single one of our pilots," he said.
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You forgot to bold this part....

said White House communications director Dan Bartlett in Washington...
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I didn't make Dubya a liar. He did that himself. I just find liars hard to believe...:tardbang:
 
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