Did a senior Ukrainian pilot just defect to Russia with his Su-27 fighter loaded with NATO missiles, and electronics?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Ukrainian Su-27 Pilot Defected To Russia
People are sharing two photos of a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet, claiming / suggesting that it was just flown to Russia by a defecting Ukrainian flight commander, fully-loaded with NATO missiles, radar, and electronic warfare equipment.
A Ukrainian “flight commander” flew a SU-27 jet over the Russian border and landed in one of our bases.
Can’t wait for the F-16…
Intelligence FRONT : A senior pilot who served as a squadron commander in the Ukrainian Air Force escaped with a Su-27 jet and took refuge in Russia. It is said that the pilot arrived with a large amount of information, documents and some intact western-made missiles, radar and electronic warfare pod on the plane. This is the first time such an incident has occurred, and the fact that the incoming pilot is a high-ranking figure with plenty of documentation, and that the planes are already NATO integrated and carry NATO equipment and missiles, constitutes a historical opportunity for the Russians regarding NATO air equipment and missiles. It was also a chance to obtain extensive information about the situation of the Ukrainian Air Force and air defense forces, as well as NATO activities in the country.
US Civil Defense News :🚨Update: Ukrainian flight captain decided he wanted to live and defected to Russia, flying and landing his fighter jet in Russia. They realize the war is over. They lost. It’s time to move on!!!
No Evidence Ukrainian Su-27 Pilot Defected To Russia!
This appears to be another example of FAKE NEWS / VATNIK PROPAGANDA circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Photos Were Taken At RIAT 1996
First, let me just point out that the claim or suggestion that a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet with the tail number 48 just defected to Russia is definitely false.
The two photos of the same Ukrainian Su-27 aircraft with the tail number 48 were not taken recently, or even in Ukraine or Russia.
The photos are of a Ukrainian Su-27S at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) show, was held at RAF Fairfore in Gloucestershire in the UK. They were taken in July 1996 – more than 27 years ago!
The photo above was taken by Mike Freer, who captioned it as a Ukrainian Su-27S “departing RIAT 96”.
The photo below was taken by Peter Fothergill, who took his photo on 19 July 1996, but only uploaded it to the AirFighters website on 1 September 2020.
Fact #2 : No Evidence Of Pilot Defecting With Su-27
Claims that a senior Ukrainian officer or flight commander defected to Russia with a Su-27 fighter jet loaded with NATO missiles and electronics have been circulating on X (formerly Twitter) since 18 November 2023.
However, none of those who posted the news have actually provided any evidence that such a defection took place.
The defection of a senior Ukrainian pilot would have been major news, especially if he flew a Su-27 fighter jet loaded with NATO missiles and electronics to Russia. Yet, Russian news media have not mentioned such a stunning development.
The claims appear to be based on a short report by the Russian state news agency, TASS. On 18 November 2023, TASS reported that a Ukrainian military pilot defected to Russia.
According to Alexey Voyevoda – a Ka-52 helicopter pilot who organised the flight, the pilot is now “consulting with the Federal Security Service”.
MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. A military pilot of the Ukrainian armed forces has defected to Russia, a Ka-52 helicopter pilot, who organized the flight, told TASS.
“The Ukrainian military pilot is in Russia, consulting with the Federal Security Service,” Alexey Voyevoda said.
Voyevoda explained that he cannot yet disclose the details of this operation.
You will note that the TASS report never said that it was a senior pilot, or a flight commander. It also never said that the pilot flew to Russia with a Su-27 fighter jet, much less one loaded with NATO missiles or electronics.
Fact #4 : Ka-52 Extraction Is Plausible
The Kamov Ka-52 Alligator (Hokum B) is a two-seater helicopter, seating a pilot and a gunner side-by-side.
While it is not capable of carrying any passengers, it is possible for a Ka-52 pilot like Alexey Voyevoda to fly into Ukraine without a gunner, to extract a defecting Ukrainian pilot.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Celine Dion just died suddenly in the hospital after a tragic accident?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-11-07 : Added new video and other updates.
Updated @ 2023-08-31 : Added video, and updated with new examples, etc. Originally posted @ 2023-04-17
Claim : Celine Dion Just Died Suddenly In Hospital!
People are sharing YouTube and TikTok videos claiming that Celine Dion just died in a hospital after a tragic car / plane crash, with titles like :
1968-2023 Celine Dion RIP | Farewell to the legendary singer / Farewell to Celine
Rest in peace Celine Dion (1968-2023). Fans send their condolences to the singer
A video is coming forward that a famous name is in the headlines that a famous singer Celine Dion passed away in a plane crash.
Big Shock // “Celine Dion” Dies Suddenly At The Hospital // Heartbreaking Secret…
Stopped breathing 10 minutes ago / Celine Dion dies in hospital / goodbye Celine Dion
Very sad 10 minutes ago / Singer Celine Dion dies in hospital / goodbye Celine Dion
5 minutes ago! Millions of people cried over the sudden death of Singer Celine Dion, sad details…
Celine Dion Passed Away A Few Minutes Ago At Her Home. Funeral Held In Hollywood For 3 Days
1 Hour Ago / R.I.P Celine Dion Died In France / We Will Miss Your Voice So Much!
5 minutes ago/ R.I.P Talented Singer Céline Dion passed away at the age of 55, Goodbye and Rest
A few minutes ago in London / Died in a car accident / R.I.P. legendary singer Celine Dion
30 minutes ago / The family announced the sad news of Legend singer Celine Dion / Farewell in tears
Truth : Celine Dion Did Not Die Suddenly In Hospital!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported Her Death
These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported her death or car accident!
When Celine Dion announced that she was suffering from Stiff Person Syndrome, the media breathlessly reported it around the globe.
Celine Dion is not just a famous singer. She is a national treasure in Canada, and a musical legend. If she fell and broke a nail, you can be sure that celebrity blogs would have excitedly reported it, if not the mainstream media.
Yet, no legitimate media outlet or even a celebrity blog reported that Celine Dion was involved in any car or plane crash, much less died in a hospital after a tragic car / plane crash. That’s because it never happened!
Fact #2 : Celine Dion Is Still Alive + Well!
The truth is – Celine Dion (born Céline Marie Claudette Dion on 30 March, 1968) is very much still alive, as of Monday, 6 November 2023! Of course, you guys want “proof of life”, right?
Well, on the Monday night of 30 October 2023, Celine Dion attended a hockey game at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas, and after that game, she met with the Montreal Canadiens team, and even took photos and a video (see minute 3:14) with them!
Then a few days later, Celine Dion was spotted in public on Saturday night, 4 November 2023, watching Katy Perry’s last show in Las Vegas!
I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of two examples used in many of these videos.
This is a pretty good Photoshop effort, although you can see how Celine Dion’s dark brown hair suddenly became grey hair. And of course, you have to wonder why Celine Dion would still has her makeup on!
The truth is the fake news created edited the photo of Jan Key – a 65 year-old lady from Kalamazoo, Michigan, who was hit by a car on November 21, 2019.
The photo was taken by her daughter, Kitty Jenkins, on November 26, after Jan Key underwent a second surgery for her broken arm and collarbone. She underwent emergency surgery five days ago to treat her broken leg.
This photo, on the other hand, is a pretty bad Photoshop edit of a photo taken at the August 2018 funeral of Oliver Dragojević – a famous Croatian singer and composer.
To make it look like a Celine Dion funeral, the fake news creator added Lady Gaga appearing to cry, and unbelievably – René Angélil was edited in, with a portrait of Celine Dion magically floating in front of him.
For those who are not aware, René Angélil was Celine Dion’s manager who eventually married her on December 17, 1994. The only problem is – René Angélil died many years ago – on January 14, 2016 from throat cancer!
But I would like to give a special Bad Photoshop award to the fake news creator who came up with this gem.
Not only did he/she use the visage of a smiling Celine Dion, it was stitched on so badly, it’s really, REALLY funny!
Celine Dion, who was supposed to be dying in hospital from a terrible car accident, not only has both her eyes open and smiling, it looked the accident smashed her face sideways!
What a terrible, terrible Photoshop edit! If you are going to cheat people, at least put in some effort!
Fact #4 : Celine Dion Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Celine Dion death hoax is, sadly, also being driven by a fake fact check article by the MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:
News of singer Céline Dion’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the November 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the singer best known for hit songs like S’il suffisait d’aimer, My Heart Will Go On or Pour que tu m’aimes encore is alive and well.
Rumors of the singer’s alleged demise gained traction on Thursday after a ‘R.I.P. Céline Dion’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the singer’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (November 04, 2023), our beloved singer Céline Dion passed away. Céline Dion was born on March 30, 1968 in Repentigny. She will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 55-year-old singer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a singer of Céline Dion’s stature would be major news across networks.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Celine Dion Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. She’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did a Grab delivery rider really fly from Thailand to buy chicken rice in Singapore?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Grab Delivery Rider Flew To Singapore To Buy Chicken Rice!
A TikTok video, which allegedly shows a Grab delivery rider flying from Thailand to Singapore, simply to buy chicken rice, has racked up millions of views.
The 27-second video was recorded and posted by a Thai TikToker called Thita Vy, with these comments:
I want to eat Tokyo snacks.Will he go buy it in Japan for me? #grab #grabth
She apparently encountered this Grab delivery rider, while flying from Bangkok to Singapore. At first, she thought someone had ordered food delivery at the airport. But the man allegedly told her that he had been asked by a customer in Thailand to buy chicken rice in Singapore!
The viral video shows the man queuing up for the flight with the signature green Grab thermal bag, while holding a passport with his flight ticket. He is then shown stowing the thermal bag in the plane’s overhead compartment.
Truth : That’s Not (Really) A Grab Delivery Rider!
Now, we all know that chicken rice in Malaysia is tastier (and much cheaper!) than chicken rice in Singapore, Heck, everything is tastier and cheaper in Malaysia! 😉
In fact, Malaysian food is so delicious, someone actually sent a helicopter to collect 36 packets of Nasi Ganja from a famous nasi kandar outlet Ipoh in July 2021! But I digress…
Here is what we know so far about this viral story about chicken rice…
Fact #1 : Video Was Allegedly Recorded At DMK
According to the media outlet, 8world, the TikToker alleged that the incident occurred on 12 October 2023, at the Don Mueang International Airport.
That is plausible because the video shows people boarding an AirAsia flight, and AirAsia flies from the Bangkok Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to Changi International Airport (SIN) several times a day.
Fact #2 : The Man Flew From Bangkok To Singapore
The video shows the man holding a Thai passport, as he is waiting to board the AirAsia flight. It then cuts to the Changi International Airport, where the man is seen checking the green Grab thermal bag.
So the video does appear to show the man taking an AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Singapore. It, however, does not show him actually purchasing any chicken rice.
Fact #3 : Grab Labelled Video As Fictional
After the video went viral, Grab came out to refute the video, calling it “fictional”:
We understand that the fictional video was created by a member of the public independently.
Fact #4 : Man Was Not A Registered Grab Delivery Rider
In addition, a Grab spokesperson said that it does not offer cross-border food delivery services, and the man in the video was not registered with them as “a delivery partner”:
We do not offer such a service, and the person starring as a delivery partner in the video is not registered with Grab.
It is certainly plausible for rich folks to go to extreme measures to get their favourite foods. For example, Macau tycoon Stanley Ho famously sent 88 Musang King (Mao Shan Wang) durians on a private plane from Singapore to Hong Kong. Note – the durians were from Malaysia. 😉
That said, it doesn’t make sense for the man to put on a Grab uniform, or bring the Grab thermal bag… especially if he isn’t actually a Grab delivery rider!
Fact #5 : Grab Does Not Offer Cross-Border Food Deliveries
Grab said that it does not offer cross-border food deliveries. The only cross-border delivery service Grab offers is its 100+ Cities Delivery service, which is in beta testing.
Even that option only allows users to “order and send food and physical gifts from GrabFood and GrabMart merchant-partners that are available in the recipient’s city within an hour”.
In other words – the food and physical gifts must already be present in the recipient’s city. The only thing that is “cross-border” is the ability to order from another country.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Infowars has been proven wrong about its claims that the Biden Administration will introduce a face mask mandate in September 2023!
Claim : Biden Admin Will Order Face Mask Mandate!
People have been sharing an Infowars article which claimed that the Biden Administration will order a new face mask mandate for TSA and airport employees, followed by “full Covid lockdowns“. Here is an excerpt:
Biden Regime to Reinstate COVID-19 Restrictions Beginning with Mask Mandate as “COVID Cases Rise”, Say TSA and Border Patrol Whistleblowers
The Biden regime is preparing to reinstate full COVID-19 lockdowns, beginning with masking mandates for TSA and airport employees reportedly as early as mid-September, Infowars first to report.
A high-level TSA official reached out to Infowars, detailing a Tuesday meeting where TSA managers were informed of new memorandums and policies that would reimplement mask-wearing.
These policies will reinstate the mask mandate for TSA and airport employees starting in mid-September.
The official added that by mid-October, mask-wearing will be mandated for pilots, flight staff, passengers, and all airport patrons.
Following this disclosure from the TSA official, Infowars reached out to a trusted Border Patrol source, also in a managerial position.
This source corroborated the directives, confirming that similar measures were being planned for Border Patrol personnel.
“They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure,” Infowars reported.
Infowars Proven Wrong About Biden Face Mask Mandate!
Infowars first claimed on August 18, 2023, that TSA and Border whistleblowers leaked information about a rollout of “full Covid restrictions”, which would include a face mask mandate in September, followed by full Covid lockdowns in December.
Well, it is now October 3, 2023, and there is nary a sight of any face mask mandate for TSA or airport employees in the United States. Infowars has been proven WRONG yet again.
Frankly, that’s hardly surprising. Alex Jones and/or Infowars never actually showed any evidence that the Biden Administration is planning to introduce a face mask mandate for air travel, much less full COVID-19 restrictions which would include lockdowns.
If you watch the video above, you can see that Alex Jones has a ton of paper on his table. Unfortunately, none of them were the leaked memorandum or policy documents from his TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers.
Rather, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles! Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that were supposed to roll out in the middle of September 2023.
And it’s already October 2023, without a single TSA agent or Border Patrol officer required to wear a face mask in the United States.
I should point out that lockdowns are, frankly, no longer necessary because a combination of vaccines and prior infections have given people significant protection against COVID-19 infections.
Even though cases are spiking due to new variants (which are more adept at evading protection), hospitals and healthcare workers are no longer overloaded with COVID-19 patients. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.
That’s why the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.
Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.
It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.
However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?
I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is the Biden Administration preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions beginning in mid-September 2023?! Find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-08-24 : Added a fact check video, updated parts of the article Originally posted @ 2023-08-19
Claim : Biden Admin Bringing Back Full COVID Restrictions!
People are sharing an InfoWars article which claims that the Biden Administration is preparing to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, beginning in mid-September 2023!
The article is pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
EXCLUSIVE: Biden Admin Preparing to Bring Back FULL Covid Restrictions, Rollout to Begin Mid-September
Whistleblowers from the TSA and Border Patrol have raised the alarm to Infowars that the Biden administration is setting the stage for full Covid lockdowns that will begin with incremental restrictions like masking TSA employees in mid-September.
The first source, a high-level TSA official confirmed and known to Infowars, reached out to Infowars and cited a Tuesday meeting in which TSA managers were told new memorandums & policies were being completed that would reimplement masking, starting with TSA & airport employees as early as mid-September.
The TSA official also said next week they will receive new guidelines on how the policy will escalate: by mid-October, mask-wearing will be required by pilots, flight staff, passengers, and airport patrons.
After hearing from the TSA manager, Infowars reached out to our trusted Border Patrol source who is also a manager. This source confirmed the same directives were being given to Border Patrol.
They were told it was not a matter of “if” but “when” official Covid numbers will go back up and they expect by mid-October a return to forced-masking policies that the Biden administration previously only reluctantly ended after massive pressure.
Both whistleblowers were told this rollout will be in tandem with the new Covid “variant” hysteria that the MSM has been reporting on this week.
Infowars’ analysis is clear: this new rollout’s timing is perfect for the embattled Biden administration to put the country back in a state of civil emergency and even martial law to further divide and confuse the public and move forward with the greatest election meddling in history.
Many times, Alex Jones has warned that the system will bring back biomedical tyranny. And the launch of this new crisis in September will allow a build-up of control that would allow the use of mail-in ballots for the next presidential election.
Remember, mail-in ballots were decisive for Biden’s victory last election.
We now know the Covid lockdowns were an international psychological warfare operation run by the Ministry of Defense and Pentagon.
Countries worldwide implemented fear campaigns for political purposes and to push experimental shots.
But this time around, the masses have awakened to the globalist playbook of conquest, and may not be as receptive to MSM hysteria.
Simply put, the Deep State is getting desperate and is behaving like a cornered animal.
No Evidence Biden Administration Is Bringing Back COVID Restrictions!
Let’s take a look at what Infowars just claimed, and find out what the facts really are!
Fact #1 : InfoWars Is Notorious Fake News Website
First, let me just point out that InfoWars is notorious for posting conspiracy theories and fake news.
2020 study by four universities – Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers, found that InfoWars was amongst the top 5 most shared websites for COVID-19 fake news.
InfoWars is listed as #4 on the Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites list.
InfoWars video editor Josh Owens admitted to intentionally creating misleading videos – “It’s not about truth, it’s not about accuracy — it’s about what’s going to make people click on this video…In essence, we lied.“
Both Alex Jones and InfoWars have been subjected to multiple lawsuits, losing them one after another. In December 2022, he and the InfoWars parent company was ordered to pay about $1.5 billion for spreading lies about the 2002 Sandy Hook mass shooting.
Based on its reputation, everything posted by InfoWars should be considered as FAKE NEWS until proven otherwise.
Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from InfoWars. Here are some of its fake stories that I fact checked earlier:
Fact #2 : Alex Jones + InfoWars Provided No Evidence
If you watch the InfoWars video where Alex Jones detailed the “exclusive news” that the Biden Administration is planning to bring back FULL COVID-19 restrictions, you may be forgiven for thinking that all those papers on his table were leaked memorandum and policy documents that TSA and Border Patrol whistleblowers provided.
Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. While there is A TON of papers on his massive table, they appear to be nothing more than printed copies of news articles. Alex Jones never showed any evidence of the “planned COVID-19 protocols” that will roll out in the middle of September 2023.
It’s easy to make outlandish claims, it’s quite another thing to back them with actual evidence. Needless to say, InfoWars offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims.
Fact #3 : Lockdowns Were Necessary Because There Was No Vaccine
In his video, Alex Jones said that his whistleblowers were told to expect “a return to the full COVID protocol of 2020/2021” by December 2023.
The problem with that claim is that many governments implemented lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, because there was no treatment and vaccines were not yet invented or available in sufficient quantities.
Lockdowns were used as a way to limit transmission, and prevent hospitals and healthcare workers from being overloaded with COVID-19 patients.
Now that many people have some protection from a prior infection, or from COVID-19 vaccines, there has been no new need for governments to implement new lockdowns. In fact, there has been multiple waves of new COVID-19 variants, but they have not necessitated new lockdowns.
So the claim that the Biden Administration is going to implement COVID-19 lockdowns in December 2023 over the new Eris EG.5 variant is not supported by the prevailing evidence.
Fact #4 : WHO Declared COVID-19 Is No Longer PHEIC
It is interesting that the whistleblowers mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) may declare (an emergency?) over the new EG.5 Eris variant.
For one thing, the WHO itself declared on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 as a whole is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Instead, COVID-19 is now considered “an established and ongoing health issue“.
Fact #5 : Eris Variant Is Not More Dangerous
The WHO has been monitoring the new EG.5 “Eris” variant, designating it as a “variant of interest”. However, that does not mean Eris is a more dangerous variant.
According to the WHO, the EG. 5 variant has increased prevalence, growth advantage, and immune escape properties, but…
presents a low public health risk at a global level, and
has no reported changes in disease severity to date
While it is possible that EG.5 / Eris will become the dominant COVID-19 variant moving into the winter months of 2023, it has the same symptoms and severity as past variants.
Fact #6 : New Vaccines Are Coming In September 2023
Even if the Eris / EG.5 becomes dominant, it is unlikely for the United States to require lockdowns in December 2023, because new COVID-19 vaccines coming in September will offer better protection against it.
From late September 2023 onwards, Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are introducing new COVID-19 vaccines that will target XBB variants. As EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage, the new vaccines are expected to offer better protection against this new variant.
EG.5 is part of the XBB lineage and is more closely related to the XBB variants than it is to previous vaccine strains.
For this reason, the expectation is that the reformulated vaccines that will be available this fall will offer better protection to EG.5 than previous vaccines.
– Justin Lessler, professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
In short, there really isn’t a need for new lockdowns, because the improved COVID-19 vaccines are already coming in the fall of 2023.
Fact #7 : Biden Administration Does Not Want New Lockdowns
I should now point out that it is against the Biden Administration’s interest to implement new lockdowns, which would cripple the economy. In fact, the Biden Administration mentioned this when it released its National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan (PDF download) in March 2022.
The path forward in the fight against COVID-19 is clear: schools, workers, and workplaces have resources and guidance to prevent shutdowns.
Finally, I should also point out that any order for a face mask mandate on public transportation, including airlines, would be issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevent, not the TSA or Border Control.
It was the US CDC that issued the first and only face mask mandate for public transportation in the United States (PDF download) on January 29, 2021. The TSA and Border Control had nothing to do with that, but only issued their own directives to comply with the CDC order.
However, the CDC face mask mandate was made “unenforceable” by court order on April 18, 2022, and expired when the Biden Administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023.
If the CDC ever issues another face mask mandate, it seems inevitable that it would be challenged in court, and made “unenforceable” by another court order. So what really is this panic over a “future” face mask mandate?
I should also point out that, long before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have had no issues wearing face masks to protect themselves and their patients. Seriously, stop being such a wuss.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the pilot of Qatar Airways flight QR579 die suddenly from the COVID-19 vaccine during the flight?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Qatar Airways Pilot Died From Vaccine Mid-Flight!
Some people are suggesting or claiming that the pilot of Qatar Airways flight QR579 died suddenly mid-flight due to a COVID-19 vaccine injury or SADS!
William Makis MD : BREAKING NEWS: Another PILOT has died inflight!!
Aug.16, 2023 – Quatar Airways QR579 (DEL-DOH) Delhi to Doha, Quatar diverted to Dubai as 51 year old senior pilot collapsed inflight and died!
2nd pilot death & 4th collapse THIS WEEK! #DiedSuddenly #cdnpoli #ableg
Stew Peters : ANOTHER pilot #DiedSuddenly, MID FLIGHT. Qatar Airlines vaxxed all their pilots, evidently.
#PureBloods will rule the world one day soon.
Jack Straw : BREAKING NEWS: Another PILOT has died inflight!!
Aug.16, 2023 – Quatar Airways QR579 (DEL-DOH) Delhi to Doha, Quatar diverted to Dubai as 51 year old senior pilot collapsed inflight and died! 2nd pilot death & 4th collapse THIS WEEK!
No Evidence Qatar Airways Pilot Died From Vaccine Mid-Flight!
It’s now tradition for anti-vaccination activists to blame all sudden deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Here are the reasons why this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists…
Fact #1 : Qatar Airways Pilot Was Passenger Aboard QR579
First, let me just point out that the pilot who died aboard Qatar Airways flight QR579 was not the senior pilot for that flight. He was aboard the flight as a passenger.
To be clear – Qatar Airways flight QR579 was never in any danger during the tragic incident. It was not one of its two pilots who had a medical emergency and died.
Fact #2 : He Died Onboard Qatar Airways QR579
On August 16, 2023, Qatar Airways flight QR579 took off from Delhi, heading towards Doha. 30 minutes into its flight, the Airbus A350-900 aircraft suddenly turned left and headed for Dubai International Airport (DXB), where it landed 30 minutes later.
Later, it was reported that the aircraft with the registration of A7-ALM diverted to Dubai due to a medical emergency – a senior pilot who was travelling as a passenger, suddenly fell critically ill onboard.
Despite a swift response and medical assistance onboard flight QR579, he could not be saved. He was declared dead on arrive at Dubai International Airport.
Fact #3 : The Pilot Allegedly Died From Cardiac Arrest
The Qatar Airways pilot was a 51 year-old man of Indian origin, who had flown SpiceJet’s inaugural flight in 2005:
The pilot had worked with Alliance Air and spent 17 years in SpiceJet. He had operated SpiceJet’s first flight, Delhi-Ahmedabad, on May 23, 2005. Last year he had joined Qatar Airways where he was flying the Boeing 777.
A colleague who worked with the pilot for several years expressed shock, stating that “He was very fit and his untimely demise has come as a big shock for everyone who knew him“. That quote is being used to claim or suggest that the pilot “must have” died from a COVID-19 vaccine injury of some sort.
There is no evidence that his death has anything to do with COVID-19 vaccines. And certainly, people pushing those claims offered ZERO evidence to back up their “expert opinions”.
Officially, Qatar Airways has not commented on the death of the pilot. But India’s Zee News reported that the pilot was ascertained to have died from cardiac arrest.
While it is likely that the pilot died from sudden cardiac arrest, I would caution that the pilot’s official cause of death remains unknown.
Until and unless his family and/or Qatar Airways or the Dubai authorities reveal his official cause of death, any claim that he died from this or that cause should be taken with a pinch of salt.
While anti-vaccination activists claim that there is a sudden surge of “untimely deaths” from cardiac arrest, it has long been a major cause of death… long before the COVID-19 vaccines were invented.
The United States alone records over half a million cases of sudden cardiac arrest cases every year – an incidence of about 130 per 100,000 individuals per year. Many people have undiagnosed heart conditions that may not produce noticeable symptoms in daily life, but could result in sudden cardiac arrest at any time.
A 2012 study discovered that people in Southern India who died from sudden cardiac arrest were 5-8 years younger compared to people in the western hemisphere.
10% of all deaths in Southern India were caused by sudden cardiac death
almost half were 60 years-old or younger
many were diagnosed with heart disease
over 80% had at least one risk factor for coronary artery disease – hypertension, diabetes, or smoking
they were generally 5-8 years younger than similar cases in the western hemisphere
Fact #5 : Unknown If Qatar Airways Pilot Was Vaccinated
Despite suggestions that the Qatar Airways pilot was fully-vaccinated, there isn’t any actual evidence that he ever received the COVID-19 vaccine. We don’t even know his name, much less his COVID-19 vaccination status!
Qatar Airways also never mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for its pilots or its aircrew. Instead, pilots and aircrew were offered two options – get vaccinated, or undergo a COVID-19 test every few days.
[H]ow did Qatar Airways achieve 100 per cent crew vaccination without threatening dismissal against vaccine-hesitant workers?
Unlike the United States, cabin crew in Qatar weren’t immediately prioritised for the vaccine and supply issues meant that Qatar hasn’t had a surplus of vaccines that are going to waste either.
But when crew did become eligible, they had a simple choice – get vaccinated or have an invasive COVID-19 test every few days to prove your negative status.
That said – the pilot is likely fully-vaccinated. He only joined Qatar Airways in 2022. Previously, he was with SpiceJet. While it is unknown whether SpiceJet has a vaccine mandate for its aircrew, SpiceJet is promoting the fact that its crew members and ground personnel are fully-vaccinated and masked.
Even so, I should point out that COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in India, and the pilot may possibly have left SpiceJet over the vaccination mandate (if there’s one). So it is still possible that the pilot was not vaccinated against COVID-19. We simply do not know his vaccination status for sure. Heck, we don’t even know his name!
Until and unless the pilot’s family (or Qatar Airways) reveals his COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who tells you that the unnamed pilot was vaccinated or otherwise, is likely lying to you. None of us have any evidence of that.
Fact #6 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days
Even if the Qatar Airways pilot was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, he would have received his doses more than a year ago! It is quite impossible for him to suffer from vaccine side effects, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.
Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days or weeks.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
Fact #7 : Claims Of COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries Often Proven False
Most claims of sudden deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false. Here is the latest dozen of other false sudden death claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next death or tragedy…
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Timothy Shim gives us the low-down on the 5 strategies for negotiating airfare discounts with SAP Concur!
Negotiating Airfare Discounts with SAP Concur!
Whether it’s a short hop to a neighboring city for a client meeting or an international conference halfway around the globe, airfare costs can significantly dent your company’s budget. That’s where systems like SAP Concur step in.
From leveraging data to setting up effective travel policies, we will explore five strategies for negotiating airfare discounts with SAP Concur. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s understand what SAP Concur is and how it functions as a critical part of your corporate travel management toolkit.
5 Minute Read
Use SAP Concur’s robust reporting tools to gain insights into your company’s travel patterns and use this information to identify potential areas for negotiation with airlines.
Centralize your company’s travel bookings with SAP Concur and present your travel volume data to airlines when negotiating for discounts.
Use SAP Concur to plan and book corporate travel in advance, demonstrating your commitment to airlines and leveraging this in your negotiations for better rates.
Track airfare fluctuations with SAP Concur and use your active engagement with market trends to secure better deals from airlines.
Leverage SAP Concur to manage and track your company’s relationships with airlines, leveraging your loyalty and long-term commitment to negotiate for ongoing discounts.
5 Strategies for Negotiating Airfare Discounts with SAP Concur!
SAP Concur is a cloud-based solution integrating travel, expense, and invoice management into one unified system. It aims to simplify these processes and provide a seamless, user-friendly experience.
Travel Management with SAP Concur
Concur Travel is a feature within the platform that allows businesses to manage and streamline their corporate travel processes. It offers a comprehensive range of services, including online booking tools, travel management services, and mobile applications.
These services aid companies in reducing costs, enforcing travel policies, and providing travelers with a smooth and efficient experience.
Expense and Invoice Management
Concur Expense and Concur Invoice are additional features to simplify the expense and invoice management processes. Concur Expense lets employees quickly capture and submit expense reports from any location.
That does much to reduce errors and improve compliance. Concur Invoice automates invoice processing, helping businesses manage spending and cash flow more effectively.
SAP Concur’s Impact on Business Operations
By integrating travel, expense, and invoice management, SAP Concur gives businesses visibility and control over their spending. It also offers valuable insights into spending patterns, helping companies make informed decisions and save money.
Whether a business has a small travel team or a large multinational operation, SAP Concur is designed to adapt to unique needs and deliver tangible benefits.
The first step to effective negotiation is knowing your ground, and in the context of airfare discounts, that means understanding your travel data. SAP Concur shines here, providing businesses comprehensive insights into their travel habits.
Key Data Points to Focus On
First, pay close attention to your company’s frequently traveled routes, preferred airlines, and ticket classes. Focus on asking the right questions to provide the most actionable insights for your business. For example;
Which routes are your employees traveling the most?
Which airlines are they choosing?
Are they booking economy, business, or first-class tickets?
These data points provide a solid foundation for negotiation discussions with airlines.
Analyzing Trends and Patterns
SAP Concur allows you to analyze trends and patterns in your travel data over time. For instance, you may find that your employees travel more frequently during certain times of the year or prefer specific airlines for international flights. These patterns can provide leverage when negotiating airfare discounts.
Translating Data into Negotiation Power
Armed with this data, you can approach airlines with confidence. Showcase your loyalty to specific airlines, emphasize the volume of business you bring, and demonstrate your understanding of your company’s travel needs.
When airlines see that you know your travel patterns and preferences, they’re more likely to consider offering discounts.
Actionable Tips
Use SAP Concur’s reporting tools to gain a comprehensive overview of your company’s travel patterns.
Analyze the data to identify trends, such as the most frequently traveled routes, the most used airlines, and peak travel periods.
Use this information to identify potential areas for negotiation with airlines.
Once you’ve grasped your travel data, it’s time to focus on volume. As with many things in business, higher volumes can often lead to better deals, and air travel is no different.
With SAP Concur, you can aggregate your travel data to demonstrate the volume of your bookings, forming a compelling case for discounts.
Consolidating Travel Bookings
It’s essential to consolidate your company’s travel bookings as much as possible. Instead of allowing your employees to book flights individually, use SAP Concur to centralize your travel bookings.
This simplifies the booking process and allows you to negotiate with airlines as a single, high-volume customer.
Presenting Your Case to Airlines
When you approach airlines with a substantial volume of business, you’re in a much stronger negotiating position. Airlines are always looking for consistent, reliable customers. Showing them that you provide significant business can encourage them to offer you better rates.
The Win-Win Situation
By offering airlines a substantial and steady volume of business, you’re creating a win-win situation. The airline gets a reliable source of revenue, and in return, your company gets more favorable airfare rates. This symbiotic relationship is the heart of effective negotiation.
Leveraging SAP Concur’s Tools
SAP Concur provides the tools necessary to leverage your travel volume effectively. This platform is an essential partner in your negotiation journey, from consolidating bookings to presenting comprehensive reports.
Using SAP Concur to showcase your travel volume, you can confidently negotiate airfare discounts and ensure your company gets the best possible deals.
Actionable Tips
Use SAP Concur to centralize all your company’s travel bookings.
Make a report showcasing your company’s travel volume.
Present this report to airlines when negotiating discounts.
Strategy #3: Utilize Advanced Booking
We’ve all heard the saying, “The early bird gets the worm,” right? In our case, replace “worm” with “discount.” Being an early bird can be a real game-changer when bagging those sweet airfare deals. And here’s where SAP Concur comes in handy, making advanced booking a breeze.
Think about it – when airlines see steady, early bookings, they’re more willing to give us a break with some discounts. Plus, it’s a stress reliever! You get to avoid the last-minute scramble for tickets, and it’s easier to plan your budget when you know the costs upfront.
SAP Concur is like that incredibly organized friend we all wish we had. With its advanced booking feature, planning your corporate travel well in advance is simple. You can book flights, reserve hotels, and even arrange ground transport, all in one place.
The Art of Negotiation with Advanced Booking
But let’s get back to the discounts. Advanced booking can give you a leg up when negotiating with airlines. Showing them that your company is organized and committed to booking in advance can be a persuasive argument for a lower rate.
Creating a Win-Win Situation (Again!)
Just like with travel volume, advanced booking creates a win-win situation. The airlines have the security of early and regular bookings, and you get to bag those tempting discounts. It’s like a beautiful dance, and SAP Concur is your dance partner, guiding you through each step.
So, remember to plan. It’s not just about saving your sanity; it’s about saving dollars. Advanced booking with SAP Concur? That’s a smart move.
Actionable Tips
● Use SAP Concur’s booking tools to plan and book corporate travel well in advance.
● Track the cost savings achieved through advanced booking.
● Highlight your company’s commitment to early booking when negotiating with airlines.
Next up on our list of strategies is dynamic pricing. That might sound like some sort of jargon straight out of a business textbook, but trust me, it’s more complex than it sounds. It’s all about adaptability, flexibility, and being ready to ride the ever-changing airfare prices.
Airfare prices are like a rollercoaster—they go up, down, and make sudden turns. As a savvy business, we must monitor these fluctuations and use them to our advantage. When we know that prices are changing, we can swoop in and grab those discounts when they pop up.
This is where SAP Concur struts its stuff. It allows us to track these price changes and alerts us when prices drop. It’s like having a vigilant guard dog that barks (or, in this case, sends notifications) when a good deal is on the horizon.
Dynamic Pricing and Negotiation
When you’re at the negotiating table with airlines, being able to talk about dynamic pricing can give you an edge. It shows airlines that you’re not only aware of the market trends but you’re also ready to react to them. This can make them more willing to offer special deals and discounts.
Creating Yet Another Win-Win
By now, you’ve probably noticed a pattern—we’re all about creating win-win situations. With dynamic pricing, the airlines get a customer who’s engaged and responsive to the market, and you get to save some of those hard-earned dollars.
So, let’s embrace the rollercoaster of dynamic pricing. We can ride the ups and downs with great discounts with SAP Concur. Remember, being adaptable in business is a virtue; in this case, it can save you money!
Actionable Tips
Use SAP Concur’s tracking features to keep an eye on airfare fluctuations.
Book immediately to secure the lower rate when you notice a significant price drop.
Mention your dynamic pricing strategy during negotiations with airlines to show that you’re an active and engaged customer.
Last but not least is the power of long-term partnerships. We’re not just talking about fleeting, one-off deals here. No, we’re looking at the big picture—establishing relationships with airlines that can lead to ongoing discounts.
Loyalty goes a long way in business, and air travel is no different. Airlines appreciate customers who stick around. Knowing they can count on your company’s regular patronage gives them stability.
This is where SAP Concur’s ability to track and manage your travel data shines. It helps you keep track of your company’s relationship with each airline and makes it easier to demonstrate your loyalty when negotiating for better rates.
Using Partnerships to Negotiate Discounts
When you’ve established a long-term relationship with an airline, you’re no longer just another customer—you’re a valued partner. This gives you a significant advantage when negotiating airfare discounts.
Airlines are more likely to give better rates to customers who will continue to bring them business.
The Long Game Wins
Establishing long-term partnerships is like playing the long game. Yes, it requires commitment and consistency, but the payoff can be substantial. Airlines get the assurance of your loyalty, and you get the benefit of ongoing discounts. It’s a classic win-win.
Actionable Tips
● Use SAP Concur to track your company’s relationship with each airline.
● Share this data with airlines to demonstrate your loyalty and commitment.
● Leverage your long-term relationship with airlines to negotiate for ongoing discounts.
Final Thoughts: Turning Strategies into Savings with SAP Concur
We’ve certainly covered some ground! From understanding your travel data, leveraging your travel volume, utilizing advanced booking, and implementing dynamic pricing, to establishing long-term partnerships, it’s clear that there are multiple strategies for negotiating airfare discounts.
And guess what? SAP Concur has been our faithful companion, offering us the tools and features to implement these strategies effectively. It’s more than a travel, expense, and invoice management platform.
It’s a powerful ally that helps us navigate the tricky terrain of corporate travel and airfare negotiation.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was this viral photo of an amazing full circle rainbow captured by a pilot flying at 30,000 feet?!
Take a look at the photo, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : This Rare Rainbow Was Captured By Pilot At 30,000 Feet!
People are sharing what they claim is a rare rainbow captured by Lloyd J Ferraro, a pilot flying over the Pacific Ocean at at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Rainbow at 30,000 Feet: Pilot’s Photo Captures Rare and Breathtaking Sight
A rare sight was captured from the cockpit of a commercial airplane as pilot Lloyd J Ferraro took a stunning photograph of a complete rainbow from an altitude of 30,000 feet. The breathtaking image shows the colors of the rainbow in their full spectrum, arching gracefully across the sky.
Rainbows have long been a source of fascination for people around the world, with their vivid colors and seemingly magical appearance. While rainbows can be seen from the ground after a storm, it is much rarer to witness a complete rainbow from the vantage point of an airplane.
According to Ferraro, he was flying over the Pacific Ocean when he spotted the rainbow and decided to capture the moment on camera. The resulting photograph has since gone viral, captivating people around the world with its beauty and rarity.
The image not only showcases the beauty of nature but also highlights the incredible capabilities of modern technology. Ferraro was able to capture the stunning photograph using a smartphone camera, demonstrating how accessible and advanced our technology has become.
This incredible photo serves as a reminder of the beauty and wonder that surrounds us in our everyday lives. It is a testament to the power of nature and the marvels of modern technology, and it has inspired people around the world to appreciate the small moments of beauty that exist in the world around us.
Truth : Rare Rainbow Was Not Captured By Pilot At 30,000 Feet!
This is yet another example of FAKE PHOTOS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Photo Was Not Taken By Lloyd J Ferraro
Lead Stories spoke to the pilot, Lloyd J Ferraro, on March 1, 2023. He has seen circular rainbows while flying, but he did not take that viral photo.
Ferraro shared that both he and his colleague copied and shared the rainbow image on social media, but he did not take the photo himself.
Fact #2 : Circular Rainbows Are Not Particularly Rare
Lloyd J Ferraro said that full-circle rainbows are not as rare as people think, and people do not need to be in an airplane to see one – a full circle rainbow can be observed from any high vantage point, like a mountain top.
In fact, NASA featured this full circle rainbow photo as its Astronomy Picture of the Day on December 27, 2022. That amazing photo of a full circle rainbow was taken using a drone by Swiss photographer Lukas Moesch over the Lofoten islands of Norway.
NASA also explained why full circle rainbows are more commonly seen from the air, instead of the ground.
Have you ever seen an entire rainbow? From the ground, typically, only the top portion of a rainbow is visible because directions toward the ground have fewer raindrops. From the air, though, the entire 360-degree circle of a rainbow is more commonly visible.
Pictured here, a full-circle rainbow was captured over the Lofoten Islands of Norway in September by a drone passing through a rain shower.
An observer-dependent phenomenon primarily caused by the internal reflection of sunlight by raindrops, the rainbow has a full diameter of 84 degrees. The Sun is in the exact opposite direction from the rainbow’s center. As a bonus, a second rainbow that was more faint and color-reversed was visible outside the first.
Lloyd J Ferraro could not have been the creator of the photo, because the viral photo of the rare circular rainbow circulated much earlier.
It appeared to have been posted in the Facebook group, Beautiful Nature, as part of a 5-photo collection of rainbows on February 6, 2023. After that, it went viral with many people sharing it on Facebook and Twitter.
But a closer examination of these photos will show a digital watermark at their lower right corners. These photos were created by someone with the user ID of 5463530014 on the Chinese social shopping platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
Fact #4 : Professor Labelled Rainbow Photo As Fake
Lead Stories asked Roland Stull, a professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of British Columbia to analyse the photo. He labelled it as a fake rainbow photo, and explained why:
It is fake. Rainbows form a circle centered around the shadow of the photographer or the camera; namely, looking away from the sun.
In the photo you attached, based on the sides of the clouds that are illuminated by the sun, the rainbow incorrectly appears to be in the direction of the sun, not opposite to the sun. Also, the rainbow circle itself appears to be incorrectly touching the location in the sky where the sun is (even though it is hidden behind a cloud), instead of the circle being centered on a shadow opposite to the sun (i.e., centered around the “anti-solar” point).
Fact #5 : Rainbow Photo Most Likely Generated By AI
It is not possible to know if the fake rainbow photo was digitally drawn by an artist, or created by AI image generators.
However, due to the numerous examples of similar rainbow photos with the same tone and colour palette, they were all likely generated by text-to-image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E or Stable Diffusion.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Passengers on Malaysia Airlines, Firefly and MASwings won’t need to switch off personal devices during take-off and landing! Here is what you need to know!
Malaysia Airlines Passengers Won’t Need To Turn Off Devices!
On Tuesday, 28 June 2023, the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) announced that its airlines – Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and MASwings – are the first airlines to enable Gate-to-Gate connectivity for passengers by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
From 1 July 2023 onwards, passengers on three airlines can keep their personal devices switched on at all times. There is no longer the need to switch off your phone, tablet, laptop, or other devices, or stow them during take-off or landing.
As long as those devices must have their wireless connectivity turned off using the “Airplane Mode” or “Flight Mode“, you can continue to use them during take-off, or landing. This allows you to continue working on your laptop, or watch downloaded content on your phone or tablet during the entire journey, without interruption.
With this new regulatory approval, Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and MASwings are the first airlines to allow Gate-to-Gate connectivity for passengers departing from Malaysia.
We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and innovative travel experiences which places customers at the heart of everything we do.
By enabling gate-to-gate connectivity across all our airlines, it allows passengers to stay connected throughout their journey with us; whether it’s to keep their loved ones updated on the move or even get some work done during their flight.
Malaysia Airlines To Provide Free Wi-Fi For 2H 2023!
Malaysia Airlines also announced that it will provide limited free Wi-Fi connectivity to its Business Suite, Business Class, and Enrich Platinum (regardless of ticket class) passengers from 1 July until 31 December 2023.
Each passenger will be given up to 100 MB of free Wi-Fi data per sector to use, at a speed of up to 512 kbps. This free Wi-Fi offer will be made available on 20 Malaysia Airlines aircraft.
Beyond that free limit, passengers can continue to surf the Internet through its pay-per-use Wi-Fi offering. In addition, all passengers can access its wireless in-flight entertainment system through its web-based MHStudio service.
As part of our connectivity strategy, we will be actively expanding the number of our aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi to provide an improved in-flight experience to our valued customers. With a focus on safety, comfort, and convenience, we are dedicated to making air travel more accessible and enjoyable for all of our passengers.
We will continue to invest in innovative technologies and services to meet the changing needs and provide comfort to our passengers as guests to our ‘home’.
The wireless connectivity onboard MAS aircraft, and passenger ability to use their devices from Gate-to-Gate, will come in handy with the refreshed Boeing 737 cabin, which feature lightweight seats that lack in-flight entertainment screens.
Instead, these new seats will come with a personal device holder, and a pair of USB Type A and USB Type C charging ports.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Truth : Harrison Ford Did NOT Die In Hospital / Plane Crash!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page / video views and advertising, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death
These social media posts, as well as YouTube and TikTok videos have been circulating for months now, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported on Harrison Ford’s sudden death!
Harrison Ford is a Hollywood legend and a mega celebrity. His death would have been covered extensively by the media across the globe, and his legion of fans would have mourned his death on social media.
Yet, no legitimate media outlet has reported that Harrison Ford died recently from any cause, never mind a tragic plane crash. Why should you believe no-name websites, or random YouTube / TikTok videos?
Fact #2 : Harrison Ford Is Still Alive + Well!
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is still very much alive and well, as of April 2023, when he spoke to Total Film magazine for its April 27 issue.
In that interview, Harrison Ford confirmed that he won’t be playing Indiana Jones again, after Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is released.
This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character. I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film.
That interview comes many days to weeks after those social media posts, YouTube and Facebook videos claimed that he died suddenly in a hospital or a tragic plane crash!
Harrison Ford has been flying for a long time. He learned to fly after leaving university, but could not afford to pursue it.
Only after he was financially stable in his 50s, did he renew his training to “see if I could learn something new”. He has since been involved in several crashes and near misses, but walked away in every instance.
In 1999, he was learning to fly a helicopter when he had to crash land it in a dry river bed in California. Ford and his instructor walked away unhurt, but the helicopter was badly damaged.
The photo below which some videos are using is from 2015, when Harrison Ford brought down his plane in a Los Angeles golf course, after suffering an engine failure shortly after taking off. He suffered a broken arm and some head injuries.
In 2017, Harrison Ford mistakenly landed his plane on a taxiway, narrowly missing an airliner carrying more than 100 people. In 2020, he mistakenly crossed the end of a runway while another aircraft was taking off from the other end.
Harrison Ford put his flying skills to good use, when he rescued a 13 year-old Boy Scout who went missing in the Yellowstone National Park in 2001. Ford spotted Cody Clawson in his helicopter, and landed to pick him up.
I was like, “Oh my God, Han Solo just rescued me. How could is that?
Just to be clear, Harrison Ford did not die in a plane crash, as of April 2023.
Fact #4 : This Photo Was From Geoff Nugent’s Funeral
This photo is not of Harrison Ford’s funeral, but shows the funeral of Liverpool musician Geoff Nugent from the band, The Undertakers who died in October 2014.
The photo was taken on 24 October 2014, at St. Chad’s Church, in Kirkby, Merseyside in England.
As you can see, the fake news creator added a photo of Harrison Ford to the photo, which is not visible in the real photo.
Fact #5 : This Photo Was From Archie Battersbee’s Funeral
This photo is not of Harrison Ford’s funeral, but shows the funeral of Archie Battersbee – a 12 year-old boy who suffered catastrophic brain damage in Essex, England.
His funeral was held at the St. Mary’s Church in Southend on Tuesday, 13 September 2022.
Fact #6 : Harrison Ford Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too
This Harrison Ford death hoax is, ironically, just another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:
News of actor Harrison Ford’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the April 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the actor best known for his roles in Indiana Jones or Star Wars is alive and well.
Rumors of the actor’s alleged demise gained traction on Monday after a ‘R.I.P. Harrison Ford’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American actor’s passing:
“At about 11 a.m. ET on Monday (April 24, 2023), our beloved actor Harrison Ford passed away. Harrison Ford was born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 80-year-old actor was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of an actor of Harrison Ford’s stature would be major news across networks.
Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Harrison Ford Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.
Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.
Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Truth : FedEx + Southwest Jet Near Collision Video Is From Game!
This is yet another example of MISINFORMATION circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Fact #1 : FedEx + Southwest Jets Did Almost Collide
First, let me confirm that a FedEx cargo plane and a Southwest Airlines jet did almost collide on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
In that incident, air traffic controllers at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport cleared an arriving FedEx Boeing 767 cargo plane to lane, while simultaneously clearing a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 to take off using the same runway!
Air traffic controllers first cleared the Southwest Airlines jet to take-off from runway 18 Left, when the FedEx jet was 3.2 nautical miles (6 km) away.
When the FedEx jet was 2.19 nautical miles (4 km) from the airport, controllers told the FedEx crew to land on the same 18 Left runway.
The FedEx crew later realised that they were about to overfly the Southwest plane, and quickly aborted their landing while telling the Southwest crew to abort their takeoff.
According to Jennifer Homendy, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the two planes almost collided, with a separation of “less than 100 feet (30 metres)”.
I’m very proud of the FedEx flight crew and that pilot. They saved, in my view, 128 people from a potential catastrophe. It was very close, and we believe less than 100 feet.
The near catastrophe apparently happened because the Austin airport is not equipped with Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE). Air traffic controller could see the FedEx jet on radar, but could not see the Southwest Airlines jet taxiing on the ground.
The ASDE system was important in preventing a runway collision in January 2023, between taxiing and departing aircraft at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport.
BREAKING: FedEx cargo plane narrowly misses crashing into Southwest Airlines plane taxiing on runway at Austin International Airport, Texas pic.twitter.com/2KF0ifokRF
While the incident was real, the video isn’t real. The video was created using the 2020 computer game, Microsoft Flight Simulator by Monster21 who posted it on YouTube and TikTok.
On his YouTube channel, Monster21 explicitly pointed out that the video was created on Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the title, “Real incident at Austin on Microsoft Flight Simulator“.
On TikTok though, he posted it with a shorter title of “Real incident at Austin Feb 4th 2023“, but did include a #microsoftflightsimulator2020 hashtag.
Unfortunately, it is being shared as if the video is genuine, just like these other videos created by computer games:
Fact #3 : Video Does Not Accurately Simulate The Event
While the video creator was simulating the close call between the FedEx and Southwest jets based on flight data, it isn’t an accurate depiction.
The video showed that it was a bright and clear day. That’s not accurate because the incident happened at around 6:50 AM. Dawn only broke at 6:55 AM in Austin, Texas on February 4, 2023.
There was also fog at the airport that day. So it would have been rather dark and foggy at the same time, with poor visibility.
That would explain why the FedEx crew did not spot the spot the Southwest jet lining up on the runway much earlier.
While the video is not real and is just a simulation, the audio recording is genuine albeit edited.
The air traffic control audio recording was made available through Live ATC of Austin-Bergstrom Airport’s traffic control, and began at around 6:47 AM.
The full audio recording lasts just over 6 minutes, but was edited to just over 2 minutes by Haemaker to remove dead spots. As he noted – “It did NOT happen this fast“.
The video used the shorter, edited Haemaker audio recording, so it sounds more dramatic than what really happened in real life. Here is how USA Today explains the audio recording:
The FedEx pilot asks the tower if the plane is confirmed to land, to which the controller responds yes and lets the pilot know about the Southwest flight taking off.
About 30 seconds later, the controller asks the Southwest flight to confirm if it is “on the roll.” To which the pilot immediately responds, “Rolling now.”
After about 20 seconds of silence, the tower says, “Southwest abort. FedEx is on the go.”
There’s no response, and nearly nine seconds later, the tower tells the Southwest flight to turn right when able. Southwest immediately responds by saying, “Negative.”
The tower comes back about 17 seconds later and tells the FedEx pilot to climb and maintain 3,000 feet and turn left, which the pilot confirms upon receiving the instruction.
Near the end of the recording, after the FedEx plane has landed and said it cleared the runway, the tower apologizes to the pilot and thanks them for their professionalism.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Does a viral video show a close-up of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet shooting down the spy balloon from China?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Viral Video : Close-Up Of F-22 Shooting Spy Balloon From China!
This video is going viral on WhatsApp and social media platform, claiming to show a close-up of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet shooting down the spy balloon from China.
Screenshots of the video showing the F-22 fighter jet firing a missile at the spy balloon have also been used in some editorials in pro-CCP websites, and even a Falun Gong-affiliated website!
Truth : Viral Video Of F-22 Shooting Down Spy Balloon Is From Game!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : F-22 Shoot Down Audio Is Genuine
First, I should point out that the audio in the video is genuine, and accurately depicts the communication between the F-22 pilots and Huntress (NORAD’s Eastern Air Defense Sector Controller) on an open channel that anyone can listen to.
The audio clip was apparently recorded by Ken Harrell, a 68 year-old retiree and aviation hobbyist, who was listening in. This was confirmed by US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek:
The audio is authentic and depicts communication from the 1st Fighter Wing pilot confirming the aerial target was destroyed. It’s important to clarify this audio is communication between the pilot and air traffic control that can be heard by anyone on the same frequency
However, the subtitles are mangled and at least partly wrong. Here is an abridged transcript of the audio communication between the F-22 pilots and air traffic control (Huntress) during the spy balloon shoot-down.
HUNTRESS : Five miles offshore.
FRANK01 : Frank One is switches hot.
FRANK02 : Frank Two is switches hot.
…..
HUNTRESS : HUNTRESS. Six miles offshore.
FRANK01 : FRANK01. Splash one! TOI 1.
HUNTRESS : HUNTRESS copy. Splash.
EAGLE02 : That is a t-kill. The balloon is completely destroyed.
EAGLE01 : There appears to be metal chaff cloud. It’s definitely metal breaking apart. Screen for an altitude check.
Fact #3 : Viral Video Was Edited From Game Video!
I traced the viral video to a YouTube channel called Growling Sidewinder, which posted the original video on 6 February 2023.
It appears that someone edited Growling Sidewinder’s video to remove the title sequence at the beginning, and the credit at the end, before sharing it on WhatsApp and social media.
Growling Sidewinder clearly stated that the video used the real audio recording, but the video itself was recreated using Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) – a flight simulation game released in 2008 by Eagle Dynamics and The Fighter Collection.
Last year, I fact checked a viral video purportedly depicting Russian forces shooting down NATO jets and helicopters. In that example, the fake news creator used footage from the video game, ArmA 3 (Armed Assault 3).
When I watched the video, I immediately knew that it was fake, because it showed the F-22 engaging the Chinese spy balloon at about the same altitude, and at a very short distance.
What many people may not realise is that the F-22 fighter jet fired its AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at a considerable distance away from the spy balloon. This was confirmed by numerous videos recorded by the public from a distance.
In addition, we also know that the F-22 fighter jet was only able to attain an altitude of 58,000 feet, while the Chinese spy balloon was much higher – at about 65,000 feet. The Chinese spy balloon was floating approximately 7,000 feet (2.1 km) above the F-22 fighter jet!
Based on the audio transcript, it took about 7 seconds for the Sidewinder missile, which travels at over Mach 2.5, to hit the spy balloon, roughly placing the F-22 about 6 kilometres away from the balloon when it fired the missile.
Fact #5 : The Spy Balloon Did Not Explode
If you watch the publicly released videos of the AIM-9X missile hitting the spy balloon – and there are many, you would quickly realise that the viral video is fake, because it showed a large explosion.
The actual videos only show black and white smoke when the missile exploded next to the spy balloon’s payload.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the US Air Force paint a balloon kill on the F-22 fighter jet that shot down the Chinese spy balloon?!
Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : US Painted Chinese Balloon Kill On F-22 Fighter Jet!
Pro-CCP netizens are either mocking or criticising the US Air Force for painting a balloon kill on the F-22 fighter jet that shot down the Chinese spy balloon!
The U.S. F-22 fighter jet has created the current record for the highest altitude air kill: 65,000 feet. It is said that after returning, he even tattooed a pattern on the plane to commemorate the military exploits. Don’t you think it is annoying?
Fifty cents: anti-aircraft weapon hit mosquitoes‼ ️
At 03:39 on February 5, Beijing time, an F-22 fighter jet that took off from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, USA, launched an AIM-9X worth about 400,000 US dollars at an altitude of nearly 18,000 meters (58,000 feet). The “Sidewinder” infrared-guided air-to-air missile shot down a CCP high-altitude balloon worth hundreds of dollars flying at an altitude of about 20,000 meters (65,000 feet), and the balloon wreckage then fell in the waters off the coast of South Carolina.
Truth : US Did Not Paint Chinese Balloon Kill On F-22 Fighter Jet!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : It Was First Official F-22 Air-to-Air Kill
First, we need to acknowledge that the shooting down of the Chinese spy balloon was officially the first air-to-air kill for the F-22 Raptor fighter jet.
Although the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor entered US Air Force service in December 2005, it has not engaged in any air-to-air combat. Its combat sorties had so far consisted of very limited bombing missions in the Middle East.
So shooting down the Chinese spy balloon was the first time the F-22 was “blooded” in air combat, albeit against an easy target that could not manoeuvre to evade, or fire back.
I mention this point because it is entirely possible and legitimate for the pilot to paint a balloon kill on his F-22 fighter jet.
Fact #2 : Viral Photo Was Edited From 2020 Photo
While it is possible that the F-22 fighter jet that shot down the Chinese spy balloon may sport a kill marking of some sort, there was no official release of any photo of such a kill marking or decal.
What I can confirm is that the viral photo was edited, by painting a white balloon onto a photo originally posted by the Edwards Air Force Base on April 3, 2020.
Here is a photo comparison I created, showing the Edwards Air Force Base Facebook post, and the fake viral photo.
Fact #3 : FRANK01 Flew From Langley Air Force Base
The viral photo shows an F-22 Raptor flown by Major Brandon Burfeind from the 411th Flight Test Squadron, based out of Edwards Air Force Base in California. His F-22 fighter jet has a fuselage number 007, and the airframe number 91-4007.
The F-22 Raptor that shot down the Chinese spy balloon was flown by an unnamed pilot using the callsign FRANK01, from the Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
While we do not know the name or rank of the FRANK01 pilot yet, his F-22 fighter jet is definitely not the same as the one shown in the viral photo, as he is based on a different USAF base in a different state.
Interesting note : The FRANK01 callsign is an apparent homage to World War I Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr., who is known as the “Arizona Balloon Buster” for shooting down 14 German balloons, as well as four planes.
Fact #4 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda
This appears to be yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), or pro-CCP netizens.
All of the wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Find out why the US Air Force shot down the Chinese spy balloon using an expensive $400,000 AIM-9X Sidewinder missile!
Claim : US Shot Down Spy Balloon Using Expensive Missile!
Pro-CCP netizens are mocking the US government for shooting down a cheap Chinese weather balloon using an expensive $400,000 AIM-9X Sidewinder missile!
US so panic of a balloon
they sent FOUR (4) fighter jets (2 x F-22s, 2 x F-15s) to “survey the situation”, before firing that $400k AIM-9x Sidewinder A2A missile to shoot the balloon down.
America used a $400,000 missile fired from a $216,000,000 fighter jet to shoot down…
Why US Shot Down Chinese Spy Balloon With Missile!
This is yet another example of PROPAGANDA created and propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : There Were Two Chinese Balloons
On Friday, February 3, 2023, China admitted that the massive balloon hovering over the US state of Montana belonged to them, but claimed that it was a weather balloon and not a spy balloon.
Later that same Friday, a second balloon was spotted over Latin America. It took China another 3 days to admit that it was theirs, and another “weather balloon” that was “blown off course”.
Fact #2 : Chinese Balloon Was Not A Weather Balloon
Weather balloons are common – thousands are launched daily across the world to collect information on the temperature, wind and moisture in the upper atmosphere.
Weather balloons are not very large – expanding from 6 feet (1.8 metres) to 20 feet (6 metres) in diameter as they rise in altitude. Their payloads are also small, consisting of a small box with a few sensors.
The Chinese weather balloon that the US Air Force just shot down is not only much larger at around 90 feet (27.5 metres) wide, it also has a very large payload that includes large solar panels, and even propellers to control its movement.
The kinds of weather balloons that are launched twice a day from Weather Service offices are typically just a little box that has a temperature sensor, relative humidity sensor, pressure sensor and then a little tiny transmitter. Based on the photos that have been going around, there’s obviously a lot more equipment on this one. – Alexandra Anderson-Frey, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Washington
Real weather balloons also do not travel far – they generally go up to a high altitude and stay there. Spy balloons, on the other hand, need to travel long distances. This Chinese balloon has travelled all the way from China to Alaska to Canada, before reaching the continental United States.
The reported characteristics of this balloon don’t really match anything that we’re familiar with. This has been traveling at a much longer distance than what would be these standard weather balloons.
[Standard weather balloons] go up over one particular place and up to about 50,000 feet in the atmosphere, and then that’s it, they’re done. They don’t travel large distances, so I think that there’s pretty significant differences between typical weather balloons and this reported balloon. – Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist at Accuweather
Fact #3 : Chinese Balloon Was At Very High Altitude
The US Air Force sent two F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to take down the spy balloon, with two F-15 fighters to probably take videos and photos of the event.
While Chinese netizens may snigger at how the USAF has to use such an expensive fighter jet to shoot down a cheap Chinese balloon, they ignore the fact that the Chinese spy balloon was operating at a very high altitude of about 65,000 feet – that’s 20 km above ground level!
The F-22 Raptor was likely chosen for the task as it was most capable of flying to such a high altitude while loaded with missiles. Many jet fighters have “similar” maximum service ceilings, but their true service ceilings are often much lower, limited by the amount of armament and/or fuel they carry.
Fact #4 : Missile Was Necessary To Shoot Down Balloon
In the end, the F-22 Raptor with the callsign FRANK01 attained an altitude of 58,000 feet (17.7 km) before firing an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon. It was the first air-to-air combat kill for the F-22.
While Chinese netizens mocked the use of such an expensive missile, the AIM-9X Sidewinder is the smallest and cheapest air-to-air missile in the USAF arsenal.
It would be impossible for the F-22 Raptor pilot to use its 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon to shoot down the balloon, which is still 7,000 feet (2.1 km) above it!
In case you are wondering – the M61A2 Vulcan has an effective range of only 2,000 feet (600 metres). So a missile was necessary to bring down the Chinese spy balloon, and the AIM-9X was the right tool for the job.
Interestingly, the FRANK callsign may be a reference to World War I Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr., who is known as the “Arizona Balloon Buster” for shooting down 14 German balloons, as well as four planes.
Fact #5 : China Breaks International Law With Spy Balloon Overflights
It is ludicrous for anyone to claim that China can keep sending “cheap” spy balloons to trigger the Americans, as every country has “complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory” under international law.
Such acts are therefore violations of international law, and infringements of the sovereignty of the countries that these spy balloons overfly.
That’s why Chinese government keeps claiming that these spy balloons are civilian craft. That is also why the US government has the right to shoot down the spy balloon without asking China for permission.
Fact #6 : Every Fallen Balloon Is An Intelligence Bonanza
In the United States, Republicans are complaining that President Joe Biden was weak in allowing the Chinese spy balloon to fly off the coast of South Carolina before shooting it down on Saturday afternoon, February 4, 2023.
What they don’t tell the people is that President Joe Biden asked the US Air Force to shoot down the spy balloon as soon as it was safe to do so.
On top of that, the US military wanted to retrieve the spy balloon to examine its payload, and the best way to keep the payload intact would be to bring down the balloon over shallow water, instead of land.
In accordance with the President’s direction, the military brought down the balloon within sovereign U.S. airspace and over U.S. territorial waters to protect civilians while maximizing our ability to recover the payload.
On Monday, February 6, 2023, the first parts of the Chinese spy balloon arrived at the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, for further analysis.
Depending on what they recover, it may be possible to determine what these spy balloons are capable of, what it recorded, and who manufactured its components. The Americans may possibly gain insights into hitherto unknown Chinese technologies.
Instead of mocking the Americans for shooting down a “cheap” spy balloon, perhaps the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens should worry about what the Americans might find….
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did WEF founder Klaus Schwab ban vaccinated pilots from transporting World Economic Forum members in and out of Davos 2023?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Klaus Schwab Banned Vaccinated Pilots From WEF 2023!
Various websites and social media users are claiming that WEF founder Klaus Schwab banned vaccinated pilots from transporting World Economic Forum members in and out of Davos 2023!
Here is one example, which is rather long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
WEF Hires Unvaccinated Pilots To Fly Them Into Davos: “Safety of Our Members Is No. 1 Priority”
Klaus Schwab has banned vaccinated pilots from transporting World Economic Forum members in and out of Davos due to the safety risk they pose.
According to reports, WEF members are being transport solely by unvaccinated pilots to the 2023 conference in Davos, Switzerland.
According to pilot Alan Dana, Davos elites have expressed interest in hiring unvaccinated pilots to fly their business trips.
“He’s getting calls now from wealthy businessmen and companies to fly their executives around on business jets with unvaccinated crew,” Dana said on “Maria Zeee Uncensored” this week.
Infowars.com reports: “They get the luxury of being able to choose, because there are still a large amount of crew available in the United States who are not vaccinated because the companies they work for didn’t mandate it.”
“These wealthy businessmen are requiring unvaccinated crew on their business trips,” Dana added. “Passengers on an airline who bought a ticket don’t have that luxury.”
Two years later, emerging data and increase documented incidents of individuals who “died suddenly” after receiving the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine appear to be making the elite second-guess who flies them around the world.
Truth : Klaus Schwab Did Not Ban Vaccinated Pilots From WEF 2023!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Evidence Vaccinated Pilots Pose Any Safety Risk
This fake news appears to be based around prior claims that vaccinated airline pilots have a high risk of dying suddenly.
It may also be fuelled by the recent baseless allegations that the FAA loosened rules on pilot EKGs because so many of them had heart problems from the COVID-19 vaccines.
In any case, there is no evidence that vaccinated pilots pose any safety risk to their passengers, whether WEF 2023 attendees flying on private jets, or regular passengers on commercial airlines.
Fact #2 : Claim Was Based On Second-Hand Information
While the article claims that there are multiple “reports”, the only source for this claim is an interview with former Jetstar pilot Alan Dana on Maria Zeee Uncensored.
Even so, Alan Dana was relaying second-hand information from someone else – Josh Yoder – the head of US Freedom Flyers – which Infowars peg as “an anti-vaccine mandate group of pilots”.
He’s getting calls now from wealthy businessmen and companies to fly their executives around on business jets with unvaccinated crew.
They get the luxury of being able to choose, because there are still a large amount of crew available in the United States who are not vaccinated because the companies they work for didn’t mandate it.
These wealthy businessmen are requiring unvaccinated crew on their business trips. Passengers on an airline who bought a ticket don’t have that luxury.
Fact #3 : No Evidence Of Vaccinated Pilot Ban At Davos 2023
There is no evidence that Klaus Schwab banned vaccinated pilots from transporting World Economic Forum members in and out of Davos for WEF 2023.
Schwab is merely the founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum, and has no power over air travel policies in Switzerland. It would impossible for him to institute any ban on vaccinated pilot, even if he was so inclined.
And consider this for a moment – how would these ultra-rich WEF attendees prove that their pilots are unvaccinated? Is there an unvaccinated certificate?
Fact #4 : No Evidence WEF Hired Pilots
There is no evidence that the World Economic Forum hired pilots to transport attendees to its 2023 annual meeting.
The World Economic Forum organisation only organises the annual meeting, but does not handle the transportation or accommodation for attendees.
Fact #5 : Most WEF Attendees Do Not Fly By Private Jet
On average, about 3,000 people attend each World Economic Forum annual meeting. While many of the ultra-rich fly by private jet to Davos for World Economic Forum 2023, they are relatively few – less than 150 private jets for the first 3 days.
Most WEF attendees likely flew by commercial airlines to Zurich Airport, or if they are Europeans – took the train as recommended by WEF 2023 organisers. I mention this only because most airlines require their pilots to be fully-vaccinated.
Therefore, it would be rather pointless for Klaus Schwab to ban vaccinated pilots for private jets, when most attendees are being flown into Switzerland by vaccinated pilots on commercial airlines.
Ironically, Josh Yoder himself – the original source – refuted the claim in a tweet on January 15, 2023! He also called for people to unfollow people making such claims!
He stated that he only said that wealthy businessmen reached out to him to look for unvaccinated pilot. He never said that it was WEF or Davos who reached out to him.
He also notably did not say that the unvaccinated were being hired to ferry those rich people to Davos for World Economic Forum 2023.
Click bait journalism is a scourge. I never said that the WEF/Davos has reached out looking for unvaccinated pilots. What I did say was that wealthy businessmen have reached out to me for that purpose. Unfollow anyone spreading this garbage.@USFreedomFlyers @TuckerCarlson
Fact #7 : No Evidence Businessmen Are Looking For Unvaccinated Pilots
Even that less dramatic claim by Josh Yoder is impossible to verify. There is no other source for his claim. Neither has other private jet pilots or companies publicly made similar claims.
It doesn’t help that Yoder himself is known for promoting conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the vaccines.
I should point out that if these ultra-rich individuals are so concerned about COVID-19 vaccines, they would have long sought out unvaccinated pilots to fly their private jets, or engaged private jet companies with unvaccinated pilots.
They wouldn’t be hiring pilots just to fly to the World Economic Forum. There is no specific reason why there is additional risk flying to the WEF, as opposed to any other flight they would normally take.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the FAA admit that pilot EKGs are no longer normal, because the COVID-19 vaccines have damaged their hearts?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : FAA Admitted Pilot EKGs Are Abnormal From COVID-19 Vaccines!
An article by Steve Kirsch has gone viral, claiming that the FAA admitted that pilot EKGs are no longer normal, because the COVID-19 vaccines have damaged the hearts of many pilots?!
Here is an excerpt, which itself is really long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
In the October 2022 version of the FAA Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners, the FAA quietly widened the EKG parameters beyond the normal range (from a PR max of .2 to unlimited). And they didn’t widen the range by a little. They widened it by a lot. It was done after the vaccine rollout.
This is extraordinary. They did it hoping nobody would notice. It worked for a while. Nobody caught it.
But you can’t hide these things for long.
This is a tacit admission from the US government that the COVID vaccine has damaged the hearts of our pilots. Not just a few pilots. A lot of pilots and a lot of damage.
The cardiac harm of course is not limited to pilots.
My best guess right now is that over 50M Americans sustained some amount of heart damage from the shot.
That’s a lot of people who will be very upset when they realize the vaccine they took to reduce their chance of dying from COVID actually worked in reverse making it:
More likely that people will get COVID
Be hospitalized from COVID and other diseases
Die from COVID (and other diseases)
You also have an excellent chance of getting a lifetime of heart damage for no extra charge.
But don’t worry; you can’t sue them. They fixed the law so none of them aren’t liable (the doctors, the drug companies, the government). After all, you took the vaccine of your own free will. It’s not like you were forced (or coerced) to take it or anything like that! And there were plenty of people warning you not to take the shots (even though they censored most of them).
In this article, I will explain the evidence and thinking behind all my claims.
Truth : FAA Did Not Admit Pilot EKGs Are Abnormal From Vaccines!
This is yet another example of MISINFORMATION created and/or propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : EKG = ECG
First, let me quickly clarify that EKG and ECG refer to the same test – electrocardiogram.
EKG is the abbreviation original German spelling (elektrokardiogramm), while ECG is the abbreviation for the English spelling.
Fact #2 : FAA Split 1st Degree AV Block Into Two Categories
On October 26, 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amended its medical policy on Heart Arrhythmias, specifically First-Degree Atrioventricular Block (1st Degree AV Block).
Previously, pilots with first-degree AV block were required to undergo tests and submit documentation to prove that they had “no evidence of structural function or coronary heart disease” to be certified to fly.
The FAA’s amended medical policy now splits pilots with first-degree AV block into two groups:
PR interval of less than 300 ms : certified for flight if no symptoms or Approved Medical Examiner (AME) concerns
PR interval of 300 ms or more : pilots must submit a current Holter and cardiac evaluation to the FAA for review
The claim that the FAA expanded the limit from 0.2 (seconds?) to unlimited is nonsense. There is a hard limit of 300 milliseconds (0.3 seconds) – from that point, the pilot must submit documentation for FAA’s evaluation.
Fact #3 : PR Interval Of Less Than 300 ms Usually Benign
The ECG of a person with a normal heart would generally have a PR interval of between 120 and 200 milliseconds. Anything above that usually indicates an AV block.
However, first-degree AV block is a misnomer – it only delays the electrical signal, it does not block it. Therefore, first-degree AV block often do not present with any noticeable symptoms.
On top of that, no treatment is indicated for people with first-degree AV block if their PR interval is less than 300 milliseconds, because it rarely causes any symptoms.
In an otherwise healthy heart, this is usually a benign condition and rarely causes any symptoms. In general, it does not require specific treatment besides a complete evaluation by a physician.
– Dr. Roland Assi, cardiac surgeon and assistant professor at Yale University
It is not uncommon for people to have such delays. If the [AV] block is less than 300 milliseconds, there is no indication for further therapy nor increased risk or impairment of bodily function
– Dr. Eric Adler, cardiologist and professor of medicine at University of California, San Diego.
Fact #4 : Long PR Interval Not A Vaccine Side Effect
I should point out that longer PR interval is not a COVID-19 vaccine side effect. In fact, a PR interval of less than 300 milliseconds is considered normal in many healthy people, with a PR interval of less than 400 milliseconds normal in healthy athletes.
For reference, in healthy athletes a PR interval <400 msec is considered normal. So, the 300 msec cutoff may be considered conservative in many healthy people.
– Dr. Richard Kovacs, chief medical officer at the America College of Cardiology.
Fact #5 : Change Was Not Made Because Of Vaccine
The FAA has spoken out about the claim, stating that the decision to adjust their policy for first-degree AV block was based on current science and data, and not because pilots were developing heart problems from COVID-19 vaccinations.
When making changes to medical requirements and guidance, the FAA follows standard processes based on data and science.
Our cardiology consultants provided information that anything under 300ms requires no additional testing and is not a risk for sudden or subtle incapacitation.
Fact #6 : FAA Considered Long PR Interval Normal Before COVID-19 Vaccines
The FAA had earlier released a document that said that a first-degree AV block with PR interval between 0.21 and 0.29 seconds is considered normal.
That document was published on 3 July 2019 – more than 5 months before the first COVID-19 outbreak in China, and more than 17 months before the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved!
Fact #6 : American College of Cardiology Approves Of New FAA Guidelines
Dr. Richard Kovacs, chief medical officer at the America College of Cardiology (ACC), said that the updated FAA criteria for widening ECG parameters for first-degree AV block is consistent with ACC guidelines.
The FAA’s updated criteria for widening the ECG parameters regarding AV Block are reasonable and consistent with ACC guideline recommendations.
Fact #7 : FAA Refutes Claims Of Complications From COVID-19 Vaccines
The FAA’s federal air surgeon has also determined that the Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax COVIC-19 vaccines are safe for its pilots and air traffic controllers.
The FAA also refuted claims that COVID-19 vaccines have caused accidents or incapacitation of pilots:
The FAA has no evidence of aircraft accidents or incapacitations caused by pilots suffering medical complications associated with COVID-19 vaccine.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Restricted information on the F-16 fighter jet and its AIM-120 AMRAAM missile were just leaked in the War Thunder game forum!
Restricted F-16 Fighter + Missile Info Leaked In Game Forum!
Fans of War Thunder are always arguing about fighter jets and their weapons in that free-to-play combat vehicle simulator game, and those arguments can get pretty heated.
One F-16 fighter jet discussion that started in July 2022 became more heated after the F-16 Fighting Falcon was added in the Apex Predator’s update in December.
On Monday, 16 January 2023, a War Thunder gamer called spacenavy90 accidentally posted Restricted information on the F-16 and its AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, during a discussion on how accurately the War Thunder developers modelled the F-16’s flight and cockpit weapons control system, known as the Stores Control Panel (SCP).
Interesting thing I found during my research. During early AMRAAM testing you can see how F-16A would equip the AIM-120 and use TWS on the non-MFD stores control panel “SCP”:
He backed up his post by attaching four documents. Three appear to be research reports on the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, while the fourth was the F-16 Pilot’s Handbook for the AMRAAM missile.
(U) High-Performance Wingless Missile Research
(U) AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), Force Development Evaluation (FDE), Phase 3, Part B (3B)
(U) Weapons File, 2009
(U) Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile Manned Air Combat Simulation (AMRAAM MACS). F-16 Pilot’s Handbook
Leaked F-16 Fighter + Missile Info : Old But Still Restricted!
Now, the documents were old and no longer classified. In fact, they were all marked “Unclassified”. So the offence wasn’t as egregious as the earlier leak of the Chinese DT10-125 tank ammunition!
The High-Performance Wingless Missile Research document, for example, was published in May 1999, while the F-16 pilot’s handbook on the AMRAAM missile was published in May 1982!
The AIM-120 AMRAAM Force Development Evaluation paper was newer, being published in August 2000, while the Weapons File was the newest document – published in July 2009.
However, they are all still considered Restricted information, as the documents were labelled “Export Controlled” and “DoD Only“, as well as “distribution authorised to US government agencies only“.
As another War Thunder gamer pointed out, “The penalty for conviction of unauthorised disclosure includes up to 10 years in prison, a large fine, or both.”
A moderator quickly removed the documents, and replied to the post saying that they contained export-restricted information, and posting them was not permitted “per U.S. Laws on restricted and export restricted data“.
War Thunders developer, Gaijin Entertainment, later issued a statement :
A user posted some information on AMRAAM missiles for F-16. As far as we know, these documents are considered export restricted and are not meant to be shared or used by unauthorised people. We always delete posts containing classified or restricted information from our forum as soon as possible. We forbid our users to share documents like this on our platforms. We remind our users again and again that it’s both illegal and pointless, so they should never do that. We never use documents like this in our work.
So, we deleted the posts. The documents themselves were in fact posted via links to a third-party Discord server, so they were never actually uploaded to our own servers. In any case, we made sure that those links are not available to the visitors of our forum or our employees.
F-16 Fighter + Missile : Just Latest Leaked Info On War Thunder Forum!
This is hardly the first time military personnel and enthusiasts accidentally leaked sensitive or classified information during heated arguments.
Just 3 days ago, another War Thunder forum user posted screenshots of a USAF Air Combat Command paper manual published in 2015, and an F-15 operating manual published by McDonnell Douglas in 1993.
Both manuals had a printed warning that they “contain technical data whose export is restricted”, with violations “subject to severe criminal penalties”.
In June 2022, a photo of the tungsten penetrator of the latest DTC10-125 tank ammunition used in China’s main battle tanks was posted together with its classified technical data!
In 2021, parts of the United Kingdom’s Challenger 2 tank user manual was leaked by someone who claimed to be a Challenger 2 tank commander, who was trying to convince the game developers to make their in-game model closer to the real tank!
Say what you will – War Thunder gamers are really passionate about the game, and how accurately it reflects real-life military equipment!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did WBTV pilot Chip Tayag crash his helicopter, just four hours after his 4th COVID-19 vaccination?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Claim : Chip Tayag Crashed Helicopter From Vaccine SADS!
On 23 November 2022, Michael Baxter (real name : Michael Tuffin) wrote an article claiming that WBTV pilot Chip Tayag crashed his helicopter and killed himself and meteorologist Jason Myers, after receiving his fourth COVID-19 vaccination just four hours earlier!
It is long and rambling, so please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
A recently boosted pilot for WBTV, a CNN affiliate, died Tuesday afternoon when the helicopter he was piloting spiraled out of control and crashed in a field near Interstate 77, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Passenger Jason Myers, a meteorologist, also perished in the wreck.
Although the National Transportation Safety Board has yet to release a preliminary accident report, two sources at WBTV told Real Raw News that pilot Chip Tayag had received a fourth Covid-19 vaccination four hours ahead of the fateful flight. They would only comment under condition of anonymity because, they said, WBTV legal issued a directive to all employees—avoid mentioning vaccines when discussing the crash, or don’t discuss it at all, on or off air.
Many employees at WBTV’s Charlotte Studio knew that Tayag was freshly vaxxed because he openly bragged about his vaccine status and beseeched coworkers to stay current on their vaccine regimens.
“Chip loved his vaccines,” one source said. “If he heard someone wasn’t up on their boosters, he’d say something. That morning he was at the studio to grab Jason. Chip was smiling and pointing to little band aid on his arm and telling folks he got another shot per CDC recommendations. He was fine then, looked healthy and was cracking jokes.
A second source affirmed the story, adding that Tayag was a skilled and competent pilot with 20 years of flight experience and thousands of hours of flight time on the station’s Robinson R44 chopper, the world’s best-selling general aviation helicopter since 1999. Built by Robinson Helicopter Company, the R44 has an excellent safety record; pilots say it’s reliable, dependable, quick, and easy to maintain.
RRN has been unable to get the maintenance records of WBTV’s R-44.
“We’ll wait and hear what NTSB has to say, but I’m having a hard time believing Chip lost control of the bird. He was too good for that. I hate to think the vaccine did him in; I got a couple of shots myself,” a source said.
Real Raw News is not ascribing WBTV’s fatalities to the clot shot, as substantive evidence is needed. However, there is an undeniable correlation between the vaccines and pilots falling ill or dropping dead midflight.
Real Raw News began reporting on these phenomena in September 2021, when USAF pilots started resigning en masse in protest of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s vaccination mandate, and after their vaccinated brethren began plunging from clear blue skies in what the DoD called “training accidents.” On October 15, 2021, the vaxxed pilot in the number 1 seat on an American Airlines A320 suffered a heart attack due to acute myocarditis. The copilot’s reflexes stopped the airframe from falling out of the sky.
Now, the regime’s HHS wants to reimpose mask and vaccination mandates, which could endanger the lives of even more naïve sheeple. Yesterday the regime used a prop to scare people into getting tested and boosted before the Thanksgiving travel rush. A facsimile of the late Dr. Anthony Fauci, also known as Doctor Death, appeared alongside administration Spokesdemon Karine Jean-Pierre in a replica of the White House Briefing Room before a press pool that has long abetted the regime’s charade. One reporter, though, flipped the script and challenged the fake Fauci on the origins of the virus. The body double or projection was apparently coached to answer only softball questions, prompting Jean-Pierre to erupt in a maniacal tirade and end the briefing prematurely.
Truth : Chip Tayag Did NOT Crash Helicopter From Vaccine SADS!
The truth is – this is just another FAKE STORY created by Real Raw News, just to generate page views and money.
Everything that Real Raw News posts must be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
Fact #1 : Real Raw News Is A Fake News Website
Real Raw News is a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.
To protect himself from legal repercussions, the owner and writer, Michael Baxter (real name – Michael Tuffin), claims that his articles are “humour, parody, and satire“.
This disclaimer, which is not clearly mentioned in his articles, lets him keep creating fake news that will go viral, and generate him money.
His articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from his website. Here are some of his fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:
Fact #2 : No Legitimate Report Of COVID-19 Vaccination Before Flight
Only Real Raw News has published anything about Chip Tayag receiving his 4th COVID-19 vaccination just four hours before crashing his helicopter.
If it’s true that Chip Tayag got his 4th vaccine dose just before a flight that ended in a crash, it would have been picked up by at least one or two other blogs, if not the mainstream media.
Yet, no one else could corroborate the claim? How likely is it for a one-man operation like Real Raw News to have a scoop on this “story” and the many other stories that turned out to be false?
A March 2018 screenshot of Michael Tuffin, who goes by the pseudonym Michael Baxter
Fact #3 : Unknown If Chip Tayag Was Vaccinated
It is currently unknown if Chip Tayag was vaccinated against COVID-19, so it would be wrong for anyone to claim that he died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects, or had a 4th vaccine dose before he died!
For all we know – he may not even be vaccinated! The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in the United States, despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim.
For example, anti-vaccination activists claimed that Kaden Clymer was almost crippled by a 6-foot long vaccine-induced blood clot, but the high school athlete was never vaccinated against COVID-19!
Fact #4 : WBTV Helicopter Took Off At 11:19 AM
The WBTV helicopter – a Robinson R44, crashed at around 12:20 PM local time, next to the Interstate 77 South highway.
But it took off 38 minutes earlier from the WBTV headquarters in uptown Charlotte at 11:19 AM, according to flight records from RadarBox.
In other words – it is really impossible for Chip Tayag to get his 4th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine four hours before that flight. Which vaccination centre opens at 7 AM?
Fact #5 : WBTV Helicopter Appeared To Be Malfunctioning
Despite suggestions that Chip Tayag may have died or collapsed from his 4th COVID-19 vaccination, eyewitness accounts stated that the helicopter appeared to be in trouble.
David Bristol, who is a trainee pilot, watched the WBTV Sky 3 helicopter that Chip Tayag was piloting, make slow circles for a while, when he noticed two odd things:
the sound Sky 3 made seemed to change
he then saw Sky 3 make two odd, hard turns to the left, before suddenly disappearing behind the trees.
Another eyewitness concurred that the helicopter appeared to be in trouble, and the pilot made an aggressive move to prevent crashing onto the highway.
I think that he absolutely knew that he was gonna have to put that down,” the man said. “He did his best to put it down … Whoever the pilot was, did their best to put that thing down where it wasn’t going to injure a lot of people, and in that respect, they did a fabulous job.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings confirmed that the pilot was in control, and managed to avoid hitting the busy highway.
It seems the pilot that was operating the aircraft made some diversionary moves to avoid hitting traffic … To me it looks like a heroic incident where the pilot tried to avoid injuring anyone else and putting anyone else in danger,” Jennings said. “If that is truly the case then that pilot is a hero, in my eyes, to make sure the safety and security of those driving on the road was not in jeopardy.
From all eyewitness accounts, Chip Tayag did not just collapse after getting his fourth dose of the vaccine. He was in control, and managed to crash the helicopter away from a busy highway.
Everything that Real Raw News posts should be regarded as FAKE NEWS.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did four ROCAF F-16 fighter jets from Taiwan just defect to China?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Four F-16 Fighter Jets From Taiwan Just Defected To China!
Many people are sharing a post on WhatsApp and social media, which claims that four F-16 fighter jets from Taiwan just defected to China.
It’s really long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
👍IMPORTANT NEWS🇸🇬 :- is reported that at 4:35 in the morning, four F16 fighter jets of a certain air force in Taiwan suddenly flew towards the center line of the strait during routine training and lost contact with the ground.
The Taiwan Air Force sent two fighter jets to intercept it, and the two sides exchanged fire in the air. The four F16 fighter jets that defected have now landed at a military base in Fujian.
There was an air battle over the Taiwan Strait. Four Taiwan F16 fighter jets jointly defected and engaged in an air battle with two interceptor fighters. The interceptors were shot down, and the life and death of the pilots were unknown.
The four F16 fighter jets and their crews that have landed safely at a military base in Fujian have been secretly protected by the military.
At present, both the mainland and Taiwan have remained silent on the incident. The United States called Taiwan’s leaders to express concern about the incident.
The four planes were stationed at Taoyuan Airport – the 16th Air Wing. The captain of the pilot is Major Han Rongming, and the plane number is TY160531.
According to eyewitnesses, one plane was slightly injured when it landed; the four planes landed successfully under the cover of eight SU-27 fighter jets from the mainland!
According to reliable information (from a well-informed source within the Air Force), the four F-16s that defected from the Taiwan Air Force the day before yesterday were transferred from Fuzhou Airport to Wuhu Air Force Base in Anhui under the “protection” of eight Su-27s.
The four F-16 pilots were warmly welcomed by the leadership led by the base commander. The four F-16s and their pilots have all been transferred to reliable locations.
According to rumors, the four pilots may go to Beijing next week to meet with senior Chinese military leaders. In response to this, the Chinese spokesperson said in response to questions from Chinese and foreign reporters that there has been no notification from relevant departments.
The Taiwan authorities have also remained tight-lipped about this. The U.S. Pentagon was extremely angry about this, because one of the RF-16s involved a lot of important electronic intelligence and important equipment, and Japan was also very surprised and said that it would upgrade the related equipment of the Self-Defense Force’s f-16 (transfer). 👍🇸🇬
Truth : No F-16 Fighter Jets From Taiwan Ever Defected To China!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Fake Story First Circulated In 2003
This fake story isn’t new. It first went viral in June 2003, when a mainland Chinese military publication called The Extensive Military Report, published a report claiming that four Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets defected to China.
The article said that four Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16 Block 20 fighter jets from the 401st Fighter Wing based at the Taoyuan Air Base defected to an airbase in the Fujian province, under a heavy escort of eight Chinese Su-27 fighter jets.
Allegedly, the four F-16 fighter jets “escaped” during a routine exercise flight at 4 PM on May 27, 2003. Two “loyal” F-16 fighter jets gave chase, and one was shot down by the defecting planes while the second managed to return to base.
Fact #2 : Both Taiwan + China Labelled The Story As False
When the story broke in June 2003, both the Taiwanese and Chinese governments labelled the story as false.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) called the article “a ridiculous rumour”, while the China’s foreign ministry denied the rumour at a press conference.
Taiwanese spokesperson Huang Suey-sheng pointed out that even the Chinese authorities rebutted the claims.
Fact #3 : ROCAF F-16 Tail Numbers Do Not Exist
The original fake story specifically mentioned that one of the defecting F-16 fighter jets had a tail number of 160531.
The modified fake story that is currently circulating on WhatsApp and social media in 2022 said that the aircraft had a tail number of TY160531.
They are both false. No ROCAF aircraft has either tail number.
ROCAF F-16 fighter jets have a four-digit tail number, without any TY prefix.
Fact #4 : ROCAF F-16 Fighters Are Not Based In Taoyuan
Both the original and the updated fake stories falsely claim that the defecting F-16 fighter jets were stationed at the Taoyuan Air Base.
Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets are based at the Chiayi Air Base in Chiayi, and the Chiashan Air Force Base in Hualien.
Fact #5 : Taoyuan Air Base No Longer Exists!
Taoyuan Air Base no longer exists! In 2007, it was turned over to the Republic of China Navy, and renamed to Taoyuan Naval Base.
Fact #6 : Taiwan Only Has Five Fighter Wings
The original fake story claimed that the defecting F-16 fighters came from the 401st Fighter Wing, while the updated fake story claimed they came from the 16th Air Wing.
Neither the 401st Fighter Wing nor the 16th Air Wing exist in the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF).
There was a 401st Tactical Combined Wing operating out of Taoyuan Air Base, and it had a 16th Tactical Fighter Squadron. But it only operated F-104 fighter jets from the 1960s until the early 1990s.
Currently, Taiwan has five fighter wings, of which only the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing are equipped with F-16 fighter jets.
Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda
This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
All of the wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Passengers are no longer required to wear a face mask onboard planes flying to and from Malaysia! Here is what you need to know…
Malaysia : Face Mask No Longer Mandatory On Planes!
On 28 September 2022, the Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin announced that passengers are no longer required to wear a face mask on planes flying to and from Malaysia, except when they are compulsory in destination countries.
With immediate effect (28 September 2022), passengers onboard commercial flights are no longer required to wear a face mask.
This move follows the Ministry’s earlier move to relax face mask requirements in public indoor spaces on 7 September 2022.
Based on the current assessment of the Covid-19 situation and taking into account the latest requirements, the ministry has decided that face masks are no longer mandatory when on board aircraft.
– Khairy Jamaluddin, Malaysia Minister of Health
However, the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) still strongly encourages the use of face masks for these groups of passengers :
individuals with symptoms like fever, cough and flu
high-risk individuals like senior citizens, those with chronic diseases, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women
those travelling with high-risk individuals like senior citizens and children
In addition, passengers may still be required by the destination country to wear a face mask. So bring along a face mask just in case, even if you prefer not to wear one during your flight.
The requirement to wear a face mask on an aeroplane is still subject to conditions set by the country being visited.
Face Mask No Longer Mandatory On Malaysia Airlines + AirAsia Planes!
Following the Malaysian government’s announcement, both Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia announced the next day that their passengers will no longer be required to wear a face mask, with immediate effect.
Malaysia Airlines
Effective immediately, passengers of Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, MASwings, and AMAL are no longer required to wear face masks onboard, except where compulsory in destination countries.
The relaxation of the face mask mandate follows the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s guideline on 28 September 2022 to remove the mask requirement onboard commercial aircraft.
The use of face masks is however strongly recommended for the following group of passengers:
Passengers with symptoms such as fever, cough and cold.
High-risk passengers such as the elderly, people with chronic diseases.
Passengers with low immunity and pregnant mothers; and
Passengers who travel with high-risk people such as elderly and children.
All MAG airlines are committed to providing a safe and smooth end-to-end travel experience in accordance with its MHFlySafe commitment, allowing customers to fly confidently.
Airline protective measures include:
The cabin air circulation system, where cabin air is refreshed 20-30 times an hour
The use of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter that can filter 99.9% of airborne contaminants, including viruses and bacteria.
Frequent aircraft cleaning disinfection following guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the World Health Organization
Aircrafts are operated by fully vaccinated pilots and cabin crew.
AirAsia
Following the announcement by the Malaysian government that face masks are no longer mandatory on flights, AirAsia Malaysia (AK) has exempted the use of face masks on its flights effective immediately.
The use of face masks on board flights is optional for AirAsia Malaysia (AK) guests, unless they are travelling to or from destinations that require a face mask. Guests who wish to wear a face mask on board may continue to do so.
As safety is our highest priority, AirAsia will continue to operate with the strictest safety standards. All our aircraft are equipped with powerful HEPA filters that remove 99.99% of dust particles and airborne contaminants including viruses and bacteria. The cabin air is completely refreshed every three minutes to ensure the highest possible quality of air throughout your flight.
We will continue to update the guidelines on the use of face masks on board for all other markets that we operate in as we return to the skies.
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Flights in and out of Beijing are now back to normal, dealing yet another blow to rumours of a military coup in China!
Claim : Beijing Flights Were Cancelled By Coup In China!
The Internet has been abuzz for days with claims that there is a military coup underway in China, after over 6,000 domestic and international flights in and out of Beijing were just cancelled!
On top of that, about 60% of flights (about 9,583 flights) were cancelled across China on Wednesday, 21 September 2022.
Beijing Capital International Airport canceled 622 flights, with a 60% cancellation rate.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport had 652 cancelations of flights, with a 54% cancellation rate
Shenzhen Baoan Airport’s 542 flights were canceled, with a 51% cancellation rate
Guiyang Longdongbao Airport (Guizhou Province): 539 flights canceled, with a 99% cancellation rate
Lhasa Gongga Airport (Tibet): 157 flights canceled, with a 98% cancellation rate
Chengdu Tianfu Airport (Sichuan Province): 752 flights canceled, with a 87% cancellation rate
Urumqi Diwobao Airport (Xinjiang): 476 flights; with a 79% cancellation rate
Tianjin Binhai International Airport (about 84 miles east of Beijing): 353 flights; with a 74% cancellation rate
Harbin Taiping Airport (Heilongjiang Province): 275 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (Shaanxi Province): 555 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Nanjing Lukou International Airport (Jiangsu Province): 378 flights canceled; with a 54% cancellation rate
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (Guangdong Province): 560 flights canceled, with a 40% cancellation rate
The number of flights to and from Beijing continued to decline from Wednesday until Saturday.
Although flights in and out of Beijing continued to be few through the weekend, it was soon restored by Monday, 26 September 2022.
The flight tracking site flightradar24 now shows air traffic back to normal at the Beijing Capital International Airport, and the Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Other airports across China were also operating as normal, with no mass cancellations that we saw earlier.
There has been no official word on why so many flights were cancelled, but flight cancellations are rather common in China. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when flights have been grounded with little or no warning.
While most of the world is relaxing COVID-19 measures and opening up, China is still persisting with its Zero COVID policy. Hence, it is certainly possible that those flights are being cancelled to protect Beijing from COVID-19 outbreaks / surges in other parts of China.
The Beijing Capital International Airport, incidentally, regularly ranks as one of the airports with the most cancellations in the world.
The Chinese news portal Netease said that the cancellations were mainly due to the recent COVID-19 surges in multiple provinces in China, which makes quite a lot of sense.
Beijing is preparing to host 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 16 October 2022.
This is a major twice-a-decade meeting for the CCP, and one in which President Xi Jinping is expected to be re-elected as General Secretary for an unprecedented third term.
While the 20th National Congress is really just a rubber-stamp event, it is critical for President Xi that his Zero COVID policy is seen to work. Hence, it is critical that Beijing has no COVID-19 outbreak at that time.
This mass cancellation of flights must be a military directive. Air traffic control authority is decided by the Chinese military, which in turn gives instructions to civil aviation management. The airspace is set aside so that military aircraft can fly at will. This is military planning, or at least with military prep.
However, these “evidence” of a coup in China have not withstood serious analysis.
There is no evidence of an 80 km-long military convoy entering Beijing.
The viral video shows a minute or so of several military vehicles travelling on a highway, nothing more.
There is no evidence of any lockdown of Beijing, which would certainly occur during a military coup.
While there was a large number of cancelled flights in Beijing airports, quite a number of commercial flights were still allowed to fly in and out.
Airports in the rest of China were generally functioning normally, even though there were some cancelled flights.
Flight cancellation is pretty common in China, especially when it comes to COVID-19 mitigation.
Commercial air traffic in and out of Beijing was restored by Monday, 26 September 2022.
Xi Jinping issued two letters a day after he was supposedly under house arrest after being overthrown.
Sun Lijun and his anti-Xi Jinping “political clique” were sentenced to long jail sentences.
CCP delegates were “elected” as expected, together with Xi Jinping himself.
CCP mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, reaffirmed Xi Jinping as the party’s “core”.
To top it off, the CCP is continuing its business as usual, firming up support for Xi Jinping’s third term at the upcoming CCP Congress.
The People’s Daily editorial seals the case for Xi Jinping’s toppling in a military coup. That was nothing more than the wishful thinking of netizens who despise him, fuelled by unverified claims.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Are thousands of flights into and out of Beijing being cancelled because a military coup is underway?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Beijing Flights Are Getting Cancelled By Military Coup!
The Internet is abuzz with claims that there is a military coup underway in China, with an 80 km military convoy heading for Beijing!
Many also believe that this was evidence of a military coup in China – over 6,000 domestic and international flights into and out of Beijing were just cancelled!
On top of that, about 60% of flights (about 9,583 flights) were cancelled across China on Wednesday, 21 September 2022.
Beijing Capital International Airport canceled 622 flights, with a 60% cancellation rate.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport had 652 cancelations of flights, with a 54% cancellation rate
Shenzhen Baoan Airport’s 542 flights were canceled, with a 51% cancellation rate
Guiyang Longdongbao Airport (Guizhou Province): 539 flights canceled, with a 99% cancellation rate
Lhasa Gongga Airport (Tibet): 157 flights canceled, with a 98% cancellation rate
Chengdu Tianfu Airport (Sichuan Province): 752 flights canceled, with a 87% cancellation rate
Urumqi Diwobao Airport (Xinjiang): 476 flights; with a 79% cancellation rate
Tianjin Binhai International Airport (about 84 miles east of Beijing): 353 flights; with a 74% cancellation rate
Harbin Taiping Airport (Heilongjiang Province): 275 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (Shaanxi Province): 555 flights canceled; with a 56% cancellation rate
Nanjing Lukou International Airport (Jiangsu Province): 378 flights canceled; with a 54% cancellation rate
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (Guangdong Province): 560 flights canceled, with a 40% cancellation rate
The number of flights to and from Beijing continue to decline from Wednesday until Saturday.
Truth : Beijing Flights Are NOT Getting Cancelled By Military Coup!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS that started as a rumour, but was used to generate page views for rumour / fake news websites.
Here are the reasons why… and what we know so far!
Fact #1 : Flights Are Being Cancelled In Beijing
First, let me confirm that the claims of mass flight cancellations into or out of Beijing are correct.
The flight tracking site flightradar24, for example, shows that the Beijing Capital International Airport and the Beijing Daxing International Airport have more or less come to a standstill with very few flights taking off, or landing.
Fact #2 : Some Flights Continue In + Out Of Beijing
While many scheduled flights at the airports either have a Cancelled status, or listed as Unknown, there continue to be some flights flying in and out of both airports.
It was not a total lockdown of the airspace around Beijing, as some have claimed. This would suggest that a military coup is not underway.
Fact #3 : Other Chinese Airports Are Operating Normally
According to flightradar24, other major airports in China, like the Shanghai and Hong Kong airports, appear to be operating normally, although some flights have been cancelled.
It seems rather unlikely that coup plotters would allow airports to continue operating while trying to take over the country.
Fact #4 : Flight Cancellations Are Common In China
There has been no official word on why so many flights were cancelled, but flight cancellations are rather common in China. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when flights have been grounded with little or no warning.
While most of the world is relaxing COVID-19 measures and opening up, China is still persisting with its Zero COVID policy. Hence, it is certainly possible that those flights are being cancelled to protect Beijing from COVID-19 outbreaks / surges in other parts of China.
The Beijing Capital International Airport, incidentally, regularly ranks as one of the airports with the most cancellations in the world.
Fact #5 : Cancellations Could Possibly Be Due To COVID-19
The Chinese news portal Netease said that the cancellations were mainly due to the recent COVID-19 surges in multiple provinces in China, which makes quite a lot of sense.
Beijing is preparing to host 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on 16 October 2022.
This is a major twice-a-decade meeting for the CCP, and one in which President Xi Jinping is expected to be re-elected as General Secretary for an unprecedented third term.
While the 20th National Congress is really just a rubber-stamp event, it is critical for President Xi that his Zero COVID policy is seen to work. Hence, it is critical that Beijing has no COVID-19 outbreak at that time.
This mass cancellation of flights must be a military directive. Air traffic control authority is decided by the Chinese military, which in turn gives instructions to civil aviation management. The airspace is set aside so that military aircraft can fly at will. This is military planning, or at least with military prep.
Fact #7 : No Evidence Of Military Coup In China
Outside of these flight cancellations and an 80 km military convoy, there really isn’t any actual evidence of a military coup in China.
If a military coup did occur, Beijing would be under martial law, with no flights allowed in and out. That would include a lockdown or curfew with military roadblocks all over Beijing and the rest of China.
These are all “noisy” actions that would be clearly visible, not only to the Chinese public but the entire world as well, especially in a time of smartphones and social media.
Yet, there was no mention of anything remotely close to a military coup of any kind, in any mainstream media or social media, either inside or outside of China.
It may be possible to keep a lid on such a major event in North Korea – the hermit kingdom, but not in China. Not even with the Great Firewall (防火长城).
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did a massive US Navy fleet of warships and fighters escort Nancy Pelosi safely to Taiwan?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Massive US Fleet Had To Escort Nancy Pelosi To Taiwan!
People are sharing a video which claims to show a massive fleet of warships and fighters that the United States used to escort Nancy Pelosi safety to Taiwan.
Here are some of the accompanying descriptions :
Pelosi gets more firepower escorting her flight to Asia than any US President flying anywhere ever had in history.
See, how Nancy Pelosi reached Taiwan, Escorted by fighter jets and the strength of US Blue Navy
Retired Pakistani Brigadier Ashfaq Hassan also shared the video, claiming that the US Air Force was authorised to shoot at Chinese aircraft or warships interfering with her flight.
👇Arrival of US Air Force One in Taiwan with US official Nancy Pelosi. 20 Warplanes were escorting Nancy Pelosi’s plane including US fighter jets. US air force authorized to open fire in case of any Chinese interference on the plane carrying Nancy Pelosi.
Truth : US Fleet Did Not Escort Nancy Pelosi To Taiwan
This is another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media and WhatsApp groups, and here are the reasons why….
Fact #1 : Nancy Pelosi’s Flight Had No US Escort
Nancy Pelosi flew from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Taipei, Taiwan aboard a Boeing C-40C – the military version of the Boeing 737 airliner, operated by the US Air Force.
Her flight with the callsign SPAR19 flew to Taipei without US fighter or warship escort, but was met by Taiwanese fighter escorts on entering Taiwanese airspace.
Fact #2 : Video Was Recorded At Valiant Shield 2020
The video was recorded on September 25, 2020 – just over two years ago, and had nothing to do with Nancy Pelosi, or Taiwan.
If you watch the official Valiant Shield 2020 video, you will see the same aircraft fly over the same ships at around 1:39. Here was the official description of the aircraft flyover :
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 25, 2020) From left, USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10), USS Comstock (LSD 45), USS Shiloh (CG 67), USS New Orleans (LPD 18), USS Chicago (SSN 721), USS America (LHA 6), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194), USS Antietam (CG 54), USS Germantown (LSD 42), and USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) steam in formation while E/A-18G Growlers and FA-18E Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, a P-8 Poseidon from Commander Task Force 72, and U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors and a B-1B Bomber fly over the formation in support of Valiant Shield 2020.
In this screenshot, you can see the same 3 flights of aircraft flying over the same warships in Valiant Shield 2020.
Fact #3 : US Air Force Won’t Send A Bomber As Escort
The lead aircraft in the flyover has a very distinctive shape. Any military buff will immediately identify it as a Rockwell B-1B Lancer.
The US Air Force would never send the B-1B, because it’s a supersonic heavy bomber, and useless as an escort aircraft.
Fact #4 : P-8 Poseidon Is An ASW Aircraft
The aircraft that looked like a Boeing 737 is actually a P-8 Poseidon, which is based on the 737-800ERX.
It is an anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and is most certainly not a passenger transport aircraft like the Boeing C-40C.
Fact #5 : US Air Force Was Not Authorised To Open Fire
Retired Ashfaq Hassan falsely claimed that the US Air Force was authorised to open fire in case of Chinese interference with Nancy Pelosi’s flight.
It is such an absurd claim, because either party shooting at each other would have been considered an act of war.
In past confrontations, Chinese aircraft have only limited themselves to buzzing other aircraft and dumping chaff into their engines. No one ever fired a shot, because that would have led to an outbreak of war.
Fact #6 : China Sent 10 Observers To Valiant Shield 2020
Interestingly, the Chinese are well-aware that this video is from Valiant Shield 2020, because that was the first time they were invited to observe the exercise.
China sent a 10-person delegation, including one high-ranking officer each from its Navy, Army and Air Force to observe Valiant Shield 2020.
Chinese Rear Admiral Zhang Leiyu – the leader of this delegation, even called it “a positive step in China-US military ties”.
Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda
This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
All of the wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Here are the LATEST COVID-19 requirements and SOP for those plan to travel by air to Malaysia!
Updated @ 2022-07-03 : Malaysian citizens are no longer required to register for Traveller’s Pass.
Updated @ 2022-06-13 : Added the current COVID-19 vaccination requirements Originally posted @ 2022-04-28
Malaysia Air Travel : Current COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements
Currently, travellers to Malaysia must provide documentation that they have completed a full regimen of a COVID-19 vaccine recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), or by a stringent regulatory authority in the country of origin.
There are additional requirements on COVID-19 vaccination for travellers :
Those aged 60 years and above are required to receive a booster dose.
Those received two doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccine, regardless of age, must receive a third dose (of any vaccine) to qualify as fully-vaccinated.
The definition of a full regimen of a COVID-19 vaccine includes the number of doses required to provide the full vaccine protection, as well as the time needed to achieve protection against COVID-19.
Currently, that means 14 days after the second dose of a two (2) dose vaccine, or 14 days after a one (1) dose vaccine. In the case of Sinopharm / Sinovac vaccine recipients, that would mean 14 days after the third dose.
You are also considered fully-vaccinated immediately after receiving your booster dose.
Please make sure you submit your vaccination information through the Travellers option in MySejahtera, before your flight to Malaysia.
After submitting your COVID-19 vaccination details, you will receive a Travellers digital card, which allows you entry into Malaysia on arrival.
Malaysia Air Travel Test + Quarantine Rules From 1 May 2022!
On 27 April 2022, the Malaysia Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin announced new test and quarantine rules for travellers flying to Malaysia.
These COVID-19 test and quarantine rules take effect from Sunday, 1 May 2022 onwards!
A. Children 12 Years Or Younger : No Test, No Quarantine!
Irrespective of their vaccination status, children who are 12 years old or younger do NOT need to :
undergo pre-departure test
undergo on-arrival test, or
undergo HSO quarantine
B. Fully-Vaccinated 13 Years Or Older : No Test, No Quarantine!
Fully-vaccinated adolescents and adults who are 13 years or older do NOT need to :
undergo pre-departure test
undergo on-arrival test, or
undergo HSO quarantine
C. Partially-Vaccinated / Unvaccinated 13-17 Years Old : No Quarantine!
Adolescents who are 13-17 years old, and are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated do NOT need to undergo HSO quarantine on arrival in Malaysia.
However, they will need to undergo :
a PCR test within 48 hours before departure to Malaysia, and
a supervised RTK-Ag test within 24 hours of arrival in Malaysia.
D. Vaccinated Adults : No Test, No Quarantine!
Fully-vaccinated adults (18 years and older), with or without a booster dose, do NOT need to :
undergo pre-departure test
undergo on-arrival test, or
undergo HSO quarantine
E. Unvaccinated with Medical Exemption : No Quarantine!
Unvaccinated individuals with a medical exemption will be allowed, on a case-by-case basis, to travel to Malaysia without a mandatory quarantine.
However, they must undergo :
a PCR test within 48 hours before departure to Malaysia, and
a professional RTK-Ag test within 24 hours of arrival in Malaysia.
F. Unvaccinated Adults : 5 Day Quarantine
Adult travellers (18 years and older) who are partially-vaccinated, or completely unvaccinated, must :
undergo a 5-day mandatory quarantine on arrival in Malaysia, and
undergo a PCR test on Day 4, or a professional RTK-Ag test on Day 5.
Travellers who are exempt from vaccination for health reasons must upload the evidence of medical exemption into the MySejahtera app.
G. Unvaccinated + Post COVID-19 : 5 Day Quarantine
Unvaccinated individuals who recovered from COVID-19 (infected in the last 6-60 days) must:
undergo a 5-day mandatory quarantine on arrival in Malaysia, and
undergo a PCR test on Day 4, or a professional RTK-Ag test on Day 5.
If they were not hospitalised, they must undergo :
a professional RTK-Ag test within 48 hours before departure to Malaysia, and
a professional RTK-Ag test within 24 hours of arrival in Malaysia.
If they were hospitalised, they can use a Fit To Travel letter from the hospital.
Latest Malaysia Air Travel Procedure From 4 July 2022!
On 27 April 2022, the Malaysia Ministry of Health issued the official procedure for travellers who arrive by air, that will take effect from 1 May 2022 onwards.
Download the MySejahtera app, and register for your MySejahtera account. *
Click on the Traveller icon in MySejahtera, and complete the pre-departure form
a) fully-vaccinated travellers will receive a Digital Traveller’s Card *
b) partially vaccinated / unvaccinated travellers will receive a Digital Home Surveillance Order (HSO).
All unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers 13 years and above must undergo a PCR test 2 days before departure.
Those who had a previous COVID-19 infection (within 6-60 days before departure) must undergo a professional RTK-Ag test 2 days before departure, or alternatively, have a Free-To-Travel letter if they were hospitalised for COVID-19 during that time.
You do NOT need to purchase travel and COVID-19 insurance.
All partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers 13 years and above must undergo a supervised RTK-Ag test within 24 hours of arrival in Malaysia.
a) this supervised RTK-Ag test can be performed at any health facility of your choice, or virtually
b) COVID-19 breathalyser / professional RTK-Ag tests are available at the airport
c) Cost of on-arrival RTK-Ag test must be borne by the travellers.
Children below the age of 13, and travellers from Singapore are exempted from the on-arrival test.
Partially-vaccinated / unvaccinated travellers must undergo a mandatory 5-day quarantine.
IMPORTANT : Travellers transiting through Malaysian international airports to Sabah or Sarawak must undergo professional RTK-Ag at the airport, before departing.
Testing Positive On Arrival
If you test positive on arrival, you must undergo a mandatory HSO quarantine of 7 days.
You can opt for the new Day 4 test and release procedure, by undertaking a supervised RTK-Ag test on Day 4 of your quarantine.
If you test negative, you are allowed to immediately terminate your quarantine.
If you test positive, you must complete your 7-day quarantine
If you are a partially vaccinated / unvaccinated traveller, you will need to undergo a 5-day quarantine, and get tested on Day 4 (PCR) or Day 5 (RTK-Ag).
If you test positive on Day 4 or Day 5, your quarantine will get extended for 5 more days.
Malaysia Air Travel Test + Quarantine SOP : Summary
To make it easier to compare the myriad air travel requirements to Malaysia, I created this table to summarise the key requirements.
Vaccination Status
Pre-Departure
On Arrival
Additional Test or Quarantine
Child (< 13 Years) *
No Test Required
No Test
No Quarantine
Fully Vaccinated (≥ 13 Years)
Partially-Vaccinated or
Unvaccinated (13-17 Years)
PCR test
within 2 days
Supervised
RTK-Ag
within 24 hours
of arrival
On-Arrival
Professional
RTK-Ag
for travellers
transiting to
Sabah or
Sarawak
Not Vaccinated with
Medical Exemption
Partially Vaccinated or
Unvaccinated (≥18 Years)
5-Day Quarantine
with
Day 4 PCR or
Day 5 RTK
Partially Vaccinated
or Unvaccinated + Post-COVID-19
(6-60 Days)
Professional
RTK-Ag
within 2 days
or FTT letter **
if hospitalised
* By year of birth
** Also professional RTK-Ag if recovered from COVID-19 infection 6-60 days before departure
*** FTT = Fit To Travel
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
A US military contractor just pleaded guilty to selling classified aviation secrets to China!
US Mil Contractor Admits Selling Aviation Secrets To China!
On 23 June 2022, Shapour Moinian, 67, of San Diego, pleaded guilty to selling classified aviation secrets to “representatives of the Chinese government”.
Moinan admitted that he knew that those individuals were employed by, or directed by, t he government of the People’s Republic of China.
He also admitted making false statements to cover that up, by lying on his government background questionnaires in July 2017 and March 2020 that he did not have any close or continuing contacts with foreign nations, and that no foreign national had offered him a job.
He now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 for action as an agent of a foreign government, and up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making false statements.
His sentencing is scheduled for August 29, where federal prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 20 months, as part of his plea agreement.
As Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office explains :
The defendant admitted to being an unregistered agent of a foreign power, lying on his background check paperwork to obtain his security clearance, knowingly providing proprietary information to people controlled by the Chinese government, and willingly receiving payments from them. This is another example of how the Chinese government enhances its defense capabilities through the illicit exploitation of U.S. technology.
When someone holds a security clearance, they know what information should be reported to security officials. In this case, the defendant betrayed his sacred oath, knew his actions were wrong, and subsequently lied about it. The FBI and our partners on the Counterintelligence Task Force will pursue anyone who abuses their placement and access to obtain proprietary information on behalf of a foreign government. I specifically want to thank the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) for their continued partnership on this case.
How This Military Contractor Sold Aviation Secrets To China!
Moinan was a former US Army helicopter pilot who served in the United States, Germany and South Korea from 1977 to 2000. After leaving the US Army, he worked for various “cleared” defence contractors in the United States.
The term “cleared” indicates that the contractor has been vetted and cleared to work on projects involving classified information.
While working for a cleared defence contractor on various aviation projects involving the US military and intelligence agencies, Moinan was contacted by an individual in China, who claimed to be working for a technical recruiting company.
This Chinese individual offered Moinan the opportunity to consult for the aviation industry in China. In March 2017, Moinan travelled to Hong Kong to meet with this recruiter.
At that meeting, he agreed to provide information and materials related to multiple types of aircraft designed and/or manufactured in the United States, in exchange for money. Moinan accepted between $7,000 to $10,000 during that meeting.
On returning to the United States, Shapour Moinan began gathering aviation-related materials for the Chinese government.
In one instance, he copied classified materials obtained from a cleared defence contractor into a thumb drive, which he handed over to Chinese government officials during a stopover in the Shanghai airport in September 2017.
Moinan arranged for payment for this transfer to be paid through his stepdaughter’s South Korean bank account. He told her that these funds were payments for his overseas consulting work, and instructed her to transfer the funds to him in multiple transactions – to avoid scrutiny.
Moinan also accepted a mobile phone, and other equipment from these Chinese government officials to securely communicate with them, and to aid in the electronic transfer of classified materials and information.
At the end of March 2018, Moinan travelled to Bali to meet with the same individuals again. After that meeting, his step daughter received thousands of dollars in her South Korean bank account, which she wired to him in multiple transactions.
Later in 2018, Moinan went to work for another cleared defence contractor, and in August 2019, he travelled with his wife to Hong Kong to meet with the same Chinese government officials.
This time, he received $22,000 in cash for his services, which Moinan and his wife smuggled into the United States that trip.
It is currently unknown how the US government discovered Moines’s activities, but he was investigated by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division and the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS).
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
You can now fly to the United States without taking any COVID-19 test!
Here is what you need to know!
You Can Now Fly To United States Without COVID-19 Test!
17 months ago, the US CDC issued an order requiring all travellers to present a negative COVID-19 test before they can fly to the United States, or present documentation of recovery from COVID-19.
US CDC Director Rochelle Walensky just rescinded that order for all aircraft departing their point of origin on or after Sunday, June 12, 2022, at 12:01 AM EDT (Eastern Daylight Time).
I have concluded that continuation of the Order is not currently necessary. There being no operation need to delay implementation of this rescission for more than a short period of time, it shall take effect for all aircraft departing from their point of origin on or after Sunday, June 12, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
That said, the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Xavier Becerra, said that this decision is based on “science and available data”, and warned that it may be reinstated if things change :
The CDC continues to recommend COVID-19 testing prior to air travel of any kind and will not hesitate to reinstate a pre-departure testing requirement, if needed later. Ensuring the safety and well-being of Americans is a top priority.
Current Requirements Before You Fly To United States
This order restores travel requirements to what it was before the pandemic – you will no longer be required to undergo a COVID-19 test, or show proof of COVID-19 recovery, before you fly to the United States.
However, the CDC still recommends that travellers get tested before and after travel, or after known exposure to someone with COVID-19.
They also recommend that travellers “remain up to date with vaccination against COVID-19“, and “wear masks in indoor public transportation settings“.
However, airlines may impose their own requirements, so please make sure you check with your airlines too!
American Citizens / Permanent Residents
The CDC recommendation to be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination is no longer mandatory for American citizens.
Foreigners
For foreign travellers, you can fly to the United States without a negative COVID-19 test.
However, the CDC still requires foreigners to be fully-vaccinated before they can fly to the United States. A booster dose is not required.
Only selected foreigners may receive an exemption to this CDC requirement :
Persons on diplomatic or official foreign government travel
Children under 18 years of age
Persons with documented medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine
Participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials
Persons issued a humanitarian or emergency exception
Persons with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] who are citizens of a foreign country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability (See list for updates that will be effective June 28, 2022)
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age)
Sea crew members traveling with to a C-1 and D nonimmigrant visa
Persons whose entry would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, or Secretary of Homeland Security (or their designees)
But note that if you qualify for the exemption, you may be required to :
get tested for COVID-19 within 3-5 days of arrival in the United States, and
self-quarantine for 5 days, even if you test negative in the post-arrival test (unless you have documentation of recovering from COVID-19 in the past 90 days), and
self-isolate if you test positive in the post-arrival test, or develop COVID-19 symptoms
get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you intend to stay in the United States for longer than 60 days
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A US Marine Osprey aircraft crashed in the California desert, with “early reports” of nuclear material onboard.
Find out what happened, and why there could not have been nuclear materials onboard!
Updated @ 2022-06-10 : Added confirmation of casualties from the crash. Originally posted @ 2022-06-09
US Marine Osprey Crashed, No Nuclear Material Onboard!
An MV-22B Osprey aircraft belonging to the US Marine crashed in the California desert on 8 June 2022, and “early reports” that it carried nuclear material sparked fear.
The crash was announced and then confirmed by Naval Air Facility El Centro :
EMERGENCY ALERT! #NAFEC has just received reports of a downed aircraft in the vicinity of Coachella Canal Road and the 78. Installation Federal Fire, and Imperial County Fire Department are responding.
We can confirm that an aircraft belonging to 3d Marine Aircraft Wing crashed near Glamis, CA. Military and civilian first responders are on site.
The Osprey belonging to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered in Miramar, San Diego, was flying with a Marine unit of five onboard.
It crashed at around 12:25 PM local time in Imperial County, near Highway 78 and the town of Glamis. That’s about 50 km from the Mexican border, and 240 km east of San Diego.
On June 9, 2022, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar announced that all five Marines onboard the MV-22B Osprey were confirmed dead.
Press Release: 5 Marines dead in MV-22B mishap
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – (June 9. 2022) Five Marines with Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), have been confirmed deceased following an aviation mishap involving an MV-22B Osprey during a training mission near Glams, CA on the afternoon of June 8. 2022.
Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, commanding general of 3rd MAW issued the following statement, “We mourn the loss of our Marines in this tragic mishap. Our hearts go out to their families and friends as they cope with this tragedy.
As a matter of policy, identities of deceased service members are not released until 24-hours after all next-of-kin notifications have been completed.
Equipment recovery efforts have begun and an investigation is underway.
While military service is inherently dangerous, the loss of life is always difficult. 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is committed to providing support to the families, friends, and fellow service members of the fallen Marines.
While the US Marines has not announced the names of the five dead, family and friends confirmed that 21 year-old Nathan Carlson from Illinois was one of them.
Why Crashed Osprey Would Not Have Nuclear Material Onboard…
It is unknown who started the rumours that the Osprey had nuclear materials onboard, but even content aggregator / fake news websites like Vancouver Times jumped on the bandwagon, claiming “Military aircraft believed to be carrying nuclear material crashes in California, multiple people killed“.
Naval Air Facility El Centro refuted the rumours of nuclear materials on the Osprey, stating :
Contrary to initial reports, there was no nuclear material on board the aircraft. More information will be made available as we receive it.
The Boeing MV-22B Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that can land or take off as a helicopter, and “transform” into a turboprop aircraft once it’s airborne.
The US Marines use the Osprey used primarily to carry troops and supplies, as well as for medevac and rescue missions.
There is no Osprey mission tasking that would involve the transport of nuclear materials, or the use of nuclear weapons. In fact, there is no history of any Osprey in service ever doing so.
The US Marines do not have nuclear weapons in its inventory, and the Osprey has a history of reliability issues resulting in multiple crashes and 46 deaths :
July 1992 : Pre-production Osprey crashed after its right engine failed. All seven people onboard died.
April 2000 : An Osprey crashed in Arizona, killing all 19 people onboard.
December 2000 : An Osprey crashed in North Carolina, killing all four people onboard.
April 2010 : An Osprey crashed in Afghanistan, killing four people and injuring 16.
April 2012 : An Osprey crashed in Morocco, killing two people and seriously injuring two more.
June 2012 : An Osprey crashed in Florida, injuring all five onboard.
May 2015 : An Osprey crashed in Hawaii, kill two people and injuring 20 others.
December 2016 : An Osprey crashed in Okinawa, injuring two crew members.
August 2017 : An Osprey crashed in Australia, killing three people with 23 survivors.
March 2022 : An Osprey crashed in Norway, killing all four crew members.
It would not have been safe or prudent to transport nuclear materials using the Osprey, particularly on the continental United States, where there are other safer options.
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A Chinese J-16 fighter jet not only buzzed an Australian P-8 recon plane, it fired flares and chaff that entered one of its engines!
Chinese J-16 Fighter Fired Flares, Chaff At Australian Plane!
On 5 June 2022, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles announced that a Chinese J-16 fighter jet put the crew of an Australian P-8 reconnaissance plane at risk during a recent mid-air intercept on 26 May.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 Poseidon was in the South China Sea conducting “routine maritime surveillance” activities in international waters when it was intercepted by a Chinese Shenyang J-16 fighter.
This time though, the J-16 pilot recklessly cut across the Australian recon plane’s flight path at close proximity, and fired flares and chaff.
Some of the chaff – usually aluminium foil or aluminium-coated glass fibres – were ingested by one of the Australian P-8 aircraft’s engines, potentially damaging it.
This was apparently done to forcibly end the recon aircraft’s patrol. Any potential damage to one of the engines would force the crew to return to base, even though the Boeing P-8 Poseidon can operate on a single engine.
What occurred was that the J-16 aircraft flew very close to the side of the P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft. In flying close to the side, it released flares.
The J-16 then accelerated and cut across the nose of the P-8, settling in front of the P-8 at a very close distance.
At that moment it then released a bundle of chaff, which contains small pieces of aluminum, some of which were ingested into the engine of the P-8 aircraft. Quite obviously, this is very dangerous.
The Australian Defense Ministry described the incident as “a dangerous maneuver which posed a safety threat to the P-8 aircraft and its crew”.
Chinese Justified J-16 Firing Flares, Chaff At Australian P-8…
In a statement released on 7 June 2022, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei justified the J-16’s dangerous intercept by accusing the Australian P-8 aircraft of “approaching Chinese airspace” close to the Paracel Islands.
The Paracel Islands, which the Chinese call “Xisha Islands”, is a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan.
While the Vietnamese were in control of the Paracel Islands since 1947, they were taken over by China after the Battle of the Paracel Islands in January 1974.
He also claimed that the Chinese pilot behaved in a “professional, safe, reasonable and lawful way“.
On May 26, an Australian P-8 anti-submarine patrol aircraft conducted close reconnaissance in the neighboring airspace of China’s Xisha Islands and approached the airspace continuously despite repeated warnings from the Chinese side.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command mobilized naval and air forces to identify the craft and warned it off.
The Chinese military responded in a professional, safe, reasonable and lawful way.
Militaries from other countries should take note of what the Chinese government considers as “professional, safe, reasonable and lawful” conduct, and return the favour.
Perhaps once a Chinese jet or two have ingested chaff into their engines, they will reconsider such “professional, safe, reasonable and lawful” intercepts.
This was also the second time in the same week Chinese aircraft have aggressively intercepted reconnaissance aircraft from other countries.
Just a day earlier, the Canadian government revealed that Chinese fighters repeatedly “buzzed” Canadian CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft that were monitoring North Korea to enforce United Nations sanctions under Operation NEON.
The Chinese fighters flew so close, their pilots were “very clearly visible”, and the Canadian aircrews had to change course to avoid collisions. Canadian Armed Forces media relations chief Dan Le Bouthillie said :
In these interactions, PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force) aircraft did not adhere to international air safety norm.
These interactions are unprofessional and/or put the safety of our RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) personnel at risk.
The Chinese naturally claimed that their national security was endangered by the Canadian aircraft’s monitoring of a completely different country… Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said :
Recently, under the pretext of enforcing UN Security Council resolutions, Canadian warplanes have intensified close-in reconnaissance of China and acted provocatively, endangering Chinese national security and the safety of frontline personnel from both sides.
China urges Canada to face up to the seriousness of the situation, strictly control its frontline troops, and stop taking any risky and provocative actions; otherwise, Canada will have to take all responsibilities for any serious consequences from such actions.
In short, it’s never China’s fault, and everyone is always provoking them. Tut tut….
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
You will not longer be required to wear a face mask, or physically distance, during air travel to and from EU countries!
Here is what you need to know…
EU Air Travel : Face Mask + Physical Distancing Not Required!
On 11 May 2022, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued a joint statement, dropping their recommendation for the mandatory wearing of a face mask as well as physical distancing in airports and on flights.
From Monday, 16 May 2022 onwards, you will no longer be required to wear a face mask at airports, or onboard a flight across the European Union.
However, travellers with respiratory symptoms (coughing or sneezing) are strongly recommended to wear a face mask.
Airports are also no longer required to strictly implement physical distancing. Rather, they should adopt “a pragmatic approach”, and avoid imposing distancing requirements if they “will likely lead to a bottleneck”.
Airport operators are also not required to impose physical distancing if they are “not required at national or regional level”.
That said, they are still asking airport operators to encourage physical distancing where possible, particularly in the meet and greet areas and around baggage carousels.
Face Mask + Physical Distancing Not Required In EU, But Still Recommended!
While the EU will no longer require you to wear a face mask, or impose strict physical distancing during air travel, they are both still highly recommended to prevent COVID-19.
Here are selected excerpts from the latest EASA and ECDC guidelines (PDF) for air travel in the European Union :
Medical Face Masks
Medical face masks (hereafter referred to also as ‘face masks’) are among the most efficient means to prevent the transmission of SARS-COV-2 including existing VOCs. As such, the wearing of masks should be considered in crowded indoor and outdoor settings, including air travel.
If the departure or destination States require wearing of face masks in public transport, aircraft operators should require passengers and crew to wear a face mask beyond 16 May 2022.
In other cases, starting 16 May 2022, aircraft and aerodrome operators should continue to encourage passengers and crew members, as part of their pre-flight communications as well as during travel through signage and announcements, to wear a face mask during flight as well as in the airport as a way to protect themselves and others and that they should respect others’ decision to wear or to not wear a mask.
In their communication, operators should highlight that people at high risk for severe COVID-19 are advised to wear an FFP2 respirator mask during the flight for their own protection. Experimental studies indicate that respirators are more effective than medical face masks both in limiting the release of infectious respiratory droplets when worn by the infectious source and in limiting the exposure when worn by the exposed person.
People with respiratory symptoms (coughing or sneezing) are strongly recommended to wear a medical face mask irrespective of the requirements on that particular flight.
Physical Distancing
Physical distancing, alongside the proper wearing of face masks, has proven among the most effective non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 (including VOCs) transmission. Physical distancing should be encouraged in all airport areas, the arrival terminal (with a particular focus for the meet and greet area) and around the baggage carousels. Signage and communication material should continue to encourage physical distancing where possible.
However, implementation experience has shown that in some cases, strict physical distancing measures in the aviation environment (airport and aircraft) is not operationally feasible and creates additional unintended bottlenecks in other areas, increasing the exposure times and leading to operational delays touching the flight time limitation requirements and, consequently, flight safety. Physical distancing could therefore be added to the use of face masks where operationally feasible and where it does not result in additional crowding in other areas. If physical distancing measures cannot be implemented, the use of face masks should be encouraged for passengers.
PPE For Airline / Airport Crew + Staff
Airport operators, aircraft operators and service providers/suppliers should provide the necessary PPE to their staff members and ensure that they are trained in its appropriate use:
— Staff members who interact with passengers directly (e.g. cabin crew members, security check agents, assistants for passengers with reduced mobility, cleaning staff, etc.) should be encouraged to properly wear a medical face mask or, where available and the legal framework permits, a higher-standard face mask (e.g. FFP2/N95/KN95 respirators).
— Staff should be encouraged to practise respiratory hygiene at all times as well as frequent hand hygiene, either via appropriate hand-washing or by applying an alcohol-based hand disinfectant. The use of a protective gown or a one-use plastic apron can be considered for tasks that may expose staff to splashes.
— Flight crew members should be encouraged to wear a face mask whenever interacting with, or in the proximity of, other people. Once they are in the flight compartment and the door is closed, flight crew members may remove their masks subject to their operator’s policy and mutual agreement. Furthermore, the flight’s crew members should remove their masks for emergency situations and whenever requested by appropriate authorities for official purposes such as identification or alcohol testing.
— Aircraft operators should have on board one or more Universal Precaution Kits (UPKs. Such kits should be used by crew members who are assisting passengers with COVID-
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
