Update: Air crashes (not), crashing defeats, and crashes avoided

Ah, the week that was.

Can you actually get TWO feet in your mouth? Yes! Just ask Oman Air and The Wave!
Local bloggers Muscat Mutterer and Jet Driver covered the debacle that was the EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE Wave Airplane Crash, complete with:
- actual panicked residents of the Wave (no notice given except a flyer dropped hours before),
- simulated condolence statements posted on the actual Oman Air active website,
- burning tires,
- real traffic jams, etc

For some bizarre reason even the numbers of passengers and crew couldn't even be made to add up in the pre-prepared scenario used for the accident. And someone actually phoned in to report the hallucination of seeing an actual plane crash. EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE

Lessons to be learnt all round, no doubt. Next time chaps, while the Army are excellent at shooting things, logistics, and getting things done (like setting fire to and extinguishing burning things), maybe think about subcontracting the whole "PR and Project planning" side?



JD's photoshop jest summed it all up really. I have to report it again here, it's so good.

Perhaps a great opportunity for the Blue City to point out how very far away from an airport they are... or maybe not.


Meanwhile, ....
Oman's football team manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This is the life. And someone in the crowd threw a firecracker. Ooooh. As my ol' gran would say "its all good fun until someone loses an eye!!!"


Speaking of planes plummeting into Integrated Tourist Development sites built at the end of new runways for our main airport, the earlier story of the catastrophic shut down of Muscat's entire Air Traffic Control system, that happened mid day October 6th. There's been ome typical stuff being discussed on the fascinating forum for all things airborne PPRuNe where had I mentioned the shut down in a back room dedicated to, of all things, Muscat Air Traffic Control (I'd point interested readers to the comment "shit happens" made purportedly by an Omani ATC).

Black Hawk Down:
mabrook(cong) as if there is no any faults world wide but in Muscat
what are you digging for my friend,yes Muscat is a system which isnt 100% perfect?!?! and i guess all systems around the world arent either
spit it out?what happened that day was the first time ever.and i tell you we are 99%radar in Muscat and i guess the 1% happened that day so tuff luck to all,at least we never(at least since i joined) fired anyone because of faults.you see it a dominos effect else where(like next door) everyone blames who is below him for faliures,but we dont here in Muscat we support each other.

...

well st does happen doesnt it?

Love that safety attitude! (there's more. Dragon haters will love it)

UPDATE: I have it on good authority (multiple sources) that the only air traffic controller mentioned in the earlier links on Muscat Confidential - Australian C.M - did a sterling job (unlike the suggestion of a UAE ATC commenter). Further facts to come, as now the story's out many involved are talking openly about it. But it sure happened.

The problems however - and they are legion - are at last under investigation by those accountable and on high. The tender for the new ATC radar and control system went out months ago anyhow. As I've always insisted the problem was first and foremost a systematic and pre-existing one, and not really down to individual ATCs (except perhaps the likes of Black Hawk Down). The Muscat ATCs in general - I'm sure - all did their level best to keep everyone up there at the time alive, and they succeeded, thankfully.

Oman through to a classic final against the old enemy: Saudi

It's the final we all wished for - as long as we win: us vs. RSA.


Tomorrow, at 6pm, Oman play Saudi in the regional Gulf football cup final. Its a big deal. And it'll be a nail biter game.

Oman got through their semi against Qatar thanks to the amazing Al Habsi. The team played pretty well.


Photo: Oman beat Qatar to face Saudi

In the other semi-final, Saudi vs Kuwait, it was a classic 'no lose' game for Oman. One of them was going to lose. And while everyone was cheering for Kuwait (honestly, just try cheering for Saudi.... I always find it just sticks in the throat), really we all wanted Saudi to win!

Why? So we, Oman, can kick their ass in the final. Omanis really can't stand Saudis. What with the war(s), the border disputes, the religious interference, and the 1980s Saudi official fatwa against all Ibadhi; lets say, there's not a lot of love lost between the people of Oman and the brotherly Kingdom to the West. The great thing is, this nationaistic passion will be subsumed in the sport of football. One can only wonder how long before Gaza could play Israel in a peaceful football match.

I really hope we win tomorrow. Getting beaten by the Saudis would totally suck.

Enjoy the game folks. Fingers crossed it doesn't go to penalties again... I'll be out with the crowds if they win!


And in other news...
Oh, it rained really hard last week, in case you hadn't heard/don't live here. The wind was IMHO a lot stronger than during Gonu for several minutes. And it hit very fast - a real storm. Mostly the city survived pretty well. Amazingly the pitch was OK for the matches too.



Photo: hail, wind and rain strikes Oman

Rain and hailstorms lash northern parts of Oman

By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
Published: January 14, 2009, 12:58

Muscat: Hailstorms lashed the northern parts of Omani capital for almost 30 minutes on Tuesday night.

"It was like small cubes of ice but not in definite shape," Saeed Masood, an Omani resident of Seeb, 45-km north of central Ruwi, told Gulf News.

He said the streets were covered with ice and traffic came to a halt as visibility reduced drastically.

"Our terrace was filled with solid pieces of ice," said Yogesh Shah, a long-time Oman resident who lives in a terrace flat in Seeb.

After the storm stopped, Shah said children in the area had a gala time. "For sometime children started throwing ice at each other," he said.

There was nothing unusual about hailstorms as it had happened in the past too, said Hamid Al Brashdi of the Meteorological and Air Navigation Department.

He predicted more rains, accompanied by thunderstorms, due to continued trough of low pressure that first brought rains in Musandam and Wusta region and then over Muscat.

The meteorological office advised people to take extra care during rains, especially in low-lying areas.

I do like the last point of advice. Surprised they didn't warn about being in wadis and things too.

Oman sees potential victory in ball game

busy still.

Big story about to break, but tomorrow on that one.

Meanwhile, Oman face Qatar (well, I believe they have Qatari nationality) in the semis. This Wed. The nation will be consumed. and if we win that a cliff hanger against the Saudis.

Drive anywhere you want 6:00-8:00, Drive no-where near Shatti/MQ/Qurm until 4:30am if we win. Same advice if we loose. But I think Al Habsi will make the difference. Fingers crossed.

And it might rain in the next few days. Certainly wind and clouds. Cool.