[ewing]

Anyone see this on Good Morning America?

[mbynack]

He Is Not A Terrorist

Isn't that what the relatives of the 911 hijackers kept saying?

[Ayn Rand wannabe]

How can you just lose a 727? That seems a bit odd.

[Dirk McQuickly]

What is it with terrorists and the last name "Padilla"?

(see wife of Terry Nichols, dirty bomber...)

[Hodar]

I wonder if he is any relation to Jose Padilla, another convicted US terrorist?? Is this guy a recent convert to Islam, like Jose was?

[TomGuy]

Wonder if Benjamin is related to Jose Padilla (of "dirty bomber" fame)?

[Grut]

The thought of climbing into an airplane that's been sitting out in the weather for a year or more makes this one-time aviator cringe. Airplanes that aren't flown break. This bird is probably at the bottom of a crater somewhere in the rain forest.

[Bikers4Bush]

"refitted to haul diesel fuel tanks"

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. This plane will turn up and it'll be loaded with something very nasty when it does.

[Howlin]

I wonder is he's related to this guy?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/698951/posts

[Weimdog]

He's not going very far.

727 Maximum Range -
Range with maximum payload: 2,140 nautical miles. Range with maximum fuel: 2,400 nautical miles.

http://members.tripod.com/~cyberpilot/boeing_home.htm

And without the proper flight plan he can't get permission to land or refuel at any major airports.

[jriemer]

Hope this Padilla doesn't go bad like the other one...

[RoughDobermann]

Here's a reference post about the same story.

[_Jim]

Family of Possible 727 Pilot: He Is Not A Terrorist

THIS can't be right, junior sleuths!

Go with your guts - track down the conspriracy that's behind this sinister plot involving a 727 that was repo'd from a man who owed A LOT of people money!

I, personnally am looking forward to the entertainmant value as well as the monumental waste of mental energy and time you'll spend in 'dreaming up' motive, etc. ...

</sarcasm>

[bmwcyle]

Alright he is a thief, a felon....

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I thought we figured out this was a repo job. I guess not.

Padilla huh. Any relation to the other Padilla?

[ko_kyi]

Who says they have to hold diesel fuel?

If this is for a terrorist attack they could hold lots worse stuff than fuel.

[not-an-ostrich]

The plane is probably sitting in Sudan waiting to be loaded with something nasty.

[razorback-bert]

Most intelligence officials believe the plane was stolen to run drugs or guns, or as part of an insurance scam.

I will go with reason 3.

[Terridan]

"Family of Possible 727 Pilot: He Is Not A Terrorist"

SO WHERE THE HELL IS HE???

I am not worried though... the military knows where this 727 is... let us not get crazy.

[isom35]

if this plane is using a cloaking device, and can fire a
photon torpedo while cloaked...

[Benita Padilla-Kirkland]

I am the sister of the man who is being referred to as the pilot of this missing 727 from Angola. First of all, I want to clarify a few postings made below. We are NOT related to Jose Padilla and my brother Ben has lived in South Florida for over 20 years. Any inference made that he just happened to be there when the 9/11 terrorists were training is just plain ignorance and lack of knowing the facts surrounding his life. Also, Padilla is a common hispanic surname like Smith is to caucasians. My brother IS a patriot and our family knows that he was repossessing the aircraft as instructed by his employer. He has fallen victim to and has been kidnapped by either a terrorist or criminal organization. His employer also has faith in him and his integrity and character. He would not steal anything and on the contrary constantly tried to save his employer money by renogiating operational maintenance contracts on this aircraft and the fees owed to the airport. He is a generous man, trying to make a living in a dangerous country. He's not unlike any one of you and our family is devastated as the possibility we may never see him again. He was a single father during the 70s and 80s and raised two children by himself. His nomadic nature I referred to on GMA is the fact that his children are now adults and he loves to travel and fly and has no reason to maintain a home here any longer. He is very adventurous and loves life. He began his career as a millwright, and then became an A/P (aircraft mechanic) and then obtained his pilot's license. Nothing in his character would even remotely indicate he has 'switched' alliances, particularly after his strong feelings about the 9/11 incidents. As long as he had one breath in his body, he would NOT allow Americans to be harmed with an aircraft.