Missing from radar screen - One Boeing 777

[jefmcg]

random stuff ....

1. @Fab Foodie 11 hours is not a long trip. I'm taking a 777 in an out of KL shortly, as part of a 26 hour journey.
2. I resolved years ago never to fly MAS again, after hearing they were the most likely airline to land at LHR without the minimum backup fuel. Less fuel carried == lighter plane == less fuel burned. So decided I'd rather travel with an airline that didn't cut this particular corner. They are not checking passports properly now so .....
3. Comparing dangers of flying vs driving is easy in Australia. There are hundreds of flights per week between melbourne and sydney, and I don't think there's ever been a crash. People die on the roads between every week.`
4. I flew a couple of days after 9/11. Intellectually knew it was a safe time to fly, but still made sure I posted all the weird postcards I was writing to friends before boarding, just in case ....

 

[ASC1951]

Yes I know I said I'd stop the diversion, but I can't let this one pass. Rush hour cycling isn't particularly dangerous - there's a safety in numbers effect, and most of last year's London cluster of deaths happened outside peak time....

Fair enough. Perhaps I should have said 'cycling in cities', which I assume to be more dangerous than cycling round the leafy roads of God's Own County.

 

[CopperBrompton]

raI flew a couple of days after 9/11.

I was flying on the day - one of the last four aircraft to land at Heathrow before it was closed. A very bizarre experience to walk through an almost totally empty airport to an empty passport control. Switched on my phone to get a voicemail from a friend, called her back and she told me what had happened.

As you can imagine, it was almost impossible to believe, not helped by the fact that the news tapes on the Heathrow Express are changed every four hours so there was nothing on those about it. It was only when I got home that I was able to see for myself.

 

[Profpointy]

Fair enough. Perhaps I should have said 'cycling in cities', which I assume to be more dangerous than cycling round the leafy roads of God's Own County.

i wonder if that's true. In cities, cars are going relatively slowly and are somewhat used to cycles - whilst in the country cars are going pretty fast, and even notionally "sensible" drivers get "surprised" by bikes or whatever round the next bend. Even on leafy lanes the risks are there - there are fewer cars granted, but still...

 

[Dangermouse]

What ever has happened, I think we all can say, it is a tragedy.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Alien abduction is as valid an answer as any other speculative suggestion.

Please, don't give Classic any more ideas!!

When they returned from their 36 hour continuous shift, they had some horrific stories which would tend to point to some of the passengers surviving for at least a few seconds after the aircraft broke up. The after effects of Lockerbie on everyone involved are still being felt today; truly a horrific tragedy.

There was the story of the Flight Attendant who survived, only to die in the arms of the Minister of the Church she'd landed outside of. I wonder who else suvived, only to die on the ground...

I was directly involved in the immediate aftermath at Lockerbie and remember asking one of the pathologists about the likelihood of passengers being aware of their situation. She explained that there would be an initial loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen then, after falling between 5,500 to 11,000 feet, some people would have regained conciousness for the remainder of their descent. The first body I came across was that of Suzanne Miazga, who had landed on her back on the narrow grass strip right at the door of the ambulance station.

Backing up the story given above.

FWIW, my Uncle was in the Police at the time too and was sent to Lockerbie, he has never really talked much about it, but we have heard the stories of him finding people still strapped into their seats, people who were now about 4 feet tall after hitting the ground, and of the indentations in the ground from the force of them hitting it, etc etc.

Not nice.

 

[MontyVeda]

That or re-enacting Lost.

please no... that was bad enough the first time around.

 

[classic33]

No it doesn't. And we really did land on the Moon.

Not heard of NASA East then!

 

[classic33]

Just in case anyone was interested .... I survived my 11 hour flight thanks to picking an empty row of 4 seats and having enough scotch to sleep most of the way .... I now find myself on Johannesburg SA. Goodnight all.

We could have tracked it to make certain you were still airbourne.

 

[classic33]

Please, don't give Classic any more ideas!!

Not nice.

Why?

The same plane was involved in a ground based accident in which it sufferred damage to it tail.

 

[ASC1951]

I wonder if that's true.....

It may well not be, hence "I assume". But I find cycling in urban traffic unpleasant, and now that I am retired I will never have to do it, so I don't. Motorcycling OTOH really is dangerous and I was well aware of that whenever I was astride the Roaring Norton.

 

[Profpointy]

It may well not be, hence "I assume". But I find cycling in urban traffic unpleasant, and now that I am retired I will never have to do it, so I don't. Motorcycling OTOH really is dangerous and I was well aware of that whenever I was astride the Roaring Norton.

I don't know for certain either - but concur that leafy lanes are nicer - a & b-roads rather less so. Perhaps rather perversely i quite like town cycling - much nicer than driving and much quicker than walking (or driving).

 

[MontyVeda]

Not heard of NASA East then!

is that the wing of NASA that used out-takes from Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey to fake the Moon Landing footage?

 

[classic33]

is that the wing of NASA that used out-takes from Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey to fake the Moon Landing footage?

You've heard of it then!
They shot lunar activity there, prior to Kennedy's speech.

 

[JoeyB]

Should have bought a shredder with reverse gear