IMHO, the sudden rash of planes crashing is do to the solar flare eruptions!!!! There are a lot of articles of planes crashes posted on this site. Just my suggestion, don't fly in a smaller plane until it is safer to do so.

Please read this article again, with what I had said in mind. **************************************************************

Solar Flare Eruptions May Disrupt By Joseph B. Verrengia AP Science Writer Friday, March 30, 2001; 3:40 p.m. EST

BOULDER, Colo. –– Telecommunications may be disrupted briefly and the northerly night skies will shimmer red and green this weekend as intense storms rage on the sun, scientists say.

The biggest sunspot cluster seen in at least 10 years has developed on the upper right face of the sun's disc, according to satellite readings. Researchers said the sunspot could persist for several days.

The sunspot, which is a cooler, darker region on the sun's surface, is caused by temporarily distorted magnetic fields. It spawns tremendous eruptions, or flares, into the sun's atmosphere and hurls clouds of electrified gas toward Earth.

NASA scientists said the most powerful flare erupted Thursday, rated a class X, the most potent category. The other flares were less intense.

The eruptions triggered a powerful, but brief, blackout Friday on some high-frequency radio channels and low-frequency navigational signals, scientists said. They forecast at least a 30 percent chance of continuing disruptions through Sunday.

The solar activity is also expected to produce an aurora in the night sky over northern latitudes. The colorful, shimmering glow occurs when the energetic particles strike the Earth's upper atmosphere.

In addition to radio disruptions, the charged particles can bombard satellites and orbiting spacecraft and, in rare cases, damage industrial equipment on the ground, including power generators and pipelines.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

Answers

Maggie,

Not the kind of thing that I want to be thinking about just before my husband has to go on deployment. He is in the air more than he is on the ground.

Keeping my fingers crossed,

Sheeple

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

Sheeple,

It wasn't my intention to worry you and others that read my post...just saw the possible connection. For me, if a friend of mine would call and ask me to fly in his SMALL plane, I would say thank you but, no thank you... at this time.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

Maggie: It's wierd, and I have to agree, seems like a lot more news about airplane crashes during solar events.

-- Anonymous, March 31, 2001

This is a snip from the article, which to me would also apply to airplanes:

The eruptions triggered a powerful, but brief, blackout Friday on some high-frequency radio channels and low-frequency navigational signals, scientists said.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2001