Is this really necessary at an Airshow?

[Mark Allen M]

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Last edited by Mark Allen M on Mon Sep 10, 2012 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mustangdriver]

You can't leave a Piper Cub at an airshow without some one screwing it up.

[gary1954]

IMHO the weapon is totally unnecessary with this guy in civilian garb.
The appropriate thing would have been to have a real live honest to gawd Law Enforcement (LE) representative of the United States Air Force in uniform, standing by to keep the crumb critters and standard run of the mill dumb A-double S's from picking at and climbing all over this Mega-Multi-ga-zillion dollar piece of equipment.
just my nickel (rate has sky-rocketed from the standard 2 cents worth normally given, due to inflation and well an increase of fuel costs associated with just about everything).

[mustangdriver]

So who employs this guy?

[Dan Jones]

Is this guy available for hire, as in "Shoot anybody who climbs on my airplane uninvited"? (unless of course it's one of the "Bombshell" chicks!)

[mustanglover]

I think that is just some guy who thinks he is tough and wanted to show off. I have been at shows where you could walk up and touch them, walk underneath them, etc.

They are not all that secret, and there are no coatings that are super secret on them. Big deal!

[gary1954]

So who employs this guy?

Ssssssssshhhhhhhh......its a secret

[Dan Jones]

Maybe he's a reenactor who's come up with a new schtick. Does kinda look a little like Mudge...

[RickH]

We don't need to hire this guy, most of us have our own ARs !

[cooper9411]

So who employs this guy?

The A-Team

[TAdan]

This reminds me of the first (and only time) I saw an F-117 at an airshow sometime in the 90's. I was probably 12 or 13 and distinctly remember seeing the F-117 behind a "velvet rope" with several armed military personnel. I thought it was a real turn off... I remember thinking "If you want dont want people to see it, than dont bother bringing it to an airshow." I think the UAV security guard fits into the same boat... a bit over the top and not all that inviting... I'm sure anyone who asked questions about it got a free background check.

[Fearless Tower]

Seems rather ridiculous.

If they were THAT concerned with the public getting too close to the aircraft, they should do what they used to do with the F-117s.....put it in a hangar on view but completely roped off and a sentry or two standing off in the shadows.

But, let's get real....this is a freakin' drone. It's practically disposable.....We've had enough of these things go down in country that there really aren't too many secrets for Joe Q Public to uncover on the flight line.

[Bearcat SA]

Rather strange
When the USAF visits us here in Africa (Pretoria or Cape Town) for airshows I have never seen an overt show of force .. sure there are US military around but I cant recall any of them being armed.
And for all the USAF visitors I have met I have to give them a big thumbs up for being great ambassadors and answering tons of dumb ass questions with a smile.

We look forward to seeing the USAF at Waterkloof in Sept for a big Air Show ... please bring lots of big toys

[RickH]

We can crash them in Afghanistan or Pakistan where the remains are sold to the Iranians or Chinese but we can't let the American public get to close to one !

[mustangdriver]

Well, if there were no one there, folks would be hanging their kids from it, so I get that someone needs to be there. But is this guy CIA? Rick, you are comparing airshow display to combat flying? These things are advanced enough that other countries are eager to get the remains of a crashed one(although it was pretty intact). The public can be rough on an unattended aircraft on display.