Further- AFPilots

From: Bill Altman

Date: February 21, 2014

Subject: Arlington Flyover

Hi Dickie,

You know better than most how many hoops you'd have to jump through to pull this off. You've worked with these agencies in D.C. I've had a similar experience. Jump # 497 in my logbook is dated 17 June 1978 for the mayor's 1978 Recreation Bonanza. I t was the only jump I know of allowed over the Washington Monument. We started planning the jump more than 90 days before the event and had meetings with the Secret Service and the FAA on several occasions. Even then we had to have an FAA representative on the target at the base of the Washington Monument and the Secret Service allowed no direct helicopter path over the White House even though the president was not there that weekend. Our Quantico Marine jump club included all active duty pilots and jumpers. All of us had securuity clearances. It didn't matter. All the agencies had to have their say. It was amazing that we were allowed to make the jump at all but it was a heck of an experience.

Bill

From: Dick Ellis

Date: February 19, 2014

Subject: Arlington Flyover

All, please take a couple minutes and watch this video from a local news outlet. I didn't see it on any of the major news programs, but I thought you would like to see it. God bless those who did the flyover and God rest the souls of the two pilots lost so long ago!
What a great thing those old timers did! I also understand that they covered all the cost including a large amount for the fuel.

Click here: Arlington Flyover

From: Dick Ellis

Date: February 22, 2014

Subject: Arlington Flyover

Great to hear from you brother Bill.... That was my whole point....I am really surprised they allowed something like that at all. As you remember my former wife worked in the White House for almost three years and the staff use to laugh at how each branch or whatever would try to be in charge. The Secret Service use to tell the Chief of Staff Ed Meese that they wanted Reagan to wear a bullet-proof vest or at least a special Kevlar raincoat that he had made whenever he went out of the White House. The Chief would say, "Hell no, you guys tell him." The SS would say, "Hell no, we ain't going to tell him, get Nancy to tell him." Then everybody would say, "Hell no we ain't telling Nancy nothing!" Reagan actually carried a small pistol in his pocket when he went out in the early days and I remember the sweat over who was going to tell him not to carry a gun! I think he finally just started forgetting it in his dresser drawer up in the private residence. Between Secret Service...FAA and the city of DC....I don't see how you every jumped on the Washington Monument and how these great heroes ever got permission to do a fly-over!

Dickie

From: Dick Ellis

Date: February 20, 2014

Subject: Arlington Flyover

Ray,

How many hoops did they have to jump to pull this off....Secret Service, City oF DC, FAA, Arlington Cemetery Committee, families, AOPA?

Dickie

From: Ray Profetta

Date: February 20, 2014

Subject: Arlington Flyover

What a great tribute!

Ray

Arlington Flyover

A tribute to two Air Force officers lost

over Laos during the Vietnam War.