San Fran wants to kick out the Blue Angels

The continued anti-military mindset in San Francisco has now targeted the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. The peacenik groups of CodePink, Global Exchange and Veterans for Peace, and Chapter 69 are working with Board of Supervisor member Chris Daly to introduce a resolution calling for a permanent halt to the popular Fleet Week flyover.

The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels have been providing this aerial show for San Francisco since 1981. They are scheduled to do their show as part of Fleet Week during October 4-9.

Chris Daly calls the planes "dangerous and unnecessary." The Veterans for Peace is against it because the Blue Angels are pro-military and they would cause undue "noise pollution." They even called the event a safety risk, citing the April crash of a Blue Angels plane during an air show in Beaufort, S.C.

According to Paul Cox, a Vietnam veteran and a members of the peace-loving Veterans for Peace, a slight miscalculation or mechanical failure can cause a plane to "go barreling into the Golden Gate Bridge or a high-rise."

Edward Leonard, Chairman of the San Francisco Fleet Week Committee argued that the planes' maneuvers are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and they are safe. He also stated that the more challenging maneuvers are conducted over the Bay waters and that "commerical airlines fly over [San Fran] all the time."

The other peace-loving group CodePink has launched an online petition, signed by more than 500 "noise-challenged" people to date, calling on city leaders to end the flyovers for reasons of public safety, air pollution, and fuel waste.

The groups may also considering suing in order to stop the air show.

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Frankly, the military should just cancel Fleet Week outright and move it to a city that appreciates them. I am sure San Fran won't mind losing 1 million people and about $4 million that is usually pumped into the local economy when the fleet comes by.

The Blue Angels have 35 air shows scheduled in 2007. Last year, more than 15 million people watched the fighter pilots.

The anti-military groups' reasoning that the planes pose a safety risk is lame. They have been doing this air show since 1981. The chances of a crash is pretty much remote. What are the chances of a commerical jet crashing on landing or takeoff? I would equate those odds to the Blue Angels' air show. "Noise pollution," what noise pollution??? Tell that to the perp driving that SUV with the music blaring. Can't handle some planes flying by for a few days? Get frakking real. Obviously, they just want to kick out anything that is military.

I am sure any other city would be happy to host San Fran's air show. They don't need it. They're the same folks that got rid of the JROTC program in the high schools, refused the Navy request to commission a warship in their city, and even rejected the berthing of the battleship U.S.S. Iowa in the San Fran harbor.

Examiner - Daly backs move to ground Blue Angels show