Airliner misses bridge like it was supposed to...

I know the media aren't expected to know everything about anything, but this is pretty vacuous.


Why is it that I can look at the video and know instantly the 747 is nowhere near the bridge (I'd be surprised if was even within a mile or two of it) and others can't?

Edit: According to the FAA it was 1200 feet/400m, much less than a mile which sounds close, but the 747 wasn't pointing at the bridge at that distance, and would have begun turning away from it at many times that. Another video here shows the actual separation.

For the record this was a planned and controlled participation in the San Francisco Fleet Week Airshow, an event so well known I have even heard of it on the other side of the Pacific.

More story complete with extra sensationalism from stuff here, and semi useful "good idea/bad idea" discussion here (its interesting that stuff quoted only the 'bad idea' comments from this source rather than any of the many 'good idea's). Slightly less (relatively) vacuous explanation here.

I get that people are riled up about it, but you've got to draw the line about being sensitive somewhere, and not view everything in the worst possible light. It would be a shame if airliners couldn't participate at airshows anymore because one terrible aberration.