One of the most suspenseful moments told of President Bush's covert Thanksgiving trip -- that a British Airways pilot spotted Air Force One as it secretly made its way to Baghdad -- has not been confirmed by any BA captains in the air that day.
A British Airways spokeswoman says none of its pilots has yet reported seeing or contacting anyone by radio about Air Force One.
According to a pool report from aboard Air Force One, reporters were told a British Airways pilot spotted the president's plane and radioed, "Did I just see Air Force One?"
Then, according to the report, after some silence, the official said the president's pilot, Col. Mark Tillman, responded "Gulfstream 5," a much smaller aircraft than Air Force One.
After a long silence, the British Airways pilot, seeming to get that he was in on a secret, said, "Oh."
A White House official now says the story the president's pilot told was of an exchange between the British Airways plane and the control tower, about Air Force One, and there was no direct contact with Mr. Bush's plane directly.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/...lot/index.html
A British Airways spokeswoman says none of its pilots has yet reported seeing or contacting anyone by radio about Air Force One.
According to a pool report from aboard Air Force One, reporters were told a British Airways pilot spotted the president's plane and radioed, "Did I just see Air Force One?"
Then, according to the report, after some silence, the official said the president's pilot, Col. Mark Tillman, responded "Gulfstream 5," a much smaller aircraft than Air Force One.
After a long silence, the British Airways pilot, seeming to get that he was in on a secret, said, "Oh."
A White House official now says the story the president's pilot told was of an exchange between the British Airways plane and the control tower, about Air Force One, and there was no direct contact with Mr. Bush's plane directly.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/...lot/index.html
Comment