Afghan Pilot Says He Trained 14 Militants to Fly
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Afghan Pilot Says He Trained 14 Militants to Fly
This is the current news report doing its rounds. Its also available here http://us.news2.yimg.com/f/42/31/7m/...lots_dc_1.html
DUBAI (Reuters) - A former pilot with Afghanistan's national carrier was on Thursday quoted as saying that he had helped train 14 Islamic militants, some holding European passports, to fly civilian aircraft.
The London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted the pilot as saying from an undisclosed location in Afghanistan that the trainees had left the war-torn country nearly one year ago to undisclosed locations after they completed their training.
The newspaper did not say if the trainees were among the hijackers who slammed commercial aircraft into the Pentagon in Washington and the World Trade Center in New York on Tuesday.
"A group of 14 radical Islamist men received special training on flying civilian aircraft, including Boeings, of which Afghanistan's Ariana airlines owns three," the Arabic-language newspaper said.
It said the young trainees were Pakistanis, Afghans and Arab nationals. Some carried European passports and spoke fluent English.
U.S. officials have said Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, now a "guest" of the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, was almost certainly responsible for the attacks. Bin Laden has been reported to have denied it.
U.S. law enforcement agents searched homes and businesses in Florida in connection with the attacks, focusing on an aviation school where two suspects may have received flight training, police and media said.
Some of the hijackers were trained as pilots in the United States, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said.
Asharq al-Awsat named the pilot as Captain Rasul Parwaz, but it said he asked that his surname be withheld.
It said he had retired from the state-run Ariana airline after the United Nations imposed sanctions on Afghanistan in 1999 for the Taliban's refusal to hand over bin Laden who the United States has blamed for the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998.
The pilot said the training took place in the city of Bamiyan, where the Taliban have an airbase, the newspaper reported. A retired Pakistani general was among those who also trained the Islamic militants, who the pilot described as fanatics.
"He (the pilot) pointed out that seven of those (trainees) spoke English fluently to the extent that they translated flying manuals into languages in use in Afghanistan, including Farsi, Urdu and Pshtun," the newspaper said.
The London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted the pilot as saying from an undisclosed location in Afghanistan that the trainees had left the war-torn country nearly one year ago to undisclosed locations after they completed their training.
The newspaper did not say if the trainees were among the hijackers who slammed commercial aircraft into the Pentagon in Washington and the World Trade Center in New York on Tuesday.
"A group of 14 radical Islamist men received special training on flying civilian aircraft, including Boeings, of which Afghanistan's Ariana airlines owns three," the Arabic-language newspaper said.
It said the young trainees were Pakistanis, Afghans and Arab nationals. Some carried European passports and spoke fluent English.
U.S. officials have said Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, now a "guest" of the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, was almost certainly responsible for the attacks. Bin Laden has been reported to have denied it.
U.S. law enforcement agents searched homes and businesses in Florida in connection with the attacks, focusing on an aviation school where two suspects may have received flight training, police and media said.
Some of the hijackers were trained as pilots in the United States, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said.
Asharq al-Awsat named the pilot as Captain Rasul Parwaz, but it said he asked that his surname be withheld.
It said he had retired from the state-run Ariana airline after the United Nations imposed sanctions on Afghanistan in 1999 for the Taliban's refusal to hand over bin Laden who the United States has blamed for the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998.
The pilot said the training took place in the city of Bamiyan, where the Taliban have an airbase, the newspaper reported. A retired Pakistani general was among those who also trained the Islamic militants, who the pilot described as fanatics.
"He (the pilot) pointed out that seven of those (trainees) spoke English fluently to the extent that they translated flying manuals into languages in use in Afghanistan, including Farsi, Urdu and Pshtun," the newspaper said.
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If my memory is correct, Afghan Airlines operate 727s - so not sure how relevant this is.
Let's hope they get to the bottom of this quickly, if nothing else it will cut down all this potentially mis-leading information.
Let's hope they get to the bottom of this quickly, if nothing else it will cut down all this potentially mis-leading information.
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Brabazon:
You are spot on. They operate 727s!
I would assume that these aircraft if airworthy have very little in RNAV and complex autopilot systems!
An ideal tool to enhance the all important stick and rudder skills?????
MG
You are spot on. They operate 727s!
I would assume that these aircraft if airworthy have very little in RNAV and complex autopilot systems!
An ideal tool to enhance the all important stick and rudder skills?????
MG
The737-100 and the 737-800 are both worlds apart yet are the same aircraft. As an 800 pilot I'm sure that I could jump into a 737 Jurrassic and fly it, infact South West has "dumbed down" their NG's so Jurrassic, Classic and New Generation 737s could be flown by all of their pilots. Its not unlikely that a simultor could be used for training on the autopilot flight director system and how to use the GPS and FMC, followed by the 727 for the stick and rudder skills needed to carry out their dastardly act (may they never see Allah.).
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Anyone can buy a Microsoft 757/767 simulator program and practice various procedures, etc.
Using the 727s might have familiarized them with the "feel" of a big jetliner.
My brother is a 757/767 pilot and he thinks that actually controlling the airplane once in-flight would be relatively easy for pilots with minimal experience and systems knowledge...
Hope these people don't get too "comfortable" - they will be burning in hell soon...
Cheers!
Using the 727s might have familiarized them with the "feel" of a big jetliner.
My brother is a 757/767 pilot and he thinks that actually controlling the airplane once in-flight would be relatively easy for pilots with minimal experience and systems knowledge...
Hope these people don't get too "comfortable" - they will be burning in hell soon...
Cheers!
It was reported on the US news this morning, that a couple of the already identified pilots who undertook flight training in Florida, had taken further instruction in 727's or 737's.
The ad that is currently running on this page on PPRuNe, is advertising self sponsored 737 type ratings; not very difficult to locate the training facilites and capabilities.
They were investigating reports that they had undertaken other type specific Sim training in Florida.
As someone else has already pointed out. The easiest of all options is to buy a handheld moving map GPS and pre-programme it prior to the event.
[ 13 September 2001: Message edited by: Cyclic Hotline ]
The ad that is currently running on this page on PPRuNe, is advertising self sponsored 737 type ratings; not very difficult to locate the training facilites and capabilities.
They were investigating reports that they had undertaken other type specific Sim training in Florida.
As someone else has already pointed out. The easiest of all options is to buy a handheld moving map GPS and pre-programme it prior to the event.
[ 13 September 2001: Message edited by: Cyclic Hotline ]
