The Press vs. Air Force One | The West Wing

[@Turbo3032]

"Can we stay up here for a couple of days and see if the moon comes out?" If only there was another source of light that could appear in that time frame 🤔

[@TravisRichey]

LOL it took me a sec but you're absolutely right haha ~Trav

[@jameshetu6885]

There's book smart and then there is wisdom... one wonders why a spot light couldn't be used to see... they had those all the way back in WWII...

[@nanoflower1]

@@jameshetu6885 Because they don't equip fighter jets with spot lights. Sure, they could send another one up with a spot light but that takes time.

[@jameshetu6885]

@@nanoflower1 I meant the kind on the ground that were used to light up bombers at night so the AA guns could shoot them down. That’s old tech and pretty simple. Fly over an airbase or used car lot with a search light and light up air force one so the fighter pilots can look over and see if the gear is down…

[@nanoflower1]

@@jameshetu6885 Do they even have them at airfields any more. I know they don't at civilian airfields but I'm not sure about at military bases.

[@HighMansx]

"That you can see from 33 thousand feet?" 🤣

[@glennkurtzrock]

At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within Air Force One?

[@liftedbrothers8843]

@@glennkurtzrock Yes.

[@NickMunch]

@@liftedbrothers8843 Can I see it?

[@corberus3119]

@@NickMunch ...no

[@neelkrishna]

Thank god I sent Will in my place!

[@jamiestewart48]

Imagine you're one of the reporters and suddenly the phone goes dead, you'd shit your pants!

[@retroguy9494]

No I wouldn't. I'd be angry because I couldn't do my job. Which is to try and scoop the other news outlets with the story.

[@MattWatts-kv8rh]

This guy as the pilot does a great job.

[@andyh4518]

Too bad none of the characters watched Air Force One with Harrison Ford. Then they'd know about all of the fun ways to get off the plane without it landing.

[@NeoRazgriz]

If you pay attention to the movie all those “fun ways” are pretty much the same…you jump out of the damn plane.

[@stvdagger8074]

Or "Escape From New York" -

[@retroguy9494]

The only thing is; I saw a documentary which said the real Air Force One doesn't have an escape pod.

[@billmuir4897]

Truly wonderful. Thank you for sharing ❤

[@brontewcat]

Does any notice, Ed and Larry were present. No confusion in the President’s mind as to which was which😅. He just called on Larry.

[@hazard6812]

bruh imagine being a pilot of a kc-10 and you get scrambled in the middle of the night and air force one pulls up underneath you lmao

[@retroguy9494]

Actually, the kc-10 pulls up over and in front of AF1. Because the nozzle extends out the back and downward.

[@rogerw3818]

Wow! The ultra, Super Squirrel Secret twin engine, twin tail F-16.

[@sreggird60]

I caught that myself.

[@TheStuport]

I might sound as if my head is in the clouds....but....I absolutely LOVE this channel! Cheers TWW Community!👋

[@Itsmytest]

Toby drunk on Air Force One is the best Air Force One scene on The West Wing.

[@sreggird60]

I was in the Air Force 20 years and air refueling is no big deal. Even back when this series aired.

[@Zoomer30_]

I can imangine that pilot explaining how he just got his arm ripped off by a bear and in the same exact tone of voice.

[@heisdeadjim]

One of the few times CJ gave a direct order. Two in fact, shutting off the press room phones and the threat to confiscate cell phones.

[@glennbrymer4065]

Jet fighters also have landing lights. Easy to light up the undercarriage and check the wheels.

[@kakapo3090]

Landing lights point forward. Probably don't want to point the F-16 straight at Air Force One.

[@atroxiv]

They also tend to have night vision optics (atleast to some degree).

[@retroguy9494]

@@kakapo3090 Plus I think they also point downward in that forward direction. Even if the fighter jet could get behind and underneath AF1, I think it would have to fly upside down to get it's landing lights to shine on it.

[@haydendavis9784]

Of course that’s a F16 Falcon, Air Force Reservist Will Bailey.

[@johnhufnagel]

bothers the HELL out of me no one could be bothered to make sure the RIGHT PLANE was CGI'd in. That's an F-15 in the window, NOT an F-16.

[@FrankDyke]

Maybe the error's intentional. People in government misidentify aircraft all the time. Drives me nuts.

[@signalfire6]

I had a 101 year old WWII veteran friend who was going blind. He liked to go to the San Diego Air Museum. I swear, he could identify the different planes from a distance, just by the tails... Amazing.

[@blindio466]

@@FrankDyke will is also a reserve first lieutenant in the USAF, one hopes he knows his aircraft(he's a JAG but still)

[@COYD-s4f]

The West Wing had some really stupid mistakes in it

[@jimreily7538]

​@@FrankDykeAn air force veteran and active USAF reservist can't differentiate between an F-15 and an F-16 ?

[@scottl9660]

Looks at the vertical stab and knows it’s not a f-16 falcon, instead it’s a F-15 eagle. Good thing Leo wasn’t there I think he’s be disappointed in our Air Force JAG corp lieutenant.

[@romeogolf4]

He was such a douche anyways (Will Bailey)

[@Bariom_dome]

😒

[@pbdye1607]

​@@romeogolf4Yet he ended up with Kate, one of the hottest women on the show.

[@Gahmuret]

To be fair, AF1's pilot also said it was a "Falcon." Special effects biffed this one.

[@KomarBrolan]

Unfortunately West Wing gets a lot of the military details wrong throughout the series. Other issues I remember are Bradley’s with large caliber cannons and US fighters using Exocet missiles. All it would have taken is a military advisor to read the scripts.

[@Comicsluvr]

And now we know which one is Larry and which one is Ed.

[@kadindarklord]

... Bartlet jokes about waiting a couple of days for a moon... but couldn't they just wait till morning in that case?

[@ralphm6901]

The nearest military base probably has huge truck-mounted spotlights. light some up and fly through the beams. A city fire department or SWAT may have similar lights.

[@mikesmith-gk6fy]

That’s the joke…..

[@retroguy9494]

Aside from that being Bartlett's joke, if the fighter jet or the tower was unable to see, they most likely WOULD wait until daylight as they were going to refuel in midair. Technically, Air Force One can stay in the air for a very long time. Days; even weeks if not longer.

[@heddalee]

@@retroguy9494 Sometimes it never comes back down.

[@YK-ok3gj]

Is the pilot Bill Buchanan of 24?

[@GBTCO2b]

Did Martin Sheen ever get Ed or Larry the right way round?

[@emilrobyn4216]

yes in the very last episode, Bartlett walks through the West Wing one last time and gets everyones name right

[@oldfrend]

rare mistake from CJ here. she shoulda seen the one sitting by herself and came over and distracted her for a sec.

[@chukwudiilozue9171]

Or had a steward close the windows.

[@NoGoodNames20]

So does Bartlett know which ones Ed and which ones Larry?

[@montieluckett7036]

"Saving Face" NEVER goes well. The TRUTH will Always reveal itself in the end.

[@howardtreesong4860]

that would have been the perfect time for a blind 'every man for himself' panic.

[@cards0486]

I loved Sam Seaborn so much; it was definite proof that Rob Lowe had grown up. Brat Pack days were forgotten. TWW Powers The Be did not value him or treat him fairly. Next thing we know, as 4th season is winding down Sam’s in a race for a Congressional seat for California. I never liked Will. I tolerated him.; he was NOT Sam Seaborn.

[@specialk9424]

Aaron Sorkin is a great writer, but the man knows NOTHING about the military, and doesn't have enough sense to find people who do, to help him with it. That was no F-16, it was an F-15. F-15 has two vertical tails, two engines, and is rather large. F-16 has one tail, one engine and is very small, as fighter jets go. This is simple shit, easily looked up in a book, or by finding someone with the knowledge to help, yet they chose not to.

[@haydendavis9784]

Well how would Will know that? He’s only an Air Force Reservist!

[@specialk9424]

@@haydendavis9784 I knew the difference when I was 14, well before I was active duty Air Force. And even junior officers are expected to know the differences in planes.

[@haydendavis9784]

@@specialk9424 I agree, I’m being sarcastic. Anyone with a slight interest in the military would know that, and Will’s a military brat, a pilot, and a member of the USAF JAG corps. The fact that he’d call it by the wrong name is literally unbelievable.

[@specialk9424]

@@haydendavis9784 Well, like I said, he IS a junior officer. We NCOs gotta teach them everything.

[@Bazookatone1]

Look, this one really isn't Sorkin's fault some digital effects company added in the plane in post production and clearly the VFX guy didn't know one plane from the other, by the time it was caught it would have been too late to change, because TV shows are made on a tight schedule and a tight budget.

[@dannydevito5729]

It's kinda bizarre that she doesn't understand how midair refueling works

[@Parth-Jain-04]

She is the press secratary which a civilain position in a time before youtube why would she

[@dannydevito5729]

@@Parth-Jain-04 it's been common knowledge for 30 years but sure

[@janwo]

She has staff who know such things for her.

[@Zippity181]

Ask someone not interested in the topic something really basic, like name some models of bomber, they may get 1, likely none. you will be amazed how little knowledge makes it out to people that aren’t interested or following it.

[@Bazookatone1]

In the west wing, the characters frequently have very basic information explained to them to act as an audience surrogate. Think about how frequently president bartlett is in the situation room and somone tells him how a seal team will fly in in a helicopter and fast rope into a building or something.