LondonBristolian

37 minutes ago, phantom said:

Very true, things like this normally come out in the news fairly quickly

Some newspapers thought they had named the pilot yesterday. Then someone who appears to be the named pilot posted on social media clarifying he was still alive and so there has been confusion. I think papers are now holding back because of the confusion. 

13 minutes ago, poland_exile said:

I wouldn't agree, I think there's many instances in life you do things you're uncomfortable with under the reasoning "it'll never happen to me".

You simply don't expect to die while travelling in the developed world. 

Further, I'd speculate a lot goes down to a person's character. Doubt he wanted to miss his first day in training because he was 'scared of getting on a plane' or look like a skiving big time charlie by missing his first session, etc., etc. 

The other thing is you trust the pilot. I once boarded a commercial flight that was delayed for two hours, then had what was announced as a “final attempt to to see if we can fix it tonight” and then, once we had all boarded, had a power cut-out when they turned it on before taxiing. I was scared and concerned when they still carried on anyway but said nothing as I rationalised the pilots knew what they were doing, it was a commercial air company that had a reputation to protect and so it must be safe or else they would not be doing it. Often you just assume and trust professionals know what they are doing.

1 hour ago, RedM said:

I can only quote about hot air balloons as I know about them, but they have a yearly MOT, a C of A ( certificate of airworthiness). The pilots also log every flying hour it does in a log book.  I guess it’s the same or stricter for any aircraft. Hot air pilots also do a load of pre flight checks, testing all equipment throughly and also a full visual check of the balloon, basket etc. Even if they have flown earlier that day they do the checks throughly again if they fly a few hours later, it’s something drummed into them, they don’t cut corners. Many passengers might think the pilot is ignoring their questions, but it’s because he/she is concentrating on safety.

I would think any pilot of any aircraft would do the same. Obviously things can suddenly fail, the helicopter of the Leicester owner a couple of months ago. 

Each flying craft has a registration G- xxxx if they are registered in the UK, there are websites you can look up ownership etc, sometimes details such as lightening strikes are noted. 

The message you quote is alarming of course, but this was probably the smallest plane the player had ever been on. Every rattle is going to be more frightening compared to a jumbo jet. I’m in no way dismissing his concerns, which have been proven, but just saying most people wouldn’t find it a comfortable experience I don’t think.

i am surprised such small planes are used to fly at night. Not saying if something was going to happen leaving it a few hours later until daylight would have had a different outcome, but surely the darkness didn’t help the search and rescue. I know they have thermal imaging etc. A very sad situation for all involved.

Indeed. One thing also worth mentioning is the plane was presumably flown by a qualified pilot who presumably knew the plane, would have been experienced flying it and would have been risking their own life if they took off when they did not believe it to be safe to do so.

Of course, people make errors or reckless decisions in all walks of life but I do think people need to be a bit careful over-speculating as we are effectively making assumptions about the judgement and competence of a man who is likely to have also died in this incident. Once the plane is found, there will obviously be an investigation that will hopefully uncover any mistakes made or lessons to be learned but I do feel it a bit premature for us to speculate too much on what has happened.

Search operation suspended until tomorrow morning.

Realistically, even if they had somehow survived the crash, it would take an absolute miracle for them to survive a second night at sea. It seems impossible to see a way this won't have a tragic end.

Deeply, deeply sad for all concerned, especially the families of Sala and the pilot.

4 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

Unfortunately, and as I am sure we are all aware, the longer this awful incident continues without any positive, i.e. factual, news, the more likely it becomes that a tragedy has indeed occurred.

Indeed, a representative from Channel Airline Airsearch, one of the search teams involved, has been quoted as saying he cannot understand how the plane has simply disappeared from the radar (the pilot had earlier sought permission to descend) and assumes there must have been a catastrophic technical or mechanical problem: in his opinion, there is not the slightest chance that the two occupants will have survived....

The representative states further that, if the plane cannot be found and has simply broken up, he would hope, perhaps, to find 'the bodies' today, or in two or three weeks time, quite possibly on Brighton beach as that that is where the current and tide will take them!

How awful for all concerned, friends and family alike.

    

Indeed. I'm still hoping for a miracle but it looks an awfully bleak prospect as time goes on. 

This is horrific. As others have said, extremely sad whoever was on board. I hope against hope there is miraculous good news. 

6 minutes ago, BessexRED said:

Classless? They were putting our scores up on their "scoreboard" last season in the run in if we were losing - **** Rovers, they have no class whatsoever.

Indeed. And I think we should be better than that. 

2 minutes ago, Monkeh said:

bit of an over reaction,

If it was Scotty posting this on twitter he'd be called a Legend

I think the difference is it would be Scotty doing it in a personal capacity. Doing it officially from the club looks a bit classless...

1 minute ago, Nibor said:

Imagine how well we could have done if he had picked a decent side.

Fair play we got a result but it's still a concerning start to the season.

To be fair; league wise, it is now bang average. Tonight has not convinced me by a long shot. But IF we can build on it against Blackburn and Swansea we might be okay.

Obviously If we don’t we are back to square one...

1 minute ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

So chuffed for Weimann

Works his arse off 

Great attitude

 

Him, Eliasson, Kelly and Pack have all excelled today.

1 minute ago, B block said:

Job for cotts?

He coached there for a bit didn’t he? Would not shock me if that happened...

Just now, INCRED said:

McClaren living on borrowed time, I thought we had issues. QPR look awful and can see them going down

Scary thing is they honestly look like they would settle for just a 2-0 defeat...

Just now, RedSA said:

Not sure what he is offering at the moment, and he looks out on his legs. Callum should be on by now. 

Just happening...

We need to shore up the midfield. I’d bring Walsh and  O’Dowda on for Watkins and Taylor and go 4-3-3.

Looks like O’Dowda is coming on at least.

Absolutely wonderful cross from Eliasson. Great reaction by Pack and Kelly too. No question the players give a shit...

Just now, old_eastender said:

Yellow for Brownhill

Bit worried about him to be honest. Two stupid tackles so far. Wonder if we need to get him off for Walsh before he gets himself suspended...

4 minutes ago, hodge said:

Was Flint not similar when we first had him...

Yeah - to be fair, he has played in a different defence every week and I am sure that does not help. Maybe he will settle...

2 minutes ago, luke_bristol said:

Turns out we did replace one of our summer departures  -  Maggers. 

That thought did cross my mind, too!

Just now, Fordy62 said:

Webster very lucky.

Starting to think Webster is a quality player who is prone to three complete **** ups a match. Far from ideal in a centre back.

3 minutes ago, MC RISK77 said:

Washington should have buried that 

Pretty certain that’s the QPR motto...

Maenpaa has been quality and the leg room is better than I remember. 

That concludes the two positive things I have to say.

6 minutes ago, Top Robin said:

Lansdown must have had a few discussions with Lee since January and now probably another.....how long can he let it go on

I would assume - I am not in any way ITK - that, towards the end of last season, LJ would have been asked what he thoughts the reasons were for the poor form in the second half of the January and how he planned to fix it. And I would assume our summer transfer business was conducted based on solutions Johnson identified. All of which would make perfect sense to me - it is easy to pul the trigger but I think much more helpful to try and improve with the person already in the role. 

However, if SL and the board have carried out LJ's suggestions and results still are not improving, then sooner or later the conversation will surely be "thanks for your efforts but it's the end of the line". I reckon October on current form but it would not amaze me if it was much sooner...

26 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Which wouldn’t necessarily have been the correct decision. In fact, had he been sacked the season before last and the new man had come in and guided us to the league cup semis and an 11th place finish,  everyone who have said it was the right decision to get rid of him. The club’s faith has been rewarded with three seasons of league position improvement under Johnson. An inconvenient truth for some.

Not to say he’d survive another bad run if this continues - I think he’d be gone, and I would be fine with that. The feast and famine can’t continue forever.

I am actually grateful for the role LJ has done and I would accept that, over 3 seasons, he has established us as a Championship club and brought us some very positive memories. But it's now 8 months (admittedly 'only' 6 months of football) since we last played consistently well and, so far this season, I'm struggling to see the evidence we have learned any lessons or put improvements in place from last season and he is in danger of undoing all the good work he has done.

I don't think LJ has done anywhere near as bad a job as some have made out and, all in all, if he went now then he would have been a broadly successful appointment but I just don't see any reason to believe he can take us further, or indeed arrest the run of poor form we have experienced since January. It's early in the season - and perhaps some would say too early in the season to judge - but I just don't see what he is going to do differently this season that will produce improved results. I hope I am wrong but I just feel that, much like the last week of Cotts in the role, it is just sitting through poorer and poorer results until a change is finally made. 

1 minute ago, Kid in the Riot said:

In fairness: Wright, Baker and Hegeler all injured who'd be ahead of Kelly at CB. 

Sure - but am I right in thinking only the Baker injury is new? We knew we had Wright injured, were losing Flint, and I think that we had Hegeler injured, and that we suffered with injuries last season and still let Vyner go on loan.

We also have known since Tuesday we needed a centre back on loan and failed to get that over the line in time for the game, which I would forgive if we had got the additional keeper LJ openly stated we needed and the replacement for Djuric sorted in time for the transfer deadline. 

I know it is not easy to get players in but, if you let them go, you have to replace them...

Just now, ChippenhamRed said:

That’s a bit silly. If we were playing Real Madrid it would be an entirely reasonably scoreline.

Against Boro, less so.

Fine. Don’t care who we are playing in this division then...