BOAC,
Boy! You are really 'on my case' as the Americans say and are spoiling my day -- which has been nice despite late-afternoon T-storms.
Please type in FINANCIAL POST, PAKISTAN and go to 'Letters to the Editor' where I briefly speak of myself. I changed the wordings a little bit because obviously I don't want to use the same exact words in another newspaper -- even if I take no money from anyone and they hold no propriety rights over my words.
I HATE talking about myself. "Putting on the medals" as someone called it.
Go to History of PIA and then to Forums. I don't introduce myself. I just write -- try and put some balance into the discussion. They are very knowledgeable about aircraft types and the engines fitted on them, cycles and hours and stuff like that but their aviation/safety issues understanding is quite mediocre -- with exceptions as always. I write and gently try and correct them. Inevitably, someone will come back all aggressive and ask "Where YOU in that cockpit? If not, how do YOU know"?
I keep quiet.
If you want I can direct you to another paper -- which is a joint venture of the International Herald Tribune and a local Pakistani paper. There a Capt. for Shaheen Foundation (run by the Air Force boys) held forth on what happened to #202. I did NOT put on the medals or an air of superiority but tried to correct a few of his points. I know Shaheen only flies a 737-200 so he is guessing about the Airbus.
I may have written elsewhere but I cannot recall.
Most of what I write these days is on economics which is my second passion. I write for five Pakistani papers and three think-tanks. I take no payment from any of them -- and my family thinks I am completely daft.
I wish to say to you that in all my years (and I am an oldie now) no one in Pakistan, the US or the UK where I have lived has ever challenged my integrity. Coming from a country which is sadly ranked very high on the Transparency International Corruption Index, that is no small accomplishment and I am very proud of being the exception. My late father was one of the most outstanding civil servants Pakistan has produced in 62 years and was, amongst other things, Minister of Defense and therefore in-charge of PIA and CAA. No one in his 45 years of service would dare, or has dared, raise a finger at him even though he has been gone for 20 years and dead people, like dead pilots, don't talk.
I would give you his name but I feel I would be desecrating his memory by doing so to a complete stranger. I hope you understand my reticence.
Since you doubt me and I feel uncomfortable with that thought, it is best I take my leave. It has been great logging in here and listening to you guys (I don't think they are any women around). I have learnt a lot and had a lot of fun too.
BOAC, prattle on about curved DME arc versus circle-to-land approaches. If someone was only watching the DME, curved, straight, circle or not, this accident would not have happened. So what is your beef?
I have to write about the economic costs of the floods in Pakistan that have displaced 3.5 million people and damaged vital infrastructure.
Before I end, I do remember as a young boy the BOAC Comet I visit to Dacca, then East Pakistan. I think they lost one on take-off at Karachi because for some reason the take-off on the Comet I was very challenging.
Mikal (NOT, like EVERYONE else here my real name).