Can I hear your thoughts on the role of these warplanes in providing the
freedom which you now enjoy? Have you considered what might have happened if
Britain hadn't defended their homeland with warplanes? If the US hadn't
stopped Japan with warplanes?
Are you too young to know? Mr. Fiorito, you owe your freedom to those planes
and the valiant aviators who flew them in defence of your way of life.
Please take a moment to consider this the next time you're tempted to trash
the air show. There are a lot of people around who are grateful for the
sacrifices made by those aviators, and feel secure knowing their modern
counterparts are around.
Remember this... the guy flying that noisy smelly Snowbird that you see for
ten minutes a year is a fully trained combat pilot who is prepared to give
his life in defence of his country if called upon to do so. He's ready to
die for YOU. Try to show him a little respect, ok?
I received a response from Fiorito that is so ridiculous I won't give it airtime by quoting it here. This guy is a certified idiot, and the best thing we all can do is ignore his dumb ass. You can't engage in a debate with a moron.
niss wrote:If you dont mind I would very much like to see his respons!
I am sorely tempted, but I was brought up a certain way, and publishing private email is not permitted under the code I live by. I can't do that. Sorry.
niss wrote:If you dont mind I would very much like to see his respons!
I am sorely tempted, but I was brought up a certain way, and publishing private email is not permitted under the code I live by. I can't do that. Sorry.
I'm all for airshows and fast planes but enough of the flag waving "you owe your freedom to the snowbird pilots" bullshit. Emotionally charged responses like that will never function in a logical debate. Take the propaganda south of the border where somebody will buy it.
mouthpiecejournalist wrote:fact: planes few overhead, and car alarms went off up and down my block.
fact: snowbirds have a lousy record.
fact: even one warplane is pornographic.
cheers,
- JF
"fact" 1 - I don't doubt it, but so what.
"fact" 2 - BS! A "lousy" record compared to what?
"fact" 3 - How sad that you see things like that.
Some of us see the entire history of man's struggle to join the birds in the skies when we look upon the pinnacle of what that struggle has brought us. Yes, it's often been armed conflict that's brought the opportunity for the improvements in design and technology, but it's still the beauty and the awesome spectacle of flight, speed, agility and talent that many of us are appreciating while we watch the airshow.
If all you can see is a killing machine, I think you might want to have that checked out by a professional of some kind... maybe you're repressing some traumatic event that's messed your head a little? Good luck with that.
Sincerely,
Mitch Cronin
(by the way xiz [Chris]... well said. Too bad Mr. Fiorito isn't listening.)
niss wrote:If you dont mind I would very much like to see his respons!
Unless it has a nipple in it, then disregard. He finds breasts very offensive. By the way, response ends with an "e", and when you can't find something, you lose it, you don't loose it.
I understand your a very busy person, soIi am going to
make this short & sweet..
The bottom line is. The citizens on the Island have it
great!
Only super quiet aircraft travel into the Island. The
Q400 (the most environmental friendly aircraft in the
industry) + various corporate turbo props & private
prop aircraft.
+ a small yearly airshow...that was not that bad
The people who you should be noticing are all those
poor people in Missassauga who live below the runway
paths of Pearson!
For exmaple: My aunt lives in a great community with
her Husband and two children....
Problem is, when the winds are heading 240 or
060....they get a non-stop bombardement of heavy
aircraft taking off & landing!
24 HOURS A DAY! NO CURFEW!
They can barely sleep since big old cargo aircraft
such as Dc-10s, keep landing at 3-6 A.M.
I live in the Town of Mont-ROyal in Montreal....I am
also directly beneath the landing path of
24L/24R......it can get annoying, but at least there
is a curfew! 1AM to 6 AM...I can sleep at night...
Toronto island is a great little airport...... you
people (the minority) keep protesting something that
benefits the majority!
Now without using Rhetoric, Smoke screens, Fallacies,
etc....
What is the problem with silent aircraft & a yearly
innocent airshow (by the way the snowbirds aircraft
are super silent compared to a 727!)
A Fact!
---------- ADS -----------
Asking a pilot about what he thinks of Transport Canada, is like asking a fire hydrant what does he think about dogs.
you have it exactly wrong about the island airport.
it serves a tiny minority, uses land that belongs to the people, not to private interests, and it will fold soon.
cheers,
- JF
Seriously...let's do a fly over his place! Attach a cord to the fuel strainer & piss 100ll all over this guy!
Only concerned about his needs.....does not give a crap about the problems of the majority!
---------- ADS -----------
Asking a pilot about what he thinks of Transport Canada, is like asking a fire hydrant what does he think about dogs.
"these foreigners come up here in their fancy bizjets, spewing poisons into our pristine Toronto air from their diesel-burning engines with open headers..."
"how do I tell my kid, no you can't be a professional skank like paris hilton when you grow up..."
"one of them fancy-ass limos came down our street and set off a car alarm!..."
"rubbernecking drooling fans create traffic jams following so-called celebrities from bar to bar..."
"for some reason, a drunk russel crowe did a loop and crashed inexplicably into my car..."
" my little garden is full of used flashbulbs from the papparazzi throwing them dangerously into my yard..."
"damn artsy-types come here just to self-congratulate each other and drink our wonderful Ontario wines while sucking dry the paycheques of us simple Kensington folks in the name of 'cinema' and 'film'..."
Boy you guys have to be hard up for thrills if you read one of those lousy papers and take any of it seriously.
There are two useful reasons for buying the newspaper - place it under the butt of your pet parrot to make his housekeeping easier; place a freshly caught fish on about 6 pages and wrap it firmly in the paper until you can get it to a cooler/freezer. Cooked fish, such as fish and chips is also easier to transport home from the fryer that cooked it too, but you must eat the fish with malt vinegar (essential) and be careful the paper doesn't spontaneously combust! Put it outside in the garbage can immediately after consuming said fish.
Its also very useful for wrapping your plate and cup before you put it in the box with your headset when you move to Winnipeg to take that 372nd job this decade.
You might as well just buy the "Aliens Ate My Mother-in-Law" papers if you want to really know what's going on in the world. They might even have some useful information on 'Global Warming.' I certainly learned all about Paris in my copy. And I had thought Paris was the name of a city - the paper said its actually the name of a skinny blonde who shows her beav whenever she can and gets tossed in jail from time-to-time. My paper said she "gave the sheriff a 'blow-job,'" whatever that is, then he let her go home early so she didn't have to stay in and sit on that cold toilet they have in jails. See what you can learn from real useful papers?
I think there was another use for newspapers, but I can't remember what it was...it certainly is useful to put in those blue boxes, the ones you put up on the road once a week? It makes them heavy so the wind won't blow them away (the blue boxes) but it means the guys who drive the trucks that pick up all the boxes have to be quite strong. That's really cool.
---------- ADS -----------
"What's it doing now?"
"Fly low and slow and throttle back in the turns."
I can not believe they actually publish something so one sided and full of shit.
I told him that his article is rubbish. I do not particularly like Air shows but BAN them. at the rate of banning that some countries are going soon EVERYTHING will be ban.
Has anyone else noticed how unprofessional he is in his correspondence? This should be enough to prove how worthwhile his opinion is. He is simply inviting a controversial discussion, with his smug, all knowing tone and by saying "cheers" at the end of each message. Also, notice his lack of proper English grammar skills? I in no way claim to be an expert, I'm sure an expert could tear his responses and even his original article to shreds! I find it amazing that someone writing for a newspaper can't even wrap their head around the concept of using capital letters for proper names and at the begining of sentences.
fact: He writes OPINION for the TORONTO STAR.
fact: He's a leftwing douchebag.
fact: He lives in Parkdale, probably so he can justify is left wing douchebag opinions with man-of-the-people street cred.
I just saw this thread last night and wrote Mr. Fiorito today. I tried to stay level headed in my letter and in return I seem to have received a relatively level headed response. I still don't agree with him but in the spirit of fairness I felt I should post his reply.
here is what I wrote:
Dear Mr. Fiorito,
I know this is coming a bit late but I just became aware of your article on the Toronto International Airshow. First off a little background about myself. I am a self confessed airplane nerd. What can I say, I love them. I leave near the corner of Bloor and Dundas west, so if I'm not mistaken not too far from Parkdale.
During the recent airshow I had several aircraft flying directly overhead my neighbourhood at low altitude, and while I personally thought this was quite exciting and neat I can also understand how it would not be to some peoples liking. However, no car alarms were set off in my neighbourhood and I doubt the airshow was the sole cause of alarms in your neighbourhood. As for your assertion that the aircraft are somehow an offensive and "pornographic illustration of the grim utility of modern weapons of war" please keep in mind that this is strictly your opinion and not everyone would agree with it. Also, these "weapons of war" and their predecesors have been used to fight wars that allow you voice your opinions without fear of reprisal. As you are a reporter/columnist I doubt it would be going out on a limb to say this is a right that you hold very dear, and rightly so.
As for your ecological concerns (jet fuel residue), I work at an airport and have worked at airports, including ones that have hosted airshows since I was 17. I have never had my car, clothing or anything else covered in a residue of jet fuel from either day to day operations or an airshow and I can't recall hearing about a single person who has. I don't doubt that there was some sort of flim on your plants but I think a more logical explanation would be that we live a city that has a remarkbaly high number of smog alerts and it would probably be some other sort of pollution that caused this film. Feel free to correct me if I'm worng, but don't Lakeshore Blvd and the Gardiner Expressway pass quite close to your neighbourhood? Could pollution from these two roads be the culprit?
I'm not trying to say your opinion is wrong. Your opinion is just that, an opinion and by definition cannot be wrong, but please keep in mind that not everyone shares it. Also you do yourself and your opinion a disservice by using blatant hyperbole to make your point.
Thanks for your time.
Here's what he wrote back:
Frank -
thanks for the thoughtful note. A couple of points in response:
- Car alarms went off around here. There was a pattern: planes went over, alarms went off. I am not making this up. You could ask my neighbours.
- My opinion? I'm a columnist. I'm paid to have opinions; they are a columnist's stock in trade.
- If war planes secured my right to have an opinion, why are the flyboys so upset? Is it because I hold a different opinion? Surely that's the right that was fought for.
- You are right to point out that cars are major polluters. But yes, the planes add yet another sticky layer. I'm not making this up, either. Ask the people on my block.
- Just so you know - or as you probably guessed - I am not fond of the grand prix either, for many of the same reasons.
By the way, I have nothing against pilots or military airmen. They do a necessary job. But I happen not to like military glorification, expecially over my head. I maintain that the air show is a thing of the past, and that it's not safe to have jets in formation turning tightly over houses, as was and is the case.
cheers,
- Joe Fiorito
I'm confused...what part of jet exhaust from low flying aircraft would be sticky? Jet fuel is not sticky and neither are turbine engine oils such as Mobil Jet II if it any dumps out.
I'm going to check the grass/weeds off the departure end of the runway next time I get out to the airport to see if this sticky business is his imagination or fact.
The airshow does not glorify war. It's not like there is also a large parade of people goose stepping along with it, while we all pledge our support to the Party.
Obviously this guy voted for mayor Miller (who recently said the city is just about bankrupt under his watch) and who also canned building the short bridge to YTZ. (that would have HELPED the economy)
Anyways I think it is a bit too early to apply at porter, maybe wait until their 5th birthday in case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Fella,
You live in the 5th largest city in North America… and the only time you want some peace and quiet is when the CNE air show is in town?
Maybe you should have stayed on vacation.
Reply from Joe:
You probably don't live here; mind your own business.
But you're right... the air show is not the only noise problem
- JF
ps: your boss know you use your work email for personal business?
My Reply:
You published that article in a newspaper, it’s a public issue, not a private matter so I can have an opinion just as much as you.
PS, yes, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with me performing my job it’s allowed. Why? Doesn’t yours?
(I didn't think much of the "mind your own business" but what the hell was his point of asking me about my email source? Was he planning on calling my boss if I said no?)
However...when writing to him....make sure your facts are correct.
Pearson airport does have a curfew.
After midnight we have to switch to the noise preferential runway configuration. The only time we land on a non preferential is due to the wind or in emergencies.
No way do DC10s land between 3am and 5am. The most you get is the odd 727 and they will be landing on the noise preferential runway and they try and stay as high as possible as long as possible.
The residents of Missisauga and Etobicoke can be as blinkered by "noise" issues as this journalist can be...and getting facts wrong dosen't help the right cause of sticking it to Mr Star journalist.
PS From an Air traffic control perspective the air show can be a real pain in the Ar$$. But at least we know people are enjoying it.
