What could be worse than nearly destroying a government building during a training exercise? Destroying the building which houses the country’s Supreme Court – and facing a whole lot of angry lawyers, as two Air Force pilots in Brazil will have to.
The long arm of the law is definitely itching to grab a hold of the two men, who made a low-altitude supersonic fly pass during a training exercise, and ended up shattering every window in the Supreme Court building in the capital, Brasilia. Swooping low over the Supremo Tribunal Federal building, the two French-made Mirage 2000 jets generated a massive shockwave, obliterating the glass facade. The war planes were taking part in the national flag exchange ceremony at the Esplanada dos Ministerios. In the video, crowds of spectators can be heard cheering and clapping at the display, which impressed everyone but the legal eagles in the building. The press spokesman for the Brazilian Air Force said the military will conduct an investigation into the incident and reimburse any cost. Made by French arms company Dassault, the Mirage 2000 jet is known for its fantastic straight line speed, reaching just over twice the speed of sound. But it also has a notoriously large turning circle, making maneuverability somewhat tricky. So even if the pilots had had the time to see they might run into some trouble, they may not have had the time to do anything about it.