[Tzfat]

Even in ground effect, fuel burn would have been excessive and true airspeed half what it would be at a more suitable cruise altitude.

If the aircraft was stolen, they stayed at altitude. Radar is highly localized, so they did not need to worry about being seen. Just turn off the transponder and your primary return gets lost in the scatter. Then go wherever you want if you are out over water.

There are thousands of miles in the Atlantic tracks that are unmonitored by radar. If airliners can be invisible (intentionally) on the busiest airways in the world, a B777 can easily disappear in the murky airspace around third world countries. It is surprising that this has not been tried before.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Muzzies are a little slow but they are playing catch up.

[Jack Hydrazine]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/rw/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2014/03/13/Foreign/Graphics/wPlaneEngines_graphicB.jpg

[Jack Hydrazine]

I’m am going to go out on a limb again and say the following.

This aircraft is going to be used in a major terrorist op against the US before the November 2014 elections in order to save the Dems’ butts.