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Elite Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 984 Status: Offline

Helios operates 2 door models.

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Elite Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 984 Status: Offline

Here is a pic of a 2 door a/c

Elite Joined: Aug 14, 2003 Posts: 997 Status: Offline

That's true, but the 737-300 (the type that crashed) has only 1 door.

The aircraft in the photo you posted is an Helios 737-800, was 737-300.

Elite Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 984 Status: Offline

And here is a Greek F-16 with a red tail stripe.

Elite Joined: Aug 14, 2003 Posts: 997 Status: Offline

Oh, ok...

But the 737 is still a 800 and not a 300.

Elite Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 984 Status: Offline

DeepSpace wrote:

That's true, but the 737-300 (the type that crashed) has only 1 door.

The aircraft in the photo you posted is an Helios 737-800, was 737-300.

You're right. Airliners.net helped verify this if anyone wanyts to see the pics. Also if you zoom in on the registration markings they don't seem to be correct.

Thanks for pointing out my error.

Last edited by Cash on Aug 17, 2005 - 09:28 PM; edited 1 time in total

DeepSpace wrote:

These are FAKE.
The 737 in these pictures is a 737-800, and not 737-300 as the aircraft that crashed (2 emergency exists over the wing, the 737-300 has only 1), and also the exhaust nuzzels are a bit difference on the -800.

Also, the F-16 in the first picture looks American or Singaporean with that red stripe at the top of the fin, and not Greek. It's probably a Singaporean Viper, since American ones don't have the tail fairing.

Yep your correct about the B737!
Altough the F-16 is indeed a Greek F-16, you can see the flag clearly. (some Greek F-16's do have red stipes see http://www.airliners.net/open.file/862072/L/ Wink

).

Elite Joined: Aug 14, 2003 Posts: 997 Status: Offline

falconfixer860261 wrote:

DeepSpace wrote:

That's true, but the 737-300 (the type that crashed) has only 1 door.

The aircraft in the photo you posted is an Helios 737-800, was 737-300.

You're right. Airliners.net helped verify this if anyone wanyts to see the pics. Also if you zoom in on the registration markings they don't seem to be correct.

Thanks for pointing out my error.

No worries Idea

Even if there was a picture of the -300,the armament of this F-16 is inappropriate for such a mission.

Veteran Joined: Apr 25, 2004 Posts: 385 Status: Offline

The SMS message has been confirmed as a hoax, and the person claiming to have received it was sentenced to 6 months in prison for the offence.

Elite Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 984 Status: Offline

I'm not convinced they are fake though. I put it in PhotoShop and if it is fake it's very good. My guess is that it's a previous intercept of another a/c on another date. Perhaps some of our Hellenic friends can attest to this as a possibility? Maybe an escort for a flight with radio problems? Or an escort for a politician enroute to a meeting?

Elite Joined: Aug 14, 2003 Posts: 997 Status: Offline

No, you can see that they used this picture.

Elite Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 984 Status: Offline

DeepSpace wrote:

No, you can see that they used this picture.

You're right. I looked for the pic on airliners.net but I didn't see this one. On closer examination the contrast is wrong on the airliner (overcast) where the Viper is in bright sunlight (look up the tailpipe). I also missed that the Boeing has flaps 10-15 which it would not have in cruise. To top it off I don't think the Viper would be in full mil trying to keep up with a 737 with flaps down. Also the Boeing wingtip is overlaid on the Viper canopy bow and you can see the whole length - where if it were real some of it would be blocked by the bow.

I'll admit - I'm not usually fooled by doctored pics but this one sure sucked me in.

So people believe one of the F16 pilots was taking pictures? And somehow these found their way to the internet?

I didn't know HAF F16 had red stripes on their fins.

I don't know of any other F16 intercepts of Helios a/c or previous radio problems with Helios a/c. They would have definitely been reported by the greek press during the hysteria of the last 3 days. Greek politicians don't fly Helios, they have VIP a/c and they don't get F16 escort.

The whole story is interesting and new information is being reported by the press and adds to the mystery. Today it was reported that NATO command in Napoli followed the whole incident. NATO sources added that 2 HAF Mirage 2K also escorted the Helios B737 but refused to comment on what happened as the a/c approached Athens...

Elite Joined: May 17, 2005 Posts: 984 Status: Offline

nikos wrote:

To avoid missunderstanding, I must say explicitely that no weapon use took place for 2 reasons:[list=1][*]The Hellenic Air Force does not shoot down civil planes in peacetime in ANY circumstances. This "September 11th" U.S. directive does not apply in any E.U. state.

Not quite the view of the Greek government:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050817/ap_ ... lane_crash

The Helios Airways flight was declared "renegade" when it failed to respond to radio calls shortly after entering Greek airspace, clearing the way for Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis to order the F-16s to shoot it down if it was deemed a threat to populated areas.

But government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos insisted there was no such threat, and that Caramanlis did not consider that option.

Magnus Ranstorp, director of the Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, said it was a close call.

"There hasn't been any situation like we saw recently with the Greek case where you were so close to taking this decision," Ranstorp said.

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