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John McCain regarded as cavalier air force pilot
The Turkey News.Net
Monday 6th October, 2008
Though Republican presidential candidate John McCain has used his war hero status to push his political ambitions, fresh evidence has surfaced that the ex-navy pilot was actually accident prone.
Senator McCain was actually involved in three major crashes during his time as a pilot, and his attempt to project them as being due to engine failure are now coming unstuck.
In 1960, McCain was training in his AD-6 Skyraider on an overcast Texas morning when he slammed into Corpus Christi Bay and sheared the skin off his plane's wings.
Recounting the accident decades later in his autobiography, he wrote that it was due to engine failure, but according to a Los Angeles Times report, an investigation board at the Naval Aviation Safety Center found no evidence of engine failure.
The investigation board ruled then that the 23-year-old junior lieutenant wasn't paying attention and erred in using "a power setting too low to maintain level flight in a turn."
That crash was one of three in McCain's aviation career in which his flying skills and judgment were faulted or questioned by Navy officials.
In his most serious lapse, McCain was "clowning" around in a Skyraider over southern Spain about December 1961 and flew into electrical wires, causing a blackout.
In another incident, in 1965, McCain crashed a trainer jet in Virginia.
After McCain was sent to Vietnam, his plane was destroyed in an explosion on the deck of an aircraft carrier in 1967.
Three months later, he was shot down during a bombing mission over Hanoi and taken prisoner.
He was not faulted in either of those cases and was later lauded for his heroism as a prisoner of war.
The L.A. Times interviewed men who served with McCain and located once-confidential 1960s-era accident reports and formerly classified evaluations of his squadrons during the Vietnam War.
An examination of his record reveals a pilot who early in his career was cocky, occasionally cavalier and prone to testing limits.
The Times asked McCain's campaign to release any military personnel records in the candidate's possession showing how the Navy handled the three incidents.
The campaign said it would have no comment.
Navy veterans who flew with McCain called him a good pilot.
He was described by some of his ex-Air Force colleagues as undisciplined and fearless; a characterization McCain himself has fostered in his autobiography.
But McCain's commanders sarcastically dubbed him "Ace McCain" because of his string of pre-Vietnam accidents.
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Comments on this story
Anonymous
10-06-08, 06:42 AM |
John McCain regarded as a clumsy air force pilot
But he is not associated with terrorists.
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hockman
10-06-08, 06:53 AM |
Remember the Flames
Dear Atlanta: I am a Canadian, who has no business butting in to your political scene and for that I apologize. But in loving memory of the hockey team most dear to my heart, my beloved Flames with Eric Vail and Dan Chouinard and my beloved football team, the Falcons with William Andrews and Steve Bartkowski (okay I’m old, I admit it), I beg you humbly to drop this sickened version of the GOP and support the Dems. Please I beg you.
Thank you.
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hockman
10-06-08, 06:57 AM |
Uh did I say Dan Chouinard?
I told you I was getting old. Atlanta Flames fans will understand that I was compositing Dan Bouchard (the goalie) and Guy Chouinard the talented first rounder). Otherwise the message is the same...love to y’all.
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Eric Blair
10-06-08, 08:00 AM |
Song Bird
sings beautifully.
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Anonymous
10-06-08, 08:47 AM |
HE IS STILL CLUMSY BUT HIS ORGINAL QUALIFICATION IS HE IS A OBEDIENT SLAVE OF ISRAEL.
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fergie
10-06-08, 10:48 AM |
Accident prone
After reading this article, do we really want this accident prone man running the US government. (oops did I just launch a nuclear weapon?)
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fergie
10-06-08, 10:50 AM |
Accident prone
After reading this article, do we really want this accident prone man running the US government. (oops did I just launch a nuclear weapon?)
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Salt & Pepper
10-06-08, 10:50 AM |
Blessing
The only hope for the 8 years of Bush to be called a blessing is 4 years of McCain and Pelin !
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bs
10-06-08, 12:39 PM |
on being accident prone
Being a very experienced pilot myself I can say that the contents if true, should be taken very seriously. Three air accidents are enough for a person to fall in the category of DANGEROUSLY accident prone.
While the country spends so much on choosing and electing president, it would be a good idea to subject the potential candidates to a psychological evaluation. There are enough psychological professionals who would be glad to submit their reports on the candidates. They may be assisted by allowing them to seek information through interviews or questioneres.
I am also sure psychologistcs can still give their assesment on the information available about the candidates. How do you feel? While evry one is trying to assess or wild guess about the personality that will unfold (of their candidates) the people who are experts in judging and forecasting human behavior have been conveniently sidelined.
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Anonymous
10-06-08, 06:27 PM |
Crashing Planes and crashing economies
Not sure how he is going to help get the economy back up into the black.. Lets stick with the program and not rest on our past.. Its like driving our car but all we can see is what is in the rear view mirror..
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Duh!!!
10-06-08, 06:31 PM |
Oops
Ooooppps I’m John McCain and I accidently pushed the button to lauch nucs at Russia, Iran and N. Korea...Sorry folks I just wanted to know what that little button was for......
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StraightShooter
10-06-08, 06:31 PM |
McCain the Murderer.
McCain a hero. Hell no. He bombed innocent people in vietnam. In my books, killing innocent women and children does not constitute as heroism. Now he wants to lead the American people, so he can continue killing more innocent people. What a butthead. McCain and Palin are liars and cheats. They will screw you over before you get to take out the vaseline jar. So AMERICA, do the RIGHT thing and ELECT OBAMA for president.
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Duh!!!
10-06-08, 06:32 PM |
Oops
Ooooppps I’m John McCain and I accidently pushed the button to lauch nucs at Russia, Iran and N. Korea...Sorry folks I just wanted to know what that little button was for......
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F A C PHINI
10-06-08, 11:53 PM |
Shoes = right size
the fac stands for forward air controller I wore the shoes I wrecked the hell out of a total of 12 machines in one theater you guess where including a WW2 piston powered skyraider he was 23 when he started smashing a/c I was older and dumber hes now 72 and paid the price for his last balls up what about YOU can you fly wreck an a/c ONCE and live to talk about it its all about experience which of the two dummies has more better or has lived to talk about it ??? 72 years is a lot of experience and a lot of shoes Hey Mc kick butt HOO YA
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Land of the Free
10-07-08, 01:28 AM |
Air Force Pilot?? Don't you mean Navy??
You people kill me!! You don’t know the difference between the Air Force & the Navy, yet choose to criticize a former POW from the Vietnam War, who was tortured and held captive for 5 & 1/2 years at the Hanoi “Hilton”! That’s gratitude for ya! If you can’t even get the basics down, how is one to know that the rest of your article isn’t just trash?
Oh, for Dickie, McCain’s hero status comes into play not so much for being shot down, but for being willing to engage the enemy during a time of war! You do realize that many of our Vietnam heroes didn’t make it back alive, don’t you? Say what you want about McCain, but I will always be grateful to EVERY veteran of EVERY war that our country has been involved in!
It sounds to me like some of you need to brush up on American history.
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Land of the Free
10-07-08, 01:30 AM |
Air Force Pilot?? Don't you mean Navy??
You people kill me!! You don’t know the difference between the Air Force & the Navy, yet choose to criticize a former POW from the Vietnam War, who was tortured and held captive for 5 & 1/2 years at the Hanoi “Hilton”! That’s gratitude for ya! If you can’t even get the basics down, how is one to know that the rest of your article isn’t just trash?
Oh, for Dickie, McCain’s hero status comes into play not so much for being shot down, but for being willing to engage the enemy during a time of war! You do realize that many of our Vietnam heroes didn’t make it back alive, don’t you? Say what you want about McCain, but I will always be grateful to EVERY veteran of EVERY war that our country has been involved in!
It sounds to me like some of you need to brush up on American history.
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Land of the Free
10-07-08, 01:31 AM |
Air Force Pilot?? Don't you mean Navy??
You people kill me!! You don’t know the difference between the Air Force & the Navy, yet choose to criticize a former POW from the Vietnam War, who was tortured and held captive for 5 & 1/2 years at the Hanoi “Hilton”! That’s gratitude for ya! If you can’t even get the basics down, how is one to know that the rest of your article isn’t just trash?
Oh, for Dickie, McCain’s hero status comes into play not so much for being shot down, but for being willing to engage the enemy during a time of war! You do realize that many of our Vietnam heroes didn’t make it back alive, don’t you? Say what you want about McCain, but I will always be grateful to EVERY veteran of EVERY war that our country has been involved in!
It sounds to me like some of you need to brush up on American history.
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shwe moe
10-06-08, 12:25 PM |
John McCain regarded as a clumsy air force pilot
John McCain regarded as a clumsy air force pilot...that is an understatement of the year. The guy has two left legs and two left hands and now he uses a walking stick called Pelin. I know where we are heading...roger, roger, roger, mayday, mayday, mayday...God Bless America!
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Dickie
10-06-08, 09:29 AM |
Hero?
Since when has being shot down a qualification for Hero status?
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Anoni
10-06-08, 10:25 AM |
Hero ?
'reckless' is one of a hero characteristic in a movie
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free
10-06-08, 11:22 AM |
undisciplined
the Bible characterizes “undisciplined” as bastard. I guess that’s the reason why he is such a liar. I have a very low tolerance level for “liars”. They will do anything! All “powers that be” are ordained by God. Obama is fulfilled prophesy. You are continually in my prayers. God bless America!
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jalopkin
10-07-08, 06:11 AM |
Engine Builder
McCaine was in the NAVY ... NOT ... the Air Force ....... and presidentially there has never been one more clumsy and klutzy than, Gerald Ford .......
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Anonymous
10-06-08, 01:36 PM |
hero
at least he is not associated with the terrorist like obama
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Colt45
10-06-08, 04:02 PM |
WHAT!!
Are u seriou here?....I too was a pilot and the instance spoken of here were taken care of the time it happened.Now 20-30 years later we pass judgement on a kid?. None of the infractions warrented any discipline did they?...no they didnt...but hey none of us have ever made a mistake as a kid right?....lets throw him to the wolves...disgusting....you people make me sick...stay in canada!!!
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Colt45
10-06-08, 04:05 PM |
The canada...
That canada comment was for Hockman....and not a comment on canadians in general.Beautifull country canada is...
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Anonymous
10-08-08, 02:03 AM |
Colt45;107485:
Are u seriou here?....I too was a pilot and the instance spoken of here were taken care of the time it happened.Now 20-30 years later we pass judgement on a kid?. None of the infractions warrented any discipline did they?...no they didnt...but hey none of us have ever made a mistake as a kid right?....lets throw him to the wolves...disgusting....you people make me sick...stay in canada!!!
Both bush an McCain had the right fathers.in McCains case a top admiral In the bush case a neglected national guard post beat going to actual war.
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Anonymous
10-07-08, 10:43 AM |
Talk about a pathetic hatchet job!
Correct me if I’m wrogn but one of our Presidents was confined to a wheel chair!
Rather a clumsy President then a stupid one!
Obama thinks we have 58 states and he sees dead people!
I am amased at how biased most of the media is when it comes to Sarah Palin yet they ignore everything about Obama’s past his friends mentors and dubious associations and criminal wrong doings.
Tony Rezko tarnished Obama beyond repair except of course if the libtard media chooses to ignore and not report it.
One candidate lost over the misspelling of potato!
Another lost over what is now termed the Dean scream.
This idiot said we had 58 states and never even knows what city he is addressing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws
The messiah even says he sees dead people!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ds-s0-IEY
The utter hypocracy on display is sickening!
This tabloid style pile of manure posted as news makes this site even more trashy looking.
You guys are transparent at least attempt to look unbiased.
I was always under the impression that being professional meant providing news without the spin look how far journalism has fallen.
What a disgrace when a site hosted out of Australia and owned by a Dubai corpration can’t set aside the spin.
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WHos your daddy
10-08-08, 10:22 PM |
Air Force?
Too bad he was never and Air Force Pilot!!
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