Algy
The sentence you quote ... "fortunatley as proffesional I remained focused" ...does not appear in the letter in Flight International Magazine.
May I ask if this is just a bit of " jounalistic license" on your part, or actually a part of Kieran Daly's statement, which you identify as "verified".
My reason for asking is my astonishment at the whole event, a question as to why you would include such a sentence ( are you involved ?) and a sneaking suspicion that the content of the original letter has caused some rather red faces.
Usually when the cover up of an event, of this nature, takes place there are "interpertations" of what actually transpired. Normally to muddy the waters surrounding the event. Your sentence is very much in this vein, from my perspective.
From what is published, so far, we are asked to decide if Flight published, ( 8-14 November 2005) what was obviously going to be a letter of contentious content, without verification of its authenticity, and have printed this latest letter ( retraction without saying so) as a face saving exercise, or
Flight International, after discussions with the "real Clive Phillips" believe he actually did write it, but are finding that difficult to substantiate, or
Flight International has come under pressure from the concerned operators, or the appropriate authorities legal department to withdraw. ( Actually reads like someting JP probably wrote )
Whatever the answer, publishing this letter ( 6-12 November 2005) leaves Flight International,s credibility at some question in my mind.
Last edited by In Tiffanys trousers; 5th Dec 2005 at 17:23.