Anyone hazard a guess as to what this search has cost so far?
I doubt that the actual cost of the search matters to any nation involved, in the short term. Essentially each country has these expensive ships and aircraft with trained crew doing exercises and filling in the days because there are no actual military conflicts for them.
So a chance to actually use this technology and expertise is a huge boost for the people involved and their country.
And a chance to gain more influence in that part of the world
The real “costs” will likely come into play when the wreckage is located and it has to be retrieved from the depths of the ocean. That will be the province of private contractors and they charge dearly for their services. Certainly the US Navy might some of its own deep sea recovery; however, it’s almost a certainty that China and Malaysia do not.
When they locate the aircraft and decide on how to best to bring the recorders ( assuming that they are intact) to the surface , the meter will start running and someone (the Malaysian government, the insurance companies, the Chinese government,etc) will have to begin writing the checks.
you actually think it doesn’t matter? Fuel and maintenance is a an infinite budget item?
Those guys gotta eat anyway…
Anyway, the costs involved are counterbalanced by the ability to gain international recognition. It’s a “show of power” except that you aren’t shooting anyone. Why are so many of those search vessels so capable militarily?
The costs are “counterbalanced” by international recognition. OK then. There’s a special budget for international recognition. Did not know that.
I won’t believe those reports till I hear them on CNN.
Actually, for such a juicy story, it’s a bit odd that those are the only two outlets reporting it. Either it isn’t true or the rest of the media has been struck with a sudden case of journalistic integrity and are holding back until it’s confirmed.
I am beginning to think CNN took the plane.
Is tomnod.com actually helping ?
My wife has been hearing the same stories in the Chinese media. She told me about it yesterday and I Googled it today and found these stories without realizing they were old. I do think there’s something to them but we may never have conclusive proof.
Note that I stipulated the short term. Another couple of weeks of nothing and the search will be scaled down.
But leaving that aside as Tabby_Cat said, the navy and air force crews are working and paid regardless and the ships and aircraft are actively used anyway. Military forces cost money even doing nothing.
All that’s happened is they now have an interesting and worthwhile mission.
Well yes there is. The budget might be subtle such as receiving trade support or discount military equipment because one nation joins another in a particular action viz. the Coalition of the Willing. Which Australia joined but the US organised.
Most people in the world won’t have ever heard of the Prime Minister of Australia - Tony Abbot, but he has now grabbed the spotlight and Australia is enjoying the international attention with being the controller of the search of the Indian Ocean. Its in their sphere of influence.
Personally I think their PM should butt out but even President Obama is making announcements so whaddya do! :smack:
For a search of this scale? Yes, I think so. I bet the countries involved could keep searching the ocean just for fun forever if they wanted, and it wouldn’t make an appreciable dent in any of their budgets.
This morning CNN is reporting that the last words from the cockpit to Air Traffic Control was
“Good Night, Malaysian Three Seven Zero”
So for a couple weeks we hear that “All Right, Good Night” were the last words, with much speculation that there was something sinister hidden in those words.
Now the last words includes the Flight number.
I am not sure how much more credibility that this investigation could lose. A lot of the “hard evidence” that has been released is later contradicted by something else.
This has been one HUGE Clusterf***.
If that were true governments could pay everybody to stay on vacation forever.
It’s real fuel that’s being consumed in large quantities and that costs money. It’s not going to continue indefinitely because the money is not there. The wreckage may eventually be stumbled upon with ocean mapping projects but no nation can support indefinite search programs dedicated to this one plane. If it was possible it would have been done for the thousands of ships and planes that have disappeared over the years.
It’s normal for a call sign to be given with a sign off. Otherwise how do you know who made the transmission?
Indeed, it’s normal for ALL statements between and aircraft and ATC to include the call sign of the aircraft. So routine, in fact, that aviation folks frequently don’t mention it as it’s assumed to be there. It’s almost like saying “I was breathing while I was speaking.”
For sure, it would be part of normal signoff.
But there had been so much conjecture about the “All Right, Good Night” being sinister and not normal protocol that this comes out now…Two weeks later.
I half expecting Malaysia to come out Tuesday morning and say
APRIL FOOLS!!
They certainly support the most plausible scenario, but yeah, who knows when we’ll know for sure.
That would be one hell of a prank. There’d be no topping that one.
Until concrete evidence comes to light, I’m still holding to my theory that the plane slipped into a wormhole and is now in a parallel universe.