Reader's Remarks - your letters.

 

Email your letters, comments and observations to info@kjmtoday.com - please include your first and last names, as well as your email address and full postal address and contact phone number.

We need these in case we have to get back to you to clarify anything.

​

Only your name, city and country will be used but names and address can also be withheld on request.

​

Please note that anonymous or incomplete details will result in your comments not being published.  

​

Letters may be edited for clarity and length

​

​

​

​

The World's Most Famous Boeing 707 - N324F

​

Sometime in early 1986, N324F diverted into Salt Lake City (SLC) on a ferry flight with number four engine problems. I was ramp supervisor for Hudson General Aviation Services and my company handled over 90% of all diversions as we were equipped for them.

​

N324F's first officer let me know it was THE the most famous 707 in existence, which really meant something to me as I was a 24 year old 'Joe Patroni' wannabe.

​

The maintenance crew that repaired the engine were employed by Skyworld Airlines (aka Ports of Call Airlines, based out of DEN).

​

N324F was one of a long list of famous airplanes that I was lucky enough to handle- including TWA Boeing 727 ship 4339 the 'Beirut Pig ship', the Carvair transport used in James Bond's Goldfinger and a former NASA 'Super Guppy' C97 used to transport Saturn V components, and the very 727 that DB Cooper jumped out of, and many more that don't immediately come to mind.

​

I had a fun 30-year career and I was fortunate to work many historic airplanes and meet the crews that appreciated the history of them as much as I did.

 

Troy N Johnston

Redondo Beach, California,

United States of America

​

​

Editor's note - The Boeing 707 was one of the world's first long-haul jet airliners and was featured in the 1969 movie 'Airport', made just before the Boeing 747 went into service. The movie is still watched today, 55 years after it was made and our article still finds readers tracing the history of the aircraft used in the movie.

​

​

​

Spineless Politicians

​

The vast majority of politicians do not have the stomach to have an honest and open debate about the impact of uncontrolled immigration on our culture, law and order and public services (not least health and education).

 

They wring their hands at every cry of Allahu Akbar followed by carnage but steadfastly refuse to discuss the root cause of the problem for fear of being branded a pariah.

 

One by one our towns and cities are succumbing to the decay and detritus created by the subversion of our culture.

 

Rape gangs continue to operate with impunity.

 

Classes are full to the brim with kids whose first language is not English.

 

The NHS money pit is subsiding under the sheer weight of unsustainable population growth.

 

But of course the easy answer is to blame the far right and hope the next atrocity doesn’t happen in your seat.

 

Until the political class grows a spine, expect this dystopia, which they perpetuate, to worsen.

​

Chris Davies

London,

UK

​

​

X/Twitter Restrictions

​

Last month Twitter/X imposed restrictions on my account for posting that species dysphoria (pupils identifying as animals) does not exist. I criticised the two local authorities for supporting such nonsense - the term is not recognised by neuropsychologists.

 

The Scottish government supported the local authorities in making provision for pupils to live out their fantasy. This support impairs the learning of other pupils, whilst teachers are left to cater with the insanity.

 

Presumably as a result of a complaint by one of the headteachers, Education Scotland or the Scottish Government, my account was frozen. I could not post, like or follow others; 11.7K followers were removed from my premium account - yes I pay for this nonsense! It was reinstated a couple of weeks ago and the followers magically reappeared after my appeal of X's action.

Two days ago, I was the subject of what appeared to be bias in the Twitter algorithms. I received a message saying that my account was deemed to be in violation of twitter rules. I had unfollowed folk that I followed but had not followed me back for some months. I follow back about 11.4 K of the 11.7 people that follow me. This apparently breaches Twitter rules - what utter nonsense.

 

Twitter is designed to enable like minded people to exchange ideas. I am now unable to follow those that choose to follow me; I am unable to like comments which they post. If this nonsense does not stop I shall revert to a free account - why should I pay for verified status of an organisation behaving in this authoritarian manner?

I hope that X read this email and are embarrassed - they should be. I never post offensive material and pay for a premium account to reassure others that I am not a bot. Twitter is the most unresponsive business I have ever come across; when I subscribe to something I expect a service, not harassment.

Regards,

Stuart Powell 
Perthshire,​

Scotland, UK

 

​

 

Like many users, I am greatly disturbed by the way in which X/Twitter manipulates follower numbers and who sees what posts.

​

Following the US Election, owner Elon Musk has made great play out of X being the new media as mainstream, both print and broadcast, has shown a distinct bias in coverage.

​

X/Twitter will never be that while it cheats  its users by fiddling follower numbers and restricting who sees a user's posts, and I see more and more comments to this effect on X, often on a daily basis.

​

Kevan James

Rochester

Kent, UK.

​

​

​

​

Disgusting Politicians

​

Politicians today disgust me.

You’re supposed to be running countries not starring in an episode of The Real Housewives!

Stop bitching about each other and do the job you’re paid for.

​

Lisa Keeble

France

​

​

Kamala Harris's Bad Form

 

By now we all know that Donald Trump pretty much stormed to victory in the Presidential election. Meanwhile Harris has just disappeared.

Yes I know it's probably a crushing blow. But tens of millions of $$$ went into her campaign. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers...

I would have thought she'd have to decency to congratulate Trump and thank and apologise to her followers. Sorry we didn't make it...Etc.

Just bad form in my view.

​

Peter Morris

Barnsley

South Yorkshire, UK.

​

​

​

Dropping like a Stone

​

As Starmer's popularity drops like the knickers of a popular whore in a brothel, it's good to see he's ****** off nearly every section of society.

The grannies, cancelling the winter fuel allowance;

Then their descendants with tax rises on working people;

The better end of the middle class with VAT on school fees;

Now the students with tuition fee hikes.

This is a style of communism and Starmer loves it!

​

June Slater

Lancs., UK

​

Tax and Avoid

​

We seem to have not learned from history.

Before income tax, we taxed powder on wigs.

People stopped wearing them, avoiding tax.

We taxed windows, many were bricked up, avoiding tax.

People worth over £10m have means to avoid further taxes on their wealth.

Not evade, avoid.

Any estimations, after a higher rate is introduced, only can presume that the money/wealth stays where it is now. It won't. There will always be access for people in this bracket to move or recalibrate taxable wealth elsewhere. Even higher taxes on income mean that if I earnt £2m a year, I could easily find ways to adjust my net income and pay the same or even less.

And if I'm wrong? Then someone will inevitably put me right.

​

David Martell

London, UK.

​

​

​

Would You Fly The Flag?

 

The UK must stand alone on the planet as being the only country where displaying the Union flag or waving it, is something we are made to feel ashamed of (that's how it seems to me anyway).

Those who do wave or fly it are automatically designated populist, nationalist, supremacist, far right thugs and xenophobic. We've all seen video of police arrest people in London and elsewhere for simply being in possession of a union flag.

Yet it's fine to fly the Irish, Welsh, Scottish or Palestinian flag. That's perfectly acceptable. I'm not going to ask why, as I know I'll get some smart-arse giving me a whole history lesson about Colonialism, how 100's of years ago we colonised half the world...Blah, blah, blah. How bad GB was.

I don't think there's a country in the world (wild generalisation I know) that didn't have some kind of dark past, in the dim and distant.

Personally, I am very proud of my country (leaving politics aside). If I could afford it, I'd have a flag pole erected in my front garden, and proudly fly our national flag (there's plenty of space).

I'd also fly any one of our other national flags on special days. I'm not staunchly 'English' to the exclusion of Irish, Welsh, Scottish.

I'm British...That's it.

​

Peter Morris

Barnsley

South Yorkshire, UK.

​

​

​

The Country We Now Live In.

What a (Nazi) state we now live in. It's far beyond ridiculous and very, very scary.
We now live in a place where lawful protest is forbidden.
Starmer has successfully engineered a place where if you're an extremist far left activist, then demonstrations are perfectly ok. A place where protesters pick up free pre-printed, pre-manufactured, socialist, Stalinist, ready made placards (which I might add can be used as weapons), calling anyone on the right a 'racist' or worse. Regardless if they are or not.
It has simply emboldened the extremist far left; the socialist left. The Muslim activists, the leftie luvvies. Now they appear regularly 'in force'. Nobody can counter protest or say anything derogatory.
Last night, the leftie loons even laid siege to the Reform Party headquarters. Scaring staffers and intimidating anyone connected with the party. If the 'right' object, we're all of a sudden branded racist, even if we only post those opinions.
Meanwhile, the Police continue to persecute, prosecute and hunt down anyone they suspect 'might' be 'far right'.
So what we have now, (and there's no need to fact check, because it all true), is a 'State' where any opposition is stamped on hard, and swiftly.
Anyone who murmurs anything the State deems as 'far right' is effectively illegal, and most probably jailed.
That's the world (country) we now live in.
They glibly deny there is two tier policing. Just open your eyes and see it for yourself.
It's not the world I envisaged as a younger person, and not something I want or need now.

​

Peter Morris,

Barnsley

South Yorkshire, UK.

​​

​

​

A Scary World

​

It is a very scary world in which we live in.

I work for the NHS. I became ill with Covid-19 at the beginning - when Boris had it and when he went into intensive care, I thought I might die. If I am honest, in it's entirety it was less severe than flu but it was the scary news footage from ICUs that made me think I would not recover.

We have come a long way since. Fourteen months on I still have 'detectable antibodies' and I refuse to be pressurised into taking part in a clinical trial for a 'vaccine' that I do not need - that the majority of people do not need.

The latest plans to 'vaccinate' children are terrifying - no sane person would willingly allow their healthy child to be injected with an 'experimental vaccine'.

Sadly, for some people the adverse effects of these trial 'vaccinations' have already cost them their lives.

With the knowledge we now have, this should end. People who wish to fully protect themselves - from any airborne virus - can make their own risk assessments on the 'vaccine', wear their masks and largely stay at home. The world as a whole has to live with illnesses.

Thank you for your informed opinion and common sense in this mad world.

​

Name and address withheld by request

​

​

Internet Censorship During COVID-19

 

I am a law abiding citizen (up to now) and I was shocked to be told by email today that I have been suspended from Twitter for posting a tweet about Covid 19.

I quoted the facts that the Oxford jab had not been tested on pregnant women and three miscarriages had been reported on the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

No doubt I am in good company in being suspended but still I find it sad and scary. 

​

Alison Peel

Address withheld by request

 

 

Berlin's new airport / Willy Brandt. 'The Writing of the Wall'

 

Willy Brandt was born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm and was no supporter of the 3rd Reich. Moving to Norway, then neutral Sweden during WW2, he became a Norwegian citizen in 1940. The war over, he returned to his native Germany, and became involved in politics. Presented to the people under the pseudonym Willy Brandt, his Chancellorship from 1969 came to an abrupt end in 1974 when close confidant Gunther Guillaume was arrested as an East German spy.

Brandt was replaced by Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor, but remained in the political arena, living in the sleepy village of Unkel on the opposite bank of the Rhine river to Oberwinter and Remagen.

On the 9th November 1989, unbeknownst to Brandt and his wife (in the throes of moving to a new house in Unkel), the Berlin wall fell.

At 04.00 on the 10th November a reporter from Hessische Rundfunk broke the news to Brandt and a Royal Air Force Andover (XS597) from 60 Squadron flew Brandt and four of his closest team from Cologne / Bonn airport to Berlin. The aircraft had been arranged by West Berlin Mayor Walter Momper.

After arrival he was taken to the Brandenburg Gate, and at 17.00hrs gave a speech in front of thousands of people outside the Schoeneberg Town Hall. Later Herr Brandt was invited to visit East Berlin and crossed the West / East border without a passport. He returned to West Berlin late on the 10th November, and stayed the night at the Steigenberger Hotel, before flying back to Cologne / Bonn on November 11th with a scheduled commercial flight.

The 30th of October 2020 saw the ceremony of ‘Unveiling the Willy Brandt wall’ in Terminal 1 of the newly opened Berlin airport.

The old East Berlin Schoenefeld airport(SXF) is now BER Terminal 5. and a ten minute ride from the other terminals.

I think it would be right and proper to name Terminal 5 after Chris Gueffroy, a young waiter that served his apprenticeship at Schoenefeld Airport, and was the last person to be shot in 1989 trying to escape to the West.

Chris was one of three waiters who attempted to escape. Mario and Richard in 1987 - both paid with a prison sentence. Chris paid with his life.

 

Lance Shippey

Stockport,

Cheshire, UK

​

​

Abolish the Supreme Court

​

I would just like to say that I wholeheartedly agree with everything that Kevan James has said in his open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Although Kevan has mentioned briefly the Criminal Justice system, I would like to add that one of the most important aspects of this as far as I'm concerned is the removal of the Supreme Court.

This was created by Tony Blair, for the EU's benefit and his own.

It is hampering the attempt by the current government to amend laws to better suit the UK.

It is NOT fit for purpose and should be removed forthwith.

​

Bob Moore

Bexleyheath

Kent

UK

​

​

Re: Jon Proctor

​

I have known Jon for a few years. I'm a fellow aviation historian. Jon was always happy to help me with photos and information without wanting anything back. By chronicling his years in the US aviation industry in the 1960s and 1970s he leaves a great legacy.

R.I.P. Jon

​

Marnix Groot

Editor, Airporthistory.org

Montreal,

Canada.

​

​

Re: MPs and the House of Commons

​

I've just read your opinion piece and agree wholeheartedly with what you say. Most politicians today are self-serving automatons who toe the Party line an don't give two figs for the Electorate. Things have to change or democracy will wither on the vine.

 

David Miller

South Shields

United Kingdom

​

​

Re: No-one Is Safe Anymore.

​

In Ireland we also have the problem of leaders of nuns (especially Sisters of Mercy) who actively side with false accusers against their own innocent colleagues. Even when accusers are PROVED to be liars, the Sisters make no apology and our anti-clerical media put no pressure on them to do so (as they would with an ordinary employer) because they are delighted with the leaders' decadent behaviour!

​

Rory Connor

Republic of Ireland

​

​

 

Heathrow's Statue

​

Having devoted two years of my life to recording their incredible achievement, I have a heightened interest in Atlantic trailblazers John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown. I think the removal of the statue to Ireland for private exhibition is a mistake. Heathrow Airport should reconsider their policy to this monument. It was intended to be viewed by all transatlantic passengers. Instead, it's been hidden away in an obscure corner of the airport. Poor treatment for two brave pioneers who opened up the Atlantic to commercial aviation. It's long overdue that Heathrow should replace the statue in a more fitting and prominent position.

​

Brendan Lynch

Dublin,

Republic of Ireland

​

​