MH370 Course On Simulator

Not for the first time, the 1MDB fiasco is being overshadowed by the the MH370 news: Malaysia Confirms Flight 370 Course Was on Pilot's Simulator.

Australian officials overseeing the search for the plane last month said data recovered from Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah's simulator included a flight path to the southern Indian Ocean. Malaysian officials at the time refused to confirm the findings.

On Thursday, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai told local journalists that the flight path was found on the simulator. He also cautioned there were "thousands" of destinations on the simulator and no evidence that Zaharie flew the plane in that area or deliberately crashed it.

I think the captain is being thrown under the bus, with the option of retracting the accusation, should it not become necessary anymore.

Aviation blogger Jeff Wise notes that some numbers and data do not match.

I personally think it's been cooked up.

The reason I say this is because if someone was on a suicide mission, they wouldn't meticulously plan the details of their death, and certainly not on a flight simulator which was a passion of Capt Zaharie. Depression and passion don't mix.

Now, if he was homicidal, on the other hand, and out to kill as many people as possible, you'd think he'd at least state his reasons for the attack on other humans. At least leave a note. Even bloody ISIS knows how to do that.

I believe this guy.

It appears to me that the Malaysian government is yet again using the MH370 to distract people from the dirty issue of funds embezzlement.

Criticism Over The MH370

In hindsight, it's easy to criticise the Malaysian government.

It is, for the most part, a rather stupid government, but given that the MH370 has completely disappeared leaving no trace of wreckage or evidence of having hit the ground at some point, there seems to be more to this than meets the eye.

There has been nothing regular about this flight since it signed off from Malaysian airspace. To accuse the authorities of negligence when there has been no evidence of being able to recover the airplane before it disappeared is ambitious.

It doesn't stop people from embarking upon some criticism though. For instance, some "aviation expert" claims that the plane could have been found if "proper protocols" had been followed.

He conveniently fails to describe said protocols. So much for being an expert.

I can understand that there has been closure for the family of the victims and this must be troubling for them, but the search for the remains of the MH370 has been ongoing for almost 8 months, and to date, no evidence has been discovered.

Politics And The MH370

I was going to avoid blogging about this MH370 fiasco because it is a difficult situation to handle -- for any authority, be they some third world country or a purportedly developed nation (the kind that spies on its citizens but has atrociously third world banking technology).

But three things have annoyed me. Firstly, the Malaysian government has shamed itself and the nation by insinuating that the Captain of the ill-fated MH370 was an extremist for being a life-long member of PKR and a supporter of Anwar Ibrahim.

Now, I'm not Anwar Ibrahim's biggest fan, but with regards to Captain Zaharie, I believe that anyone who stands up for democracy and wants the best for his country is a man to be admired.

Unfortunately, this insinuation was picked up by a trio of pubic lice -- who probably regard themselves as 'journalists' -- for the Daily Mail.

Now, if you have ever been to the UK or are familiar with that trashy rag, you would know that it is read by the mentally deficient, those on unemployment benefits who believe the UK is overrun by immigrants but are too lazy to get off their butts and work for a living, and other random losers.

Still, it has managed to infiltrate the news circle of other serious journalists who are now calling Captain Zaharie's integrity into question. This really annoys me.

It also annoys Peter Chong who vehemently denies that the Captain could be involved in any mischief.

Interestingly, these are feel good moments despite the gloom surrounding the disappearance of this aircraft that Malaysians do have best friends of other races. Peter Chong was Captain Zaharie's best friend.

The third thing that bothers me is some fool from CNN called Jake Tapper who has a smug, slappable, babboon-like face who says, "Who would want to do this, to this part of the world, to this country, and who would be capable of such a thing?"

It's not what he's saying that is annoying, but how he says it.

I have a message for Jake Tapper:

Listen up, you dumb fuck. Your country, the one with crappy-banking-technology-but-superb-spying-skills-on-its-own-citizens (and ludicrously expensive healthcare) is not the only thing that is worthwhile in this world.

While you had your head buried in a hole or possibly trying to deal with the general incompetencies of your nation, other countries have emerged as economic leaders in their own right.

I don't expect you as an American to be able to comprehend that, as you probably have an IQ of 90 or 95, but it would be much appreciated if you could shut that flapping trap that sits on the front of your face and lubricates your jaws with saliva.

MH5439 Joins The Ranks

There is so little good news that anything remotely of interest is most welcome.

We recently joined the exclusive ranks of major long-haul airlines.

Flight MH5439 from Toulouse, France receives a traditional water canon salute after touching down at KLIA.

MAS is set receive another 3 Airbus 380 aircraft later this year.

Why It Is Impossible To Steal Aircraft Engines

Engines generally don't do a walkabout. Not huge, unique and expensive aircraft engines, and certainly not military aircraft engines.

I've noticed that the general public seems to take this situation rather calmly - either that, or Malaysians have long gone past being cynical.

This has been an interesting topic within aviation circles though. Most parts and components in an aircraft are very unique and can only be used in that model, or more specifically, weight variant.

Calculations for center of gravity, aerodynamic profile, fuel efficiency, take-off weight, range, vibration, automatic control, airframe structure and a host of other aspects revolve around the engine.

Some aircraft even have 2 different engine options and each configuration has to be calculated with a whole new loop of loads.

For instance, the Airbus A380 used the Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines that were especially designed for it. There is also a Pratt & Whitney (PW3000?) configuration, and each aircraft (which has its own Manufacturing Serial Number) has to be analysed and tested before being certified as airworthy.

So, when someone tells me that an aircraft engine found its way to South America, I find it very astounding indeed, for various reasons.

Firstly, there is a lot of paperwork involved. The aviation industry does not simply allow people to fit in engines onto planes on any whim or fancy. There has to be routine maintenance checks, which will require numerous signatures.

Before any aircraft engine is released, it will have to undergo thorough inspection, otherwise it will be rejected by the airworthiness authorities of whichever country that will certify the aircraft which adopts this new engine. Those are the rules and regulations of the aviation industry.

Often, the original equipment manufacturers will have to be informed as "after-sales service" is a very significant part of aviation equipment. In this case, especially because it is a military aircraft, the Americans want Malaysia to comply with their export control regulations.

Secondly, aircraft parts are fragile. They have to be specially packed and clearly marked when being shipped. It is not a matter of slipping it into the car boot and driving off. They are also quite heavy, which means substantial equipment will be needed to move it around.

Even car engines are heavy, what more an aircraft engine!

Thirdly, considering there is paperwork involved and it happens to be a very large item, it simply cannot be stolen. Charging two low-level technicians is a most ludicrous attempt at pacifying the masses, much less the professionals in the industry.

The diplomat (POLCOUNS - political counsel?) McFeeters clearly does not believe it was stolen. His cable asks for advice if the arms export control act has been violated.

It could only be violated if it was sold, not stolen.

To slip a massive engine like that out of an air force base is even more unbelievable. Security in military bases are very high and no one can go in or out without some form of identification. From deduction, it requires more than 2 people to carry out the operation of relocating those engines.

This very strongly implies that there were people very high up who approved these operations.

As McFeeters suggests, "The Prime Minister will have a personal stake, given his past role as Defense Minister, and that could explain in part his prominence in the media coverage of this issue thus far."

Those Missing F-5 Engines

Now this is a very interesting bit of leak from the cables regarding our F-5 engines that did a walkabout in 2007:

MALAYSIAN F-5 ENGINES CASE AND ACTION REQUEST

They should have been reported missing, but they weren't.

------------------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 001013

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019
TAGS: PM PREL PGOV MARR MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIAN F-5 ENGINES CASE AND ACTION REQUEST

Classified By: POLCOUNS Brian McFeeters for reasons 1.4 (b, d).

1.(C) SUMMARY, COMMENT, AND ACTION REQUEST: On December 19, the Malaysian press reported the 2007 theft of a J-85 aircraft engine (for the F-5 aircraft). Subsequent reports indicated that, in fact, two engines had been stolen and sold to an international company in South America. The story has been front-page news in Malaysia's government-influenced press and uncensored blogosphere since then. In recent days, Post has queried Malaysian interlocutors on the current location of the engines. They either do not know the location or have been instructed to withhold information while a police investigation continues. Malaysian interlocutors also have not provided adequate explanation as to why, after two years, this incident has just now become public.

2.(C) Comment: We do not yet have sufficient command of the facts to determine whether this story will have significant domestic repercussions. The Prime Minister will have a personal stake, given his past role as Defense Minister, and that could explain in part his prominence in the media coverage of this issue thus far. More important, however, from the perspective of U.S. interests, is how this case can be used to advance our call for a more effective export control regime in Malaysia. Our strongest leverage, it appears, is the need for Malaysia to persuade us that military transfers subject to the Arms Export Control Act can be carried out with confidence in the Malaysians ability and will to comply with our law and regulation.

3.(C) Action Request: Post requests
(a) clarification as to whether Section 3 of the Arms Export Control Act has been violated,
(b) talking points for use with GOM interlocutors (see suggestions para 10)and
(c) press guidance on this issue (see suggestion para 11).

END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST.

Watched From Up Above

There was a huge crowd at Kuala Kubu Baru on Nomination Day for the Hulu Selangor by-elections.

We had arrived before 8:00AM and there was already a huge crowd and a massive traffic jam in a small town that was not designed to cope with a sudden surge in numbers.


Of course, we were watched from the air.

At least 2 helicopters hovered and circled over us as (I presume) the government tried to gauge the number of supporters for each party.

Watching From Above

This helicopter hovered over us the whole day during the Anti-ISA protest yesterday.


This was probably how the authorities pinned down the location of where people were gathered.

Seaplane In Sydney

The seaplane at the Barrenjoey Boathouse at Palm Beach.


If I'm not mistaken, it's a deHavilland amphibious Beaver.

Faulty Wing Flaps

So the Spanair crash was caused by faulty landing flaps and not by engine failure, as speculated earlier.

The flaps, which are found on the underside of a plane's wings, are used to reduce stall speed during take-off and landing.

And when those flaps didn't work, the MD-82 couldn't pick up as much speed as was needed to launch itself off and consequently, stalled and crashed.

Worse, an electrical failure also meant the pilots were unaware of the problem.

The flaps on the wing’s trailing edge and slats on the leading edge are essential for lift on take-off, and usually high on the pilots' priority list.

The cockpit voice recorder, recovered from the crash, showed that the crew had confirmed “Flaps OK, Slats OK” during their reading of the check list. The flaps were NOT okay.

That oversight wiped out the majority of passengers on the flight. In fact, it's Spain's worst crash in 25 years.

The aircraft's black boxes, or known in the industry as flight data recorders, are currently being analysed by a specialist laboratory in the United Kingdom.

Spanair Crash In Madrid

This is a nasty one. You can barely find intact parts - only debris. This plane crash killed 153.

Summer is almost ending and it's at the height of the vacation season. I know, because most of my colleagues in Madrid are away from their desks in the office.

It feels frighteningly close to home because I have been to the Barajas Airport in Madrid, though I've never flown Spanair.

The black box (known in aviation circles as the 'flight data recorder') was retrieved from the debris. We'll probably know what happened soon enough.

Initial reports suggested that a fire had broken out in one of the engines during or shortly after take-off from Terminal Four, and the plane ended up in a field.

The plane had earlier begun taxiing to the runway, before turning back because of a technical problem, which had caused an hour's delay in the take-off.

The pilot had reported a fault with a temperature gauge, but it was thought to have been fixed. It is possible that there was indeed a big problem, just not with the gauge.

The aircraft in question was an American-made McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 so apparently the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is sending an investigation team to Madrid.

Let's see if they can somehow blame the crash on Malaysian engineers.

How Incompetent Are We, Really?

I'm upset that Qantas has implied Malaysia lacks competence when it comes to simple maintenance checks.

To begin with, preliminary investigations into the Boeing 747 that had a forced emergency landing in the Philippines on his way from London to Melbourne showed that it was a faulty oxygen cylinder valve that blew the hole in the fuselage and not shoddy maintenance.

But this scare has evolved into a full-fledged flog-anyone-in-sight exercise, which involves a withdrawal of two 737 planes from being sent to Malaysia for heavy maintenance checks.

Qantas' decision to send its 737s to Malaysia for maintenance checks has come under intense scrutiny after the first plane sent there two months ago came back with 95 defects.

It has not been established if the defects rank along the lines of "dodgy staples" or if there is indeed, something with a cause for concern.

Malaysia Airlines issued a statement yesterday defending its checks and calling Australian reports on defects unsubstantiated.

I can understand that Malaysians pose a threat to the Australian Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry as we're cheap labour. We're essentially taking their jobs and leaving thm potentially unemployed.

But what really concerns me is whether we do have a hand in our own sorry reputation.

We are a nation with a need of "affirmative action" for the majority. We don't believe in meritocracy. We are steeped in quota systems - be it scholarships, entry into universities and purchase of property.

It is only natural that we have a whole bunch of incompetents walking around.

But have they, through our failed reputation, finally affected the economy?

Qantas Boeing 747

Holy guacamole.

TimesOnline: The aviation experts say the terror could have been caused by a bomb.

Sure, baby. Could you please check if Osama's name shows up on the passenger list?

New York Times: Federal investigators say the accident was caused by metal fatigue, exacerbated by corrosion caused by salt water.

That's a weird location for fatigue to occur, though. It looks like the secondary structure is damaged, and not the primary.

A whole load of strain and pressure usually isn't likely to cause damage of that magnitude. However, corrosion has some nasty tricks up its sleeves.

I wouldn't want an insight into the thoughts of the Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer who signed it off as airworthy before it took off. It's a very unpleasant position to be in.

No One Questioned Import Of Fighter Aircraft Parts?

It appears that exporting fighter aircraft parts to Malaysia is a blissfully easy operation.

Now we're neither talking plastic, toy aircraft here nor some of the many Tamiya small scaled models which I own and don't know what to do with.

Nor are we discussing home appliances, cute Nintendo or Playstation games or even automotive parts.

MILITARY FIGHTER AIRCRAFT parts, ladies and gentlemen.

As far as I know, the Malaysian government does not have any F-14s within its fleet. We have F-18s, MiG-29s and we have the infamous Su-30MKM.

But not any F-14s.

NY man pleads guilty to arms exports to Malaysia

But evidently, no one thinks it's out of the ordinary if a Pakistani brings component parts into Malaysia for an aircraft we do not possess.

And what does our government have to say about this?

The Deputy Prime Minister also said the government had no knowledge of companies illegally importing F-5 and F-14 military fighter jet parts into the country.

"It cannot be with the government as we have no knowledge whatsoever about it. I do not know if there are private companies involved in this.

"There is no stopping them to buy on their own accord without informing us. We are not in the business of selling parts to a third country. We don't do that. I cannot determine if any company had sought for the parts," he said.

However Najib, who is also the Defence Minister, said the government would not hesitate to act against any company if it had breached the law of the country.

You don't seem to know much about this country, do you Najib? And being Defence Minsister at that.

We do need to cut a sizable amount of your entertainment allowance, methinks. You're spending too much time playing around instead of doing your job.

Though if you didn't get a huge cut out of this deal, there's plenty to annoyed about, I'd say.

The Elusive A319CJ

So the Malaysian version of Air Force One has finally arrived.

If my sources are right, the A319CJ is now a Malaysian registered aircraft going under 9M-NAA. That's nine-a mike november alpha alpha.


Big Dog has the scoop: PM’s aircraft is now in Malaysia

I do wonder, does the PM think he will be able to hold office long enough to enjoy the aircraft?

Or did he plan it as a gift to his yet-to-be-known successor in an act of unprecedented benevolence?

Choice Of Airlines

Which would you prefer? :)

The Garuda

A Garuda at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. She's getting all loaded up for a long haul flight.

It was approaching dusk when I took the snapshot.

Fly Asian Xpress

A very nicely liveried De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by Fly Asian Xpress which does rural routes in Sabah and Sarawak.

I swear the red colour just grabs you! :)