RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM The Air Force Thunderbirds flew yesterday past a construction crane at the Keola Lai building under construction on South Street. They were making practice runs for tomorrow's show.

Thunderbirds rile critters, copters

The Air Force Thunderbirds might have flown flawlessly during yesterday's two practice shows, but some people were not amused at the noise and two pilots flew into restricted airspace.

The six F-16 Falcon fighter jets flying at 550 mph also disturbed some pets and zoo animals -- causing diarrhea among the elephants.

A Marine and a civilian pilot reportedly flew their helicopters into a restricted air zone.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said a temporary flight restriction was set up during the Thunderbird shows, and the military pilot entered that airspace by mistake at 9:43 a.m., coming at the end of the 9 a.m. rehearsal.

Shortly afterward a civilian pilot flying a private aircraft "barely skirted" the restricted zone, Gregor said.

But the Marine pilot "was a good three miles inside" the restricted zone, which has a 5-mile radius with its center just south of Fort DeRussy in Waikiki, Gregor said.

The Thunderbird pilot saw the Marine helicopter, maintained visual contact, and there was "no imminent collision danger," he said. "Nevertheless, we do take TFR violations very seriously." TFR stands for temporary flight restrictions.

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM The Air Force Thunderbirds fly off Waikiki during a practice run for tomorrow's air show, easily avoiding two encroaching helicopters but creating a ruckus at the Honolulu Zoo.

Marine officials said the incident is under investigation, and steps will be taken "to ensure there is no repeat of this incident."

Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman Capt. Kristy Miller said at no time was the safety of any pilot compromised.

Waialae Nui Ridge resident Doug Carlson said he first saw the helicopter heading west over his house, then back toward Hawaii Kai, then saw "a bunch of jets tearing up the sky."

"It must have been quite a shock to the helicopter pilot that he was flying right through the middle of an air show," Carlson said.

The air show rehearsal caused quite a stir with Honolulu residents -- human and animal.

Police "got dozens of calls from people who didn't know what was going on," Capt. Frank Fujii said. "But once we explained to them, they were fine."

Richard Jones of Waikiki said the noise scared his miniature Dachshund and shook the two-story wooden building he lives in on Hobron Lane.

"I'm pro-military, not anti-military," Jones said, but he questioned spending money on shows when "obviously this war is not going very well."

"I see it as a waste," he concluded.

Honolulu Zoo Director Ken Redman said some sensitive animals -- including giraffes, the kudu antelopes, some new-to-the-zoo cheetahs and orangutans Rusti and Violet -- were closed in their night quarters during the Thunderbirds' practice runs at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. yesterday, Redman said.

"Some of the animals got nervous, and so did a lot of our people" visiting the zoo, Redman said. "Some little kids were crying because of the noise."

"The first time they flew over, the tiger kind of hunkered down and looked up, and the elephants let loose with diarrhea," something that they are prone to do when nervous, but they are all OK, Redman said.