plane – Michmutters

Tag: plane

Categories
Australia

Glider pilots travel to WA’s south chasing waves in the skies above the Stirling Range

Glider pilots travel to WA's south chasing waves in the skies above the Stirling Range

Every year, glider pilots make their way to the Great Southern region of WA in search of particular air conditions, called a wave.

These waves are strongest in the winter.

While they usually don’t mean much to a pilot, surrounded by mountains and hills, gliders can use these waves to reach the same height as commercial flights from Perth to Sydney — almost 30,000 feet.

A glider, often referred to as a sailplane, is an aircraft designed to fly without an engine.

A small plane is visible in a blue sky with wispy white clouds.
The glider, or sailplane, relies only on air currents to stay up and soar.( ABC Great Southern: Olivia Di Iorio)

Syd Dewey has been a glider for 30 years and described the phenomenon using a rock analogy.

“If you’ve ever seen a rock in water, and the water flows over it, it drops right down behind the rock,” he said.

“But then a wave comes up behind it that’s higher than the rock. So we try and find that primary wave just behind the rock, and we ride the very front of that.”

This season, gliders from the Gliding Club of Western Australia and the Beverley Soaring Society traveled to the Stirling Range, east of Albany, to take to the skies.

The club members consist of hobbyists, commercial pilots, and air force cadets.

They apply for special permission to reach commercial heights.

Flying alongside the birds

A man with a shaved head and a dark green coat stands in front of a small white plane.
Matt Gibson says flying in a glider is incredibly peaceful.(ABC Great Southern: Olivia Di Iorio)

This season was Matt Gibson’s first time visiting the Stirling Range to fly, despite gliding for more than 15 years.

He was introduced to the sport when the Air Force cadets offered scholarships for gliding.

“I’ve always loved flying, I’ve always been amazed at how something that’s made of metal or wood or something so heavy, can hold itself up in the air like a bird can,” he said.

With no engine, the glider, or sailplane, gets towed up into the sky by a plane.

A rope connects the tail of the plane to the nose of the sailplane.

“Then it’s up to us to learn the air currents, the thermals, and the weather, and use that to our advantage to climb up,” Mr Gibson said.

Once the sailplane has caught the air currents it unleashes from the plane so it can fly alone.

Two small planes fly off a runway connected by a rope.
The glider has no engine and is towed by another plane to reach the skies.(ABC Great Southern: Olivia Di Iorio)

“In a glider, it’s so peaceful,” he said.

“In a normal plane, it can be quite loud, and you can feel the vibrations and they tend to fly a bit faster than we do here.

“But gliding you just hear the soft rush of the air going past the canopy and you can see birds, sometimes eagles, come and fly next to you.”

This year the gliders haven’t had much luck with riding waves, with the cloudy skies proving too dangerous.

Mr Gibson was planning to fly over the famous Bluff Knoll, but instead flew its length all the way down to Ellen’s Peak.

Always on the lookout

There are lots of calculations and observations, which gliders need to follow.

“We’re constantly scanning and looking into the sky, because we have a pattern that we fly when we’re taking off and landing,” Mr Gibson said.

A small white plane sits on grass.
Gliders take off from a grass lot behind the Stirling Range Retreat.(ABC Great Southern: Olivia Di Iorio)

“You learn how to listen to what the glider is telling you in terms of the air around the glider, looking at the weather, making sure you don’t get into bad situations.”

Syd Dewey is part of the Beverley Soaring Society, the biggest gliding club in Western Australia.

A man in a white cap and blue checked shirt adjusts a plane wing.
Syd Dewey has been flying for more than 30 years.(ABC Great Southern: Olivia Di Iorio)

“We flew about a quarter of a million kilometers last year,” Mr Dewey said.

“So since November we’ve done 247,000, which is more than any other club in Australia.”

During the pandemic their membership increased significantly.

“We’ve had about a 50 per cent increase to our membership. It’s something to do with COVID, maybe having nowhere to go,” Mr Dewey said.

“People can learn to fly quite easily — some people have gone alone almost in two weekends.”

.

Categories
Australia

40 years on from the death of Clyde Fenton, the larrikin lifesaver’s legacy lives on

A man stands holding a bag in front of an old plane. The picture is old and in black and white.

He flew in his single-engine Gipsy Moth on moonless nights or in torrential rain, often unlicensed, and at least once in his pajamas, with only a magnetic compass for navigation.

His name was Clyde Fenton – the tall, bespectacled doctor who, in the 1930s, clocked up 3000 hours and a quarter of a million miles, tending to the sick and injured across the Northern Territory.

This year marks 40 years since Dr Fenton’s death, and his legacy as one of Australia’s “original” flying doctors continues to live on.

A man stands on top of an old plane while two men look up at him. The photo is old and in black and white.
Dr Fenton working on his plane from the open cockpit at the hangar near Katherine in about 1937. (Supplied: Library & Archives NT)

Every flight an adventure for larrikin of the sky

It was 1934 when Dr Fenton arrived in Katherine to establish an aerial medical service and it wasn’t long before his services became relied upon.

.

Categories
US

Plane crashes into pickup truck on 91 Freeway in Corona, bursts into flames

Plane crashes into pickup truck on 91 Freeway in Corona, bursts into flames

CROWN, Calif. (KABC) — A single-engine airplane crashed into a pickup truck on the 91 Freeway in Corona and then burst into flames, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol began receiving reports of a plane crash just after 12:30 pm on Tuesday.

The incident happened along the eastbound lanes at Lincoln Avenue.

WATCH | Surveillance video shows plane crash-landing on 91 Freeway in Corona

CHP officials said there were two people on the plane and three in the truck. Thankfully, everyone was able to walk away unharmed.

The single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft erupted into flames following the crash, but firefighters put the blaze out quickly.

The pilot said the crash may have been caused by possible engine failure during the plane’s final descent into Corona Municipal Airport. The exact cause has not yet been determined.

Authorities say it could have been much worse if the crash occurred during rush hour.

“Absolutely very fortunate today. The traffic was light, and the pilot appears to have made some good landing navigations and avoided what could have been a very bad tragedy,” said CHP Capt. Levi Miller.

The two right lanes on the eastbound 91 and the Lincoln on-ramp were closed and expected to remain shut down through much of the afternoon rush. Drivers in the area were urged to seek an alternate route as authorities cleared the scene.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration issued the following statement:

“An unidentified small plane landed on the eastbound 91 Freeway near Interstate 15 in Corona, Calif., around 12:30 local time today. Two people were on board. The FAA will investigate. The agency does not identify people involved in aircraft accidents or incidents.”

WATCH | AIR7 HD over the scene of the plane crash

Copyright © 2022 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

.

Categories
US

Andrei Skoch: Judge authorizes warrant for US to seize Russian oligarch’s $90 million plane

Andrei Skoch: Judge authorizes warrant for US to seize Russian oligarch's $90 million plane



CNN
—

US authorities have obtained a warrant to seize a Russian oligarch’s private plane, valued at over $90 million, for violating US sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Airbus A319-100 aircraft, authorities say, is owned by Andrei Skoch, a member of Russia’s State Duma and a billionaire who made his fortune through a stake in a conglomerate in the metals and mining industry. Skoch has been on the US sanctions list since 2018 for Russia’s invasion of Crimea, the eastern region of Ukraine. The plane is believed to be in Kazakhstan, authorities said.

Skoch is the latest Russian oligarch to have one of his luxury assets in the sights of US authorities, who launched a campaign to seize valuable property of those close to the Kremlin in hope of pressing an end to the war.

In June, US authorities announced a judge approved a warrant for the seizure of two of Roman Abramovich’s private plans, valued at more than $400 million. In May, the US took possession of a $300 million super yacht called the Amadea, which is owned by Suleiman Kerimov. And in April, authorities seized at a port in Spain the $90 million yacht Tango belonging to Viktor Vekselberg, a billionaire with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Monday, a federal judge authorized a seizure warrant from a special agent with the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, which traced the plane to Skoch through a series of shell companies allegedly intended to shield his ownership.

Authorities allege Skoch violated US sanctions by using US dollars to pay the plane’s registration fees to Aruban authorities and pay insurance premiums on the Airbus that passed through US financial institutions. The $113,180 in registration payments and $284,459 in insurance premiums passed through the US banking system without a license to allow payment on sanctioned entities.

The seizure warrant notes that, in addition to the plane, Skoch owns a yacht named the Madame Gu, a helicopter, and a villa at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Seychelles. Those assets are not authorized for seizure. Authorities need to demonstrate that sanctions were violated, such as by money transferring through the US banking system, to seize property.

Prosecutors have creatively used insurance premiums and registration payments to identify assets for seizure since most yachts and plans can’t operate unless they are insured. Since the US, UK and the European Union announced broad sanctions against Russian elites, several insurance companies stopped doing business with sanctioned individuals.

.

Categories
Australia

Helicopter sighted by NSW police about an hour before Snowy Mountains crash, report reveals

Helicopter sighted by NSW police about an hour before Snowy Mountains crash, report reveals

An initial search to find a helicopter that later crashed in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains was called off after the pilot made contact with authorities, a preliminary report has been found.

The Bell 206 Longranger L-4 was one of seven helicopters traveling on a flying tour from Canberra to Mangalore in Victoria on April 3, when it crashed killing the pilot and passenger.

The helicopter’s pilot was high-profile businessman and Barbeques Galore company director Peter Richard Woodland, 75, and the passenger was his 64-year-old partner.

The helicopter had earlier become separated from the group, with a preliminary report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) revealing an initial search had been called off.

“During their flights, the occupants of the other helicopters in the tour encountered deteriorating cloud and visibility conditions and landed on a property near Wee Jasper,” the report stated.

“When [the Longranger] did not arrive, authorities were notified and commenced a search for the helicopter.”

A map showing a helicopter flight path from Canberra to Long Plain road
The helicopters departed from Majura, north of Canberra, on April 3.(Supplied: ATSB website)

Flight path changes

The organizer of the flying tour had initially recommended that the flights track north of the planned route due to the weather conditions and refuel at Wagga Wagga.

The report revealed that Mr Woodland had instead continued further south before landing safely near Long Plain Road in the Brindabella region about 11:30am.

“With the help of a passing motorist, the pilot of the Longranger was able to reach mobile reception and contact other members of the tour group,” ATSB Transport Safety director Stuart Macleod said.

“[Then] the search was called off.”

Recorded flight data showed the Longranger helicopter took off again nearly three-and-a half hours later at 2:53pm.

A map showing a flight path of a helicopter before a crash
The helicopter’s flight path from Long Plain Rd to the accident site.(Supplied: ATSB website)

“Police officers dispatched to locate the helicopter as part of the earlier search arrived at the site just after it took off,” Mr Macleod said.

“[They] observed the helicopter depart to the south at a low level, in overcast conditions with low cloud and light rain.”

Less than an hour later, the helicopter had crashed, claiming the lives of Mr Woodland and his partner.

Flight data revealed

Recorded flight data showed the helicopter initially progressed south at an altitude of less than 500 feet to follow lower lying terrain.

At 3:04pm, the helicopter turned north-west and started on a direct path towards Tumut.

But two minutes later it encountered higher terrain and was forced to turn around and head south again.

At 3:17pm, the helicopter turned north and started to climb to 7,000ft above sea level.

“After reaching 7,400ft, the helicopter commenced a steep left-descending turn,” the report stated.

“During the turn, the ground speed increased to 134 knots and the descent rate exceeded 3,800ft per minute.

“At 3:26pm, the aircraft impacted terrain at an elevation of 4,501ft.”

This impact destroyed the helicopter and killed both occupants.

When the helicopter failed to arrive at Mangalore as expected on Monday morning, April 4, a second search commenced.

Emergency services did not find the wreckage from the crash in Kosciuszko National Park until 11:55pm that day.

A hill with investigators searching the grass
The wreckage was found near Kiandra in the NSW Snowy Mountains.(ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)

The report showed that the engine was still running when the crash occurred.

“On-site examination indicated that the engine was providing power at impact,” the report said.

“There was no evidence of an in-flight break-up or a pre-existing defect with the drive train or flight controls.”

The helicopter collided with terrain between two rock formations in an area of ​​tussock grass near Kiandra.

Pilot with 837 flying hours

Mr Woodland had “about 837 hours of aeronautical experience” at the time of the crash, according to the report.

He owned the Longranger helicopter involved in the incident, and also held a private pilot license.

“The pilot’s total flying experience on the Bell 206 was about 532 hours of which about 355 were in the L-4 variant,” the report stated.

“And the remainder [was] in the B-3 variant.”

A bald man wearing a white shirt
Peter Woodland was a high-profile Sydney businessman.

Mr Woodland was from Terrey Hills in the northern suburbs of Sydney and was also the managing director at Interfab, a sheet-metal manufacturer.

The ATSB will continue the investigation into the incident and a final report will be released once it concludes.

“Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate and timely safety action can be taken,” the report said.

A police van on a highway in the snowy mountains
The crash occurred on April 3.(ABC Riverina: Shannon Corvo)

.

Categories
US

China fires missiles near waters off Taiwan as live-fire drills intensify

China fires missiles near waters off Taiwan as live-fire drills intensify



CNN
—

China fired multiple missiles toward waters near northeastern and southwestern Taiwan on Thursday, the island’s Defense Ministry said, as Beijing makes good on its promise that Taipei will pay a price for hosting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that multiple missiles had been fired into the sea off the eastern part of Taiwan. It said all the missiles hit their target accurately.

“The entire live-fire training mission has been successfully completed and the relevant air and sea area control is now lifted,” China’s statement said. Earlier, the Eastern Theater Command said it had conducted long-range, live-fire training in the Taiwan Strait, state broadcaster CCTV reported, as part of planned military exercises around the island.

Taiwan reported Chinese long-range rockets had fallen near its islands of Matsu, Wuqiu, Dongyin, which are in the Taiwan Strait, but located closer to the mainland than the main island of Taiwan. It later said a total of 11 Dongfeng (DF) missiles were fired to the waters north, south and east of the island between 1:56 pm and 4 pm local time (from 1:56 am ET to 4 am ET) on Thursday.

Chinese state media said that exercises to simulate an air and sea “blockade” around Taiwan had started Wednesday, but offered little solid evidence to back up the claim. Later Thursday, images showed military helicopters flying past Pingtan island, one of Taiwan’s closest points to mainland China.

The military posturing was a deliberate show of force after Pelosi left the island on Wednesday evening, bound for South Korea, one of the final stops on an Asia tour that ends in Japan this weekend.

Within hours of her departure from Taipei on Wednesday, the island’s Defense Ministry said China sent more than 20 fighter jets across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, the midway point between the mainland and Taiwan that Beijing says it does not recognize but usually respects.

Tourists look on as a Chinese military helicopter flies past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest point from Taiwan on August 4, 2022.

On Thursday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said its military was remaining in a “normal” but wary posture, and called the live-fire drills an “irrational act” that attempted to “change the status quo.”

“We are closely monitoring enemy activities around the sea of ​​Taiwan and that of outlying islands, and we will act appropriately,” the ministry said in a statement.

Taiwan also accused China of “following North Korea’s example of arbitrary test-fire of missiles in waters close to other countries” in a statement issued by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

The exercises have caused disruption to flight and ship schedules, with some international flights canceled and vessels urged to use alternative routes for several ports around the island.

Well in advance of Pelosi’s near 24-hour visit to Taiwan, China had warned her presence was not welcome. The ruling Chinese Communist Party claims the self-governed island as its own territory, despite never having controlled it.

China issued a map showing six zones around Taiwan that would be the site of drills in coming days. But on Thursday, Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau said in a notice that China had added a seventh military exercise area for ships and aircraft to avoid “in the waters around eastern Taiwan.”

Chinese state media on Thursday outlined a broad range of objectives for the exercises, including strikes on land and sea targets.

“The exercises (are) focused on key training sessions including joint blockade, sea target assault, strike on ground targets, and airspace control operation, and the joint combat capabilities of the troops got tested in the military operations,” said an announcement from the Xinhua news agency attributed to the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, which has responsibility for the areas near Taiwan.

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island in Fujian province on Aug. 4.

Meanwhile, the Global Times tabloid said the drills involved some of China’s newest and most sophisticated weaponry, including J-20 stealth fighters and DF-17 hypersonic missiles, and that some missiles may be fired over the island – a move that would be extremely provocative.

“The exercises are unprecedented as the PLA conventional missiles are expected to fly over the island of Taiwan for the first time,” the Global Times said, citing experts.

“The PLA forces will enter areas within 12 nautical miles of the island and the so-called median line will cease to exist.”

Accounts from Taiwan of Chinese military movement included the fighter jets crossing the median line and a report from Taiwan’s government-run Central News Agency, citing government sources, that two of China’s most powerful warships – Type 55 destroyers – were sighted Tuesday off the central and southeastern coast of the island, the closest being within 37 miles (60 kilometers) of land.

But there was little corroboration or firm evidence provided by China to back up the sort of claims posted in the Global Times.

China’s state-run television offered video of fighter jets taking off, ships at sea and missiles on the move, but the dates of when that video was shot could not be verified.

Some analysts were skeptical Beijing could pull off what they were threatening, such as a blockade of Taiwan.

“The official announcement (of the blockade) refers to just a few days, which would make it hard to qualify it on practical terms to a blockade,” said Alessio Patalano, professor of war and strategy at King’s College in London.

“Blockades are hard to execute and long to implement. This exercise is not that,” he said.

Patalano said the biggest impact of the exercises would be psychological.

“During the period of time in question, ships and aircraft will likely reroute to avoid the area, but this is one primary objective of the chosen locations: create disruption, discomfort, and fear of worse to come,” he said.

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest point from Taiwan on August 4, 2022.

China’s retaliatory exercises have already caused disruption to flight and ship schedules in Taiwan, though the island is trying to lessen their impact.

Taiwan’s transportation minister said agreements had been reached with Japan and the Philippines to reroute 18 international flight routes departing from the island – affecting about 300 flights in total – to avoid the PLA’s live-fire drills.

Korean Air told CNN on Thursday that it has canceled flights from Incheon to Taiwan scheduled for Friday and Saturday due to safety reasons while China conducts its military drills. Flights will resume on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau issued three notices, asking vessels to use alternative routes for seven ports around the island.

China’s planned live-fire drills were also causing unease in Japan.

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said the drills posed a threat to his country’s security.

One of the six exercise areas set up by China was near Japan’s Yonaguni Island, part of Okinawa prefecture and only 68 miles (110 kilometers) off the coast of Taiwan.

That same Chinese exercise zone is also close to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, a rocky uninhabited chain known as the Diaoyus in China, and over which Beijing claims sovereignty.

“In particular, a training area has been set up in the waters near Japan, and if China were to conduct live ammunition exercises in such an area, it could affect the security of Japan and its people,” Matsuno said.

Meanwhile, the United States military was silent on the Chinese exercises and did not provide any answers to CNN questions on Thursday.

Pelosi met Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Aug. 3.

Besides keeping a close eye on Chinese military movements around the island, Taiwan also said it would strengthen security against cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.

Taiwan’s cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said in a Wednesday news conference that the government had enhanced security at key infrastructure points and increased the level of cybersecurity alertness across government offices.

Taiwan is anticipating increased “cognitive warfare,” referring to disinformation campaigns used to sway public opinion, Lo said.

.

Categories
Australia

Drouin South airstrip permit rejected after Baw Baw Shire hears about noise concerns

Drouin South airstrip permit rejected after Baw Baw Shire hears about noise concerns

A private airstrip in Drouin South that has operated without planning approval for 42 years has had a retrospective permit application rejected after the council received 67 objections from neighbours.

While the owner of the airfield on Yuulong Road, Terry Williamson described the airstrip as a community asset, opponents complained to the council about noise from small aircraft and potential biosecurity issues for neighboring farmland from people retrieving recreationally launched rockets.

“I thought I was doing a good thing and a few years ago, I thought the community all were for it — but times change,” Mr Williamson said.

Baw Baw Shire Council has been trying to manage conflict between airstrip users and neighbours, and last week was considering whether it could retrospectively approve some of the modifications made to the airstrip.

Mr Williamson said he has submitted the planning application at the council’s request.

He said the permit was initially for an authorized landing area, which was amended by council to an airfield.

The council’s director of planning and development Leanne Hurst said no planning permit had ever been issued to use the land for either an airfield, airstrip or authorized landing area.

Last week councillors unanimously voted against the application.

The application was refused on a number of grounds including failing to respond to the purpose of the farm zone and failing to provide sufficient information in the application.

In the foreground is a red plane wing with white stripes and stars which is in the air, you can see a grassy landing strip below
Pilot David Hooke says the airstrip is not used often.(Supplied: David Hooke)

Neighbors say they’ve suffered for years

Dairy farmer Jennifer Clough told the council the plans using the airstrip were so noisy if you were outside you would often have to stop conversations.

She told the meeting the Victorian Rocketry Association’s use of the airstrip also caused issues on her farm.

“They have GPS [on the rockets] and the owners come looking for them with no regard for privacy or security or WorkSafe issues … in this current climate security on dairy farms is of paramount importance,” Ms Clough said.

A small plane is pictured above grass and trees with the corner of a brown brick house and gray shed to the right
Some residents told councillors plans would take off and land at 15 minute intervals on a clear day.(Supplied: Jane Moss)

Another resident Jane Moss told the meeting some residents had sold their houses and moved away because of the airfield.

“It’s been years of us objecting and years of the emotion, with us putting up with the impact on our livelihoods for somebody’s hobby,” she said.

‘We did everything they asked’

Mr Williamson, who is not a pilot himself, said he may appeal the council’s decision at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

“We did everything that they [the council planners] asked [in the planning application process]. We got new sound reports,” Mr Williamson said.

“The whole idea of ​​an airfield is good for community, for the whole region, that argument was left behind [at the meeting].”

Pilot David Hooke, who owns a hangar at the airfield, said the argument about the number of plane movements had been overblown.

An older man with white hair stands next to a younger tall boy in front of a red aerobatics plane in a hangar
David Hooke (left) with the co-owner of his aerobatics plane. (Supplied: David Hooke)

“There would be only five of us who regularly fly our aircraft, and when I say regularly, once a month, once a week, once a fortnight what [the objectors] were saying about multiple aircraft coming and going all day every day is patently false,” Mr Hooke said.

He said pilots must fly certain circuits set down by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to practice take-offs and landings.

“In many ways, there’s nothing much we can do differently to appease the neighbours,” he said.

Council’s concerns

Baw Baw Shire Mayor Michael Leaney told last week’s meeting he was concerned the site had changed and was not meeting existing use rights.

Councilors heard that Mr Williamson was paid $40 a week to store Mr Hooke’s plans.

Man with brown long sleeve shirt and necklace standing in front of old buildings in Walhalla
Michael Leaney says the community has been concerned about the airfield for a long time.(Landline)

“I remember some years ago, when this was before council previously, we were told that there … was no money changing hands at all,” Mr Leaney said at the meeting.

Mr Williamson said the money collected from plane owners goes to hangar insurance and maintenance on the grounds.

“The money we collect is virtually the cost of running that airfield, there’s no real profit,” Mr Williamson said.

.

Categories
Australia

More Snowy Mountains space junk found amid visit from Australian Space Agency

a piece of space junk sitting in a paddock

A third piece of space junk has been found in the NSW Snowy Mountains, believed to be linked to a SpaceX craft.

Two other pieces of debris were recently found by farmers at neighboring properties in Numbla Vale, after a loud bang was heard in the region on July 9.

The sonic boom was believed to be caused by the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which was launched in November 2020, re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.

One piece of the junk was embedded deep in the ground and was estimated to be about three meters long.

The third piece of debris was discovered and photographed by a Moonbah resident on July 14.

It was not until the ABC’s coverage of the space junk in late July that the owner came forward.

News of the discoveries also led to a visit from technical experts at the Australian Space Agency and NSW Police on Saturday.

“The agency is actively working to support formal identification of the objects, and is engaging with our counterparts in the US,” an agency spokesperson said.

“If the community spots any further suspected debris they should contact local police in the first instance.”

a man stands next to a piece of space junk
Farmer Mick Miners stumbled across a piece of space junk on July 25.(ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)

Monaro Police District Commander Superintendent John Klepczarek said the objects would remain at the properties while authorities waited for SpaceX to confirm ownership.

“We believe it could be associated with SpaceX but we won’t be confirming it until we actually get acknowledgment from them,” he said.

“It’s early indication from them that there could be attempts to retrieve this space junk.”

a piece of space junk in a paddock
This piece was photographed in the Moonbah region on July 14.(Supplied: Nick Lodge )

Like pieces of a puzzle

Australian National University College of Science astrophysicist Brad Tucker said he was not surprised more fragments had been found.

a man holds space junk
Snowy Mountains resident Jock Wallace with a piece of space junk.(ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)

“You’d expect that there would be more bits of this somewhere,” he said.

“You can probably build up enough pieces and put it together almost if more are found.”

a man leaning against space junk
Dr Tucker believes more pieces of space junk could be found in the NSW Snowy Mountains.(ABC South East NSW: Adriane Reardon)

Dr Tucker said the discovery of the pieces could be the largest space junk found in Australia since parts of NASA’s Skylab space station fell to Earth near the south-western Western Australia town of Balladonia in 1979.

He said there was still a lot to learn about what might be done with the objects.

“Eventually SpaceX, or at least the US, will have to make a declaration about whether they want to keep it or have it returned, or not,” Dr Tucker said.

“This doesn’t happen that often, so it’s not like you pull out this standard ‘space junk landed in my sheep paddock’ form.

“There’s a lot of unique work that has to be done.”

‘Respect and courtesy, please’

The uniqueness of the situation was not lost on the authorities involved.

.

Categories
US

Republican nominee for Maryland attorney general hosted 9/11 conspiracy radio shows

Republican nominee for Maryland attorney general hosted 9/11 conspiracy radio shows



CNN
—

The Republican Party’s nominee for Maryland attorney general hosted a series of five radio shows in 2006 devoted to arguing in support of 9/11 conspiracy theories questioning if the terror attack was the work of an “elite bureaucrat” who had demolition charges in every building in New York City and even suggesting if those who died after a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon were killed elsewhere.

Michael Peroutka, a candidate best known for his ties to neo-Confederate organizations, made the remarks on The American View, a radio show he co-hosted, in October 2006 while discussing the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

“What happened on 9-1-1, I told you that I had been doing some research and watching some videos,” Peroutka said during one of the episodes reviewed by CNN’s KFile. “And I said that if the buildings in New York City, the World Trade Center buildings, came down by demolition charges – that is to say – if there was this evidence that there was that something was preset there, then the implications of that are massive,” said Peroutka.

“I’ve been doing some reading and doing some studying, and I believe that to be very, very true,” he added, before further suggesting the work was done by controlled explosives.

“The other thing that just is so striking to me, I can’t get it out of my brain, and that is the vision of Building 7 falling faster than the speed of gravity, right? Building 7, which no plane hit,” said Peroutka. “And all of a sudden Building 7 falls, very consistent with what they call controlled demolitions or controlled charges because that building from the top down falls faster than if you had thrown a hammer off the top of the building.”

Peroutka’s comments echo the widely debunked conspiracy theory that the Twin Towers and 7 World Trade Center, the smaller building within the vicinity of the towers, were wired with explosives and detonated in a series of controlled demolitions.

The Twin Towers collapsed after terrorist-hijacked plans intentionally crashed into the North Tower and then the South Tower, killing 2,753 people. Nearby “Building 7” suffered intense and uncontrollable fires after debris from the North Tower hit the building, causing a chain reaction that led to the building’s collapse, according to a study published in 2008 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Peroutka went even further with his conspiratorial logic, speculating that every building in New York City could have preset charges awaiting detonation by some “elite bureaucrat.”

“That begs the question that if there are preset charges in Building Seven, what’s to stop there for being preset charges in Buildings 1, 2, 8, 9, and 27?” said Peroutka. “Are there charges in every building in New York City? Is everyone ready to be brought down whenever some elite bureaucrat decides that he’s gonna pull it?”

Peroutka also called the 9/11 terrorist attacks an “inside job,” saying “you can’t have an explosion in the basement that’s done by the hijacker on the airplane” and claimed that the official account of the 9/11 attack was the actual “conspiracy theory.”

The campaign did not address Peroutka’s previous conspiracy theories when asked for comment, but Macky Stafford, Petroutka’s campaign coordinator, told CNN in a statement that the “primary election results demonstrate that Maryland Republicans are dissatisfied with their current leadership.”

But outgoing Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan called out Peroutka on Sunday, saying, “These disgusting lies don’t belong in our party.”

“We know who was responsible for 9/11. Blaming our country for Al-Qaeda’s atrocities is an insult to the memory of the thousands of innocent Americans and brave first responders who died that day,” Hogan tweeted.

Peroutka previously ran for president in 2004 as the nominee of the Constitution Party. During that campaign, Peroutka posted on his website an endorsement from the League of the South – a new-Confederate organization that advocates southern secession. He’s homepage for his campaign prominently featured a Confederate flag linking to “Southerners for Peroutka” whose homepage had a large Confederate flag displayed over the Capitol saying, “We have a dream.” He also promoted his candidacy to the Council of Conservative Citizens, according to copies of their newsletter obtained by CNN. The CCC is a self-described White-rights group that opposes non-White immigration and advances White nationalist ideology.

Peroutka will face Democratic Rep. Anthony Brown in the general election this November. If elected, Brown would be the first Black attorney general in the state. Maryland has not had a Republican attorney general since 1952, when one was appointed; the last Republican attorney general elected in the state was in 1919.

In other episodes of Peroutka’s radio show reviewed by CNN’s KFile, Peroutka also cast doubt that the Pentagon was hit by American Airlines Flight 77, asking where the video is showing this “incoming attack, plane or missile,” later saying that it is “very plausible that a missile that looked like a plane hit the Pentagon.”

Peroutka even questioned whether remains of the deceased were found at the Pentagon, suggesting they were killed elsewhere. He said he had seen “no evidence” of any bodies or luggage to his late co-host and former presidential campaign adviser, John Lofton.

Lofton said, “Ah, but see the missile thing. Then you gotta count for the remains and the body parts and show how all those people got inside the missile. How all those passengers–”

“I saw the pictures. There was, there was nothing that looked like a body or luggage or anything in there,” Peroutka interrupted. “And the pictures that I saw – if there are pictures, John – that show body parts or luggage or even a seat of an airplane that’s consistent with Flight 77, that particular airplane. If there’s anything that’s consistent with that, I haven’t seen a picture of it.”

Shortly after, Lofton said, “If I can produce for you a person who was a friend or loved one of one of the passengers that perished on that plane that hit the Pentagon, that says, ‘Yes, we got remains back from our loved one or friend.’ Will that impress you?”

“No, absolutely not,” replied Peroutka. “Where did the remains come from? I’m not disputing that the people died.”

“Unless a plane hit the Pentagon, how would the remains of anybody on that flight get into the Pentagon?” asked Lofton.

“I didn’t say they got into the Pentagon. I couldn’t see them in the Pentagon. There wasn’t any – I’ve never seen any evidence that anything like a body or a passenger or passenger’s luggage or anything that’s consistent with the Flight 77 is in the Pentagon. If there are such pictures, I’d like to see them. Now, you could clearly understand that somebody whose loved one was lost on that plane, very possibly, could have gotten some piece of forensic evidence that indicated that their loved one was in fact deceased. But who says that came from the Pentagon?”

Peroutka then said this was the first time he had heard that the remains of the deceased were found at the Pentagon.

American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked by five terrorists on September 11, 2001, and deliberately crashed into the Pentagon, killing all 64 people on board and another 125 people in the building.

This story has been updated with additional reaction.

.