Interesting, I see some anti Assad censorship on the site. The pro-Assad comments have been removed, whilst the pro-terrorist ones have stayed. Apologies for the topic creep; thoughts still with a brother pilot and his family.

Jolihokisix

What are you wittering about?

Who cares which sky fairy people are deluded enough to believe in?

Poor guy on our side is deeply in the poo and the one thing I can assure you is that his fate is in human hands.

This is the poor bugger we're talking about:

Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh

• Born in the city of Karak in Jordan in 1988, he is 26 years old
• Has been a Royal Jordanian Air Force pilot for six years
• Currently holds the rank of flight lieutenant
• One of eight children, he got married in July

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...609a5c36cd.jpg

Has anyone heard anymore about how it happened. There seems to be a bit of confusion on that, mechanical failure?

Roland, well said! JoliH, if you find reference to "his God" divisive, that's nothing to the IS view. Those Muslims who have adopted "Western" ways, including their "brother" Arabs, are every bit as loathsome in their eyes as we are.

dctyke and Beermonkey, If you are Air Force then I feel that your comments to rh200 were a little harsh; if you are not, then they don't count at all.

I recollect, as an RAF pilot, about fifty years ago, a training manual about aircrew escape & evasion and interrogation. The last sentence: 'You may be captured by a savage enemy who is not signatory to the Geneva Convention; that is the price of freedom and democracy.' As chilling then as the plight of Lt al-Kaseasbeh is now.

F16 parts
 

What are those components being held up in one of the news photos - do they look like they're from an F16?

It has long been known that a religious maniac with a sharp sword is the worst of all enemies, and that is what we are faced with here. Any appeal to their humanity is vain; they might negotiate over an offer of an immense ransom, but we have rightly set our face against this, for: "if you pay anyone Danegeld, you never get rid of the Dane" (Kipling) - your nationals become the hostages of choice. The only hope is: he is more valuable to them alive than dead.

So it's a case of God (of your particular belief) help him, for no human power can do so now.

I would think our Intelligence is working overtime to discover what kind of weapon (if it was a weapon) was used, for if it can claw down a Jordanian modern ground attack aircraft, a Tornado (a 40+ year old design) might be next.

We were supremely confident in the invulnerability of the U-2 until one day over Smolensk....

D.

I only mentioned his God in the same terms dave Allen said may your God go with you.. It's a personal choice and a personal relationship with almighty

I would like to have a cyanide capsule to chew on if these animals come to rescue me.

I do wish the BBC and others would get ranks right - it even shows it on his captured ID, so it isn't that hard!

He is a 1st Lieutenant "MOLAZIM AWAL" (ملازم أول) which is the second rank of officer in Royal Jordanian Air Force. It is portrayed by two stars on the shoulder which are clearly visible on his rank slides.

Anyway, back to the main thrust of the thread. Good luck old boy and I'm thinking/hoping things turn out for the best for you.

LJ

So much for sanitising his uniform before flying into harms way.

Odd that we can sympathise personally with the dreadful plight of someone when they have a job we can relate to, while other unfortunates in the region are mentioned only as obstructions to whacking the bad guys if at all.

Danny 42C said:
Islamic State did not shoot down Jordan plane, says US



Sun.

so who shot it down and how would they know it anyway? Assad SAM bases are now far from Raqqa.

Also any MANPAD has chance to take down an F16 flying relatively low, flares will not work every time.

I think the implication is that it wasn't shot down. Possibly the crash was caused by factors other than enemy action?

Sun.

Yes, but the US would probably say that anyway, for a variety of reasons. Unless the NTSB have checked the wreckage..

Henry, the problem with denial is what to say when the evidence is produced.

They were caught out when they denied the truth of the U2 shoot down.

Hempy said:

True and in this instance, I have no special info. However, if the pilot made calls prior to the aircraft crashing, outlining issues with the airframe that had nothing to do with enemy action, then the cause would be known. I'm not saying that's what happened, but it seems as likely as ISIS successfully engaging a Jordanian fighter, at altitude.

Sun.

small chance it happened exactly over Raqqa, also this was probably not the first time they fired a missile, one had to hit

Maybe, maybe not. If the aircraft was performing on-call air interdiction, then much of its airborne time may have been over Raqqa. There again, as you say, maybe they just got lucky.

Sun.