Posted on 12/26/2006 5:19:02 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
British Prime Minister Tony Blair was confirmed to be aboard the British Airways flight that overshot the runway at Miami International Airport Tuesday evening.
Flight 209, carrying 343 passengers and crew onboard luckily had no injuries. The plane did not sustain any damage, but some runway lights were broken by the plane. The plane was making an arrival from London’s Heathrow Airport, with Blair traveling in first class.
No word yet on what caused it to slightly run off the landing area and onto the grass.
The plane, with passengers inside, is being towed to the terminal.
CBS sources would not comment further as to why Blair was traveling on the plane.
He would get all the security needed whether he flies commercial or special chartered plane. The only thing where I may go along with him travelling by charter is that of the inconvenience to others on the commercial flight. However unless he pays for the chartered plane I will go with the inconvenience for others.
"got a REAL strong Jones for some Third World Pollo ,Arroz Moro, & Platanos maduro."
You forgot the coffee con leche/colado, and, worse yet, the flan!
;-)
"- I'm not a pilot, but as a passenger, I've noticed that pilots from northern climates can sometimes have problems when landing at airports like Miami or Tampa where the air is often hot and very humid. This seems to increase the lift on the wings."
As a seaplane pilot, rest assured that heat and humidity decrease lift, not increase it.
The factors controlling a large jet are both complex and have response factors which make it very easy for the pilot to get behind the time line for decision making.
Even a slight error can cause difficulties when landing a few hundred thousand pounds of metal on a narrow strip of pavement at speeds double that of highway travel. That's Interstate speeds on a good day, and in open country.
Still and all, the pilot will doubtless hear about that one for a long time.
What's bad about "slightly run off the landing area ?"
Since you both are getting kind of technical, technically the President is not directly elected, just pointing that out.
And then there's the sovereign nation made of sovereign states thing, and which is more powerful: the federal or state governments?
You're having a slow day aren't you?
Just curious, how is the PM reached in an emergency if he's flying commercial? Is it on an unsecured phone? What privacy/security is he guaranteed if he needs to talk with say...the POTUS?
Blair's vacation destination: The Gibb Mansion
25°50'16.45"N
80° 7'56.83"W
Formerly used by JFK for trysts with certain females including Marilyn Monroe.
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