I just saw six military choppers flying over ShiJr on their way to downtown Taipei. They were flying in a line and I honestly have never even seen one military chopper flying around this area. Is something going on downtown?
Subject Changed September 4 to from 6 to 17 Helicopters:
Maybe they are carrying SARS patients, doctors or government officials. Having choppers flying around is quite normal for me - Prince Charles used to fly over my place almost every day in his red navy helicopter.
Apparently the military is doing a big disinfection exercise over in Wanhua today, so maybe its something to do with that. I heard that everyone in Taipei has to stay indoors tomorrow and get all pets under cover, as they’re going to “bomb” the entire city from the sky with concentrated sulfuric acid.
They just flew over me in Da An, too. Oh, er! Reminds me of the movie, “Outbreak” :o
Now hold on! This really is weird. Hobart saw 'em up at Xizhi – FLYING IN FORMATION!!! :shock: – and then Soddom sees 'em way down at Daan – STILL IN FORMATION :shock: :shock: .
You’d have though that by that time they’d have started pushing, shoving and jostling. What’s more, six ROC helicopters in the air at once and none of them have crashed yet?
Strange things are afoot.
I think they were dark green or maybe black. I ran to the balconey in time to catch the rear of the group, but it was clear they were military choppers.
Looked like transports to me. Heading SW. Xi Zhi isn’t in Taipei City, so that means nothing to me.
On the topic of Taiwan’s aeronautical prowess, did they ever get to the bottom of that last China Airlines crash over Penghu?
Yep, the army has been mobilised. Zhong Zheng district got the treatment today. Just as I was leaving home just after 8 there was an announcement from outside “streets and doorways will be disinfected at 8:30 …”. They were closing off and disinfecting the streets one by one and army jeeps with mounted disinfetion guns were cruising around. Pretty cool really. Haven’t seen the troops on the street since the post-election riots of 2000.
Brian
Could hear them choppers way up here in Keelung, too. SARSneyland is getting interesting.
I had a premonition today. I feel the SARS epidemic has stabilized finally, and we are at the half way point now, with everything getting better and better every day from now on. It’s over, folks.
I hope nobody accuses me of scaremongering now. Although it’s scary that I actually had that premonition today. True. It’s over.
Watch.
The helis confirmed it. Whenever six choppers in formation fly over a city in crisis, it means the crisis is over.
I would feel much better about this SARS stuff if Taipei would stop sending patients down to Kaohsiung. I hope those choppers didn’t head south 
Yeah, my sweetie was sunbathing down by the pool again. Flyboys must have heard and gone to check things out. Loutish cads, the lot of them.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE REAL FORMOSA?
Brian
Not completely, but CAL is not to blame entirely. They think that it’s a metal piece attached during repairs on the tail some 20 years ago. The material used was dubious - but it seems that it was attached according to Boing’s instructions - which is why Boeing - and not CAL - is named defendant in the lawsuit by the bereaved relatives.
Why is that most people will not be seen dead in a 25-year-old car, but will climb aboard an antiquated CAL 747?
Because the plane is far better maintained. 20-year old planes are safe - most 20 year cars aren’t.
Who asks? Are you telling me that when you buy a ticket to Phuket, or LA, or whatever you first ask the make, model and age of the aircraft you’re flying in? Do travel agents even know the age of the aircraft? I doubt it. Heck, just make sure you’ve bought insurance, and then in the statistical unlikelihood you crash, at least your loved ones get a cash bonus.
Maintained or not, a car can pull to the side of the road. 747s can’t.
The older they are the more likely it is that something will break.
I ask!
Once at CKS, I saw them put CLA tags on my baggage while checking in. I almost flipped, wrongly assuming that I was being put on a CLA plane to the same destination.
Funny you should mention that. I had a story across my desk last week (I think), the details of which now escape me but the gist of which is that there’s a proposal being mulled at the moment that will require full details of your pilot (resume, flight hours, etc.) and plane (full details of maintenance, repairs, hours logged, etc.) to be available to anyone flying on that plane. Whether it’ll actually happen remains to be seen.
