That's Why!!

Yesterday, IIRC, I read a short report that the AA flight was directed to change runways 'at the last second' to runway 33 from its original heading of runway 1. (Runway numbers are compass heading divided by 10).

If you've never spent time in DC (I spent a decade some of those ago), then you need to know what National looks like. This is it. The main runway 1 is 7169 feet and the secondary 33 is 5204. I just now found the CNN report with transcripts, and yes, ATC did change runway for the AA plane.

Time to see what this all tells us. First, the AA plane was scheduled to land on 1, which threshold is farthest south on the facility, and, more importantly, on the VA side of the river opposite to the helicopter lanes. 33 has threshold to the southeast, and most importantly, the approach is over the river and DC and crosses the river very, very close to said threshold. Which means landing on 33 puts you very close to the ground as you overfly the east side of the river. Which, as it happens is right where the chopper lane(s) are. Oops. If the AA plane had stayed on its intended landing, it would have been much higher off the ground when it would intesect (in 3D space) the chopper; if it ever would. Nothing would happen, even with the chopper 100 feet (by some reports) above its lane.

The CRJ is about half the size of mid-sized 737 and about the size of the original DC-9. According to the wiki data, the CRJ700 has 5,040 foot landing spec; 33 is a tight squeeze. I'm no pilot, but seen enough "Air Disaster" episodes that ain't much margin. The CNN transcript gives us the reason (I speculate) why ATC changed runway: wind was at 320 with 25 (knots, normally) gust. That's a bit cross for landing on 1, but near a dead headwind for 33. Safer to land into the wind. The CRJ isn't the heaviest plane in the world, so not landing in crosswind is always better.

According to the innterTubes the CRJ700 is spec'ed to 27 cross!! Now, wind at 320 isn't direct cross and 25 gust is below 27, but switching to 33 makes a lot of sense.

QED

My SWAG is that the chopper pilot didn't register the runway change and thought the AA plane was headed for 1 or mistook another plane for the AA. The latter is what the transcript implies.

The Greatest Threat - part the seventh

Now that Kim Don-Felon and his Merry Band of Fascists (so says this Tesla investor) is on the record, so to say, that DEI (aka, Darkies and Cunts) at FAA and his whole benighted Gummint is the reason the chopper hit that passenger plane at National, how clever will his lackies be in disguising their cocksucking support for such a big lie? Only The Shadow knows, but it's surely an early test case. Already, there are not-on-the-record reports that the chopper was above its lane. We'll see.

I mean, if any of them find the truth, likely that the chopper pilot just simply hit the jet, and say so, will they take the non-trivial risk of getting fired? Probably not. And, of course, what if the pilot of the chopper was Army DEI (the kind that passes the white, sub-GED cohort through)? The USofA military has been reducing quals for years. True fact.

According to Pentagon data, 23% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 meet all eligibility requirements.

Army officials have said the coronavirus pandemic has also made recruiting more difficult, as ASVAB test scores are down almost 10% since the start of the crisis. "They just can't pass it," McConville said. "It's harder for people today to pass it than it was before."

Ok, if you didn't read up the link, ASVAB is the "IQ" test that wannabe military have to pass. So, in order to combat (pardon the pun) the actual failure rate, the Army set up a "Prep Course" structure to get them to pass. Now, whether this is actually a learning exercise or just a rote, "here's the answers, now memorize them", only The Shadow knows.

The Army typically has the lowest minimum

Here's another report citing ASVAB

The service estimates that only about 23% of young Americans are even qualified for service, most of that issue stemming from an obesity crisis and falling academic performance, leading to poor ASVAB scores.

And, to be clear, while officers can fly choppers, the intended source of chopper pilots is the enlisted army, who come in the usual recruitment door.

I Told You So - 30 January 2025

Another example of the Office of Media Integrity is on the loose. Kim Don-Felon and his Merry Band of Fascists (so says this Tesla investor) will get us all killed.

The Trump administration has intervened in the release of important studies on the bird flu, as an outbreak escalates across the United States.

Fink's memo covers "any document intended for publication," she wrote, "until it has been reviewed and approved by a presidential appointee." It was sent on President Donald Trump's first full day in office.
[my disdain]

I suppose the sub-GED cabal is happy to see the Educated Elite taken down a peg or ten. You may recall a famous play from ancient times: Lysistrata. The punch line (there always is one in ancient Greek theater) was simple: no nooky til no war. Well, we of the Educated Elite must stop offering our smarts to these morons until they rid us of Kim Don-Felon and his Merry Band of Fascists (so says this Tesla investor). Now, we may luck out. He could well fall over dead on his backswing at one of his money losing golf courses. He's not in the pink of health, after all.

No Fucking Way - part the third

Well... that didn't take long. Kim Don-Felon and his Merry Band of Fascists (so says this Tesla investor) are rolling right along. The retribution to Blue states is afoot.

The Office of Management and Budget memo, obtained by CNN, says the freeze is not across the board and is instead targeted to executive orders that address immigration, foreign aid, climate and energy, DEI initiatives, gender identity and abortion.

If that all doesn't scream Blue, tell me what does?

No Fucking Way - part the second

Now we get the acid test. Kim Don-Felon and his Merry Band of Fascists (so says this Tesla investor) get to prove to the sub-GED cabal that he'll destroy the Blue states and save the Red states. As Dictator, he can order funds be withheld where he wants. The Constitution and the law says he can't, but who's going to stop him?

The Funniest Thing

Here's a quote from This Week's Thought (soon enougn), but I'll preview with this bit

Oklahomans are being compelled to fund Catholicism

Needless to say, Oklahomans are only a bit peeved at the possibilty of funding Catholics. According to the wiki (2014 latest data)

Evangelical Reactionary Radical Right Wingnuts - 69% Catholics - 8%

If the Papists get the moolah, won't the Juice and the Muslins come next? Then what? Mormons? Hindus? Devil worshippers? We gots to nip this plague in the bud!

The Evangelical Reactionary Radical Right Wingnuts bitch and moan about "indoctrination" when any other religion is mentioned. What they do to kiddies is just Teaching, of course. Some even forbid the teaching of yoga since it's a sinister religion. I'm not kidding. And, of course, yoga as we know it today, traces to India. Ya know, Hindu and Buddha and all that to boot. But, keep on sending us your cheap Freshers to man out IT departments. Cheaper than American Catholics.

Make America White Again!!!

You were warned: "One giant step for Whitey, a trap door for the rest."

I guess The Musk Ox's Nazi salute really wasn't an innocent slip.