Obama very bad for MDW

[siucavflight]

Now that we have gotten a chance to look at the TFR for when Obama comes into Chicago we can see that it will effectively shut down 91 operations at MDW for the duration of his stay. Talked with TSA today and they have informed us based at MDW that we can expect about one presidential visit every month at MDW and his stay will range from a few hours to a week. Something needs to be done, he is not Bush, when Bush went home he went to his ranch in Crawford, this had very little impact on the surronding airspace and communities.

 

[tgriffin]

they need to allow IFR acft into MDW. This is rediculous, maybe they can taylor something in the TFR that will allow this airport to be used when he is in town.

 

[siucavflight]

No here is the TFR.

http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_4975.html

I did send an email to ever news orginazation I could find and here is what I wrote, dont know if it will get any attention at all, but hoping so.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am a corporate pilot in the Chicago area. Today we learned that with President Obama’s visit to Chicago, Midway airport is going to be essentially shut down to corporate aviation and general aviation during his entire weekend trip, and every Chicago trip that he makes during his Presidency. I was speaking with the TSA today to try and find a way to get our jet into and out of Midway during President Obama’s visit, and they informed me that we can expect him coming to Chicago on average about once every 5 weeks.

Recently the national media has had an all out assault on my profession. Our company uses our aircraft wisely, and for business. All of our costs come out of the company’s pockets. Our aircraft are necessary for our company to succeed. The cost are a very small part of our revenue, yet the national press makes it seem like it is totally over the top, and they love to point out the price per hour (which is usually way over exaggerated) of operating the aircraft.

What I am wondering and the reason I am writing you this letter is because I feel that you should do a report on what the Presidents visit to Chicago is costing, after all it is the tax payers that are footing the bill for the trip. He is bringing with him two 747-200’s. Plus at least three cargo planes that fly in all of his security, motorcade, and his three private helicopters. The Chicago tax payers are having to foot the bill for security, and many will have numerous hassels to deal with while he is in town.

I have run the numbers as best as I can and this one trip for the weekend to Chicago is going to total up to around three and a half million dollars, and at a time when everyone is struggling in these economic times it just does not seem right. The U.S. Congress feels that the CEO’s of company’s spending an average of 350,000 a year on business travel is excessive. And even President Obama has said that these companies should not be using corporate jets for personal travel, but I guess that he feels that the standards he would like to set would not apply to him.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at the number listed before, or email me anytime. I hope to see you do a report on this, thank you very much for your time.

 

[tgriffin]

Man...Great Letter!!! You think he could have come to Chicago on one of the Gulfstreams. Sure would have been a lot Cheaper!!

 

[siucavflight]

I am not sure that the letter is great, as I am not a very good writer. But it bothered me that no one seems to care, I sent it to every news station I can think of.

If anyone wants to copy it and send it to their local news stations please feel free to do so.

 

[LJ45]

corporate aviation is evil right now in the media and our government. If its not government aircraft or airline good luck.

 

[tgriffin]

I think you make a good point that just one trip from D.C to Chicago for what is obviously a pleasure trip cost the tax payers this much $$$. It sure makes what we spend on a week long trip traveling all over the country look like pocket change!!!

 

[siucavflight]

I think you make a good point that just one trip from D.C to Chicago for what is obviously a pleasure trip cost the tax payers this much $$$. It sure makes what we spend on a week long trip traveling all over the country look like pocket change!!!

Yes, and he is going to be doing this every few weekends. It is outrageous that we have to fund this. When Bush was president he made 149 trips to his ranch, that is insane, I would love to see the totals for us the taxpayers. I am really angry about this, mostly what it is going to do to MDW.

 

[fu69atacafyeah]

No here is the TFR.

http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_9_4975.html

I did send an email to ever news orginazation I could find and here is what I wrote, dont know if it will get any attention at all, but hoping so.

dude great letter, the presidents security will never be given up however to put it like you did and focus on the scrutiny we are faced with in our industry is great...hopefully this will get out and shut washington and the public up about business aviation.

 

[LRvsH25B]

I did send an email to ever news orginazation I could find and here is what I wrote, dont know if it will get any attention at all, but hoping so.

And the news organizations are going to care, why? Flight restrictions are placed on every locaation the POTUS goes. Why should Obama be treated differently? Should he not be allowed to return home? Do you honestly think Presidents have a say in what gets closed and when? I assure you, he's much too busy working on the mess the previous administration got us into. Your issues are with the United States Secret Service (as they set the security directly, not the President). Go ahead and write the USSS and inform them of your disdain and be sure to CC the aircraft owner on that.

To Whom It May Concern,

I am a corporate pilot in the Chicago area. Today we learned that with President Obama’s visit to Chicago, Midway airport is going to be essentially shut down to corporate aviation and general aviation during his entire weekend trip, and every Chicago trip that he makes during his Presidency. I was speaking with the TSA today to try and find a way to get our jet into and out of Midway during President Obama’s visit, and they informed me that we can expect him coming to Chicago on average about once every 5 weeks.

You're not telling the whole story here. You spoke with the TSA, and they told you they would TRY to find a way to get your jet in and out of Midway? Ummm, you didn't read the TFR? You missed the part about getting a permit for operations during PRESIDENT Obama's visit? Do you not know how to fill out the form for a special event waiver? Like most people who have potential conflicts with TFRs and need to fly, they reposition the aircraft to another airport outside the TFR. Is DuPage too far? You are still WELL within the waiver submiting window; why have you not filled out a waiver request? Here is the Waiver site since any verbage pertaining tp a waiver was not intentionally deleted from the TFR that you saw. If you're not being proactive in ensuring a way to fly out of MDW while the President is in town, then you are not doing your job.

https://waiver.c3.faa.gov/

Recently the national media has had an all out assault on my profession. Our company uses our aircraft wisely, and for business. All of our costs come out of the company’s pockets. Our aircraft are necessary for our company to succeed. The cost are a very small part of our revenue, yet the national press makes it seem like it is totally over the top, and they love to point out the price per hour (which is usually way over exaggerated) of operating the aircraft.

Unless you fly for a company that has requested/accepted TARP FUNDING, then the national media has had an all out assault on nothing. A TARP funded company operating corporate jets is OVER THE TOP. They conducted business using their corporate jets, the company was ran to the point of insolvency and unable to continue in business unless the Federal Government stepped in and put an influx of cash into their hands, then clearly, corporate jets were doing nothing to help them stay in business, and at this point, they're just an over-the-top added expense the TARP funded company does not need.

Futhermore, you are writing this letter to place light on the issues you have with being able to operate while a sitting President is in town; why are you going into how your aircraft is used, what it costs to operate, where the money comes from to operate your aircraft, and the size of the revenue (I'm sure you meant expense) the aircraft's operation places upon your company. Like I suggested up above, take the letter you sent and place it in the owner's seat for him to read on the way out of town this weekend.

What I am wondering and the reason I am writing you this letter is because I feel that you should do a report on what the Presidents visit to Chicago is costing, after all it is the tax payers that are footing the bill for the trip. He is bringing with him two 747-200’s. Plus at least three cargo planes that fly in all of his security, motorcade, and his three private helicopters. The Chicago tax payers are having to foot the bill for security, and many will have numerous hassels to deal with while he is in town.

What is PRESIDENT Obama doing that no other modern day president has not done? This is how the government operates, whether he goes to Crawford, TX or to Chicago, IL. Bush would instruct at least 3 cargo planes to fly his security, motorcade, and 3 private choppers to go to Waco, then he would fly on AF1, the 747, to Waco (The other 747 as there too), then jump in one of his 3 Private Helicopters (as you put it) and fly the less than 10 miles to his Ranch in Crawford, all at the Taxpayers expense, all the while the local sheriff and police departments would have to pay for his security. At this time, I am currently trying to locate the post where you express your outrage at all of that, but, I am not having any luck. How could that be? Say it's not so, I know you posted in response to all of those burdensome wastes of taxpayer money.

I have run the numbers as best as I can and this one trip for the weekend to Chicago is going to total up to around three and a half million dollars, and at a time when everyone is struggling in these economic times it just does not seem right. The U.S. Congress feels that the CEO’s of company’s spending an average of 350,000 a year on business travel is excessive. And even President Obama has said that these companies should not be using corporate jets for personal travel, but I guess that he feels that the standards he would like to set would not apply to him.

You ran the numbers? How do you even begin to know what it costs to operate any of the above mentioned equipment? Do you work for the military's budget office? What does the A/F pay for a gallon of Jet-A? You, me, or anyone else on here running the numbers is laughable. What does not seem right is the number of trips Bush took just like this on the weekends to Waco. Since you are in a position to run the numbers, please add up all of Bush's trips to Waco and tell me what it cost the taxpayers. And remember, times we bad during his 8 years, as he is the one who created this mess, Obama inherited it 3 weeks ago. I can't seem to find your post on that either. I wonder why that is. Are you suggesting that TARP funded company's spent an average of 350K on business travel per year? Citi, AIG, Bear Stearns, Wachovia, JMorgan Chase spent and average of 350K a year on business related travel using their private jets? Are you high? $29,167. a month on multi-aircraft flight departments? As soon as anyone reading your letter read that, your credibility went into the trash, right along with your letter. 29K a month. You can't be serious? You suggest 350K a year, and then you have the nerve to say, 'I ran the numbers." WTF are you talking about? Well, at least everyone on here knows any numbers you ran have no basis whatsoever in terms for being remotely accurate. You ran the numbers. PHU-LEEEEEEEEZE.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at the number listed before, or email me anytime. I hope to see you do a report on this, thank you very much for your time.

I hate to break it to you, but you know that no story is going to be reported on this; The ones that were going to write a story got your letter, then canned the whole idea. Please stop writing media outlets, you're making all of us look bad. CEO's spent an average of 350K a year on private jet travel. You ran the numbers. Truly laughable.

ONCE AGAIN, YOUR ISSUES ARE WITH THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE, NOT THE PRESIDENT. UNLESS YOU THINK A PRESIDENT SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN TO HIS HOME, AS BUSH DID JUST ABOUT EVERY WEEKEND WHEN HE WASN'T IN MARYLAND, THEN I EAGERLY AWAIT TO HEAR THE LETTER YOU WRITE THE USSS. YOU RAN THE NUMBERS. AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

[HawkerF/O]

siucavflight,
You kind of left yourself open for LRh25B to roll on you like that. There is a waiver, all presidents and VPs travel like this its not up to them, the service determines the needs and I saw on NGC that the helo goes with him if he plans to use it or not, I don't think O-BAMA has a hand in security issues, it is the Secret service, and I don't know what your experience level is, but 350,00 is, or was, a drop in the bucket for these corporate flight departments. Most easily budget that a month for their fleets of Falcons, GLEX, and Gs especially the ones that do a lot of international travel. I read yesterday where Nortel spent 1M a year. Over the summer when Jet was through the roof, DOCs doubled and tripled, and a moderately busy flight department would have blown through that in less than 6 weeks.
I think it's clear what is going on here is that 1 of you is a DEM and the other is a REP.

 

[ROSWELL41]

Since he has all those helicopters, why not just land at ORD and spare GA traffic the hassle. He'd have a longer runway too.

 

[JSky26]

Since he has all those helicopters, why not just land at ORD and spare GA traffic the hassle. He'd have a longer runway too.

It is my understanding that AF1 will be landing at ORD. However, MDW will take the fall since its proximity to the "Obama Compound".

 

[flyguy75000]

It is my understanding that AF1 will be landing at ORD. However, MDW will take the fall since its proximity to the "Obama Compound".

You meant "crib", right?

Besides..wait till Oprah gets inconvenienced by this TFR and has to go to DPA or LOT to get on the Global. You thought the sistahs on COPS were crazy? Maybe she can call up "Ole Boy" and get a lil somthin somthin worked out.

 

[LRvsH25B]

You meant "crib", right?

Besides..wait till Oprah gets inconvenienced by this TFR and has to go to DPA or LOT to get on the Global. You thought the sistahs on COPS were crazy? Maybe she can call up "Ole Boy" and get a lil somthin somthin worked out.

757, what the hell is wrong with you? this is not 1957. You blatently racist comments have no place on this forum.
Crib
sistahs
"Ole Boy"
I've seen some of your other posts on here as well. Really, what is wrong with you? Did momma get caught having a stretching session with Mandingo?

Does it really bother you that much that our African American friends have money, power, and succes? Get over it and leave that Klan crap off of here. Your thinly veiled comments shine through rather easily. Knock it off.

 

[Lynxman]

^^^Obviously a black don't be hatin on a joke man lighten up. Remember it doesn't matter how hard a black man works he still ends up living in a home paid for by the govt.

 

[siucavflight]

I woke up this morning and received responses from WGN, and CNN requesting further information. This is exciting, I hope that they really do a piece on this!

 

[siucavflight]

LR, I do not have time to respond to all of your comments, this was not intended as a political post, rather trying to show what impact Obama is having on MDW.
And I am well aware of the wavier. Have you ever looked at what goes into getting the waiver? Before even getting the waiver every person aboard the aircraft has to get TSA approval through a background check, and finger print processing which takes approximately 7 days.
Once the waiver is processed every passenger and bag has to be screened by TSA prior to departure, and then coming back into MDW every flight has a to land at either SBN, RFD, or PIA and be pre screened by TSA. With the type of operationt that we are running these requirements are un realistic.

And I was speaking with TSA, there are a few numbers that were listed on that page, I called them to see if there was anything that we could do to speed up the slow government process of getting the waiver, espically since they just informed us of this TFR only four days before his arrival. And when I was talking to TSA the woman named Ada Johnson said that there office has been informed that Obama will be coming to Chicago every four to five weeks.

You may have missed the part where I said that it is ridiculous that Bush traveled to his ranch 149 time during his presidency. I understand that security is a requirement for the president and rightfully so, but the President has to be mindful of what goes into his trips, he has to understand that him coming to Chicago is directly affecting thousands of people, and indirectly the entire country, this wasteful spending has to stop.

And if everyone on this thread could please get away from turning this into something about race I would appriciate it.

 

[fu69atacafyeah]

I woke up this morning and received responses from WGN, and CNN requesting further information. This is exciting, I hope that they really do a piece on this!

run with this!!! get it out there!!!

 

[mxpilot2]

I have to say that, while some valid point were made by LR, they weren't all that constructive. No need to belittle what was a good first effort. At least someone is doing something about the attacks on our profession.

We can point fingers all day at whose administration is at fault for the current economic mess, and most of the blame would be valid. However, the current administration is picking up the crap that the MEDIA is churning the public up with, and blowing it further out of proportion, at the cost of jobs they are saying they're trying to save. You guys that are getting all sanctimonious about who got TARP funds and shouldn't be flying airplanes need to back off with the big brush. The TARP program is a tool to keep the financial situation from getting worse, which could take away YOUR ability to work. Alot of banks (with and without airplanes) did nothing wrong, yet are taking the hit on the stock markets and in the coffers because there isn't money available to lend to make fees on. When you account for increases in reserves due to new regulations, the enormous number of people who got stung in the ARM web (which I was almost caught by) who can't pay that have to be subsidized, and the approaching number of ones who won't be able to because they just got blasted out of their jobs, money is getting tight. But to say it's all the banks fault for falling off the cliff is laughable. And now you think on top of it all, they should throw away money by dumping the tools to do business more effectively, and to try to generate new income streams is short sighted. There is no market for aircraft right now, so any sale will either not happen, or be at a huge loss. What happens to the rest of that lease or note? LOSS! Citi's purchase of the new airplane would have nothing to do with TARP funds, most of it would have been paid for in deposits, and the rest from the sale of old aircraft. But some of you think that throwing away all that money and making a business as far flung as Citi do it on airlines is a money-maker? And you think SIU has it all wrong? I'm not saying that Citi did it all right, but should it be a case of throwing more away in times of trouble?

This misguided, inaccurate media attention is causing the loss of jobs in the aviation industry. Not just pilots and mechanics, but it will swell and affect the OEMs, parts suppliers, etc., just like the auto manufacturers. SIU shouldn't be belittled for his efforts, but lent a hand with better info to pass on, should the opportunity arrive. It's fueling so much attention, that jobs are being lost in the industry because companies are caving in to pressure caused only by perception.

And if the above sounds personal, it is. Cuts were announced for our department day before yesterday. One of the two aircraft and personnel accordingly. The bad part is, we won't know who is going for 3 weeks. Exit plans weren't finished when the public announcement was going to be made. So we wait.

Good luck.

Chris