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Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Why the NIST WTC 7 Report is False
Few people seem to know why the official report for World Trade Center building 7 is false and unscientific. Some might have heard that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (or NIST) has admitted that the building fell in free-fall acceleration for a period of time. But the fact is that the building could never have begun to fall the way NIST said it did. Here’s why.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
Version 7 of "What hit the Pentagon? Misinformation and its Effect on Credibilty..." is at the Journal of 9/11 Studies
In this version an additional photograph of debris has been included, wing loading on the spiral descent of flight AA77 has been calculated and the description of the position of CIT has been enlarged. Version 5 included a table showing that a range of flight paths exist which would enable a Boeing 757 to hit the light poles and the Pentagon without experiencing excessive g-force. As some researchers have stated that this is impossible the issue of misinformation arises and is examined in a postscript.
Read: http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2009/WhatHitPentagonDrLeggeAug.pdf
Friday, August 28, 2009
Remote In-Flight Course Changes Facilitated By 9/11 Model Aircraft Circa 2001
The capability to remotely transmit altered aircraft flight plan data via remote data link transmissions directly into Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft Flight Management Computers (FMCs) for use by aircraft auto-pilot functions, was technologically available circa 2001.
Developed in 1999 and technologically supported by the FANS-capable (Future Air Navigation System) Honeywell Pegasus Flight Management System (FMS) for Boeing 757s and 767s by 2000, Dynamic Airborne Reroute Procedure (DARP) technology enables aircraft course changes via modified flight plan waypoints remotely transmitted and installed into aircraft FMCs by VHF or SATCOM (satellite communications) transmission uplinks.
"Dynamic Rerouting, meaning the ability of controllers ... to change a filed routing once the flight is in progress ... "The new flight plan with all new waypoints goes into the data link to the comm satellite and is then downlinked into the FMSes of the individual aircraft," ... "And 'Wow,' say all the old pilots, 'Untouched by human hands!'" ... Our [dispatch] computer uplinks a route into the FMS that is identified as 'Route 2.' [You're already flying 'Route 1.']" [1]
A January, 2002 description of the capabilities of the Pegasus Flight Management System (FMS) for Boeing 757s and 767s:
""AOC (airline operations center) data link is an optional feature of the Pegasus FMC. This feature provides data link communication of ... route modifications ... directly into the FMC (flight management computer)."[2]
A May, 2000, explanation of the capabilities of the Pegasus Flight Management System (FMS) for Boeing 757s and 767s:
"A route request may either be a route modified by the crew, or a route which has been sent to the airplane from the Airline Data System."[3]
"The route can be sent by airline operations directly to the ATC Facility via AIDC, for example, for review and uplink to the aircraft."[4]
"At the time of the airworthiness approval of the 757/767 (Pegasus ‘00) FANS 1 FMC, the operational requirements ... for providing ... Dynamic Airborne Route Planning (DARP) based on FANS 1 communication capability were not determined."[5]
June, 2001:
"Dynamic rerouting (DARP) is not fully operational - Technology is available."[6]
The May, 2000, description of the capabilities of the Pegasus Flight Management System (FMS) for Boeing 757s and 767s continues:
"Three independent VHF systems (radios and antennas) are installed on the airplane to provide line of sight voice and data communication."[7]
"Satellite communications (SATCOM) may be provided for remote communications where terrestrial contact is unavailable, or by airline policy regardless of the state of other communication capabilities."[8]
The May, 2000, description of the capabilities of the Pegasus Flight Management System (FMS) for Boeing 757s and 767s continues:
"The FMC has the capability to store 2 routes, designated as route 1 and route 2. The route which defines the flight plan along which the airplane is to be flown is the active route."[9]
A Federal Aviation Administration publication description of the capability to remotely modify active flight plans already being executed by certain aircraft Flight Management Systems:
"Planned Airborne Re-route Procedure – DARP (Data link Aircraft): AOC (airline operations center) will plan the re-route and uplink the route to the aircraft, commencing from the waypoint on the current route, ahead of the Aircraft and finishing at destination. Note: Some Flight Management Systems allow AOC uplinks to the Active Route. It is recommended that all AOC route uplinks are directed to the Inactive Route."[10]
Honeywell and Rockwell Collins flight management systems are common to the Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft and certified for use in 1996 and 1998 and in 2000 via retrofit:
"The Honeywell "Pegasus" flight management system earned its first FAA certifications March on the Boeing 757, 767 ... Airlines get FANS-1/FANS-A capability ... FANS-1 ... allows operators to obtain more economical routings and to utilize satellite navigation."[11]
"Rockwell's Collins Commercial Avionics, based in Cedar Rapids, has made major announcements of the selection of its Multi-Mode Receiver (MMR) landing system by two of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing ... Subsequent certifications are planned for Boeing's ... 757 and 767 ... The Multi-Mode Receiver ... expands capabilities required by the air transport industry as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is phased into operation."[12]
"Operators of 757s and 767s may also choose to upgrade to the recently certified Future Air Navigation System (FANS) FMC (Pegasus), which is Y2K-ready and available. Service bulletins for the 757 and 767 FANS retrofit will be issued upon operator request."[13]
Boeing 757s and 767s containing such Flight Management Computers and Multi-mode Receivers, can precisely self-navigate entirely under augmented GPS-guided autopilot control, to destinations still out of sight and along routes that reportedly never vary more than 18 meters.
"Guided entirely by autopilot, an Air China Boeing 757 jet last month snaked along a narrow river valley between towering Himalayan peaks ... the airplane automatically followed the twists of the valley, descending on a precisely plotted highway in the sky toward a runway still out of sight ... Using global-positioning satellites and on-board instruments, Naverus' navigation technology pinpoints the location of a fast-moving jet to within yards ... "You're watching the whole thing unfold. The airplane is turning, going where it's supposed to go ... it's all automatic.""[14]
"For this RNP approach in Tibet, an Air China Boeing 757 was relying on dual GPS receivers, flight path computers and inertial reference systems ... the aircraft we are on is equipped with Honeywell Pegasus flight management systems and Rockwell Collins multi-mode receivers."[15]
Augmented GPS service activated in August 2000 supports extremely narrow navigation corridors:
"Precise satellite-guided flight paths look like discrete pipelines ... never vary more than 18 meters - half the wingspan of a Boeing 737."[16]
Augmented GPS service (Wide Area Augmentation System or WAAS) activated in August, 2000 supports aircraft navigation corridors as narrow as 243 feet and a 95% rate of aircraft containment.
"August 24, 2000 - WASHINGTON, DC — After a successful 21-day stability test of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) signal in space, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared that it is now available."[17]
"WAAS also supports required navigation performance (RNP) operations, says Raytheon, providing a precision navigation capability down to RNP 0.02 (an accuracy of 0.02nm)."[18]
1 nautical mile = 6,076 feet
RNP 0.02 = RNP (0.02 nautical mile radius) x 2 = RNP (121.5 foot radius) x 2 = a 243 foot wide corridor.
"Accuracy and integrity are expressed in terms of nautical miles and represent a containment radius of a circle centered around the computed FMC position where there is a defined containment probability level of the actual aircraft being inside the containment radius. For accuracy the containment probability level is 95%."[19]
On May 1, 2000 - 16 months prior September 11, 2001 - President Clinton announced that intentionally introduced position and timing errors in GPS data (Selective Availability or SA) would end. SA was implemented to deter abuse of GPS in the national security interest.
"Today, I am pleased to announce that the United States will stop the intentional degradation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) signals available to the public beginning at midnight tonight. We call this degradation feature Selective Availability (SA). This will mean that civilian users of GPS will be able to pinpoint locations up to ten times more accurately than they do now ... My decision to discontinue SA was based upon a recommendation by the Secretary of Defense in coordination with the Departments of State, Transportation, Commerce, the Director of Central Intelligence, and other Executive Branch Departments and Agencies.""[20]
References:
[1] FANS: Where Is It for Business Aviation? http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=bca&id=...
[2] 767 Flight Deck and Avionics - January 2002, Page 123 http://www.smartcockpit.com/pdf/plane/boeing/B767/misc/0001/
[3] 757/767: Air Traffic Services Systems Requirements and Objectives - Generation 2, Page 41 (Boeing, May 12, 2000) http://www.boeing.com/commercial/caft/cwg/ats_dl/757-767_ATS_SRO.pdf
[4] 757/767: Air Traffic Services Systems Requirements and Objectives - Generation 2, Page 41 (Boeing, May 12, 2000) http://www.boeing.com/commercial/caft/cwg/ats_dl/757-767_ATS_SRO.pdf
[5] 757/767: Air Traffic Services Systems Requirements and Objectives - Generation 2, Page 3 (Boeing, May 12, 2000) http://www.boeing.com/commercial/caft/cwg/ats_dl/757-767_ATS_SRO.pdf
[6] FANS Implementation in South Pacific (June, 2001) www.cena.fr/pages/1actu/atmrd/6lun18_06.pdf
[7] 757/767: Air Traffic Services Systems Requirements and Objectives - Generation 2, Page 49 (Boeing, May 12, 2000) http://www.boeing.com/commercial/caft/cwg/ats_dl/757-767_ATS_SRO.pdf
[8] 757/767: Air Traffic Services Systems Requirements and Objectives - Generation 2, Page 50 (Boeing, May 12, 2000) http://www.boeing.com/commercial/caft/cwg/ats_dl/757-767_ATS_SRO.pdf
[9] 757/767: Air Traffic Services Systems Requirements and Objectives - Generation 2, Page 50 (Boeing, May 12, 2000) http://www.boeing.com/commercial/caft/cwg/ats_dl/757-767_ATS_SRO.pdf
[10] THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MEETING OF THE INFORMAL PACIFIC ATC COORDINATING GROUP (November 2007) http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/.../documents/IPACG/IPACG27/WP11_DAR...
[11] HONEYWELL ANNOUNCES ORDERS FOR NEW-GENERATION "PEGASUS" FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SEPT. 7, 1998) http://www.aviationnow.com/shownews/farnday1/pressr15.htm
[12] Rockwell's Collins Landing System Picked for Both Airbus and Boeing Planes (September 6, 1996) http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18652301.html
[13] Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure (Boeing) http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_03/sy/sy01/story.html
[14] Kent company bringing a navigation revolution http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003316294_nave...
[15] Air China's First RNP Approach Into Linzhi Airport, Tibet http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id...
[16] A fuel-saving flight plan http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0807/gallery.copeland_naveru...
[17] AMENDED VERSION: Wide Area Augmentation System Signal Now Available http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=5249
[18]UPS wins FAA certification for wide-area GPS receiver http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2003/01/07/159964/ups-wins-faa-cert...
[19] RNP Capability of FANS 1 FMCS Equipped 757/767 http://www.boeing.com/commercial/caft/reference/documents/RNP757767.pdf
[20] STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT REGARDING THE UNITED STATES' DECISION TO STOP DEGRADING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM ACCURACY http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/FGCS/info/sans_SA/docs/statement.html
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Naval "National Center for Energetics" Records Of Pre-9/11 Nano-Energetic Materials Development, Nonexistent Or Destroyed
The Indian Head Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, (a branch of the Naval Sea Systems Command or NAVSEA), described in 1999 as the "national center for energetics"[1], "the only reliable source of aluminum nanopowders in the United States”[2] and in 2008 as "probably the most prominent US center for nano-thermite technology"[3], alleges via Freedom of Information Act replies that records "regarding research and development of nano-sized or Ultra Fine Grained (UFG) aluminum powders, nano-sized or Ultra Fine Grained (UFG) iron oxide powders or other metal oxide powders and Metastable Intermolecular Composites prior to 2002" do not exist. According to Indian Head, "research may have been conducted by Indian Head Division personnel but not submitted."
Records prior to 2002 of Indian Head's private sector partnerships regarding nano-sized energetic materials development and production, were reportedly destroyed per policy after seven years (or all such records prior to 2002).
Explosive, unreacted thermitic material containing nano-meter sized grains of intimately mixed aluminum and iron oxide, has recently been discovered in dust created by the collapses of the World Trade Center buildings on September 11, 2001.[4]
Evidence prior to 2002 of Indian Head's private sector partnerships regarding nano-sized energetic materials development and production exists.
December 2002:
"FY01 Technology Transfer Business Plan: IHDIV is considered the Navy’s Center of Excellence for Energetics development and has extensive expertise, capabilities, and information in energetics synthesis, formulation, and processing as well as in testing of energetic systems. IHDIV will transfer their knowledge of development and manufacturing energetics with respect to the use of TECHNANOGY produced nanoaluminum and supply TECHNANOGY with test data associated with the testing of TECHNANOGY nanoaluminum. TECHNANOGY is a leader in the production of nanoaluminum for use in energetic systems utilized for DoD purposes. To our knowledge, TECHNANOGY is the sole supplier of nanoaluminum for use in pilot scale processing. TECHNANOGY will share their material and knowledge of nanoaluminum processing subject to the terms and conditions of this CRADA. (cooperative research and development agreement)."
"The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program ... ensures that the nation's small, high-tech, innovative businesses are a significant part of the federal government's research and development efforts."
[1] Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head Mourns Loss of Its Energetic Champion
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-574412.html
[2][3] The Top Ten Connections Between NIST and Nano-Thermites
http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2008/Ryan_NIST_and_Nano-1.pdf
[4] Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe
http://www.bentham-open.org/pages/content.php?TOCPJ/2009/00000002/00000001/7TOCPJ.SGM...
Source
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Simulator Proves “Impossible Speed” was “probable” for Flt 11 and Flt 175
Simulator Proves “Impossible Speed” was “probable” for Flt 11 and Flt 175
By John Bursill – Licensed Avionics Aircraft Engineer, Boeing 767/737/747 Series
Background
For most 9/11 Truth Advocates the question of what hit the World Trade Centres on 9/11 is valid, though it is generally accepted likely that it was as reported, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. It has been suggested by some that the aircraft were drones or military cargo aircraft, but this hypothesis has failed to develop beyond some anomalies found in the grainy video of that day and a few witness reports. This ambiguous evidence of something other than AA11 and UA175 was predominantly brought to light by Dave von Kleist in his popular film “In Plane Site”. Von Kleist asked questions about the flights that hit the WTC; in particular, what he suggested was an appendage to the lower fuselage of Flight 175. He argued that this appendage or “pod”, as it came to be known, was not consistent with a standard Boeing 767-200 and could indicate a military aircraft. While interesting and not being dismissed by many pilots and industry professionals, this argument has been left behind by most as inconclusive and problematic. I for one have never dismissed out of hand the possibility that aircraft were swapped on the 11th of September 2001, but have chosen to accept the official version due to a simple lack of clear evidence of another.
Just when we seemed to move on, a much more problematic suggestion of “no planes” hitting the WTC on 9/11 raised its head in 2008. This assertion was thought completely ridiculous and immediately dismissed by the vast majority of the 9/11 Truth Movement, many of whom in New York City knew people that saw the planes. Unfortunately, a small minority of people picked up the issue as the “real truth” and dug in their heels. Rather than seeing this hypothesis as a possible disinformation campaign to distract the public from the real questions and to discredit our movement in general, some found it plausible and took great offence to it being ignored. In their minds, the censorship we all oppose about 9/11 Truth was apparently being used on them. I and many other researchers did not think the issue would have any traction at all due to its ludicrous nature and were surprised when we saw a very vocal group fighting hard for this hypothesis to be considered both scientific and as based in evidence. Obviously, this was helped by the usual suspects, Reynolds, Fetzer, Haupt, et al., getting behind the campaign. The "no planers" produced films, did interviews with “experts” (?) and moved to attack our best web sites proclaiming us, the “non-no plane” believers as agents, idiots, gatekeepers and fools. This is when some of us put aside important work to nip this hysteria in the bud, by debunking the claims made.
Examples of the work of advocates of the no-plane at the WTC theory are easy to find! Some of the more prominent ones are films such as “September Clues” and more recently “Continuos Pieces – 9/11”. There have been many articles pulling these films and ideas to pieces, so that now we can say the hypothesis of video fakery, holograms and implausible debris are obviously false, even to the gullible layperson, if fully considered. There was only one thing that I saw as an argument that still had some legs--the “impossible speed” of AA11 and UA175.
Impossible Speed of AA11 and UA175?
It was after viewing a YouTube of an interview done by Project Camelot with pilot John Lear talking about “no planes” (found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N2RrQWsGes) that I became extremely concerned! Lear stated during this interview that AA11 and UA175 demonstrated “impossible speed”. This obviously needed to be addressed and debunked, especially due to the fact Lear was an experienced and qualified pilot. I spent a day and debunked his video in an e-mail I sent out widely, which was also posted on the Net. Unfortunately, the problem persisted due to Lear being a member of “Pilots for 9/11 Truth” and the logistical difficulty of proving his “impossible speed” argument clearly false. Consequently this interview was still seen by many as credible regarding the capabilities of the 767-200, thereby keeping the “No Planers” alive a little longer.
I thought I could solve this problem by addressing the need to revoke Lear’s membership at Pilots for 9/11 Truth as a way of undermining his credibility. So I wrote to Robert Balsamo, the head of Pilots for 9/11 Truth, to discuss this video and Lear’s membership. He subsequently refused my request to remove him from Pilots for 9/11 Truth and actually defended his right to his opinion, as he was “qualified to have it.”
Lear brought up one other issue that I found very concerning in this interview which I will mention here briefly. Lear stated that remote control of a 767-200 was basically impossible. This statement, made as if fact, then gave credence to his no plane argument (straw man). I agree it would be truly very difficult to hit those towers in a 767 at that speed, even for an experienced pilot, using just manual control. Luckily this statement had little or no credibility, as most well informed researchers know Boeing had flown aircraft themselves during testing by remote control and it is well known that Autopilot Systems these days can do nearly anything. From my own experience as an Avionics Engineer I know that the installation of such a system is no big deal at all. (See http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2008/AutopilotSystemsMonaghan.pdf.... for technology plausibly used on 9/11.) I personally believe the most likely scenario was the use of remote control via a remote flight management program and parts of the aircrafts autopilot system, with the aid of GPS; for all the hijacked flights on 9/11.
Let’s now get to the question of Lear’s statement regarding the “impossible speed” at which both AA11 and UA175 were flying, according to official reports. Here are the simple facts relating to the Boeing 767-200’s AA11 & UA175 on 9/11;
1. The speed of the aircraft that hit the WTC was officially reported as between 500mph and 560mph ground speed, calculated by the observed point to point distance covered over time.
2. A Boeing 767-200 airframe is rated to .86 of Mach speed (speed of sound) at any altitude before the risk of structural failure. It as the aircraft approaches the speed of sound when the properties extreme high and low pressure areas can have destructive effects on the airframe. This figure is as with all limits set conservatively.
3. The speed of sound at approximate sea level is 761 mph on a standard day. Therefore the theoretical maximum speed the 767-200 can reach intact is, conservatively, .86 x 761mph = 654mph or approximately 100mph above the officially reported speed of AA11 or UA175.
4. The 767-200 is an aircraft that’s considered highly powered due to its requirement to function with only one engine for ETOPS - Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards. It is capable of taking off fully loaded with only one engine.
5. Lear’s argument: The normal maximum operating speed at sea level is 360Knots/h (Nautical miles) which equates to 415mph (a lot less than seen on 9/11). It is not, as Lear stated in his interview 360mph, which is considerably less. This maximum operating speed (Indicated) used is something that is decided by Boeing in conjunction with the operator and is not a structural or performance limit; rather it has been determined to be a safe speed at which to operate with commercial passengers on board and to prevent the need for increased maintenance.
6. The 767-200 is considered by pilots and aviation professionals to be a “slick” or “low drag” aircraft, being without bulbous construction and with highly swept 31.5 degree wings. It is well known that it is difficult to keep the 767 aircraft from over-speeding during decent; due to its low drag/high power configuration.
Considering all of these facts we are still left with the question: Can a 767-200 make 560mph ground speed at sea level or the equivalent of .74 of Mach speed? We know that it is definitely within its design parameters and that it can do so at high altitude (not in question), but can it do this at sea level (higher air density)? Considering that 560mph is 145mph faster than its recommended maximum operating speed (Lear’s argument), it is simply not possible to test this speed in a commercial 767-200 aircraft; it would be against the aircraft manufacturer’s recommendations, outside of standard company operating procedures and against the authorities’ rules (FAA in US). For these reasons we will not see a 767-200 attain 560mph in operation unless it is in the middle of an aircraft incident or accident. The only way to test this is in an accredited Full Flight Simulator.
Boeing 767-300 Simulator Experiment on the 29th of April 2009
The idea of using a Full Flight Simulator accredited by the FAA or relevant authority to test the maximum attainable speed for a Boeing 767-200 is only possible if you have the thousands of dollars it costs to hire such or access to one through your vocation. Well it just so happens that during my training in Sydney I worked in our Simulator Centre as a technician where Australian 767 pilots are trained and certified. The simulators are extremely busy and it is difficult to get access during the day or evening. On the 29th of April, after I had completed my work for the night shift, I drove to the Simulator Facilities at our Flight Training Centre at the Jet Base. I rang the nightshift maintenance staff and gained access to the building at just after 3am on the 29th of April 2009. Being licensed on the 767 and familiar with the facilities, I asked if I might access the simulator under the supervision of the technician on duty, Daniel Gazdoc. He agreed to help and I explained what I wanted to do and why.
We boarded the simulator (#2) which was configured as a GE powered 767-300 (marginally different from the 767-200, being a little longer and a bit heavier) and booted up the computers, placing the aircraft at 2000ft above Sydney (This altitude was set to prevent us hitting any obstacles if I lost control, resulting in an insignificant 6mph difference compared to AA11 and UA175; that is compared to Mach speed). We set the aircraft weight to 130,000kgs (286,000 pounds), approximately what it would have been on Flight 11 and 175; that is, lightly loaded. We pulled the aural warning circuit breakers on the overhead panel so that we would not be annoyed by configuration and over-speed warnings during our test. I sat in the pilot’s seat and pushed the throttles to the stops, maintaining wings level and a flat trajectory. To my surprise, within a few seconds we had exceeded the maximum operating Indicated Air Speed of 360Knots/h (415mph); then the needle continued to rise until it hit the stop on the indicator at over 400Knots/h (460mph). At this very fast speed you only have the Mach indication to go off, as IAS (Indicated Air Speed) is off the scale. The aircraft continued to increase speed until it reached .86 Mach (654mph), which is its rated airframe Mach speed limit. This makes complete sense, as the manufacturer does not want you to exceed this but wants you to have the maximum thrust available in case of emergency. At this air speed I was surprised at how easy it was to maintain my attitude once the aircraft was trimmed.
Originally thinking I was going to have to do a dive to attain the speeds of AA11 and UA175 due to the engines possibly struggling to make enough thrust, I thought it would be good to see what speed we could achieve in a shallow dive. We took the aircraft to 10,000ft and I commenced a 5 degree dive to 2,000ft and found that the aircraft attained and maintained a speed of .89 Mach (approaching 700mph) and was reasonably easy to control for a non-pilot. We did these tests a couple more times to be sure and then at about 3:45am I left the simulator. Daniel was happy for me to record his name.
How accurate are Full Flight Simulators and how does the 767-300 compare to the 200?
The flight simulator in which I carried out this test is considered to be an exact representation of the real aircraft. It takes into account all of the test data gathered during the initial flight testing of the 767-200/300 and ongoing data gathered from Flight Data Recorders and observed performance. The instrumentation is exactly the same as the actual aircraft and can be put into service in a real aircraft. The performance of the aircraft engines and the aircraft’s structure are modelled so that a pilot can remain current without doing as many actual flight hours. Basically it is fair to say that what you can do in the simulator can be done in real life, especially as relates to thrust, lift and drag.
After doing this test I then spent a few days on the flight line checking whether the average 767 pilot thought that the engines could achieve .86 Mach at sea level considering what I found in the sim. Mostly they agreed--due to the exceptional power to weight ratio of the 767 series, and its low drag airframe, it was probable it could do just that. I also asked the older pilots that flew in the Pratt and Whitney (JT9-7R4) powered 767-200 series aircraft if those aircraft were similar to fly to the 767-300 General Electric (CF6) powered aircraft they now fly (current simulator configuration). They said they were very similar, having a little less power but being a little shorter and lighter, thus giving them nearly exactly the same power to weight ratio. Once again this was no surprise to me as this is what the manufacturer does--matches the airframe to the power plant to meet the performance specifications which are basically the same for 200 and the 300 series Boeing 767.
Conclusion: Is it probable that the 767-200 can make 560mph at sea level?
It is highly probable that AA11 and UA175 could easily make the airspeeds quoted in the official reports and as seen in the video footage. Here is a summation of the facts;
1. The aircraft were seen to make those airspeeds on September 11, 2001. This has never been questioned by any peer reviewed paper or team of experts, so it stands as fact.
2. The aircraft were well within their structural limit of .86 Mach by a margin of .12 Mach or approximately 14%; flying at maximum of reported speed of .74 Mach.
3. The simulator test carried out on an actual certified Full Flight Simulator (the best available), in a fully accredited pilot certification facility, showed that the 767 aircraft can reach an airspeed of .86 Mach in a flat trajectory at approximate sea level. It was also shown that .89 Mach could be achieved in a similar shallow dive as seen made by AA11 and UA175 on 9/11. These results show far greater speeds possible than the required official airspeed of 560mph or .74 Mach by some 16% at the minimum and 20% if the actual flight conditions were simulated in a shallow dive.
4. Considering the large margins demonstrated here, we can now conclude that the “Impossible Airspeed” stated by John Lear et al. is false.
Obviously there will be the usual suspects that may complain that I have not caught this on film and I have left out some of the details of exactly where I did this test (you can figure it out). I have done this because I like my job and our campaign is not part of my function there. What I would say to the “No-Planers” is why don’t Lear et al. hire a simulator and prove me wrong. I would have thought that John Lear, being a rich, well-connected pilot so outspoken on this issue would have already done so.
It is my hope that this puts the final nail in the “No Planes at the World Trade Centre on 9/11” hypothesis and we will see an end to this great time waster!
Source
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Pre-9/11 Upgraded GPS Service Provided 243 Foot Wide Aerial Navigation Corridors
Enhanced GPS service (WAAS) now in use by the U.S. commercial aviation industry and activated 13 months prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, provided virtual aerial navigation corridors only 243 wide and a 95% confidence that an aircraft's true position will fall within such a corridor . Such corridors can be navigated entirely by autopilot and flight management systems scheduled in 1996 and 1998 to be contained by United and American airlines Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft like those used during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
WAAS also supports required navigation performance (RNP) operations, says Raytheon, providing a precision navigation capability down to RNP 0.02 (an accuracy of 0.02nm).
RNP is a required navigation performance level described by the specification of a numeric value indicating the required navigation accuracy for a specific operation, typically specified laterally in nautical miles - e.g., RNP 1 is a Required Navigation Performance of ± 1 nautical mile (95% Probability).
1 nautical mile = 6,076 feet
RNP 0.02 = RNP (0.02 nautical mile radius) x 2 = RNP (121.5 foot radius) x 2 = a 243 foot wide corridor.
AMENDED VERSION: Wide Area Augmentation System Signal Now Available
August 24, 2000
WASHINGTON, DC — After a successful 21-day stability test of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) signal in space, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) declared that it is now available.
According to Raytheon’s director-satellite navigation systems, the newly activated WAAS signal was used by rescuers at New York City's Ground Zero site following September 11, 2001 in order to precisely survey the site:
And, at the World Trade Center, rescue teams used WAAS to survey the site during the recovery program.
By 1996 and 1998, United and American airlines Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft, like those used during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were scheduled to contain flight management systems and signal receivers capable of utilizing the new GPS service.
HONEYWELL ANNOUNCES ORDERS FOR NEW-GENERATION "PEGASUS" FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND, SEPT. 7, 1998 - The Honeywell "Pegasus" flight management system earned its first FAA certifications March on the Boeing 757, 767 and MD-90 aircraft types ... Airlines get FANS-1/FANS-A capability ... FANS-1 ... allows operators to obtain more economical routings and to utilize satellite navigation.
Key elements of Future Air Navigation System (FANS): RNP – Required Navigation Performance
Using WAAS, a satellite-based system ... has allowed the FAA to move toward a performance-based NAS, exploiting the concept of “required navigation performance,” or RNP.
Rockwell's Collins Landing System Picked for Both Airbus and Boeing Planes
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Sept. 6, 1996 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell's Collins Commercial Avionics, based in Cedar Rapids, has made major announcements of the selection of its Multi-Mode Receiver (MMR) landing system by two of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing ... Subsequent certifications are planned for Boeing's ... 757 and 767 ... The Multi-Mode Receiver ... expands capabilities required by the air transport industry as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is phased into operation.
GNSS-1 is the first generation system and is the combination of existing satellite navigation systems ... In the United States, the satellite based component is the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS).
October 1999:
Digital flight control systems on Boeing airplanes ... automatically fly the airplanes on pre-selected routes, headings, speed or altitude maneuvers.
An Air China Boeing 757, generally containing common flight systems with the Boeing 767, reportedly navigated a complex flight segment exclusively under GPS guided autopilot control via RNP operation:
Guided entirely by autopilot, an Air China Boeing 757 jet last month snaked along a narrow river valley between towering Himalayan peaks ... Pilots and passengers looked out to mountains left and right as the airplane automatically followed the twists of the valley, descending on a precisely plotted highway in the sky toward a runway still out of sight ... Using global-positioning satellites and on-board instruments, Naverus' navigation technology pinpoints the location of a fast-moving jet to within yards ... "You're watching the whole thing unfold. The airplane is turning, going where it's supposed to go ... it's all automatic."
The WAAS signal also made possible under autopilot control, the 370 degree decending right turn from an altitude of 7,000 feet, performed by American Airlines flight 77 prior to its reported impact with the Pentagon building in Arlington, VA on September 11, 2001.
Stanford University, 1998:
The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) ... allows pilots to fly ... approaches that cannot necessarily be flown with current instrumentation ... Complex curved approaches, including approaches turning to a short (less than one mile) final ... Pathways were constructed from ... climbing, or descending constant radius arcs ... Autopilots could use WAAS position and velocity to fly curved trajectories.
In October of 2001, Cubic Defense Systems applied for a U.S. patent for a system that utilizes GPS guided aircraft autopilot systems to implement a programmed or remotely transmitted flight plan, that overrides pilot control of an aircraft and navigates it to a given destination.
Responsive to the override input, the manager deactivates on-board control of selected aircraft flight systems and the autopilot system, and directs the autopilot to fly the aircraft ... In planning the flight routing ... the manager may utilize ... GPS direct routing.
Plausibility Of 9/11 Aircraft Attacks Generated By GPS-Guided Aircraft Autopilot Systems
Source
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Fire Consumes WTC 7-Size Skyscraper, Building Does Not Collapse
Giant flames engulf every floor of 44-story building and it remains standing, yet limited fires across just 8 floors of WTC 7 brought down building within 7 seconds on 9/11. How can NIST’s “new phenomenon” explain this one?
A fierce fire consumed all 44 floors of a skyscraper in Beijing today, shooting 30 foot flames into the air, but unlike the similarly-sized 47-story WTC 7, which suffered limited fires across just eight floors, the building in China did not collapse.
“The fire was burning from the ground floor to the top floor of the large building, the flames reflecting in the glass facade of the main CCTV tower next to the hotel and cultural center,” reports the New York Times.
“The 241-room Mandarin Oriental hotel in the building was due to open this year. Flames were spotted around 7:45 p.m. and within 20 minutes the fire had spread throughout the building, dominating that part of the city.”
“Hundreds of firefighting vehicles and police blocked off all approaches to the building - which was also set to house a luxury hotel due to be opened in 2009 - with flames appearing to leap 20 to 30 feet into the air,” adds The London Times.
Compare images of WTC 7 with those of the skyscraper fire in Beijing. Note that the Beijing skyscraper appears to be leaning due to the unorthodox design of the building - it did not suffer any kind of collapse.
Beijing skyscraper.
WTC 7
Beijing skyscraper.
WTC 7
Beijing skyscraper.
WTC 7
To any sane and rational observer, which of these buildings would have been the most likely to collapse? And yet it was WTC 7 which collapsed within 7 seconds into its own footprint on 9/11. The Beijing skyscraper, though gutted by fire damage, remains standing.
How do the debunkers explain away this one? How come NIST’s newly invented “phenomenon” of “thermal expansion” didn’t put paid to the skyscraper in Beijing? Does fire have different properties in China compared to the U.S.? Does it behave in different ways depending on what country it’s in?
Remember that WTC 7 was structurally reinforced and suffered limited fires across just 8 floors.
The core of NIST’s explanation, that an “extraordinary event” called “thermal expansion” was to blame for the sudden total collapse of WTC 7 is of course on the face of it a fraud when one considers the innumerable number of buildings that have suffered roaring fires across the majority of their floors and remained standing, whereas WTC 7 suffered limited fire damage across a handful of floors.
The Beijing skyscraper fire provides yet more comparable evidence to illustrate the monolithic hoax that fire damage alone can cause buildings to collapse implosion style, adding more weight to the argument that both WTC 7 and the twin towers were destroyed by explosives that were seen and heard by dozens of eyewitnesses who were at ground zero.
Take another example - the Windsor building in Madrid, a 32 story skyscraper which was a raging inferno for no less than 24 hours before fire crews were able to put out the flames. Despite the building being constructed of columns a fraction as thick as those used in the WTC twin towers, as well as a total lack of fireproofing, the building’s top section only partially collapsed while the integrity of the whole structure remained firmly intact.
Compare these images of the Windsor building fire to those of WTC 7 and the twin towers.
The skyscraper fire in Beijing offers another stark and bold reminder that when one eliminates the dodgy, agenda-driven, and incomprehensible delusions of NIST, one fact remains abundantly clear;
Office fires - even the flame shooting towering inferno variety - cannot cause modern buildings to implode in on themselves and collapse. Only deliberately placed explosives can achieve this end. The Windsor fire, the Beijing skyscraper fire and many more yet to come painfully underscore the awful truth that the only way WTC 7 and the twin towers could have collapsed in the manner that they did was by means of controlled demolition.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Microsoft Corporation Censors 9/11 Dissent
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. They refer this platform as "the Ultimate Broadband Gaming Experience," accessible on the Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles. After reaching 10 Million users, I decided to change my GamerTag (GT) to disseminate 9/11 truth to the console gaming world.
About a a month ago, I changed my GT to www911TRUTHorg. Utilizing the headset, every time I entered a new game lobby I spoke to the other users in the "room" about the 9/11 Truth Movement. The responses varied: most people ridiculed or mocked the GT, while the others either commented with approval/praise, or said nothing at all. Either way, BOTH the nay-sayers and fellow truthers listened to what I had to say. In fact, many times the conversation of the game would revolve entirely around 9/11, the Global War on Terror, corporate war profiteering, the destruction of our civil liberties, etc... It was a great method of cyber-activism, until Microsoft caught on!
A week ago, this message popped up as I attempted to login on the Xbox.com website:
Expecting this, I quickly referred to the Terms of Use:
"How You May Not Use the Service.
-use the Service for commercial purposes (except as expressly permitted by us);"
I assumed Microsoft considered this "advertising," even though 911Truth.org is a non-profit, educational corporation. I then proceeded to change my GT to x911 False Flag, ditching the website alias.
Within 24 hours:
Digging deeper into the Terms of Use, I find:
"- use the Service in a way that harms us or our advertisers, affiliates, resellers, distributors, or vendors , or any customer of ours or our advertisers, affiliates, resellers, distributors, or vendors;"
As well as:
"In addition, your use of the Service is subject to your compliance with the Code of Conduct. You agree that we may also discontinue your access to the Service if you do any of the following while connected to the Service:
-Publish, distribute, or disseminate any inappropriate, profane, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, or unlawful content, topic, name, material, file, or information;
-Create a Gamertag , avatar or use text in other profile fields that may offend other members. This includes comments that look, sound like, stand for, hint at, abbreviate, or insinuate or relate to any of the following: profane words/phrases, topics or content of a sexual nature, hate speech (including but not limited to racial, ethnic, or religious slurs), illegal drugs/controlled substances, or illegal activities;"
Sept11FalseFlag was then created. This new GT seemed to be OK with everything for a few days, until this message today, 11/26/08:
When is this censoring going to stop? Are they going to censor everyone?
Other dissenting GamerTags in the XBOX Live online gaming arena include: "ae911truth org" "loosechange911" "WEareCHANGE"
"GOOGLE 911TRUTH" "Question911" and "Inside Job"
Assuming they would prefer me to change my GT back to something more ignorant (thus, acceptable), I decided to respond to this censoring:
Although only a matter of time before it is required for me to change my GT yet again, I'm here to tell Microsoft:
The truth will never be silenced.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Air Force FOIA Records For Alleged Pre-9/11 Pilotless, Remotely Controlled Boeing Test Flight
The following Air Force FOIA records pertain to Air Force and Raytheon test flights reported by the Associated Press and Germany's Der Spiegel, that took place during the weeks before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and that allegedly were performed without an onboard pilot.
From the History Commons:
Instead, 6 of 16 total runway approaches and touchdowns were performed with a donated FedEx Boeing 727 aircraft and auto-pilot systems, relying on enhanced GPS navigation signals that provide for extremely accurate aircraft placement.
From the July 31, 2008 AF FOIA reply:
"The Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense are each developing GPS based precision approach and landing systems. These systems are known as the Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) and the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS), respectively. The JPALS/LAAS Interoperability flight demonstration was conducted on August 25. 2001 at Holloman AFB. New Mexico, A series of 16 approaches were flown to runway J6."
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Chemical Traces of High Explosives in WTC Debris
The standard way to demolish a steel-framed building is to apply cutter charges to the supporting beams. The cutter charges consist of finely-powdered aluminum mixed with iron oxide, with added sulfur. This mixture contains both fuel and oxidant – it needs no air – and it burns hot enough to melt steel. The trade name for this product is "Thermate."
There is a science to placing the charges in such a way that the building falls inward. It requires a great deal of expertise to keep a tall building from toppling over sideways.
Many scientists and engineers have looked at the way the WTC towers fell and remarked that it had the appearance of controlled demolition. The buildings collapsed symmetrically, and fell straight down. The speed of the fall indicated that the buildings were collapsing unimpeded. They must have had the "legs" simultaneously pulled out from under them, because a layered collapse from the top down would have taken several minutes, whereas the observed collapse took place in less than 20 seconds.
Another anomaly in the WTC collapse was the violent explosions. Firemen reported earthshaking blasts from the basement before collapse, and the impact areas in the upper floorss of the buildings exploded just at the onset of collapse. Jet fuel burns but cannot explode.
In an article published this week in the journal Environmentalist, chemical engineer Kevin Ryan collects evidence from EPA documents that suggest there was both Thermate and high-explosives in the debris from the WTC collapse. Ryan was formerly employed by Environmental Health Labs, a division of Underwriters Labs, before he was fired for raising these and other questions.
Fires at the WTC site persisted for weeks after 9/11, despite firefighters' use of water and chemical extinguishers to smother the flames. This suggests that it was a fuel-oxidant mixture that was burning. Pools of red-hot molten iron could not have been caused by burning jet fuel or building materials, because these burn at a much lower temperature than steel melts.
Ryan's evidence consists in traces of 1,3-diphenylpropane as well as sulfur and particulate matter, reported by the EPA to have appeared in spikes continuing as late as March, 2002. Ryan believes that these came from brief, intense fires ignited by the molten steel when it came in contact with yet-unburned plastic building materials during the clean-up process.
Link to Journal article full text
Josh Mitteldorf was educated to be an astrophysicist, and has branched out from there to mathematical modeling in a variety of areas. He has taught mathematics, statistics, and physics at several universities. He is an avid amateur pianist, and father of two adopted Chinese girls. This year, his affiliation is with the University of Arizona, where he studies the evolution of aging.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Secret Plan To Kill Internet By 2012 Leaked?
ISP's have resolved to restrict the Internet to a TV-like subscrption model where users will be forced to pay to visit selected corporate websites by 2012, while others will be blocked, according to a leaked report. Despite some people dismissing the story as a hoax, the wider plan to kill the traditional Internet and replace it with a regulated and controlled Internet 2 is manifestly provable.
"Bell Canada and TELUS (formerly owned by Verizon) employees officially confirm that by 2012 ISP's all over the globe will reduce Internet access to a TV-like subscription model, only offering access to a small standard amount of commercial sites and require extra fees for every other site you visit. These 'other' sites would then lose all their exposure and eventually shut down, resulting in what could be seen as the end of the Internet," warns a report that has spread like wildfire across the web over the last few days.
The article, which is accompanied by a You Tube clip, states that Time Magazine writer "Dylan Pattyn" has confirmed the information and is about to release a story - and that the move to effectively shut down the web could come as soon as 2010.
Watch the clip.
People have raised questions about the report's accuracy because the claims are not backed by another source, only the "promise" that a Time Magazine report is set to confirm the rumor. Until such a report emerges many have reserved judgment or outright dismissed the story as a hoax.
What is documented, as the story underscores, is the fact that TELUS' wireless web package allows only restricted pay-per-view access to a selection of corporate and news websites. This is the model that the post-2012 Internet would be based on.
People have noted that the authors of the video seem to be more concerned about getting people to subscribe to their You Tube account than fighting for net neutrality by prominently featuring an attractive woman who isn't shy about showing her cleavage. The vast majority of the other You Tube videos hosted on the same account consist of bizarre avante-garde satire skits on behalf of the same people featured in the Internet freedom clip. This has prompted many to suspect that the Internet story is merely a stunt to draw attention to the group.
Whether the report is accurate or merely a crude hoax, there is a very real agenda to restrict, regulate and suffocate the free use of the Internet and we have been documenting its progression for years.
The first steps in a move to charge for every e mail sent have already been taken. Under the pretext of eliminating spam, Bill Gates and other industry chieftains have proposed Internet users buy credit stamps which denote how many e mails they will be able to send. This of course is the death knell for political newsletters and mailing lists.
The New York Times reported that "America Online and Yahoo, two of the world's largest providers of e-mail accounts, are about to start using a system that gives preferential treatment to messages from companies that pay from 1/4 of a cent to a penny each to have them delivered. The senders must promise to contact only people who have agreed to receive their messages, or risk being blocked entirely."
The first wave will simply attempt to price people out of using the conventional Internet and force people over to Internet 2, a state regulated hub where permission will need to be obtained directly from an FCC or government bureau to set up a website.
The original Internet will then be turned into a mass surveillance database and marketing tool. The Nation magazine reported in 2006 that, "Verizon, Comcast, Bell South and other communications giants are developing strategies that would track and store information on our every move in cyberspace in a vast data-collection and marketing system, the scope of which could rival the National Security Agency. According to white papers now being circulated in the cable, telephone and telecommunications industries, those with the deepest pockets--corporations, special-interest groups and major advertisers--would get preferred treatment. Content from these providers would have first priority on our computer and television screens, while information seen as undesirable, such as peer-to-peer communications, could be relegated to a slow lane or simply shut out."
Over the past few years, a chorus of propaganda intended to demonize the Internet and further lead it down a path of strict control has spewed forth from numerous establishment organs:
- Time magazine reported last year that researchers funded by the federal government want to shut down the internet and start over, citing the fact that at the moment there are loopholes in the system whereby users cannot be tracked and traced all the time. The projects echo moves we have previously reported on to clamp down on internet neutrality and even to designate a new form of the internet known as Internet 2.
- In a display of bi-partisanship, there have recently been calls for all out mandatory ISP snooping on all US citizens by both Democrats and Republicans alike.
- The White House's own recently de-classified strategy for "winning the war on terror" targets Internet conspiracy theories as a recruiting ground for terrorists and threatens to "diminish" their influence.
- The Pentagon recently announced its effort to infiltrate the Internet and propagandize for the war on terror.
- In a speech last October, Homeland Security director Michael Chertoff identified the web as a "terror training camp," through which "disaffected people living in the United States" are developing "radical ideologies and potentially violent skills." His solution is "intelligence fusion centers," staffed by Homeland Security personnel which will go into operation next year.
- The U.S. Government wants to force bloggers and online grassroots activists to register and regularly report their activities to Congress. Criminal charges including a possible jail term of up to one year could be the punishment for non-compliance.
- A landmark legal case on behalf of the Recording Industry Association of America and other global trade organizations seeks to criminalize all Internet file sharing of any kind as copyright infringement, effectively shutting down the world wide web - and their argument is supported by the U.S. government.
- A landmark legal ruling in Sydney goes further than ever before in setting the trap door for the destruction of the Internet as we know it and the end of alternative news websites and blogs by creating the precedent that simply linking to other websites is breach of copyright and piracy.
- The European Union, led by former Stalinist and potential future British Prime Minister John Reid, has also vowed to shut down "terrorists" who use the Internet to spread propaganda.
- The EU data retention bill, passed last year after much controversy and with implementation tabled for late 2007, obliges telephone operators and internet service providers to store information on who called who and who emailed who for at least six months. Under this law, investigators in any EU country, and most bizarrely even in the US, can access EU citizens' data on phone calls, SMS messages, emails and instant messaging services.
- The EU also recently proposed legislation that would prevent users from uploading any form of video without a license.
- The US government is also funding research into social networking sites and how to gather and store personal data published on them, according to the New Scientist magazine. "At the same time, US lawmakers are attempting to force the social networking sites themselves to control the amount and kind of information that people, particularly children, can put on the sites."
The development of a new form of internet with new regulations is also designed to create an online caste system whereby the old internet hubs would be allowed to break down and die, forcing people to use the new taxable, censored and regulated world wide web.
Make no mistake, the internet, one of the greatest outposts of free speech ever created is under constant attack by powerful people who cannot operate within a society where information flows freely and unhindered. Both American and European moves mimic stories we hear every week out of state controlled Communist China, where the internet is strictly regulated and virtually exists as its own entity away from the rest of the web.
The Internet is freedom's best friend and the bane of control freaks. Its eradication is one of the short term goals of those that seek to centralize power and subjugate their populations under tyranny by eliminating the right to protest and educate others by the forum of the free world wide web.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Pentagon 9/11 Flight ’Black Box’ Data File Created Before Actual ’Black Box’ Was Recovered?
A flight data file created by the downloaded Flight Data Recorder information of American Airlines flight 77 was created on Thursday, September 13, 2001 at 11:45pm.
However, as reported by USA Today, Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col. George Rhynedance reported that the FDR for AA 77 was recovered on Friday, September 14, 2001 at 4am, 4 hours and 15 minutes after the creation of the AA 77 FDR data file.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Searchers on Friday found the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the hijacked plane that flew into the Pentagon and exploded, Department of Defense officials said. The two "black boxes," crucial to uncovering details about the doomed flight's last moments, were recovered at about 4 a.m., said Army Lt. Col. George Rhynedance, a Pentagon spokesman.
The AA 77 FDR file was contained within a May 2008 release obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Internet is Shaping Politics: Ron Paul
The Internet is full of not just Geeks, but technically astute people who research for themselves. They don't just go by what they heard and see on the tv, radio or newspaper. Generally what Ron Paul stands for is just that… those types of values and mindset that much of us online share….
All in all, I definitely feel that the Internet will be shaping political races in the future. Oh, wait. It's shaping one now, isn't it? The future is here, folks. Isn't it time you joined it? Get online. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. Let's bring this country back to where it should be, then help it move forward.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Grassroots gaming: College kids playing Halo ’12/7’ for Ron Paul
Gamers say Paul seems like the only candidate who has 'read the Constitution'
It may not end up matching the haul of a thousand-dollar-a-plate dinner, but a new fundraising event on behalf of GOP presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) is a lot easier to dress for: it's three college kids playing a video game.
In one of this campaign season's more creative grassroots efforts, students from an undisclosed southeastern university have committed to playing the massively popular Halo 3 video game for 12 hours a day, seven days a week -- "12/7" they brag -- and are broadcasting their marathon sessions live on the internet. Visitors tuning in to watch the multiplayer carnage, a number now surpassing 35,000 people according to a counter on the players' website, are encouraged to make a donation to Ron Paul's campaign.
One of the Halo-playing crew, a gamer calling himself "J" who insists on anonymity for he and his cohorts, told RAW STORY that Paul was the only presidential contender in the bunch worth backing.
"He just seems like the only candidate who supports the Constitution -- like the only one who has actually read the Constitution," said J, who is balancing his long hours of Halo with a part-time job.
Also sharing the workload during the long, noon-to-midnight span are fellow students Danielle, who also holds down a job as a health technician, and Mike, who "doesn't work," says an envious J. Battling away on a wide-screen TV in an off-campus apartment, the group has attracted a core group of watchers online who critique their play in an accompanying chat room and frequently become challengers themselves.
The game, the third installment of the Halo series, allows a combination of multiple players to link up via an internet connection to fight in a vast, futuristic world of fantastic weaponry and fierce alien invaders.
"It is kind of crazy, three people dedicating 12 hours a day to Halo," J acknowledged. "We try to entertain ourselves with alcohol."
Although his candidacy isn't notching big-time numbers in national polls, the libertarian-leaning Paul has managed to parlay near-fanatical internet support for his campaign into some legitimate fundraising muscle -- $5 million in the third quarter of 2007 alone. That figure puts him just behind Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and ahead of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in total money raised for the same time period.
"It seems like people voting for the first or second time in their lives are just excited about him," J said, adding that he thought the natural audience for watching a Halo webcast would be full of potential Paul supporters. "We figured teenagers, you know, 20 somethings would be interested."
It's too early to tell if the video game fundraiser will translate into significant real-world dollars for the Paul campaign, but the plan is creating a buzz among fans of a game that boasts 1.2 million players online.
'The negative people have been mainly Hillary supporters'
J says response from visitors to the site, the majority of whom seem to be lured in for pure gaming reasons rather than any real political interest in Paul, has been largely positive.
"Some people have been like, 'what's a Ron Paul?'" he reports. "The negative people have been mainly Hillary supporters."
Although it's clear the students have some other interests at heart in their endeavor beyond supporting a political candidate -- they're also soliciting donations for a high definition TV tuner so viewers can watch a "perfect stream of game play" -- the gang plans to keep making good on its "twelve hour promise" to Paul for at least a few more weeks.
And the current fundraising plan could just be the beginning, according to J, who envisions a day when Congressman Paul himself could fire up an Xbox console and tear around in Halo's sprawling digital universe.
"We could set it up like a charity event: us vs. Ron Paul," he said, adding that possibility had been kicking around in the site's chat room. "People could pledge $10 for every kill Ron Paul makes."
But Paul communications director Jesse Benton politely side-stepped the invitation Tuesday, telling RAW STORY that the candidate would need far too much practice time.
"I'd be surprised if Ron has ever picked up a joystick," Benton said. "So I'm not sure there would really be any kind of match there. And it sounds like these guys are really good."
Correction: The first edition of this article incorrectly stated Ron Paul's party. He is a Republican.
Construction of ’Trans-Pacific Express’ to Start
TAIPEI—On October 22, a ground-breaking ceremony marking the beginning of the construction of the Trans-Pacific Express (TPE) was held in Qingdao City, Shandong Province in China. This is the first multi-terabit undersea fiber optic cable system to connect mainland China and the United States.
The TPE is funded by a consortium of six telecoms operators: China Telecom, China Netcom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, Korea Telecom, and Verizon of the United States, with a total investment of US$500 million. The TPE, with a total length of 26,000 kilometer (16,000 miles), will land in Qingdao, Shanghai's Chongming Island, Danshuei in Taiwan, Keoje in Korea, and Nedonna Beach in Oregon of the U.S.
The design bandwidth capacity of this construction is 5.12 Tbps (Tbps = trillion bits per second). It is the most advanced undersea cable system with greater capacity and higher speeds in China. Upon completion, this project will provide increased cable capacity to better meet the growing needs of Internet, data and voice communications between Asia and the U.S., while avoiding possible Internet breakdowns caused by frequent earthquakes off Taiwan.
The two-stage project will initially provide capacity of up to 800 Gbps and deliver a cable capacity of 400 Gbps in Asia. The project is estimated to be completed and put into operation in July 2008.
Even more important, completion of the TPE will help satisfy the broadband needs on Internet networks for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In addition, running the TPE through Qingdao means that this coastal city will be the only one in northern China with a landing station of a fiber-optic undersea cable system. Thus, China Netcom, which is betting on the TPE to transmit Olympic TV programs in 2008, will significantly change how communication is routed through the country. As a result, China Netcom can effectively improve Internet communication services.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Americans could face Internet tax
Congressman Jim Walsh today called on Congress to act immediately to permanently extend the current Internet tax moratorium set to expire on November 1, 2007.
"The Internet is growing in importance as a resource for businesses and consumers today," said Walsh. "In the last twenty years, it has revolutionized the way we communicate, the way our children learn, and the way we conduct business. Taxing Internet access will have a detrimental impact upon our economy and our quality of life, and Congressional leadership should quickly put forward a bill that permanently bans this detrimental tax."
According to a February-March 2007 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, an initiative of the Pew Research Center, 71% of American adults regularly use the Internet, and usage by adults between the ages of 18 and 29 is as high as 87%.
Further, Internet usage is widespread across race, ethnicity, geography, household income, and educational attainment. Urban (73%), suburban (73%) and rural (60%) Americans all rely on Internet service.
If Congress allows the tax moratorium to expire on November 1st, Americans could face taxes of up to 20% for simply accessing the Internet. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee passed a temporary short-term extension of the moratorium, refusing to consider legislation with bipartisan support that would enact a permanent ban.
Walsh is a co-sponsor of H.R. 743, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, which amends the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on State taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The measure has 237 co-sponsors, suggesting the bill would have little trouble passing the full House if called for a vote.
"We rely upon the Internet today to find a job, a new place to live, or the best treatment for a loved one's illness," added Walsh. "Congress should not begin taxing this resource that improves our lives and contributes to our economy."
Guess who doesn't want the internet taxed? Ron Paul!
There is no need for taxing the net because we already pay to access the net through a provider. And if you're like us, you pay through the nose for broadband access.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Next Firefox will tell Google all about you
THE FORTHCOMING version of the Firefox browser, Gran Paradiso, will ship with a function that will tell Google all about your browsing habits.
The feature is supposed to be designed to allow the browser to check the URL against a list of phishing sites which is stored at Google.
The downside is that while the punter gets some form of malware protection, Google is getting shedloads of information on the sorts of sites you are visiting.
It can sell this information or offer advertising companies lucrative product information packages.
As it has been pointed out on Slashdot, the "feature" is disabled by default so any user who is daft enough to actually think it is pretty nifty is going to have to press a few buttons to make it happen.
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