Lightning strikes Blair's plane

[emad]

Wednesday, 27 April, 2005, 15:18 GMT 16:18 UK

Prime Minister Tony Blair's election campaign plane has been struck by lightning during a flight.

BBC Radio Five Live presenter Peter Allen, who was on the aircraft, said it was hit as it approached London on Wednesday afternoon.

He said he heard a loud bang but Mr Blair, who was talking to a journalist at the time, was apparently "imperturbable".

Mr Allen said: "The rest of us certainly weren't imperturbable."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4490809.stm

[dubyaD40web]

1. I Love Karma!

[AFSCME girl]

17. Me, too!!

Isn't Karma just the most amazing thing?! :hi:

[Bleacher Creature]

23. I don't believe in it any more.

I used to, but lost faith. Call me up when Karl Rove loses his job and has to go on welfare, or when Jenna and Barbara get drafted, or when Dick Cheney has a gay child -- ooops.

[emad]

2. Not the first time:

http://www.hypocrites.com/article11334.html

[genieroze]

18. Three strikes, he's out. eom

[Love Bug]

3. It's a sign from God! Don't run, Tony!

:evilgrin:

[cyberpj]

4. 2nd hit - first in 2003 while approaching Washington D.C.

March 27- Blair's Plane Hit By Lightning

Prime Minister Tony Blair's chartered British Airways Boeing 777 was hit by lightning while approaching Andrew's Air Force Base outside Washington D.C. Wednesday evening. The incident took place at 10,000 feet. The bolt which struck the left wing did not damage the aircraft.

http://www.wildweather.com/news/news-archiveMarch2003.htm

[daleo]

12. That was on the way to invasion planning, I think.

I guess this omen can be read a number of ways, just like the Oracle of Delphi.

[Frederik]

13. What?

It's the second time? Was he unperturbed then as well? Weird!

[shadowknows69]

5. I guess mighty Zeus just didn't put enough voltage in that one n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. Fluff job produced to make Blair look courageous

I doubt this even happened. Blair with the stiff upper lip while his staff panics. Yeah huh. Tell me another one.

[Double T]

7. Tony Blair's God is trying to tell him something

[AP]

8. Hopefully it's ightening can strike three times in same place & he'll win

his election.

[BlueIris]

11. That's just what I was thinking. Hee. n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. Blair probably didn't know anything had happened....

..."dense" is the word I would have used in the place of "imperturbable".

I've been in a plane struck by lightening...EVERYBODY immediately knew what had happened.

[Frederik]

10. The Wrath of the LORD!

:bounce: :bounce:

[emad]

14. more from BBC:

'Red and white flash'

BBC producer Will Walden said many of the journalists were asleep when the incident happened over London at about 1400 BST.

"All I remember was a red and white flash just in my mind which woke me up with a start," he said.

"The plane wobbled from side to side but it was also quite rough anyway because it was pretty cloudy and rainy. Lots of people looked momentarily shocked."

One journalist was talking privately to Mr Blair and when she suggested the lightning strike could have been a missile, the Labour leader just shrugged his shoulders and "didn't bat an eyelid".

The pilot did not make a tannoy announcement about the incident and the plane landed safely about 10 minutes later.

After landing, the pilot explained such strikes were reasonably common and the plane's wings contained conductors to dissipate the electricity from a lightning.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4490809.stm

JOURNALISTS asleep at 1400 hours? Do they mean pissed and passed out?

[Zerex71]

15. Signing on to kill 100,000 innocents will surely bring a collect call from

The Person Upstairs.

[smirkymonkey]

27. When it strikes Air Force One, then I'll really believe in the

person upstairs.

[Straight Shooter]

16. Never two without three, and the third time is the charm.

"Imperturbable." *snort*

[nodehopper]

19. Jim Caviezel got struck by lightning

while filming Passion, specifically the crucifiction part.

So was the assistant director

also?

http://www.newpantagruel.com/issues/1.2/the_passion_of_the_christ_bloo.php

[chalky]

25. Great link. Thanks for that; the site's now in my favorites. n/m

[mhr]

20. Lightning And Airplanes - Typically A Non-Event

I've flown hundreds of hours through rain, thunder and lightning.

The planes are designed to discharge the electrical charge.

Very rarely is there a problem.

[cyberpj]

21. Jeb Bush plane struck in 2003

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/5278547.htm

[arikara]

22. Its not uncommon at all

They only make a big deal out of it when they want to build up someone's image and portray them as "heroic".

[aneerkoinos]

24. Go Zeus go! n/t

[lebkuchen]

26. Tony Blair: Brave and principled

just like his garden gnome playmate across the pond