Defense Cuts May Mean No More Flyovers at Sporting Events. Oh, the Humanity!

You want an illustration of how devastatingly draconian the impending defense budget cuts are going to be? Try this on for size: no more military jets flying over sporting events.

Oh, the humanity!

According to USA Today, looming sequestration is forcing the US Air Force to put a hold on all such flyovers starting April 1st. Oddly though, Air Force spokeswoman Wendy Varhegyi – even as she breaks the sad news about the temporary hold on sporting event flyovers – says “It’s no additional cost to the government for support of any public events.”

Huh. So…why are they affected by budget cuts? Oh, because those fighter pilots are usually on a training exercise when they fly over football stadiums, and we’ll have less of those after cuts. Pity. Kind of like President Obama last week getting upset about having one less American warship patrol the Persian Gulf.

But here’s the real sob story:

The Air Force views the flyovers as a way to engage the public.

“Even for just 90 seconds, it is awareness,” Varhegyi said. “It’s just a great way that we can have connection with the American people and have that awareness to large groups of people, not to mention how patriotic everybody is.”

Oh no! Without the completely unnecessary flyovers, we’ll never be able to sustain the level of jingoism and ultra-nationalist adoration for killing machines that we have now!!

22 thoughts on “Defense Cuts May Mean No More Flyovers at Sporting Events. Oh, the Humanity!”

  1. Oh no! Without the completely unnecessary flyovers, we’ll never be able to sustain the level of jingoism and ultra-nationalist adoration for killing machines that we have now!!

    Which means of course, the military won't stop the pr-events no matter the budget.

  3. It's propaganda. Of course they will not stop the flyovers. They are just tweaking us. They need them more than we do.

    But at your next sporting event, when the armed forces parade onto the field and they unfurl the gigantic flag, and the masses with worshipful reverence, the only worship most of them will ever know, remove their hats, place their hands over their hearts, and belt out the hymnody of the state as the jets fly over and the fireworks go off…..there will be a gray haired overweight man who will not be joining you. That would be me.

    2. Nor my family and I. Not only should all flyovers be stopped, but all militaty air shows. The one at Offutt AFB, Nebraska costs $10 million to put on for 3 days of propaganda and forced fun. Another item that needs to be stopped is the $100 million a year NASCAR advertising by the military. The Air Force is the worst at $40 million a year. Then Hagel can look at the $100 million a year advertising for Hispanics. Absolutely appalling. Victoria Negrete in San Antonio, Texas gets $20 million a year to recruit Hispanics for the Army…and Negrete is not Hispanic.

  4. All the flag-worshipping and displays of the US’s war-making ability at sporting events is reaching ridiculous levels. Just propaganda for the sheeple to shout, “USA! USA! Number One!” and be entertained with their bread and circuses while the Empire decays and collapses around their clueless behinds.

  5. And while you're at it, the "color guards" and football field sized flags held by the military…can't we do any public event without genuflecting toward DC? No, wait, DC is the New Olympus, our gods live there.

  6. Nazi Germany also knew the value of flyovers and used them well; we recognize that and have been doing them all these years for exactly the same reasons.

  7. They will have to switch to drones. Drones in the sky, and drones on the ground cheering the drones in the sky.

  8. this is absurd, i am ex military and i cant tell you these fly overs are fucking PEANUTS compared to the wasteful spending…. THE ONLY FUCKING REASON THEY ARE CUTTING FLYOVERS IS TO MAKE IT SEEM TO THE PUBLIC LIKE THEY ARE CUTTING SPENDING….

    meanwhile the fatcats in the military and their affiliates cut nothing for themselves

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  12. Yes, this is very unnecessary to flyover any defense team during sports event at anywhere. I think they should consider it due to keeping an awesome environment to all the audience. Thanks

  13. Sports are the most important and very useful matter for your society. In your society there are so many people are living who likes sports. Some people also like to invest money on sports. In that concern they also need the same profit from the sports field. Profit comes to them in 2 ways.. In this type of issues people sometime also feel fear to invest money not to suffer from loss. Also we can get many health benefits from game and sports.

  14. While military jets were a one-of-a-lind show that many of us could only see at sports events, nobody goes to a football game just for that. If you ask me, this nation will survive just fine :)

    1. Yep, who really cares. Is anyone going to cry about not seeing some jets for 2 secs. The jets are cool but is it really necessary?

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