Thank you. Most of of us have seen this for a week or so and yes, it is still more than a bit silly! Sand-based foundations seem to work just fine for low-speed urban transits, both cars and light trains (light rail?). My guess is that it would also work -semi-well- as a slow speed taxi surface. Humph! when the back jets get anywhere beyond coasting idle, as in ANY increased thrust, yup... both sand and the pavers will move. And Yup again, if the thrust is significant, well - see the darn pix! While the
ground operating crew should have known better... what goofy engineer built that pad in the first place. Sand and fine soil 'pavers' have supported a lot of Europe for a century or more; it is a well proven method. Please... It is NOT suitable for airport aprons or taxiways. Period.
In some nations, in days past, the lead engineer for a project like this may have been shot. I think we're all smarter these days and perhaps the fellow might enjoy some
refresher training. The engineering error may be expensive, but I don't think that anyone will be shot as a result.
Errors happen, even in the professional engineering fields. Let this be a lesson to us all, regardless of our profession (or our secondary profession.) With wide enough distribution (and a few <chuckles>), perhaps this won't have to happen again.
and (bumping head against the wall) I guess three is enough...