Thunderbirds buzz Gore's house

The Thunderbirds -- the U.S. Air Force's precision aerobatics
squadron of advanced F-16 Falcon jets -- are under investigation after
an unexpected and confused departure from the Washington area following
the recent Armed Forces Day event at Andrews Air
Force Base.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Washington air
traffic control was thrown into massive confusion as four of the eight
F-16 fighter jets separated from their flight and departed the
Washington area at low altitude and high speed.

U.S.A.F. Thunderbird F-16 Falcon served as a backdrop for President Clinton during his speech at Andrews. The Thunderbirds later buzzed Vice President Gore's home, violating FAA regulations. Photo by Brenda Smith.

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"We're still piecing the story together," said U.S. Air Force Gen.
Dave Moody. "We're going to look at our training and see if there is
anything we can improve."

FAA controllers noted that they warned one F-16 that it was traveling
on a collision course with a Virginia mountain, and two of the other
supersonic jets apparently violated air space over Vice President Gore's
house. In addition, air traffic controllers at Dulles International
Airport ordered an American Airlines passenger jet to make a right turn
to avoid the departing Air Force fighter jets.

The unauthorized departure by the Thunderbird team is the latest in a
series of incidents involving the Air Force precision flying team over
the past two years. In 1999, two F-16s from the Thunderbird squadron
"bumped" during practice. The bumping incident grounded the jet team
for most of air-show season.

The Thunderbirds once lost four pilots during a training exercise
crash.

U.S. military aerobatics teams have been known to disobey
flight-control orders in past years. The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flew
over the Eiffel Tower in Paris, against the direct orders of French air
traffic control, to capture a publicity photograph of the team in flight
over the monument. The incident led to a diplomatic protest by the
French government, then led by President Charles De Gaulle.

U.S. Navy F-18 E/F Hornet armed with laser bombs and HARM anti-radar missiles. Photo by Brenda Smith.

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The Thunderbirds' F-16 Falcons were on hand at the annual Armed
Forces day show held at Andrews Air Force Base earlier this month, and
served as a back-drop for a speech by President Clinton. The Andrews
air show featured performances from both the Thunderbirds and the Blue
Angels.

The annual air show is also a display of U.S. military equipment,
which this year showcased a wide variety of new U.S. weapons, including
the B-2 bomber, the F-18 E/F Hornet, a new Sidewinder air-to-air missile
and the new U.S. Navy SEAL team fast-attack boat.

People's Liberation Army officers took great interest in the new U.S. Navy SEAL team's fast-attack boat on display at Andrews AFB. Photo by Brenda Smith.

The F-18 Hornet E/F came equipped with a wide variety of weaponry,
including laser-guided smart bombs and HARM missiles designed to destroy
ground-based radars. The Hornet was armed with a Sidewinder missile
that included advanced features such as thrust vanes to divert rocket
engine exhaust during flight.

The Navy SEAL fast-attack boat and its advanced water jet-propulsion
system also drew a great deal of interest from foreign military
representatives, including Chinese army representatives. The new SEAL
boat is also reportedly made of composite materials and designed to
evade radar contact, employing stealth features.