[HummerJim]

You really don't think that was a photo op do you? As an ex Air Force 104 pilot I can tell you you don't fly trail in formation for photo ops you fly extended wingtip/fingertip or echelon to avoid wintip vortices (remember the XB 70 Valkerie). You do fly trail when you are measuring ECM and collecting data as a chase plane. I think part of it was to see if the system could differentiate between a large commercial liner and a fighter. I still think it was some kind of defensive test of a system that was in place in NYC. As Curtis LeMay always said, any advanced warning of a defensive test makes the test totally useless.