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originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: scubagravy
No. Diego doesn't have any hangers large enough to put a 777 all the way inside and close the doors. And that definitely would have been heard.
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originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: scubagravy
First, why bother to offload them?
Second, did you read the article? The entire period they were locked down, despite being on a very small island, and near the runway, he didn't hear a sound. Ever been near a 777 landing or taking off? There's no possible way they're going to be quiet enough to not be heard.
MH370 didn't land on Diego Garcia. Not even to offload the passengers, for whatever reason.
There's a lot I don't know. But the idea that a 777 landed on Diego Garcia, even for a short time is not feasible, by any stretch.
How high does your clearance actually go
originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: scubagravy
Yes. The book requires 11,000 feet, Diego was a shuttle emergency landing site with 12,000.
Buuuut, if "they" were able to get it to Diego "they" would also know how to get a bomb on board. It's far simpler and less risky to just get rid of the aircraft instead of landing it, offloading the passengers, and then flying it out somewhere.
If someone was after a specific person, a simple "car accident" on the way to the airport takes care of that too.
KISS. The more complex, the more likely something slips or gets past your security. And taking an aircraft, sneaking to Diego Garcia, offloading and holding and later disposing of the passengers, and disposing of the aircraft is about as complex as you can get.
Interesting side note, with regards to the original article, there's a very good chance that it wasn't a secret aircraft at all. Certain groups that don't like people seeing how many there are, or their equipment are also known to close things down while they go through.