voices on the ether

They come like ghosts out of the night.
Anonymous commenters on this blog.
The predilected topic of choice for anonymous commenters here at the moment is the recent emergency incident involving a Primera Air flight bound for Dublin from a Greek holiday island.
We've had a series of critical comments about our coverage of the incident.
Some of the comments purported to be by passengers who were on the flight.
Some purported to be from members of the general public.
All were unsigned.
The comments claimed that nothing untoward happened on the Primera flight.
Let us remind ourselves exactly what happened on that ill fated flight.
On Friday the 10th of July, the pilot of a Primera Air jet flying from Zykanthos to Dublin, entered Italian controlled airspace and plunged his aircraft without warning, from 38,000 feet to 20,000 feet.
Without warning.
He failed to warn his passengers.
He failed to warn air traffic control.
He failed to warn anyone.
In direct contravention of all international flight laws, customs and traditions, the Primera Air pilot failed to inform air traffic control authorities what he was doing or to respond to subsequent air traffic control attempts to contact him.
The Primera Air pilot then pursued an erratic course towards Rome airport where Air Force One was about to take off carrying President Barack Obama who was due to return to the United States after the G8 economic summit.
The Primera Air pilot did not answer air traffic control instructions demanding he cease his approach to Rome.
A Typhoon jet fighter was despatched as the authorities feared a terrorist attack was underway and that the Primera jet was endeavouring to get into position to ram Air Force One.
As the presence of the Typhoon fighter jet became apparent, the Primera Air pilot found his voice again and began communicating with Italian air traffic controllers.
The pilot also now advised his passengers to wave to the Typhoon fighter jet.
Primera Air have issued statements about the incident which I do not believe.
Primera Air have claimed the plane had a fault, and the pilot felt he had to land at Rome because he considered the runway at Naples where Italian air traffic control sought to divert him, was too short.
The mysterious fault has not been specified.
I consider the Primera Air statements to be arrant nonsense.
I have challenged Primera Air to name the pilot who performed these outrageous manoeuvres in a jet plane packed with 148 passengers.
It's not an unreasonable request.
Basically folks, I wanna know if he's Muslim.
Al Qaeda has traditionally found it hard to get suicide pilots who are not of the Muslim persuasion.
Naming this pilot will lay a lot of concerns to rest.
Or not.
I have suggested that claims about some unspecified fault with the aircraft itself are also false.
If there was a fault, we should be told precisely what it is and why it precipitated the pilot's inexplicable and thus far unexplained, behaviour.
Yes.
We need answers.
We should be told clearly and categorically whether or not a pilot working for Al Qaeda attempted to get his plane into position to either attack the G8 economic summit, or to ram Air Force One.
Why is the pilot's name a secret?
Surely he should be answering questions.
Surely the police should be investigating him and Primera Air.
Surely he should be talking to journalists before the eyes of the world without lawyers telling him what to say.
Surely he should be explaining to us all precisely what the hell he was doing.
Let me say it again.
As a citizen of Ireland and Europe, I don't want Primera Air or this pilot flying over our cities or through our skies.
If Primera Air wish to send me comments whose source I can clearly validate, I will consider printing them.
Over to you.
Ghostie ghost ghost ghosts.