Radio Paradise

Wrong direction. GPSes receive, they don't transmit. The transmitters are up in orbit.

You could build satellites to continuously monitor airplane positions if the airplanes all had transceivers on board to tell the satellites where they were. It would be pretty expensive even if you used an existing satellite network (like the satphone birds)—somebody has to track all that data, and you really only need it once in an airplane's life. Ground tracking handles the task otherwise so it would be redundant for intracontinental flights.

Ah. Still, I'm surprised that there's no powerful transponder that somehow (magically) gets activated in a disaster.

Lazy8

Location: The Gallatin Valley of Montana
Gender: Male

Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 10:38am

phineas wrote:

But what about a GPS?

Wrong direction. GPSes receive, they don't transmit. The transmitters are up in orbit.

You could build satellites to continuously monitor airplane positions if the airplanes all had transceivers on board to tell the satellites where they were. It would be pretty expensive even if you used an existing satellite network (like the satphone birds)—somebody has to track all that data, and you really only need it once in an airplane's life. Ground tracking handles the task otherwise so it would be redundant for intracontinental flights.

K_Love

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 10:38am

Lazy8 wrote:

There are radio beacons that activate in crash situations but they are pretty weak. You have to get pretty close to detect one, assuming it survives the event. And that airplane was a long way from anyplace. It's a big ocean.

I watch Deadliest Catch and whenever a ship goes down and they show the rescue effort, I'm always amazed how far things get swept away and how it's almost impossible to see anyone or anything unless you're right overhead. Granted, this plane didn't go down in the Bering Sea but I'm sure it's almost the same situation.

phineas

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 10:32am
Lazy8 wrote: There are radio beacons that activate in crash situations but they are pretty weak. You have to get pretty close to detect one, assuming it survives the event. And that airplane was a long way from anyplace. It's a big ocean. But what about a GPS?

Lazy8

Location: The Gallatin Valley of Montana
Gender: Male

Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 10:31am

rosedraws wrote:

I guess we really don't have anything that can find an airplane? It's amazing that such a looonnnnng period of time went by between last radio/radar contact and when they decided something was wrong. I've been under the ill conceived notion that airplanes are tracked more thoroughly than that.

Zep

Location: Funkytown

Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 9:30am

rosedraws wrote:

It was on radar when it disappeared, but it is still far from land, and the search area is huge.

It would be very unusual for lighting alone to have brought this Airbus down. Jets are struck by lightning all the time, and no crash has been attributed to a direct hit for four decades.

The A330 is a very modern airliner and is designed to withstand a lot, so whatever did this was exceptional indeed.

winter

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Location: in exile, as always
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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 9:21am

rosedraws wrote:

I think they are, here. (At least I hope so, post 9/11.) But maybe not so much in Senegal?

rosedraws

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 9:19am

kysmet wrote:

rosedraws wrote:

Oh dear.

BBC Story. Still no news though.

"Nothing on Spanish radar, nothing on Moroccan radar, nothing on French radar - we seriously have to fear the worst,"

*sigh*

K_Love

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 8:02am
rosedraws wrote: Oh dear. BBC Story. Still no news though. "Nothing on Spanish radar, nothing on Moroccan radar, nothing on French radar - we seriously have to fear the worst," sigh

rosedraws

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 7:53am
kysmet wrote: (CNN) — A French passenger aircraft carrying 228 people has disappeared off the coast of Brazil, airline officials say. Oh dear. BBC Story. Still no news though.

K_Love

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 7:47am
I know 5 people flying today, including my mom. While it's highly unlikely that something else will happen today, I can imagine how unnerving it must be for them.

rachlan

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Gender: Female

Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 7:03am
n4ku wrote: Apparently they flew through some stormy weather. They reported bad turbulence, then an electrical problem. They think it might have been struck by lightning. wow. really sucks :(

n4ku

Location: --... ...--

Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 6:53am
rachlan wrote: I was just reading about this. wholy crap. what happened!!! Apparently they flew through some stormy weather. They reported bad turbulence, then an electrical problem. They think it might have been struck by lightning.

rachlan

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Location: nyc
Gender: Female

Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 4:59am

kysmet wrote:

(CNN) — A French passenger aircraft carrying 228 people has disappeared off the coast of Brazil, airline officials say.

Air France told CNN the jet was traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris when contact was lost.

The airline said flight AF447 was carrying 216 passengers in addition to a crew of 12. The plane is listed as an Airbus A330.

State radio reported a crisis center was being set up at Charles de Gaulle where the plane had been due to land at 11.15 a.m. local time.

Reports said an air force search and rescue operation was underway around the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, 365 kilometers (226 miles) off the mainland.

The Airbus 330 is a twin-engined long-range aircraft introduced into commercial aviation in the 1990s. CNN air travel expert Richard Quest says the plane, a workhorse of trans-Atlantic routes, has an inpeccable safety record.

I was just reading about this. wholy crap. what happened!!!

K_Love

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Posted: Jun 1, 2009 - 3:56am

(CNN) — A French passenger aircraft carrying 228 people has disappeared off the coast of Brazil, airline officials say.

Air France told CNN the jet was traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris when contact was lost.

The airline said flight AF447 was carrying 216 passengers in addition to a crew of 12. The plane is listed as an Airbus A330.

State radio reported a crisis center was being set up at Charles de Gaulle where the plane had been due to land at 11.15 a.m. local time.

Reports said an air force search and rescue operation was underway around the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, 365 kilometers (226 miles) off the mainland.

Manbird

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Posted: May 20, 2009 - 11:17am

cc_rider

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Location: Bastrop
Gender: Male

Posted: May 11, 2009 - 9:24am

meower wrote:

I'm just glad she's free. her parents had been on "the world" on pri/npr the a good bit during her imprisonment. Thank goodness

Indeed. I don't think it was ever any secret she was being used for political purposes. Her press visa was expired, but still that's a pretty flimsy basis for an eight year sentence. At least she's free now.

Makes you wonder, will she ever go back there?

meower

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Location: i believe, i believe, it's silly, but I believe
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Posted: May 11, 2009 - 8:46am
Zep wrote: Yes I saw that. The whole thing was staged. Iran's judicial system is a farce. She was a pawn in a much larger game. I'm just glad she's free. her parents had been on "the world" on pri/npr the a good bit during her imprisonment. Thank goodness

Zep

Location: Funkytown

Posted: May 11, 2009 - 8:42am
meower wrote: Roxanna Saberi was released!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I saw that. The whole thing was staged. Iran's judicial system is a farce. She was a pawn in a much larger game.

meower

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Location: i believe, i believe, it's silly, but I believe
Gender: Female

Posted: May 11, 2009 - 8:04am
Roxanna Saberi was released!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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