European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 08, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday. October. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 7 of pilots competing for top gun title Indian Springs. Nov. A computers Tell a Pilot when and where to drop his bombs but the Man at the controls still pushes the Button that re leases them. At gun smoke 89," a kind of world series for air Force pilots top airmen show just How important the right sultis when it comes to bombing and strafing targets set up on a Bleak desert Range. The Competition for the coveted title of top gun is unfolding this month during two weeks of daily Competition in two valleys 40 Miles Northwest of Las vegas on the sprawling Nellis fab bombing and gunnery Range. As smoke billowed from Dummy bombs crashing around an old tank being used As a target Friday. Maj. Bud Williams explained the Drill to visiting reporters. The red Pickle Button that releases the bombs is just one of the Pilot s Many concerns As he flashes 200 feet above the desert hour at 400 Miles an hour pops up to 1.001 feet then dives Down on a speck of a target. The Pilot has to concentrate on the degree of the dive the location of the target the Speed of his plane wind and other factors. While focused on the target and the pre Cise second to press the Button whose nickname is part of the arcane jargon of the flight world the Pilot must also Fly stable so the radar can get an accurate look at the Williams said. A Pilot s concentration on his target can prove deadly. We be had cases of pilots flying the Craft into the Williams said. The result of target fixation is often while accidents arc a Haard of Mili tary practice the 8-year-old Competition has a perfect safety record. We be never lost n Crew member or an Williams said As an f-16 fighting Falcon roared overhead Bank ing sharply after dropping a bomb on a target Haifa mile away. The biennial exercise at Nellis draws the Cream of the country s air Force pilots and Crews who have won regional Competition at . Bases around the world. This year s competitors include teams from Germany. Japan the Philippines and the United kingdom As Well As from . Bases. The Dummy bombs provide Only a hash of fire and a puff of smoke Leav ing the aging tank target charred but reusable. The real thing would be a Dif Ferent Story. A 500-Pound bomb would scatter fragmentation for 3,000 feet Willians said. It would have a Good kill radius of 300 on Friday f-16 units from Mcentire air National guard base . And Hill fab. Utah competed on the desert Range along with a ios Thunderbolt is from Raf bunt Waters England. After the bombing Competition the planes swept Back through the Valley zeroing in on 25-foot cloth targets Strung across the desert floor. The Valley echoed with the car Pierc ing chatter of the 20mm and 30mm shells As pilots squeezed olt bursts of gunfire Froni cannons that fire 4.200 rounds a minute. Pilots Fly seven Days during the two week event which ends saturday and includes competitions among teams who Load the weapons and maintain the planes. There is even a Competition to see which Pilot lands closest to his designated arrival time at Nellis. Six flights arrived within one second of their designated time on oct. I. 60,000 new yorkers celebrate Columbus Day new York. Not candidates for mayor of new York joined the Columbus Day Parade up fifth Avenue Friday vying for votes from italian americans and other spectators at a Celebration that fell this year neither on the official Holiday nor on the anniversary of Columbus discovery of America but in the Middle of a working Day. The candidates never met. But followed each other closely to St. Patrick s Cathedral where Cardinal John o Connor displayed a studied impartiality in his Brief chats with the rivals. The Parade sponsored by the Columbus citizens foundation and watched by about 60,000 people stretched More than 50 blocks with 28 High school marching bands 18 floats some sprinkled in red Grcen and White Flowers and others made to resemble the Nina the Pinta and the Santa Maria huge italian flags and a delegation of mayors from 23 italian cities. The grand marshal was the actor Danny Aillo a new Jersey resident born in new York City. These arc the things we had As children parades and movies said Aiello. "1 love it i am excited by it and i think it is the Parade s unusual Liming was due to a conflict on monday the Legal Columbus Day Holiday with yom kippur. The anniversary of Christopher Columbus american landfall is oct. 12, the following thursday. But that Date was ruled out because organizers wanted the Parade the 45th in new York City to precede a Ball that was scheduled sunday. David n. Dinkins the democratic Nomi Nee and Henry he was the right to life party candidate were in a line of elected officials including mayor Edward Koch and gov. Mario Cuomo near the front of the Parade. Candidate a id Dinkins Center jokes Ith mayor Edward Koch find Cardinal John o Connor. Despite verdict Bakker maintains he is innocent Charlotte . A Jim Bak scr maintained his innocence and said he was sad but encouraged in god after a jury1 found the pal founder guilty of using his television ministry to bilk followers of $3.7 million. I went into this courthouse several weeks ago saying i was innocent of the charges against me Bakker said after posting $250,000 Bond thursday. I come out still innocent of the charges against me. 1 put my Faith in Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye left for their Home in Orlando. Fla. And their lawyer George t. Davis said they would suspend their ministry for the time being to concentrate on his Appeal. The Foreman of the jury that convicted Bakker on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy said Money corrupted Bak Ker who prosecutors said took $3,7 Mil lion in ministry funds and spent it on vacation Homes Rolls Royce and Mer cedes automobiles and luxuries such As an air conditioned Doghouse. He was called by god. But eventually the Money became too much for him said Ricky Hill. We kept looking for something from the defense and we never saw Bakker faces up to 120 years in prison and $5 million in fines. In an interview on lbs this morn ing prosecutor Deborah Smith a jus lice department fraud specialist said. I Don t think any conviction is a cause for Cylc bration Ai All. 1 think it s very sad for his family very sad for but she said it was Saddest for the 158,000 peo ple across the country who were defrauded Many of them of their life Sav we be lost a Batlle. Bul Well win the War Davis said of his decision to a peal the verdict. There was so much negative pretrial publicity that he was unable to get a fair trial in this comm Davis said he would return to Char Lotte for the oct. 24 sentencing with a Surprise for judge Robert Potter. I think it will be a real Supric. But i can t say now the big Day is really when the sentencing he said the bakkers arc going to fold up their ministry for the present and concentrate on the but he declined to elaborate. After leaving pal the couple began the Jim and Tammy minis pcs which runs a Church in or Lando and conducts a five a a Wick evangelistic television show seen on eight Cable outlets. The bakkers did not appear on the daily television show Fridyand their replacements did not mention the ver dict but closed by urging viewers to give your prayers to the bakkers. On thursday after the verdict was read mrs. Bakker serenaded a crowd of hundreds outside the courthouse with a verse of on Christ the solid Rock i stand. All other ground is sinking then she said it s not Over till it s along with supporters in the crowd there were some spectators who agreed with the verdict. I m nol the smartest Man in the world but when you get caught with your hand in the cookie Jar you be got to take what s coming Ira Bostic said. In setting bail at $250,000. Potter known As maximum Bob for handing out Tough prison terms and fines expressed concerns that Bakker s followers might try to help him lice the country. Trial testimony showed pal paid $265,000 to Jessica Hahn to cover up a 1980 sexual encounter with Bakker that led to his resignation from pal in 1987. I m sorry i Don t have a song to sing like Tammy bul i know this is god s Grace Hahn said after the conviction. Smith called Bakker the govern ment s mar saying ins fraud had been preserved on videotapes of pal club broadcasts in which Bakker appealed for $1,000 donations in Exchange for yearly free stays at the Retreat and theme Park near fort Mill . The government said More than 152,903 partnerships were sold Between 1984 and 1987 when Bakker had Only 258 rooms available. Some partners testified they were unable to use their lodging benefits although others testifying for the defense said they had no such problem
