Actually Pappy, according to the National Terrorist Alert Resource Center suit case nukes aren't all that big - I suspect less than 100 lbs.
Posted on 05/11/2005 10:09:33 AM PDT by kristinn
CNN's Kelly Arena reports that one man is being held by Maryland State Police at an airport in Frederick, MD. The police are waiting for federal authorities to arrive on the scene.
The man is said to be the pilot of the small aircraft that triggered an evacuation of government buildings in downtown Washington when he reportedly violated restricted airspace.
Frederick, MD. is located about an hour northwest of Washington, D.C. along the I-270 corridor.
Actually Pappy, according to the National Terrorist Alert Resource Center suit case nukes aren't all that big - I suspect less than 100 lbs.
Hope this isn't off topic, but did anyone see the clip of congress evacuating? During that, someone grabbed a pole from the corner of the room. Anyone know what the heck that thing was? It was gold and there was an eagle at the top of it.
Truman had the White House rebuilt, not FDR. There is an incredible photo in the Truman Library of the gutted White House with excavation equipment inside.
Did he ever pull the "Flintstone slip" on you? Mine did once when I was a bit high on short final....He popped open his door and held it out with his foot.
Like I said, he should have caught a missile for his stupidity.
How I pity the bureaucrats and politik aristocracy scramblng for cover. I expect the wayward pilot and/or the Democrats will blame the pilot's faulty navigation on President Bush and the Patriot Act. (Only the last line is sarcasim.)
Can you imagine the paperwork that will be generated in the next few days?
***I'm about all the toilet paper...
Yup, though the B had a nasty habit of getting distracted by the sun and wandering off by itself.
Either way, he should have received a missile for his actions. That's one government expense I'd happily help pay.
Reminds me of the days in a P2V. Opening up a hatch in the aft ordnance area, holding a corn broom out until the pilot trimmed it up, then pulling it back in. Then there's the times I'd milk the flexible rupper tube going to the true air transducer. Roller coaster.
(Hummm....reposted due to my incoherent comment...)
"How I pity the bureaucrats and politik aristocracy scramblng for cover. I expect the wayward pilot and/or the Democrats will blame the pilot's faulty navigation on President Bush and the Patriot Act. (Only the last line is sarcasim.)"
Can you imagine the paperwork that will be generated in the next few days?
***I'm imagining all the toilet paper today..."
(Hummm....reposted due to my incoherent comment...)
"How I pity the bureaucrats and politik aristocracy scramblng for cover. I expect the wayward pilot and/or the Democrats will blame the pilot's faulty navigation on President Bush and the Patriot Act. (Only the last line is sarcasim.)"
Can you imagine the paperwork that will be generated in the next few days?
***I'm imagining all the toilet paper today..."
That's why the systems around Washington need to be automatic with man-in-the-loop abort capability.
I've rented aircraft from Smoketown in the past, way back, used to be a nice place, don't know about what it's like now, did some avionics work for them too, a long time ago, traded it for flight time, an honored and age old practice ;-)
IMO this dude was a complete idijit, there is simply no excuse, in these post 9/11 days, for flying around down there without being in radio contact with either a tower or an approach/departure control, and knowing your position at all times ( a cinch with GPS, even with nothing but a sectional and VOR). This sounds like either a leftist wacko testing the waters, or some other nefarious individual (can't profile here, but you get the pic) doing the same thing as a dry run for another "for real" kamikaze attempt, with whatever payload you can imagine would fit even in a 150 (and there is a LOT of REALLY nasty stuff that will fit in even the smallest A/C.
Now, I may not have a medical any more (the FAA takes a dim view of those with closed head injuries, who take 200mg/day of Topamax (TM) for uncontrolled Migraines,( do you know that that stuff makes you lose words? "Uh.....Uh...whatever approach, this is Uh.....some aircraft..."well you get the pix...it doesn't affect one's typing skills, and you don't lose words all the time, I'm just kidding around some here ;-) and 200MG/day of Zoloft (TM) and blood pressure meds in the left seat( or any seat) in the pointy end of aircraft, Comml/Private, either fixed wing or Helo, and it's real hard to have to give it up cold (been on the ground since '98) but one doesn't forget such basic procedures, especially in such sensitive airspace.
This guy is a nutball, and frankly, if a couple of FA-18's hosed some 20 MM tracers in front of his prop, he deserved to fill his pants..... Darn, I would have loved to see some actual video, both from the FA-18 gun camera/HUD, and (I wish) from a "candid camera" in that 150 cockpit. The mix of the screams with the engine noise would be priceless.
Sometimes the system does work, after all.. I wonder what freq this idjit was "ignoring" on, and if he was squawking anything except 1200......
Keep the Faith for Freedom
Greg
LOL!
Good old Camp Detrick, also known as "Detrick U" by the boys of the 9766th TSU 1951-53. "He who wears the Service Star shall never wear a battle scar".
or some other nefarious individual (can't profile here, but you get the pic) doing the same thing as a dry run for another "for real" kamikaze attempt,Then we'll see how well the Patriot 'SAMs' work then ...
(KNOW your air defense capability, then extrapolate to the expected result ...)
IMNSHO a 180 or 182 is a bit light for bush work. Even a 172 is useless with floats- as a land plane you have to leave one seat empty if your tanks are full so add the floats and it won't lift much more than the pilot.
One accidental (or even proper) shootdown could do more damage than a wayward plane. Unleashing ordinance over a populated area has the potential for a lot of casualties. I'd rather have someone on the button who'd consider the consequences before making a decision.
Darn right......I do believe they will work quite well, as designed.... I just hope that the C3I folks have the intestinal fortitude to authorize release when such a scenario happens. I fear that those in authority will be too micromanaged, and bound by Political Correctness, and fear of lawsuits from the unavoidable collateral damage from the falling bits that they will make the always fatal mistake of "delayed decision"
There simply isn't enough time, given the distances involved, to become involved in a lengthy hand-ringing decision process. If you have a "hostile inbound", one simply has to make "x" number of radio calls, fire "x number of flares, allow a fighter to make a intercept pass, fire some warning shots, and if said "hostile" doesn't immediately do a 180,lower their gear (if said aircraft has retractable gear) and follow the intercept A/C to the designated airport for arrest/impoundment, then one commands "release". and the automatic sequencer takes over from that point. The stakes are too high, and the possible lethal area of munitions which can be carried in even the smallest of aircraft makes necessary a definitive destruct point, without recourse, as far away from the sensitive area as possible. The choice is simple, and one has to revert to common sense and training, and totally ignore polls, public opinion, and "Monday morning quarterbacking".
If someone screws up big time, then, in today's world, there simply is no wiggle room for second guessing, at least that is the way I was trained.
Unfortunately, in the real world of "all news all the time" and "instant polls". and the talking heads spewing nonsense about everything before they know anything, I sincerely doubt that instant, decisive, action is a real fact. I hope I'm wrong, and I see the result of a successful intercept/shootdown, of an actual terrorist threat on the news, to prove to the public that the danger exists, and we can successfully put a period to it.
Thanks for stating the exact view we all should have, and follow...
Keep the Faith for Freedom
Greg
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