Free Republic

Iran attracts a few tourists who love to see, and if possible, fly on vintage airliners that have vanished from the skies elsewhere. US sanctions on the sale of airliners containing US-manufactured components make it impossible to sell not just Boeings but also Airbus planes, which rely on engines, avionics and other bits and pieces which are developed and made in the USA. As a result, the airlines of Iran rely on old models that were flying in Iran before the Islamic Revolution, or which have been smuggled into the country by devious means. A cloak and dagger tale has...

SNIPPET: "BERLIN: The take-off of a German flight to Tokyo was delayed after two dozen Japanese tourists on board fell ill with violent stomach cramps, German police said. Shortly before take-off on Saturday afternoon, the Airbus A340 carrying some 300 passengers returned to the airport terminal in Berlin after the tourists complained of stomach pains and nausea, said a police statement." SNIPPET: "The victims also complained of vertigo, vomiting and circulation problems, according to doctors, though their lives were not thought to be in danger, said the police statement. Doctors were still trying to ascertain what had caused the sickness,...