MEDIA "AT IT" AGAIN . . .

[Phil Perry]

Here's another media howler . . . from the front page of my local newspaper ( Express and Star ) 10th July 2013. Headline : "SHOCK AS BALLOON CRASHES"

 

A hot air ballon with pilot and sixteen pasengers made a perfectly SAFE LANDING next to a main road, following an aborted earlier attempt to land at Otherton Airfield ( my local airfield ).

 

There were no injuries, the basket did not tip over during the very competently conducted landing.

 

No drama, no problem, no incident. The company recovery vehicle was at the site within minutes and no passengers were inconvenienced in any way.

 

There was a large colour picture of the balloon envelope half deflated on it's side ( naturally ! ) entitled "The CRASHED balloon. . . . ." !!

 

I spoke on the phone today with the lady reporter named in the article byline, and she said that she had only written the copy, her sub editor had decided on the headlines to make the story "More Interesting" ( ! )

 

No Comment

 

 

[planedriver]

Yea Phil, like most journo's, just full of hot air.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Yea Phil, like most journo's, just full of hot air.

Obviously true,. . . .

 

My work partner said to me today regarding the balloon story ( he is a confirmed NON- FLYER ) " There you are. . . I told you that this flying stuff was dangerous. . . . . " ( ! ) He is a good engineer, BUT, his philosophy is that "If it's in the newspaper,. . .then it must be true. . . ." Gawd 'Elp us all. . . . . .

 

I asked the lady reporter involved in the article if she knew any pilots or aviation enthusiasts who might just be able to give her some sensible background info on things aeronautique if she ever encountered another similar story. . . ., and she said that she didn't. So I gave her a lot of phone numbers, Airline,. . . G.A, . . .Microlight. . .etc. . .so that she just MIGHT be able to get some half- sensible padding to a story before committing it to print next time. . . probably a total waste of time though. . . Her story was, apparently based upon phoned in reports from "SHOCKED" motorists who saw the balloon in the last stage of it's landing. Maybe we should get a group of " shocked Motorists" to tell us what happened to the 777 at LA International . . .?

 

Phil

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

San Francisco International Phil. There is more than one large city in California !...in fact there are many. Did you know the state of California has the worlds sixth largest economy ?......keep buying those IPads, Microsoft products and movie tickets....Maj...

 

 

[sain]

Did you offer to take her up for a flight in a light aircraft Phil? - might be worthwhile, especially if she writes a halfway decent piece about it.

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

Don't forget her deflated ego !

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Did you offer to take her up for a flight in a light aircraft Phil? - might be worthwhile, especially if she writes a halfway decent piece about it.

I certainly did. . . . she's coming to the flying club on Sunday for a flight and a bacon sarnie . . . . you never know,. . .we might even get a bit of good press out of it ( Regrettably, I'm a bit too old to offer the lass anything else )

 

 

[Phil Perry]

San Francisco International Phil. There is more than one large city in California !...in fact there are many. Did you know the state of California has the worlds sixth largest economy ?......keep buying those IPads, Microsoft products and movie tickets....Maj...

Thanks for the Geog lesson Ross,. . . .

 

Better make sure I pack my Garmin GPS 12 next time I go walkabout around the States. . . .

 

 

[Marty_d]

I certainly did. . . . she's coming to the flying club on Sunday for a flight and a bacon sarnie . . . . you never know,. . .we might even get a bit of good press out of it ( Regrettably, I'm a bit too old to offer the lass anything else )

If it's a good flight and a good bacon sarnie, what else could she want??

 

 

[Phil Perry]

If it's a good flight and a good bacon sarnie, what else could she want??

Dunno Marty,. . . could be the start of a beautiful friendship. . . .( the missus is a bit fed up with me now. . .)

 

 

[Guest Yampy]

Phil ... You should take her down to The Green , there's a half decent cafe though , and on the way back , show her Dudley Castle and The Black Country Museum .. The newspaper " Express and Star" brings back memories ...

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Maybe we should get a group of " shocked Motorists" to tell us what happened to the 777 at LA International . . .?

Phil

I keep ggling and can't find what happened to the 777 @ LAX?

 

 

[facthunter]

All will come out. The data is all there. The survivors were very lucky . It could have been much worse..

 

Wasn't the flight attendant a hero? ( As they often are. Particularly in the USA.) .Nev

 

 

[metalman]

All will come out. The data is all there. The survivors were very lucky . It could have been much worse..Wasn't the flight attendant a hero? ( As they often are. Particularly in the USA.) .Nev

I think the pilots as named in a recent news bulletin need to look at perhaps taking on some more western names

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNiD-XhWx7Q

 

Please no disrespect to the poor girls killed, but the media makes a living out of screwing us over with non factual reporting ,I'm not unhappy to see them cop it back!

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Phil ... You should take her down to The Green , there's a half decent cafe though , and on the way back , show her Dudley Castle and The Black Country Museum .. The newspaper " Express and Star" brings back memories ...

Ard Luv to Aer Kid,. . .

 

But I'd have to get a clearance to enter part of the Birmingham CTR and I can't be ar*ed just for a joyride over DUGLY CASSLE !! ( apart from that, the txpdr isn't working properly, and is in the workshop being fixed. ) Phil

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I keep ggling and can't find what happened to the 777 @ LAX?

See previous post re - GPS 12.