wrote:
On Thu, 12 May 2005 09:38:39 +0200, Thomas Borchert
wrote:


Some poor ******* ain't going to be aviating for a while.


I hope. It's an EXTREMELY DUMB *******.



Probably not as dumb as a Fox News "Special Aviation Consultant" , who
I heard say that it's time we started "blowing these small planes out
of the sky", else "the terrorists" will get the idea that they too can
get within 3 miles of the Houses of Moronity.

National paranoia combined with national hysteria. Great theater.

You can laugh it up if you want. Although we know quite well that a
Cessna cannot lift enough explosive to do as much damage as a car, if
some exremist tries that, then we WILL see stupid pilots being shot.

I personally suspect the major reason cessnas like this NOT being shot
down is the obvious damage of falling debris, plus they would probally
figgure that even a plane loaded with explosives would do more damage
if shot than not. Then there is the possibility the rocket would miss
and hit the ground (bullets would be even worse - I think the rockets
can at least be programmed to explode only on the target, not the ground).
Fighter aircraft, bullets and rockets were never designed to do
low damage battle over the capitol.

My guess is they would follow the airplane with the idea that they
will shoot if it obviously is going to impact an important target.