The Navy's Blue Angels used McDonnell-Douglas A-4 Skyhawk II aircraft for their world-famous aerobatics demonstrations from December 1974 through November 8, 1986 (see http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/index.htm). Sounds like a fighter aircraft to me.

A distinction without a difference.

Dean, Athens, Ohio, USA

Most reporters woudn't know the differance between a
fighter plane and a B17 bomber On the other hand there
is a question of semantics. John McCaines airplane was
an attack plane and can be used as fighter aircraft
especially when another fighter is attacking him....nit picking

Bob Wolf, Milford, NH, USA

Philippe Naughton writes, " No one can accuse The New York Times of papering over its mistakes. "

Um, you are joking, right?

Jerry King, New York, NY, USA

The fact that Senator McCain got shot down flying an A-4 in Vietnam does not diminish but actually enhances and underscores his courage in the line of fire.

Dr Deepak Natarajan, NOIDA, India

I suppose all those slamming the NYT would consider Fox News or Newsmax fair and balanced reporting.

Des, Perth, OZ

It's a great newspaper. People who think otherwise are just dumb.

Paul H, Manchester,

Ftelina Mohamed , Hassi Bahbah, Algeria

I cannot say that I do not disagree with you.

Tony, Bristol, England

"No one can accuse The New York Times of papering over its mistakes."

Perhaps in some literal sense that is true. But, as anyone who reads their editorial pages knows, they cling to their mistakes bitterly.

(There are better sites for coverage of US politics than Gawker. Many sites.)

Jim Miller, Kirkland, WA, USA

One only has to constrast the coverage of John Edwards recently with the "expose" on John McCain last year to see how far the Times has sunk. I also miss my Sunday morning ritual, but I will not go back to the Times, even for the crossword puzzle!!!

Paul Taylor, Stillwell, OK, USA

With all my respect to the entire American press as well as English. Let me ask the question that follows me from reading your articles by the comments of those interested in this topic: You do not find that this issue does account the united states, moreover it is an act of respect for the press, the mistakes that the American press crowned by NY Times did not stop, unfortunately, not a name or a poorly written up poorly indicated!
Sometimes they commissent misconduct with premeditation

Ftelina Mohamed , Hassi Bahbah, Algeria

"No one can accuse The New York Times of papering over its mistakes."

Wow. Talk about complete detachment from reality...

Alex, New York,

That was back when people read the Times and took it seriously. Obviously a very long time ago!

Billy Bob, Atlanta, USA

victor melone, Jacksonville Beach, USA

You said it. It's a shame, isn't it? I had the same very happy ritual on Sundays, pre Bush Bash era . Now, I no longer buy it, nor read it. I got here now from Drudge. Sad. Jason Blair was the last straw. Now, it's a sorry excuse for a paper. Sad.

Tom Roberts, Tokyo, Japan

I stopped reading the NY TImes in the 80's after it became painfully obvious that it was nothing more than a propaganda sheet for the liberal point of view.
Sad, so sad, I actually looked forward to Sunday mornings. Big breakfast, goumet coffee, the Sunday Times. Time has run out fior the TIMES.

John Sheridan, Bridgewater NJ, USA

Not offensive unless you are an Attack pilot. "Better a sister in a brothel, than a brother in an F-14".

Ray, San Diego, USA

wow only 48 years late- i guess the times DOES have some integrity! and to jack o in vienna- mccain served, enough said. his preferential treatment that so seems to offend you got him shot at and nearly kill, tortured, and imprisoned.

eric, cherry hill nj, USA

I stopped paying for and reading the NY times 6 years ago when it stopped mmaking any effort at all of providing news rather than their liberal opinion. Gone forever for me was a long tradition of the Sunday Times, pot of coffee and conversation over the many articles of interest.

victor melone, Jacksonville Beach, USA

WOW!!!! 39 comments (so far) and not one of them is favorable to the NYT. Is there a message in there somewhere?

Bob Seybold, Varberg, Sweden

I flew the A-4 in the mid 80's. It was underpowered and slow. I can see why the Senator got hit flying it.
There is NO Way that an A-4 could have been used as a fighter.Since the 1960s all Navy fighters have been supersonic. The A-4 fully loaded could barley make 400kts.
Also very small..........

matt, miami,

In October the NYTimes will endorse John McCain. You can believe it.

Richard, Covina, USA

I guess that means we need to wait until 2056 before the NYT reports on the John Edwards scandal.

BGraham, Chicago, USA

Interesting how someone who graduated 5th from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy was able to become a "fighter pilot. Hmm ... maybe daddy had something to do with it.

jack odonnel, vienna, usa

My goodness, the right wing in America must be scared. The vitriol that is poured onto the New York Times says so much more about the paper's critics than it does about the newspaper itself. Marxist? Anything to the left of Genghis Khan is Marxist to some Americans.

Richard Evans, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Has any single-person at the New York Times even tried on a military flightsuit and committed their life to possibly ending that night? Nuff said......

Jim Doane, Chicago,

Why are people getting riled about this? It was more dangerous flying attack missions than air superiority missions in NV. The Navy lost almost 3 times as many A-4s in combat than F-4s.

dj, madison,

They're still getting away with it. Read the context: 'this guy's from a REAL long time ago.'
While the NYT says they only want readers to know of an error in a 1960 musical playbill, it's "1960" they want you to have in mind. Then McCain's correction is next with a "Vietnam era" reporting error.

charles, washington, usa

Ernie Bennet, you're wrong. The A4 carried 20mm cannon as well as bombs and air- to- ground missiles and rockets. McCain was trained on fighters too, he just happened to be used in the attack role. Many would say flying low attack planes is more dangerous, due to AA risks.

Jack J, Johannesburg, S Africa

The NYTimes has only decided that calling McCain an "attack pilot" is better for Obam than calling him a "fighter pilot". There is no other motivation here.

Bob, Los Angeles,

The New York Times is suffering from lib groupthink. Their stock plummets and they keep laying off more employees even as their reporting becomes more left-wing. Jayson Blair was the tip of the lib iceberg.

frank, Chicago, USA

If theNYT plans to be consistent, and correct all its past inaccuracies, it will need to publish several entire issues devoted to that. Better for everyone if they simply issue a blanket apology and cease operations.

Gene, Strongsville OH, USA

>>No one can accuse The New York Times of papering over its mistakes.

HA HA HA HA HA !!! EVERYBODY can accuse the NYT of that.

The "Gray Lady" has lost her teeth and is now sleeping on park benches in her own vomit.

jona, LLos Angeles, Ca

As a former subscriber of the NYT, I am more glad every day that I do not promote their blatant liberal bias. I want news, not propganda. It would seem 100% of their "journalists" are nothing other than shrill Democrat operatives.

James, Stamford, CT, USA

No one can accuse The NY Times of papering over its mistakes? I can. Walter Durante, recipient of the Pulitzer, was full of praise for Uncle Joe Stalin, selling the image of the USSR as a worker's paradise while he was busy starving the Ukraine. They won't admit they were wrong then or now

Joe Zingher, Gurnee, USA

Facts are facts. And the fact is that McCain was on a bombing raid, not combat air cover.

On the other hand he was trained to fly fighters.

When a NASCAR driver has an accident driving a minivan, it is still correct to describe him as "a NASCAR driver" in the article reporting the acccident.

Jon Empey, Austin, USA

The New York Times not mentioning the John Edwards lovechild story and printing frontpage articles on John McCain supposed infidelity is proof that it should no longer be in business. We do not need a Pravda in the U.S.A. telling us what is news and ignoring stories that hurt democrats.

william grant, Palm Springs, USA

In order to be a fighter it would have to be so equiped, guns and or anti-aircraft missles. The A4 in Nam was not so equipped, it functioned as a ground attack aircraft, much like a low level bomber.

Ernie Bennett, Weston,

The NYT is a true representative of America or Americans: first, commit the error (so that the damage is done), then apologise. What counts is the intention. Saying sorry after 48 years does not mean the paper is great and cares for the truth however trivial it may be.

Amjad Khan, Pune, India

The NYT is a Right Wing mouth-piece that never takes the current administration to task unless the story has already been broken. They allow hacks like Novak, Kristol, and Krauthammer to spread their nonsense unchecked. In order to get the real story, you have to go online nowadays. It's sad.

Micheal, Elkhart, Indiana, U.S.

I must have missed that in the New York Times, I don't buy fish on Tuesdays.

Tim Wall, Atlanta, USA

Who reads the New York Times anymore? They should be saving the environment by not even bothering to print it.

Lynn, Sugar Land, USA

The Old Gray Lady used to be a great paper; I miss it. I have to agree that the NYT is only suitable to line bird cages now so long as the birds don't know how to read lest we be party to the miseducation [Bushlike] of birds.

K Irvin, Orlando FL, USA

The paper is lost.
Their readership is down.
Their advertising is down.
When will it dawn on them that people want unbiased and fair reporting?
It is less a news paper and lately more of an editorial sheet.
Who could have imagined such a fall from grace.
They are now a tabloid.

Joe Pepe NYC, New York, USA

The NYT, straining the gnat and swallowing the camel for some 140 yrs.

Paul B., NY, USA

In the world aircraft carrier based Naval Aviators, there are figher pilots, attack pilots and "cats and dogs" (all the other tactical aircraft pilots). The USAF considers all tactical aircraft pilots as fighter pilots. Senator McCain was an attack pilot, flying the A-4 Skyhawk.

Will Gray, Ruston, LA, USA

I'm a former A4 Pilot with about 700 hours in one. A4s at Top Gun were stripped, modified to have MIG flight characteristics.
Combat payloads were a lot less than max allowable due to
mission conditions. NYT is highly disingenuous and it's motives are suspect/blatant.

Ted Huss, Colfax,

Papers tell the truth while lying. That takes talent.
John Hinkley shot Ronald Reagan, Reagan later died.
Both are facts, and are true, but there is no connection between the two. People having no knowledge of the facts would think that Hinkley killed Reagan.

Ben Lindberg, Roseville MN, USA

"In a further sign of just how seriously the newspaper takes its role as a newspaper of record"

Give me a break ! The same paper who gives away National security secrets is now showing just how "seriously it takes it's role as a newspaper of record" PLEASE !!

Bob Casey, Northborough, Ma., U.S.A.

The plane's Navy designation starts with 'A' for 'Attack.' It could carry more payload than a WWII B-17 bomber. It was small because you can fit more small planes on a carrier and they don't require complex wing-folding mechanisms. Speed and maneuverability (without bombs) was just a bonus.

Sam B., Alexandria, Virginia, USA

The NYT is suffering from what all America is starting to feel. We spend a small fortune to send 18 year olds to college, they graqduate in a blaze of glory and celebration.......then we find out that they got a lousy education but a first class indoctrination to marxist principles....

Mike DeDominic, Paoli, PA, USA

Yhe NYTimes is nothing but the liberal mouthpiece of the DNC! This is why the paper is on its way down the road to extinction is the eyes of the reading public!

BERT WAYNE, ORLANDO, FL, USA

people still read the NYT?

J Cutchin, Quantico, USA

BTW gdw, he would not be an "assaulter" (whatever that is!) he would be an "attacker", or more accurately, an "attack pilot". In the US Military lexicon, an A in the plane's designation stands for "Attack". Not "Assault".

Will, Tucson, USA

The New York Times is the most biased newspaper in the country. Their leftist agenda is sorely obvious. No wonder they are losing advertisers, subscribers and revenue. What used to be a great publication is now liberal propaganda suitable only for lining bird cages.

PE, Dallas, USA

Where is Jayson Blair when we need him?

JG, Boston, USA

The NYT should also apologize for implying on its front page above the fold about three months ago that McCain had an improper relationship with a lobbyist named Victoria Iseman. The NYT implied sexual as well as political hanky-panky.

But the NYT was the last to report on John Edwards.

Get it?

daveinboca, boca raton, United States

The NYT should instead apologize for significant errors and forget the trivial.

LarryCroft, Snowflake, Arizona

Oops, we've been calling him a "fighter", actually he's an "assaulter". What image does each word call to your mind? Why would the NYT need to attempt to change their definition of McCain right now?

gdw, mississippi,