Not that long ago PPT posted on army corruption, mentioning the army’s new airship, the so-called Sky Dragon. Readers might want to read that post for some background.
The Bangkok Post (5 March 2010) has reported that the 350 million baht airship is being handed over to the army today in Pattani, following a 6-month delay. The report notes “widespread criticism over whether the airship would be effective,” but says that the army has actually expedited delivery.
Apparently this has “caused a great deal of discomfort among pilots and members of the airship’s inspection committee as they fear being held accountable if it is not ready to go into service…”. Some of the committee went so far as to resign. Using an unnamed source, the Post says delays were because “it cannot fly and function according to specifications. The source said the army would not fine the company for the delay as the project had proved more complicated after the army requested the airship be fitted with more technical devices.”
It is said that the zeppelin “can now fly at an ‘unsafe’ height of 10,000 feet, while the company’s specifications should have it reaching as high as 30,000 feet. The company [Aria International] claimed the airship could only fly at that height when not burdened with all the extra military equipment. Worst of all, the source claimed the airship was designed for tourism, not for military operations. The army wanted Sky Dragon to have between two and four seats, but it has only one seat for the pilot and cannot take extra crew or passengers.”
So there you have it from a “source”: buy a tourism balloon from a penny company in the U.S., fill it full of equipment and it is useless, except that it has generated income for some.
