Posted on 05/22/2006 7:54:31 PM PDT by naturalman1975
US President George W Bush's Air Force One aircraft damaged the runway when it landed at Canberra airport in 2003, leaving Australian taxpayers to pick up the bill, a parliamentary committee has been told.
The high-tech Boeing 747 jumbo jet, dubbed the flying White House, was much heavier than most aircraft that land on the runway and caused damage to the pavement.
Other military and VIP planes had also damaged the runway but the visit by Air Force One worried the airport owners to the point where they raised concerns about the weight of the jet with the Federal Government.
In response to questioning from Opposition transport spokesman Kerry O'Brien, a parliamentary committee today heard the Government had agreed to fix the runway.
Department of Transport and Regional Services deputy secretary Mike Mrdak said the Commonwealth did make "arrangements" to fix any damage done to the runway.
Those arrangements were delivered in last year's Budget, with the Government providing $28.5 million for runway strengthening at Canberra.
Bureaucrats fronting the committee denied it was solely the visit of Air Force One that had forced the strengthening work.
Senator O'Brien then asked why no heavy jets had landed on the runway since the visit by President Bush.
"It's interesting that after the Bush visit the dispensations (for heavy jet landings) had been discontinued," Senator O'Brien said.
Mr Mrdak replied: "There's a point at which the surface limitations come into affect and the airport operator does not wish to see further pavement damage and that was reached from that time on."
Canberra airport is the only airport in Australia to receive federal funding for runway strengthening.
Bush's fault...
Hey, Air Force One was just marking its territory.
I can't believe the PIC (pilot in command) of AF1 would knowingly land on a runway that was not rated to support the landing weight of his aircraft. That makes no sense at all!
Oh for crying out loud............
Didn't we hear about this a couple yrs ago?
call that wimp feingold..censure President Bush..he and he alone is responsible for damaging that strip..
Have the Democrats and True Conservatives demanded Impeachment hearings yet?
Thank you...
I had this sudden mental image of a 747-400 leaning to the right side with the left side wheels off the ground....
Arrrrgh!!!!
Impeach Bush! Or better yet, impeach the idiot who had Air Force One land on a runway it was not rated for.
LOL! Very clever and very funny!!!!
Is there anything anywhere in the world that ISN"T President Bush's falt???
Bush, Rove and Cheney manipulate the laws of physics to suit their nefarious agenda. Make 'em all pay for that runway!/s
In 2003 Canbarra airport couldn't facilitate a 747 Jumbo? Uh, where have they been for the last twenty years?
You post a link to this article on all the "Jorge Arbusto" threads and have some fun with the weakest links :-)
This is nothing but petty crap. You can believe PM Howard's administration has nothing to do with this crap. Some leftist reporter getting there shots the only way they can trying to stir up down home australian grass root nationalism. It won't work.
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