Posted on 02/17/2005 5:30:25 PM PST by Edward Watson
CNN just showed a report on how easy it is to obtain a 50 cal rifle through the internet together with armor piecing rounds, and how to bypass the federal restrictions by a private person-to-person cash sale.
Not only that, these idiots had the investigative reporter fire at an airplane door and discussed how easy it is for a terrorist to use these guns to shoot down commercial aircraft.
One thing Islamic terrorists are is most of them are incredibly stupid and wouldn't know how to go around acquiring a 50 calibre rifle with telescopic sights and armour-piercing rounds.
Now, thanks to CNN, every single terrorist who saw or will become aware of the program now know exactly how to circumvent the law in order to get these weapons.
What irresponsible journalism. Why don't these people realize there are certain things you have to keep your mouth shut on in order to protect the public.
Can any of the American freepers here do what you can to haul CNN on the carpet for this irresponsible report?
So stupid that they were able to pull off flying two planes into the world trade center towers and one into the pentagon.
I'm usually the last to defend CNN, but the truth is many terrorists are highly educated individuals. By being in a sleeper cell for a number of years, they would have learned how to do this anyway. All CNN did was to expose a flaw in our security so that it could be fixed before it was exploited.
Not sure, I have not read anything about it.
CNN is working for Jim Moran, D-VA, who is sponsoring a bill to ban the sale of this gun.
There is no reason to turn oneself inside out over it: shooting at and hitting a rapidly moving target (i.e. airplane) from a respectable distance is a non-trivial exercise and would take an atrocious amount of practice. In WWII and earlier multiple machine guns were used for the purpose, with the success rate (hits per rounds expended) being abominably low. And they had an advantage of using tracer rounds and correcting their aim in the process.
Apparently the guy is a science teacher and he was teaching the students about reaction rates. One of the kids went home and blew something up and filmed it of course.
In World War II I believe the figure was 8,000 German 88 Anti-aircraft rounds fired(mind you, these are big shells that airburst so you don't need a direct hit) for each Allied Bomber shot down.
The threat from terrorists shooting 50 calibers at airborne aircraft is for all intents and purposes, non-existent.
I don't "need" one. I don't want one. But now the're going to make me go out and get one!
I don't "need" one. I don't want one. But now the're going to make me go out and get one!
A few years ago we had an airplane hit a flock of geese. One of them hit just below the Captain's window, dislodging the windshield wiper. The windshield wiper flew into the propeller, which sent it lenghwise through the fuselage and into the thigh of the passenger seated in seat 2D. The NTSB narrative follows:
On November 8, 2000, at 1800 central standard time, a SAAB-340-B, N402XJ, operated by Mesaba Aviation, Inc., was substantially damaged when the airplane impacted a flock of geese during an approach for landing. The windshield wiper was torn from the airplane. The left composite propeller exhibited impact marks and chordwise scratching on the face of a propeller blade. Metal fragments punctured the left side of the fuselage and one of the fragments hit a passenger in the leg. The airplane landed without incident. The passenger was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment for minor injuries. The pilot, copilot, flight attendant, and the remaining 21 passengers were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 121 Mesaba flight 2831 had departed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Minneapolis, Minnesota, and landed at the Aberdeen Regional Airport (ABR), Aberdeen, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed.
The Captain reported the airplane was on the ABR ILS Rwy 31 approach at 600 feet above ground level when the airplane impacted a flock of snow geese. The Captain reported he decided to continue the approach for landing. Once on the ground the flight attendant informed the Captain there was a hole in the side of the airplane and that a passenger was injured. The Captain reported a doctor on board the airplane removed a piece of metal from the passenger's leg and administered first aid prior to the ambulance arriving.
The Captain reported, "When we looked at aircraft 402 it was pretty messed up. There were geese in both intakes, three holes in the side, prop blades with pieces missing out of them, a side window busted, both front windows hit and one wiper gone, the other broke off to the side, one gear was hit and one flap."
Anyway apparently the passenger's only request was that he be allowed to keep the windshield wiper as a souvenir.
My point is that the leftist loonies/liars/morons haven't changed a bit -even in their methods - in 40+ years.
I don't think anyone of consequence believes anything CNN says anymore.
>>Unless you hit a critical component, it is very unlikely >>it would cause the airliner to crash.
>>You could be on the plane, and fire bullets all around >>you, and not cause the plane to crash.
!!!WRONG!!! DEPENDS ON THE ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
Physics 101: the higher the altitude, the lower the
atmospheric pressure. That is why aircraft cabins are
PRESSURIZED. A typical 737 flies at 30,000+ ft, you need
oxygen masks at 15,000 ft. If the fuselage is punctured
while pressurized at altitude, everybody inside the cabin
will be killed either by lack of oxygen, or most likely,
by being extruded through the decompression hole.
Same reason shaving cream shoots out of a can, it's
pressurized....
Any crash (airplane) you walk away from is a good one.
BTW. Know what the propeller is for on an airplane?
I went to military school. It was a required-pass subject.
WRONG. Very strong word.
If the airliner was at FL30 and the cabin depressurized, the passengers might die, the pilot would probably get his mask on and land the plane safely. So, a crash is not certain.
Anyone that could hit an airliner at 30,000 feet with a .50, again, deserves a MARKSMANSHIP AWARD.
And apparently can't figure out that a few keystrokes on the internet could provide them with valuable information.
OK I'll bite....what's it for?
In shop class, one of my fellow students filled a balloon with acetylene, and then hit it with the flame from the torch.
It blowed up REAL GOOD!!!
I've got a buddy that was a commercial airline pilot. I asked him once if anyone ever shoots at them, and he told me that every now and then they find a bullet hole in one of them. If it were flying low enough, a .308 would be pretty easy to shoot into one. Of course, you couldn't actually bring the jet down with it, unless you were "lucky" and caught the pilot in the head or something.
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