Jet flyby practice for Dodgers opener gives LA jitters

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Posted 8:05AM on Wednesday, March 27, 2002

LOS ANGELES - The roar of two Navy fighter jets practicing a fly-by for opening day at Dodger Stadium shook up downtown workers Tuesday. The low-flying jets shattered a quiet midafternoon, echoing among office buildings. People ran outside and stared up into the sky. "They were practicing flybys over Dodger Stadium in preparation for opening day," said Jerry Snyder, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The Navy jets that practiced Tuesday, an F-4 Phantom and an F-14 Tomcat, will be joined by three others as part of the team's tribute to U.S. troops in Afghanistan on April 2, opening day against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers notified residents in the Elysian Park neighborhood surrounding the stadium, and a flight plan was filed, said Dodgers senior vice president Derrick Hall. "I can understand why people working downtown would have been caught off-guard, and there should have been thought given to that," Hall said from Vero Beach, Fla., where the team holds spring training. "With the permit for the flyover, we figured that would cover us for the rehearsal," he said. But it didn't prevent jitters downtown. "I figured it was one of those fighter planes buzzing around to keep another plane from these tall buildings," said Mike Melton, 34, a construction worker. "I thought it must be the military, and they must be up there for a reason." The two jets are based at the Naval Weapons Test Squadron at Point Mugu, said spokeswoman Doris Lance. The Phantom was retired from general U.S. military service in 1996, but is still used for training and testing.