ABSTRACT
New Yorkers often stand as a national litmus test of just how tough Americans can be in a crisis.1 The weeks and months after 9/11 showed us that even they have their limits, although most found a place to bury those days. In just a few seconds on Monday, April 27, 2009, however, thousands were brought face-to-face with the reality of another large jet again circling Manhattan when the Air Force flew a 747 down low near the island for a photo shoot that had not been made public in advance. With an F16 in tow, who could blame anyone who was instantly transported back to September 11, 2001? Apparently several government agencies knew about the flight. They somehow failed to share that information with the people of New York. The Air Force and the White House seem to have taken the brunt of the finger pointing (Associated Press 2009). Lost in the conversation however, was any mention of where the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) multi-billion dollar TSA was during the planning of the flight. What were they thinking? Or perhaps more importantly, were they thinking about the millions of citizens around New York at all?
