Flyby!

It’s real, and it’s SPECTACULAR.

That one’s from just a cpl-three days ago, apparently. Another angle, from July 2015:

John Konrad Xweets on why you just gotta love Hegseth’s response—ie, “The flybys will continue until morale improves. No punishment, no investigation.”

This is one of the most brilliant moves Hegseth has made. Here’s why:

Experienced pilots are freaking out in my DMs about these close flybys. Even some based people I follow and love, like @MCCCANM, are questioning them while my son’s class of young student aviators can’t stop talking about how cool it is but also everything that could go wrong.

The truth is, we don’t want every flyboy buzzing beaches and towers like Maverick.

What made that scene in Top Gun cool was that Maverick truly was the best of the best.

That scene would not be funny if some shaky pilot who just got his wings ripped past the tower in a T-6B.

The irony is in the contrast between the best of the best and some desk jockey who out ranks him worried about spilling his coffee.

This scene is so important to the plot the directors included it twice! It’s more important to understanding Top Gun than the combat scene with migs because it’s more relatable.

Every Blue Angel is as good as Maverick.

But what is the purpose of the Blue Angels? It’s not combat. It’s to show the American people, and our adversaries, how good we really are.

Go back and read my post from the 4th of July at how difficult it was to see the blue angels and navy ships which Mamdani requested, and the admirals foolishly agreed, to stay at a “safe distance” from Manhattan.

You can’t boost recruitment, get voters to support spending & send a message to our enemies at anchor 10 miles from the tip of Manhattan or 1,000’ above them.

Proximity matters.

I write books. Every mentor I’ve ever had says the same thing: “Show, don’t tell.”

That’s what @PeteHegseth just did with the Blue Angels.

By having BA do flybys, he did not write a long memo explaining his intent, he showed them that it’s time to stop blowing safety out of proportion and start taking risk again.

And better still he trusts they are smart enough to understand the broader implications. And our pilots are smart.

Pete is pushing the Overton window back toward the center on safetyism.

Indeed he is…and not a moment too soon, far as I’m concerned.