Posted on 11/20/2004 11:34:28 PM PST by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON U-S Customs officials have detained two passengers from an Air France flight bound for Dulles International Airport near Washington.
Transportation Security Administration officials say the plane was diverted to Bangor, Maine because they discovered that one of the passengers is on the U-S no-fly list. The plane eventually flew on to Dulles - arriving more than two hours late.
T-S-A spokeswoman Yolanda Clark says the other person detained was traveling with the banned passenger. Both are in the custody of local law enforcement in Bangor.
She says T-S-A is investigating why the passenger was allowed to board the plane in Paris.
Passengers, who didn't know there was a problem until they crossed into U-S air space, say everything went smoothly. Some were alarmed when they heard about the incident.
Good point.
Yes, you are correct. The shortest path on the surface of a sphere is an arc (Great Circle) when projected onto a flat surface, a map.
Well, it's an arc on the sphere surface, also, because of the curvature.
On the no-drive list.
I think I read once that Bangor is the site of an old military air defense field that's since been converted to handle emergency landings, diverted flights, etc. They actually have people from the town specially trained for this.
Do an internet search on "great circle" routing.
True; the "great circle" route is actually shorter than a straight line. When we left Ireland for the U.S. near sunset we arrived In east coast airspace a little after sunset.
I've seen these people up too close for comfort.
On a sphere, a Great Circle is the shortest distance between two points, just as a straight line is the shortest distance between two points in Plane Geometry.
I hope this, "explains the plane in Maine!"
Ok, but what about the rain in Spain?
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB5EQDDT1E.html
"They are being detained and will be going through processing for expedited removal" from the country, said Janet Rapaport, spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Rapaport did not have the names or ages of the men, and did not know why one was on the no-fly list.
PRE-9/11 - Europe, especially Paris DeGaulle, was very strict and efficient screening passengers on outgoing international flights while in the US, you just needed an active pulse to leave or enter the US. Flying Air France often on business, my spouse says that leaving Paris a couple weeks ago - security was much tighter than normal but nothing compared to leaving the US - laptops, cell phones, etc. must be taken out and placed in special x-ray box whereas earlier this year, laptops remained in their cases while undergoing x-ray.
Dow Air Field, near Bangor Maine, was closed shortly after the end of World War II. It was then reactivated for the Korean War, and finally closed in 1968. Dow Air Force Base was a primary employer in Bangor area until its closure. Bangor is a small city located in central Maine that maintains an balance between small town comfort and the resources associated with an urban setting. Bangor International Airport is located on the former Dow Air Force Base. Bangor is the major transportation and distribution center for the northern two-thirds of the state of Maine. At the Bangor International Airport, several airlines provide regular passenger and cargo flights to cities throughout the United States and Europe."
The airfield is remote and can handle the big jets when diverted. If a possible terrorist is on board, they don't want to divert to JFK or Dulles.
Hussein in Maine stays mainly on the plane...?
Well pre-911, the security was a joke in the US. And guess who was put in charge of improving that? Mr. Algore who ended up looked the other way for cash... I truly think that`s why Al lost his mind, from the guilt, not from losing the Presidency.
LOL
I love the smell of French perfume, their wine/champagne is excellent, the women do shave, are darn sexy, and they are arrogant bastards. To each his own, I suppose.
Airplanes that fly from America to Europe and vice versa fly in an arc. It is actually shorter then flying straight.
Correct. It's called the Great Circle route. It looks curved on a flat map, but stretch a string over a globe between Paris and NYC and it becomes apparent.
what is the flight number?
From France with Love!
Let the state of Maine or Massachusets have them all!!
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