No matter how the navigation and weather forecasts are accurate and precise, no matter how high and advanced the technology of a plane is – jetliners can never be as safe as commercial airplanes.

 
Few days ago, an Air Canada flight had left 10 people injured when turbulence hit the plane on a cross-country flight. An emergency landing was made in Calgary on Thursday after the plane violently plunged and rolled tossing passengers around the cabin. Air Canada did not confirm the cause of the problem on the jet but the pilots were already operating it manually to control and handle the plane properly. Ten people were taken to the hospital though six people were already in a stable condition while other four suffered minor injuries.

NavCanada declined to comment on weather conditions along the route although the agency’s web site indicated there were no aviation weather bulletins in effect at the time. The rough flight was the second in Air Canada in recent months. In September, nine people were hurt and three were sent to the hospital after the flight hit turbulence with little warning.

Taking flights aboard a jetliner may be cost effective, economic, more accessible and faster than taking flights on commercial planes but the trauma and injuries can never match it up. I am making it to a point that never again that I would allow myself to get on a jet plane. After taking a domestic jet flight on a summer’s day (when it is unlikely to have rain and wind clouds), an unacceptable turbulence hit and glued me to my seat as my heart pounds throughout the rough flight. I was already anticipating engine problems but good thing nothing like that came up, it was just the turbulence.

Rough flights may still be tolerable to adults but a lot traumatic and inconvenient to children, seniors and to those weak at heart. The light structures of these jets are not as safe as the heavy-duty structures of commercial planes and if so, the airline should be responsible of the damage done and going to happen in the future. Though there are already precautionary measures done before the flight, such as tightening of security and the correct way of packing our baggage and so on, we are still responsible of our own safety. 

Below are some helpful tips to follow before a flight. (Enough to attract the positive.) 

1. Check weather reports. If in doubt, move the flight to another schedule.
2. Arrive at the airport few hours before the scheduled flight.
3. Remember to remove sharp objects from hand luggage such as scissors, knives, nail clipper, etc.
4. Pack a light baggage as much as possible.
5. Remove from baggage tags from previous flights.
6. Turn-off cell phones and computer devices before take-off.
7. Pay attention to flight attendants and pilot.
8. Never hesitate to ask assistance from attendants.
9. Relax and say a prayer.
10. Enjoy the flight!

Last year, an email was sent to me with the subject ‘Weird 9-11 Facts’. I know that the forwarded email was quite late but I read it because it was from a friend of mine and the topic was very interesting. Posted below is the content of the email:

UNITED WE STAND
1) New York City has 11 letters
2) Afghanistan has 11 letters.
3) Ramsin Yuseb (The terrorist who threatened to destroy the Twin Towers in 1993) has 11 letters.
4) George W Bush has 11 letters.
5) The two twin towers make an “11″
This could be a mere coincidence, but this gets more interesting:
1) The first plane crashing against the Twin Towers was flight number 11.
2) Flight 11 was carrying 92 passengers. (9 + 2 = 11)
3) Flight 77 which also hit Twin Towers, was carrying 65 passengers. (6+5 = 11)
4) The tragedy was on September 11, or 9/11 as it is now known. (9 + 1+ 1 = 11)
5) The date is equal to the US emergency services telephone number 911. (9 + 1 + 1 = 11)

Sheer coincidence..?! Read on and make up your own mind:
1) The total number of victims inside all the hi-jacked planes was 254. (2 + 5 + 4 = 11)
2) September 11 is day number 254 of the calendar year. (Again 2 + 5 + 4 = 11)
3) The Madrid bombing took place on 3/11/2004. (3 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 4 = 11)
4) The tragedy of Madrid happened 911 days after the Twin Towers incident.

Another Sheer coincidence..?! Read on and make up your own mind:
Now this is where things get totally eerie:
The most recognized symbol for the US, after the Stars & Stripes, is the Eagle. The following verse is taken from the Quran, the Islamic holy book:

“For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced: for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah and there was peace.”

That verse is number 9.11 of the Quran.

Still unconvinced about all of this..?! Try this and see how you feel
afterwards, it made my hair stand on end:
Open Microsoft Word and do the following, TRY THIS FOR REAL! I DID
IT AND IT SCARED THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF ME!

1. Type in capitals Q33 NY. This is the flight number of the first plane to hit one of the Twin Towers.
2. Highlight the Q33 NY.
3. Change the font size to 48.
4. Change the actual font to the WINGDINGS 1 {scarriest part of all}

I wanted to give a simple explanation on the various flaws in this forwarded message (no offense to the sender!) I have heard of these and I really think that these ‘facts’ are all hoax. Here’s a link that will clearly explain why: http://www.snopes. com/rumors/ coincidence. asp

I am very skeptical about “mysterious” number patterns. It’s just too easy to find meaningless so-called patterns in every day life. It’s just human to find patterns, and therefore most of these “mysteries” are no mysteries at all: they’re just our brains doing what they’re supposed to do, managing our senses so things don’t get too chaotic. I mean why spend time “thinking” about these kinds of things when the best thing to do is to pray for all the victims of the said tragedy.

With the coming of the 2008 United States presidential election in November, all eyes are on the candidates. John Sidney McCain III, Senior United States Senator from Arizona, is a candidate for the Republican Party nomination. However, the following will not be a discussion of his political positions and whatnot, rather, a brief look back at his military career.

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who were both United States Navy admirals, McCain entered the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated in 1958, upon which he was commissioned an ensign, and spent two and a half years as a naval aviator in training at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas, flying A-1 Skyraiders. He graduated from flight school in 1960 and became a naval pilot of attack aircraft. In the 1960s he served as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Meridian in Mississippi, but eventually grew tired of his training role and requested a combat assignment. In December 1966 he was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal, flying A-4 Skyhawks.

In 1967 Forrestal was assigned to join Operation Rolling Thunder, the bombing campaign against North Vietnam as part of the Vietnam War. McCain’s first five attack missions over the country went without a hitch, and he earned the reputation of a serious aviator. On July 29, 1967, he was almost killed in action as a Lieutenant Commander while serving on Forrestal, operating at Yankee Station. A Zuni rocket from an F-4 Phantom was accidentally fired across the carrier’s deck while the crew was preparing to launch attacks, and it struck McCain’s A-4E Skyhawk as the jet was preparing for launch. McCain was able to escape from his jet but was struck in the legs and chest by shrapnel.

On October 26, 1967, McCain was flying as part of a 20-plane attack against a thermal power plant in central Hanoi when his A-4 Skyhawk was shot down during its approach run by an SA-2 anti-aircraft missile. McCain fractured both arms and a leg, and he nearly drowned after parachuting into Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi. He was transported to the city’s main prison, and although badly wounded, his captors refused to put him in the hospital. Only when the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a top admiral did they give him medical attention and announce his capture. McCain was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for a total of five and a half years.

McCain became a celebrity upon his return to the United States, appearing in publications and participating in several parades and personal appearances. He underwent treatment for his injuries, and attended the National War College in Fort McNair in Washington, DC from 1973 to 1974. Few doubted his capability to fly again, but by late 1974 he had recuperated just enough to pass his flight physical and have his flight status reinstated. He became Executive Officer and then Commanding Officer of the VA-174 Hellrazors, the East Coast A-7 Corsair II Navy training squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Cecil Field outside Jacksonville, Florida, and the largest attack squadron in the Navy. McCain is credited for improving its aircraft readiness and pilot safety metrics, and winning the squadron its first Meritorious Unit Commendation.

It was nearly two years after the Hussein regime was toppled and major combat operations ended but still, U.S. and coalition troops are still fighting an Iraqi insurgency.  As of January 7, 2008, there have been 4,210 coalition deaths in the war in Iraq.  It was on May 1, 2003 that President George Bush addressed the nation not from the White House but from the dramatic setting of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln: 

“Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.”

Aircraft weapons used in the war by the U.S. Coalition Forces are bombers, cargo, fighter/attack, refueling, special operations, surveillance, UAVs, Canberra, Harrier GR7, Jaguar GR1, Nimrod, Tornado GR1, Tornado GR4, Tornado F3, Puma helicopter, VC10C1K, Lynx helicopter and Merlin helicopter.  The Iraqi forces deployed Mirage F1 fighter, MiG-29 fighter, SU-25 plane, MiG-21 short-range fighter, An-26 basic transport aircraft, An-12 cargo plane and helicopters.   

Warships used by the U.S. Coalition Forces include the Abraham Lincoln, USS Constellation, USS Kitty Hawk, USS Harry S. Truman, USS Theodore Roosevelt , carrier battle group ships, guided-missile cruiser, guided-missile destroyer, attack submarine, guided missile frigate, amphibious assault ship, oiler, fast combat support ships, amphibious transport/dockship, landing craft, air cushioned.  The Iraqi forces only used the Zhuk patrol ship. 

As of September 25, 2003, 1,268 U.S. military personnel were listed as wounded during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Iraq has not released details of military casualties. 

“3,240 Iraqi civilians were killed, based on records from 60 of Iraq’s 124 hospitals, including almost all of the large ones.”

Associated Press 

As for most people, the war in Iraq couldn’t have been avoided; there are the pros and cons of war and consequently, the pros outweigh the cons.  It was really fortunate that the long war in Iraq have finally been put to an end.  You could just imagine how many civilians and innocents were killed in the process.  Sadly, blood of the innocents must be spilled to regain order and peace.  In the long run, we all know that war is for the better good.  It was indeed a bittersweet victory.