Nice People Thread Number 11 - A Treasury of Nice People

vivatifosi

michaels wrote: »

Although interestingly the military radar suggested the plane climbed from35k feet to 45k feet (above the standard max cruising height for a 777 of 43,100) and a quick google suggests that this might make a big difference to whether a mobile call could be made successfully...conspiracy theories are us....

I asked DH. He said 777 doesn't go to 45k, not rated, maybe it was a faulty reading as it would get to that, (or at least that's my interpretation of what he said). There's been a lot said about the primary radar reading not being able to accurately read height and I think that's more likely.

The height differentials are likely to be to avoid other aircraft flying in those corridors. If that is the case, I think pilot suicide is unlikely.

In terms of the other stuff, bear in mind that air accident bods are meticulous and anally retentive. Generally the plane has already crashed before the NTSB/AAIB and so forth go in. It just goes against everything that they do to come up with wild theories. They take their time and get it right. This is totally outside of their frame of reference, nothing like this has happened before, nothing. Meanwhile the world wants an explanation and you get ridiculous stories coming out (aliens have abducted the flight (how?), it was abducted by America and taken to Diego Garcia (why?), it was shot down by the Malays and they are covering up (just plain duh)).

However I will reiterate what DH said to me post 9/11: this is the safest time to fly. The world is on its A game. Nothing like this will happen again. And so far, it hasn't. Whatever has happened to this flight it has not exhibited the characteristics of 9/11. It is however a game changer and things will happen as a result (ETA: in that last sentence I'm talking about in terms of safety and security, not in terms of WW3... things like wider use of Interpol passport database, perhaps more tracking equipment on planes, etc).

vivatifosi

It is probably in bad taste but I will mention this in an effort to lighten the mood. Many people in the world will - for the first time this week - have learned of the existence of the Straits of Malacca.

It has never ceased to amuse me that the word Malacca (though clearly spelt differently) is Greek for w*nker.

Generali

I've just booked my next appointment with the specialist. It's cheaper this time at $100 so I'll be just $15 out of pocket. Hopefully this time they'll know what it is so we can get on with fixing it.

I've had to come home because one of the Generalissimos is off sick. I came home and lay down for a moment and fell asleep for 2 hours! I think this might all be taking its toll a bit.

LydiaJ

Sorry to hear about the Generalissimo being ill but you getting some sleep is definitely a silver lining. Please look after yourself, Gen.

When do you get the results of the latest biopsy, and when's your next appointment?

Generali

LydiaJ wrote: »

Sorry to hear about the Generalissimo being ill but you getting some sleep is definitely a silver lining. Please look after yourself, Gen.

When do you get the results of the latest biopsy, and when's your next appointment?

I'm still tired but it's nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. The problem is that I'm waking up in the night a lot.

I get the results at the next specialist appointment which is Thursday this week at 3.30pm (4:30am your time)..

neverdespairgirl

Generali wrote: »

I've had to come home because one of the Generalissimos is off sick. I came home and lay down for a moment and fell asleep for 2 hours! I think this might all be taking its toll a bit.

Hope the Gen-let is OK, and you too. Sounds as if sleep's exactly what you need at the moment <hugs>

bugslet

I am easily confused, arrived this morning to find two NP threads near each other, I hadn't realised you were near the 10,000 mark.

vivatifosi wrote: »

It has never ceased to amuse me that the word Malacca (though clearly spelt differently) is Greek for w*nker.

I used to work for a Greek forwarding company. I learned that word a long time before 'kalispera'. A nineteen year old girl forkie, how could the drivers not be tempted to enrich my vocabulary?:cool:

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Queuecam?! Definitely a posh alert :rotfl:

In the antithesis of tip poshalertness, ours is a five minute walk away... if there is a queue, I just turn round and go back home.

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

He is running the marathon this April in London, for charity, and he's been taking the training very seriously. He's now running half marathons 2 or 3 times a week, taking about an hour and a half to do 13 miles. He's definitely taken it seriously, and I think he's wonderful.

Wow:T. I just couldn't have that level of commitment over the months. I will be doing a marathon of baking at the end of April for the annual charity teaparty, but 16 hours of baking and a load of washing up are not in the same league as pounding the streets for several hours week after week. Good luck to him.

zagubov

vivatifosi wrote: »

I asked DH. He said 777 doesn't go to 45k, not rated, maybe it was a faulty reading as it would get to that, (or at least that's my interpretation of what he said). There's been a lot said about the primary radar reading not being able to accurately read height and I think that's more likely.

The height differentials are likely to be to avoid other aircraft flying in those corridors. If that is the case, I think pilot suicide is unlikely.

In terms of the other stuff, bear in mind that air accident bods are meticulous and anally retentive. Generally the plane has already crashed before the NTSB/AAIB and so forth go in. It just goes against everything that they do to come up with wild theories. They take their time and get it right. This is totally outside of their frame of reference, nothing like this has happened before, nothing. Meanwhile the world wants an explanation and you get ridiculous stories coming out (aliens have abducted the flight (how?), it was abducted by America and taken to Diego Garcia (why?), it was shot down by the Malays and they are covering up (just plain duh)).

However I will reiterate what DH said to me post 9/11: this is the safest time to fly. The world is on its A game. Nothing like this will happen again. And so far, it hasn't. Whatever has happened to this flight it has not exhibited the characteristics of 9/11. It is however a game changer and things will happen as a result (ETA: in that last sentence I'm talking about in terms of safety and security, not in terms of WW3... things like wider use of Interpol passport database, perhaps more tracking equipment on planes, etc).

This kind of incident is unsettling; something I never thought could happen in a world with satellites and national radar tracking everything that moves. The world must have some pretty huge undefended areas or huge surveillance and intelligence gaps that I wouldn't have thought existed.

SingleSue

LydiaJ wrote: »

I have been venturing out onto other threads on the board and getting a bit belligerent (well, belligerent compared with how I usually am, anyway - maybe not particularly so compared with the rest of the board ). Am now not sure if that was a good idea. Perhaps I had better retreat in here again. :whistle:

I do that from time to time...sometimes it makes me feel good, other times, I think about it and end up deleting my posts!

chewmylegoff

LydiaJ wrote: »

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks. Being at 45k feet is a more hopeful reason for not being able to make mobile calls than most of the alternatives.

It is perfectly possible that none of the passengers actually realised there was anything untoward going on for a long time. If I was flying somewhere and the plane turned left at the wrong point and flew in the wrong direction for hours I wouldn't realise until the flight was supposed to have landed and the plane was still at 30,000 feet. You'd hope the crew who weren't in the cockpit would notice earlier than that but they still may have been well out of range of mobile masts before anyone realised anything weird was going on.