Flight Sim enquiry raises terror alert

Matt Simis

Another humourous, though slightly unsettling tale from the battleground on the War on Terror, the US:

From Eurogamer\The Reg:

A mother's enquiry about buying Microsoft Flight Simulator for her ten-year-old son prompted a night-time visit to her home from a state trooper.

Julie Olearcek, a USAF Reserve pilot made the enquiry at a Staples store in Massachusetts, home to an earlier bout of hysteria, during the Salem witch trials.

So alarmed was the Staples clerk at the prospect of the ten year old learning to fly, that he informed the police, the Greenfield Recorder reports. The authorities moved into action, leaving nothing to chance. A few days later, Olearcek was alarmed to discover a state trooper flashing a torch into to her home through a sliding glass door at 8:30 pm on a rainy night.

Olearcek is a regular Staples customer and schools her son at home. The Staples manager simply explained that staff were obeying advice. Shortly before Christmas, the FBI issued a terror alert to beware of drivers with maps, or reference books.

At one time it was rare to find US citizens, in the safest and most prosperous country in the world, jumping at their own shadows. Now we only note how high.

The fact the mother was a member of the USAF Reserve makes this all the more stupid.

A good comment on the forum at EG:
" "Shortly before Christmas, the FBI issued a terror alert to beware of drivers with maps, or reference books."

Days later the FBI realised their error, they meant to begin a war on terrorism, NOT tourism."

I thought that was quite relevant and amusing.


Matt

sovtek

This gives me so much confidence in the much vaunted sky marshals or any hope that any competent terrorists' plot will be thwarted.
Look soon for the first German or Japanese tourist to be gunned down in a rented car.

Victor

And the Fox News suggestion to beware people paying usual amounts of attention to landmarks :rolleyes:

Ronan|Raven

Avert thine eyes from the Statue of Liberty!

uaobrien

Actually, it reminds me of an incident that happened when I was a teenager. I was a big military aircraft geek and I remember calling the U.S. embassy to see if the could send me a poster of an F-15.

They questioned me at length on the phone as to the reasons I wanted the poster and was I a U.S. national or legal alien. I said neither. I was then politely informed that they would not release the poster as it was classified information pertinent to national security and they could give away military information to foreign nationals (I kid you not).

At this point, being a snotty 15 yr old, I picked up a magazine I had and began to read out the stats of the F-15, its various roles and accompanying loadouts, what bases currently had F-15s assigned worldwide and the numbers at each base.

The phone went quiet and I was transferred to another person who again probed me for reasons and came back with the same answer, that it violated military security to give me a poster of an F-15. I thanked them and hung up.

A month later I was in Eason's and bought a poster of an F-15.

Matt Simis

Hopefully todays 15 year old military geeks are pursuing pictures of EuroFighters without fear of interrogation.

I can only imagine what would happen if you rang and asked recently, or worse still, if you asked for info on civilian air liners. Which reminds me of something someone asked me recently: Do they allow or have "plane spotters" in the US? You know, the people that sit in their cars with binoculars watching planes take off and land.

Seems like the type of thing that would be illegal these days..


Matt

sovtek

Originally posted by Matt Simis Do they allow or have "plane spotters" in the US? You know, the people that sit in their cars with binoculars watching planes take off and land.

Seems like the type of thing that would be illegal these days..


Matt

No Americans don't do that. Only the Brits could come up with something that boring. :eek:
It would probaby get your average Barney Fife interrogating you with a flash light shining in your face.

Zombrex

Originally posted by uaobrien


The phone went quiet and I was transferred to another person who again probed me for reasons and came back with the same answer, that it violated military security to give me a poster of an F-15. I thanked them and hung up.

LOL

Sounds like the same people who run Eircoms help desks run the US embassy ... "no i can't tell you what phone number you are calling from, that would be illegal"

The only constant thing in this world is death and idiots.

Victor

Originally posted by uaobrien
They questioned me at length on the phone as to the reasons I wanted the poster and was I a U.S. national or legal alien. I said neither. I was then politely informed that they would not release the poster as it was classified information pertinent to national security and they could give away military information to foreign nationals (I kid you not).

The Army act similarly here - the manual for the Steyr AUG rifle is available on the internet, but the same / similar document issued from army stores is "Classified". It is largely to do with a mentality of "we didn't give the terrorists the manual".

bonkey

On a slightly related note, I was flying back from Dublin on Monday and happened to notice a book in the Hughes and Hughes in teh departure section entitled "How to fly the Boeing 777". Apparently its one of a series of "how to fly the big jets" that they stock in the airport.

Laugh? I nearly cried.

jc

Beëlzebooze

Originally posted by bonkey
On a slightly related note, I was flying back from Dublin on Monday and happened to notice a book in the Hughes and Hughes in teh departure section entitled "How to fly the Boeing 777". Apparently its one of a series of "how to fly the big jets" that they stock in the airport.

Laugh? I nearly cried.

jc

I've seen them too, all the books on how to use the navigational equipment, books on aviation aerodynamics etc.

Also on the irish Flight sim site you can download maps of irish airports, containing departure and arrival routes.

hardly secret stuff....