Bad weather grounded the U.S. Marine helicopters scheduled to land at Millburn High School on Thursday morning as part of community activities connected with Fleet Week in New York City.
Each year, the Marines choose a New Jersey community to visit with aircraft and troops. They interact with high school students and let them tour the helicopters and view demonstrations with military dogs, robotics and weapons. Residents are also welcomed later in the day,
With rain forecast to intensify throughout the day, the flight to Millburn High School was canceled about 9 a.m.
“Visibility was around a quarter mile, and the ceiling was 300 feet,” Marine Lt. Col. Jeremy Hester told The Item on Thursday morning. “This was not a top priority mission, no one was at risk, so if you can’t see, you don’t fly.”
Hester also said that, if the helicopters landed on the athletic fields behind the stadium, they would have sunk into the wet turf. “We could get out,” he said, “but I can’t tear up the athletic field.”
School officials scrambled to put together a day-long program with the Marines who traveled to the school in the morning. Hester said helicopter pilots were still traveling down from Teterboro Airport to visit with students.
Also, a number of students from Irvington High School, including members of its U.S. Army ROTC program, were invited to attend.
Original article can be found here: http://www.northjersey.com
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