WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:13.679 News Radio seven hundred WLW Mike Allen in for Willie 2 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:18.039 Cunningham on New Year's Day, twenty twenty five, and it 3 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:21.440 is not a happy one. I'll tell you what I 4 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:24.000 don't know about you. But I went to bed last night, 5 00:00:24.839 --> 00:00:27.480 made it up a little past midnight, which is unusual 6 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:31.839 for me. Everything's fine, looking forward to a day of 7 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:36.799 football and subbing for Willie, and man, you wake up 8 00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:40.920 to this this morning and the story is rapidly changing, 9 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:46.679 which obviously is understandable, but it's not changing for the better. Seemingly, 10 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.359 it's changing for the worse. I wanted to let you know. 11 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:54.920 At one o'clock we will be talking to FOP President 12 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:58.520 Ken Kober about this. And you know, I'm not going 13 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:02.079 to ask Ken specific questions or anything like that, but 14 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:06.560 I'm going to ask him some general questions about the investigation. 15 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:11.840 And you know, do local police officers work well with 16 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:16.319 federal police officers. I think the probable answer to that 17 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:18.599 will be not always. I know that's the way it 18 00:01:18.680 --> 00:01:21.879 used to be. But I thought it's getting better because 19 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:27.519 I guess initially the local New Orleans Police department down there, 20 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:31.719 local people said that this is terrorism. Well, the FBI 21 00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:35.400 spokesperson came out quickly and said, no, it's not. But 22 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:38.920 now the latest I'm hearing is that the FBI has 23 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:42.719 has changed on that. And part of the problem, I mean, 24 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:47.120 as I see it, is this not just with this situation, 25 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:52.599 but with others too. People want answers and damn near 26 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:57.519 want the thing solved literally within two or three hours. 27 00:01:57.560 --> 00:02:01.319 Well guess what, people in real life life, it doesn't 28 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:04.920 work that way. It just doesn't. I mean, these are complex, 29 00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:11.000 complicated things, and the news media sometimes I think maybe 30 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:15.560 they can be a little bit irresponsible too. There's nothing 31 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:19.240 wrong with a reporter saying that, you know, guys, we 32 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:22.439 just don't have anything to tell you now. We're working 33 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.479 on it, and when we do find something out, we'll 34 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:28.800 get back to you. That's not realistic, though, It's just 35 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.960 not in a twenty four to seven news cycle. It's 36 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:35.599 not you know, one network's trying to outdo the other. 37 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:40.199 And as usual for me, I'm watching Fox News and 38 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:41.840 I got it on in front of me with the 39 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:45.680 sound turndown, obviously, and they certainly seem to be on 40 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:49.439 top of it. The latest wrinkle in this thing. And 41 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:53.719 I don't know if other news agencies networks are reporting this, 42 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:58.319 but Fox is now reporting that the car or the 43 00:02:58.360 --> 00:03:02.479 truck I guess it was that the shooter, the killer 44 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:05.879 was driving when he plowed into the cap crowd. I 45 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:09.479 think it was a truck was seen crossing the border 46 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:13.719 apparently earlier this week. It's got Texas plates. And I 47 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:16.319 just heard as I was coming in here setting up 48 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:19.840 that apparently it's one of those two ro cars that 49 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:23.080 you know, he can rent for a weekend whatever. So 50 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:27.840 a lot of things to continually play out. And then 51 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:31.000 Fox is also reporting too that I have not had 52 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:33.439 a chance to even read anything about this, so I 53 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:37.319 don't want to say too much. There were separate shootings 54 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:43.719 down there as well, with multiple fatalities. Now having said that, 55 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:49.199 I don't think that is all that unusual. Unfortunately for 56 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:53.439 New Orleans. They it's just become a real rough place 57 00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:57.000 in Bourbon Street down there in the French Quarter, just awful, 58 00:03:57.599 --> 00:03:59.280 you know. I got to tell you this is going 59 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.840 back probably I don't know, about ten years or so, 60 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:05.319 maybe a little bit more. My daughter went to school 61 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:08.520 at spring Hill College, which is in Mobile, Alabama, only 62 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:10.919 about an hour and a half two hours from New Orleans. 63 00:04:11.879 --> 00:04:15.879 We went down there for Marty Gras one time, and 64 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:18.720 it was really cool, you know, to see all the 65 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:23.759 floats and all that's so historic down there. However, Bourbon 66 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:28.920 Street just got completely out of hand. And I get it, 67 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:32.959 it was Marty Gras the whole deal, but just completely 68 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:35.240 out of hand. And you know, I follow the news 69 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:39.480 and I think the shootings down there have really really 70 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.800 gone through the roof. And that's a shame too, because 71 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.000 it's just I'm sitting here looking at it now on 72 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:50.480 Fox News. It's just a beautiful historic place to go. 73 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:54.560 But as always, you got a certain segment of society 74 00:04:54.600 --> 00:05:00.120 that's hell bent on ruining good things for others. So 75 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:04.279 we'll see how that plays out. Again. Fox is reporting, 76 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:09.480 and again I don't have any specifics that multiple people 77 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:13.160 were killed in separate shootings that do not, at least 78 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:18.040 at this point, appear to be related to the tragedy 79 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:23.959 with the idiot driving into the crowd. Things will continue 80 00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:26.639 to play out on this thing, and we will keep 81 00:05:26.680 --> 00:05:29.279 you posted. We were told, and this is kind of 82 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:31.800 the way it goes, that there was going to be 83 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:37.079 a press conference at noon, so I shifted some guests around. 84 00:05:37.160 --> 00:05:40.680 I had Ken Kobra coming on at noon, Ken is 85 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:42.519 now going to come on at one, and they are 86 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:47.680 now saying that the briefing, the news conference is going 87 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:51.000 to come on at two o'clock. So I guess we 88 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:55.519 shall see. But I'll tell you, folks, not a good 89 00:05:55.560 --> 00:06:00.319 way obviously to start the new year. And you know, 90 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:03.519 I don't know what kind of weapon the dude had. 91 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:08.879 I thought there are some outlet reporting that it is, quote, 92 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:13.199 you know, a weapon of war or that was the 93 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:17.920 description of other descriptions of it. To guess what, we 94 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:22.639 just don't know yet. And if it was, you know, 95 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:29.319 something that is not illegal necessarily but heavily regulated, I'm 96 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:32.759 sure we're going to hear the anti Second Amendment crowd 97 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:36.319 coming out about it. And you know, here's the thing, 98 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:39.560 and it's not really rocket science. I've said this from jump. 99 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:44.759 That's not to say that you don't have reasonable restrictions 100 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:47.279 on people that have guns. You have to have that, 101 00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:49.800 and I think we do have it, but there will 102 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:53.319 be some and our president maybe one of them. He's 103 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:58.519 done it before, to use this tragedy as something that 104 00:06:59.879 --> 00:07:03.160 you know, that as a tool to get the political 105 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:06.720 change that he wants. That has not happened yet, at 106 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:10.360 least but it's still early. I hope that doesn't happen. 107 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.759 I hope the time is spent, you know, taking care 108 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:17.519 of the families of those people that died in this 109 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:21.959 horrible attack. And if you've ever been down there on 110 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:26.560 Bourbon Street when it's just completely packed, really, I mean, 111 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:30.920 I'm kind of thinking that it's a good thing that 112 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:35.879 more were not seriously injured or killed. Again reporting now 113 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:42.360 is ten killed, thirty five injured. Two police officers were 114 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:46.600 shot at. Thankfully no police officers have died. I don't 115 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:50.480 know the extent of their injuries yet. I get the 116 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:54.240 feeling that they're not life threatening, obviously, I hope so. 117 00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:57.920 But just a lot of jumble and everything else coming 118 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:01.199 out on a day that, you know, people want to celebrate. 119 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.160 There's some serious football on today too, with the Sugar 120 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:09.879 Bowl being set in New Orleans. Not sure what time 121 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:14.160 that one's set for, but there's some speculation I don't 122 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:17.759 see how they could do it, but that they may 123 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:20.839 not or may delay that game or something. I don't know. 124 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:24.920 I mean, I'm not down there eight forty five tonight. 125 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:28.759 I was just advised the Sugar Bowl, so I mean, 126 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:33.879 we shall see. I seriously doubt that they'll mess with that. Really, 127 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:37.519 unless I don't know something. Obviously, there's a hell of 128 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:38.159 a lot about this. 129 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:38.799 I don't know. 130 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:43.480 Perhaps the federal authorities and state authorities know some things 131 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:46.600 that we do not know. We'll just have to see. 132 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.559 We'll just have to see. And you know, initially too, 133 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:55.600 and this is something I want to ask Ken Kobra about. Initially, 134 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:02.320 it certainly seemed like the and the New Orleans PD 135 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:07.159 were not on the same page because New Orleans PD 136 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:10.080 put out pretty early on and they've had the chief 137 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:13.919 on a couple of times. Seems like an elderly lady, 138 00:09:14.519 --> 00:09:17.519 but she sure seems to know what she's talking about. 139 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:19.720 I don't know. I shouldn't even say anything. I don't 140 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:24.120 know the situation. But they got their wires crossed on 141 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:28.159 whether it was an act of terrorism. Yet initially they 142 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:33.440 said yeah, New Orleans PD said yes, FBI agreed with them. 143 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:39.320 FBI then said no, it was not terrorism. Well now 144 00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:42.000 they're saying it is again. And guess what, folks, that's 145 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:46.399 not unusual too. I mean, it's a fluid situation, it 146 00:09:46.519 --> 00:09:50.759 really is. And you know, this press conference that's allegedly 147 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:55.440 coming off at two, they're going to get fifty million 148 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:57.960 questions and they're not going to know the answer to 149 00:09:58.039 --> 00:10:01.440 a lot of them. Again, with this twenty four to 150 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:06.240 seven news cycle we have now people want answers now, 151 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:11.559 not just on this thing, but on other tragedies and 152 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:15.480 things of this nature. And yeah, I was a cop 153 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:18.720 a long long time ago, not very long was I 154 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:21.519 a police officer, and I was never an investigator, So 155 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:24.480 I don't know. I'm just kind of shooting from the 156 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:30.559 hip here. It's very, very complicated these investigations. Now on 157 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:33.799 this one, I mean, it's obvious who the suspect is, 158 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:38.360 and you know, I almost want to say, folks, I'm 159 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:42.200 not going to say he was killed, And I guess 160 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.399 maybe a nice way of putting it is I ain't 161 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:47.039 going to lose a hell of a lot of sleep 162 00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:50.279 tonight about that. You know, your reap what's is so, 163 00:10:51.080 --> 00:10:53.759 But it is going to be interesting to see the 164 00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:59.480 background on this guy again if he were carrying and 165 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.480 had a quote assault weapon close quote where there is 166 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:08.000 really no definitive definition of the politics is going to 167 00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:11.399 start going through the ceiling again and you're going to 168 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:15.919 get the anti Second Amendment crowd out there. And here's 169 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:17.799 the thing about that too. And again this is only 170 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:22.519 my opinion. However, that situation with gun control, you know, 171 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:25.559 you want to blame someone for all the guns in 172 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:29.720 this country. Guess who you blame. You blame King George 173 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:33.480 of England back in colonial times for the way he 174 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:38.720 treated the colonists, taxation without representation, a lot of other 175 00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:42.519 things too. And those people they didn't like it, and 176 00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:45.399 they knew at some point that something was going to 177 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:47.679 happen and they were going to do something about it, 178 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.600 and they did. And we are, we were, we are 179 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:54.639 and we continue to be a well armed country. It's 180 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.840 just the way it is. And you want to try 181 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:01.879 to get that genie back in the bottle, forget it. 182 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:07.559 Ain no way these people that complain about the so 183 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:11.960 called weapons of mass destructure and I'm talking about firearms 184 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.120 and other things. You know what, And I will say 185 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:17.679 this for Gavin Newsom, he is the only one that 186 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:21.720 I've heard calling for this. Guess what you do? You 187 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:25.759 amend or get rid of the Second Amendment. Now I'm not, obviously, 188 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:28.279 I'm not advocating that, but you know what, if you're 189 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:31.120 serious about all this stuff, why don't you do that? 190 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:36.480 There are constitutional ways to do it. And stop nitpicking around. Well, 191 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:39.120 they won't do that because it's just never going to 192 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:42.240 happen in this country. And there again, it takes another 193 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:47.200 arrow out of their quiver to forward the narrative that 194 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:50.879 they have. And you know, here I am talking about 195 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:54.240 people shouldn't speculate, and I guess I'm speculating a little bit, 196 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.840 but I guarantee you that's it's going to come out 197 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:00.600 that way. If the weapon that he had was one 198 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:03.159 that fits into those categories, I guess we'll just have 199 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:07.399 to wait to see. You know, I guess I'm not 200 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:11.320 that old. It wasn't too long ago that I can remember. 201 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:14.720 You didn't have this stuff that often. You didn't have 202 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:19.200 school shootings, you didn't have mass killings like this thing 203 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:22.720 late last night. I mean, yeah, you had them, but 204 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.039 nothing like you have now. And we have just become 205 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:33.440 such a crass, crass society, and leave violent society out 206 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:35.840 of the way for a while. The way we talk 207 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:41.639 to each other, the the lyrics to certain songs, what 208 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:45.399 you see on TV. And again I'm not being, you know, 209 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:49.440 the old man in the corner bitching about today's generation, 210 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:55.240 but we certainly have gotten crass as a society. And 211 00:13:55.559 --> 00:13:58.399 in the long run that can, and I think sometimes 212 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:03.440 does lead into this type of thing. Maybe not this 213 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:07.559 incident exactly, but just to kind of a thought that, hey, 214 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.919 you know, we can do things like this. It's different. 215 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:15.120 I got one thing here before I break, Thank you, Dave. 216 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:18.480 I was just hand handed it from him. The New 217 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:22.759 Orleans suspect is a guy by the name Well, here 218 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:29.000 we go, sham sud Din Jabbar. Read into that what 219 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:32.600 you want? Forty two years old, born and raised in 220 00:14:32.679 --> 00:14:39.120 Texas and was an army veteran. Multiple agencies on X 221 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:44.600 that's where my producer got this, Dave Keaton. Multiple outlets 222 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:49.360 on X are reporting that. So we shall see. Now 223 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:53.799 I'm sitting here looking at look like a live police briefing. 224 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:59.240 Maybe not. They're calling for the briefing to be at 225 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:02.480 two o'clock. Anyway, we got to take a break. We're 226 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:06.200 going to get normal a little bit here when we 227 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:10.200 come back from the break. Unless something really really important 228 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.360 breaks down in New Orleans. We're going to talk to 229 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:17.960 iHeart aviation expert Jay Ratliffe about what's going on on 230 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.679 that front, and we'll do that when we get back. 231 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:28.720 Mike Allen in for Willie Cunningham seven hundred WLW, Twell 232 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:32.399 thirty eight News Radio seven hundred WLW Mike Mike Allen 233 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:40.360 in for Willie Cunningham on a somber New Year's Day. 234 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:43.120 I'll tell you it's not something that we all thought 235 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:46.639 we would wake up to. But life goes on, and 236 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:49.879 so does the information we provide you. We're lucky to 237 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:52.399 have on the line with us. Jay Ratliffe, who is 238 00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:57.320 the iHeart Aviation specialist. Jay, thanks for joining us this morning. 239 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:00.799 Come back so if you work out, you know that. 240 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:03.679 I know that, and I really do appreciate it. Let 241 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:07.440 me ask you first, Jay, the tragedy in New Orleans, 242 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:10.720 will that in any way affect air travel? I was 243 00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:13.759 just sitting here thinking about that. Will that affect it 244 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:14.639 in any way? 245 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:17.519 Behind the scenes, There'll be some things that will be 246 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:18.440 taking place. 247 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:20.799 That we won't see. 248 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.720 We see this frequently when there's a threat of an 249 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.919 attack or an actual attack. A lot of times we 250 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.480 are from a security standpoint just a little bit more alert, 251 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:35.840 thinking was that a distraction for something else. 252 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:37.000 Bigger that might be taking place? 253 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:41.639 So many times from a security standpoint, like if you 254 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:44.600 have somebody that rushes through the TSA checkpoint that just 255 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:48.159 runs through to try to avoid screening. Well, obviously you 256 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:50.840 take care of that, but you're equally as concerned to 257 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:52.840 make sure there's nothing else that. 258 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:54.519 May be going on. 259 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:58.080 Sure, the first thing is obviously the distraction, and you 260 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:00.799 understand all about that given your long hosement background. 261 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:01.919 You just got to keep your. 262 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:06.119 Head on a swivel and anticipate things that could possibly 263 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.279 take place. And that's what's going to happen. 264 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:08.440 Now. 265 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:12.640 The passengers at the airport will probably see an increased presence. 266 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:16.640 Some of that's cosmetic, simply to try to let people 267 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:19.880 know that everything's under control, everything's going to be okay. 268 00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:23.960 It's not necessarily in response to a threat per se. 269 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:25.960 It's a lot like when we hit and we had 270 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:29.200 after the attacks of nine to eleven, when travel resumed. Yeah, 271 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:32.720 after the four days, we had the National Guard positioned 272 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:37.480 at airports at the security checkpoint, which again, the attacks 273 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:39.839 weren't a result of a lack of security. There was 274 00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:44.160 no breakdown of security. The National Guard was there simply 275 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:46.880 to try to reassure people that we're going to be traveling. 276 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:49.400 You know, I got to tell you, Jay, and I 277 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:50.960 told you this earlier in the week and then I 278 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.240 want to get into what your thoughts on the top 279 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:56.039 aviation news of twenty twenty four. But I gotta tell 280 00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:59.359 you this because I think people need to know. About 281 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.680 a week or so go, I traveled to Mexico Port 282 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:07.359 of Artas specifically flight problem. Yeah, it's great. Second time 283 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:11.440 there anyway, CVG two Houston, Houston to Port of Iarta 284 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:15.680 and the same thing back. I can't to tell you TSA. 285 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.039 The job that they did was just phenomenal. You know, 286 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:23.160 I'm thinking traveling during holidays, you know this is going 287 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.480 to be awful. It was not. And you know what 288 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:29.160 I do, and I think I did it at every 289 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:33.319 time I went through. If they are courteous, I will 290 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:36.640 tell them after everything's done. Hey, I just wanted to 291 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:39.880 thank you for being so courteous, and they certainly seem 292 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:42.839 to appreciate that. I know they get a bad rap, 293 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:45.759 so I just felt it was important to let people 294 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:49.279 know I had a heck of a good encounter with them. 295 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:52.680 Well or spoiled to CVG, There's no doubt about it. 296 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.240 I've had to work with a team there a few 297 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:57.799 times on just questions and answer kind of thing and 298 00:18:57.880 --> 00:19:01.759 procedures and some other types of things, and they're great 299 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:04.359 and they work with the airlines on an ongoing basis. 300 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:07.279 They're constantly seeing what the load projections are to making 301 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:09.720 sure they've got adequate staffing. And when you and I 302 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:12.279 do talk about the top aviation story of twenty twenty four, 303 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:15.319 the TSA will not be the topic every single time. 304 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:17.640 When we had record travel days of more than three 305 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:21.799 million people a day traveling, not one time, not one 306 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:25.119 time this past year did I ever have a segment 307 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:28.839 on a breakdown to the TSA checkpoint. No lines out 308 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:31.680 down the corner, around the corner, out down the street 309 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:36.039 kind of thing. No massive backups at various airports. Now, 310 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:40.279 sure it got congested at some airports on occasion, but no, 311 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:43.039 they did a great job. And that's not by accident. 312 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:45.880 You know, we had other issues obviously, air traffic control 313 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:48.319 and other kinds of things that gave us some challenges 314 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:51.279 for the year. But Mike, the TSA did a good job, 315 00:19:51.480 --> 00:19:56.839 and I just if they do something that they shouldn't 316 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:57.359 have done. 317 00:19:57.240 --> 00:19:58.119 We're going to talk about it. 318 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:00.759 But believe me, I am very quick to always point 319 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:03.039 out that the good job that that frontline team is doing. 320 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:05.119 They had two and a half three million chances a 321 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:06.039 day to make a mistake. 322 00:20:06.440 --> 00:20:08.079 Oh geez. And when you. 323 00:20:08.039 --> 00:20:10.160 Think about that and then the number of times that 324 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:13.440 something happened. I mean, a story that I've not even 325 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:16.559 talked about was some lady that was going through a 326 00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:19.799 security checkpoint and at eighty two restricted items in her 327 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:25.960 carry on bag, so you know, eighty two please, It's like, hey, 328 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:27.759 what's the record. I think I can beat it. But 329 00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:30.920 you know, the TSA is doing a good job. And 330 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:34.559 you know, the agency I'm not a big fan of 331 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:36.880 because when they first got started, I thought, why are 332 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:41.720 we creating another government branch Because it wasn't a breakdown 333 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:43.640 in security that was the attacks of nine to eleven, 334 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:46.519 but it was designed to, you know, create that sense 335 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:49.240 of calm. But all it did was give us another great, big, 336 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:52.559 you know, government agency that I think two or three 337 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:57.160 years after their creation, Mike, if I'm not mistaken, they 338 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:00.119 held an annual banquet where they gave out lifetime. 339 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:00.720 At even awards. 340 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:02.960 They spent like five hundred grand on the party, and 341 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:05.119 I'm thinking, I know we're in trouble if they're giving 342 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:07.720 out lifetime achievement awards after three years. 343 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:11.359 That doesn't make sense, Hey, in our remaining time, I 344 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:13.960 wanted to ask you your thoughts. Jay Ratliffe on the 345 00:21:13.960 --> 00:21:17.799 top aviation news of twenty twenty four, lots going on 346 00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:18.960 at your seems. 347 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:23.359 Like, Yeah, well we ended the year obviously with a 348 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:27.079 flurry of aviation disaster. Yeah, making twenty twenty four the 349 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:32.160 deadliest year of travel aviation commercial wise since twenty eighteen. 350 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:36.960 And obviously that's the focus now as it needs to 351 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:39.640 be and should be a lot of unanswered questions on 352 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:43.599 that South Korean plane crash. In fact, the two black 353 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:46.319 boxes that have been recovered are really going to provide 354 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:49.200 us a lot of information. We found out recently that 355 00:21:49.720 --> 00:21:52.440 the flight data recorder one of the two black boxes 356 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:55.720 was damaged to such a degree that they're actually sending 357 00:21:55.720 --> 00:21:59.759 it back here to the United States with the NTSB team. 358 00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:02.440 They're gonna be able to extract that information here another 359 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:05.799 cockpit voice recorder they're they're getting information from that. I 360 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:08.319 suspect in the next couple of weeks we'll get an 361 00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:11.799 initial idea of what their thoughts are. It's going to 362 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:15.240 be eighteen months, sixteen months probably before the final report, 363 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.200 but Mike, a lot of unanswered questions on that and 364 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:21.279 the biggest one to me is why that landing gear 365 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:23.640 wasn't deployed for exactly aircret. 366 00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:25.319 And can I ask you this, Jay, And I don't mean, 367 00:22:25.640 --> 00:22:28.319 I'm just so curious about this. When you see the 368 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:32.359 thing land the belly landing, you know, I'm the first 369 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:34.759 time I saw, Man, this is great. These guys are 370 00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:36.319 gonna make it. It didn't look like they had a 371 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:40.039 lot of runway left. Why would that building that they 372 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:45.519 crashed into be that close in proximity to the runway 373 00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:46.759 or Am I missing a question? 374 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:47.839 Well you're not. 375 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:50.559 In fact, it was the most idiotic acidine thing I'd 376 00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:53.240 ever seen. You put a concrete barrier up at the 377 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:56.000 end of an overrun section at a commercial airport that 378 00:22:56.039 --> 00:22:59.319 could stop a tank, and it was made of concrete, 379 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:01.759 and it just if it's bricked, if it's cinder, if 380 00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:04.359 it's something. Most of the time when you're traveling, no, 381 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:06.519 all the time when we travel and we look at 382 00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:08.680 the end of the runway, we see those ils antenna 383 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.720 and they're there, and they normally are secured in such 384 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:14.559 a way that they can break away if there's impact 385 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:18.640 with an aircraft. This wall, I mean, yeah, the aircraft 386 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:21.880 landed fast, it landed long, it was going too fast. 387 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:24.880 But typically what would have happened was that aircraft would 388 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:27.559 have just continued because it wasn't breaking, it wasn't catching 389 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:30.480 on fire, and it would have kept going until it stopped, 390 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:32.680 and then everybody would have got off and we would 391 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:37.319 have had minor injuries, regardless of the mechanical and or 392 00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:41.240 crew air things that took place during that initial part. 393 00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:44.000 The crew brought it down, the wings were level, and 394 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:48.799 they did everything from that standpoint that they should have. Now, again, 395 00:23:48.839 --> 00:23:51.720 the flaps weren't at forty degrees. We don't know why 396 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:55.279 the reverse engines, thrusters apparently weren't engaged. We don't know 397 00:23:55.319 --> 00:23:58.640 why the landing gear wasn't down. We don't know why 398 00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:01.559 a bird strike and an engine normally doesn't call a 399 00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:05.640 hydraulic failure of the undercarriage systems and things like that. 400 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:09.480 So plus you can drop the landing gear manually with 401 00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:13.759