The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Plane crashes at Nevada air race...[ 2434 ]

Plane crashes at Nevada air race, at least three dead
By Ben Miller
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RENO, Nevada | Sat Sep 17, 2011 5:44am EDT
(Reuters) - A vintage World War Two fighter plane crashed near the grandstand at a Nevada air race on Friday, killing at least three people including the elderly pilot and injuring more than 50 others, officials said.
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The plane, a P-51 Mustang dubbed the "Galloping Ghost" that was being flown by well-known pilot Jimmy Leeward, crashed into a box seat area in front of the main grandstand at the Reno Air Races, said Mike Draper of public relations firm R&R Partners, which represents the race.
"I heard his engine and looked up. He was within 100 feet. He was coming right down on top of us," witness Fred Scholz told CNN, adding that the plane had first flown closer to the stands than allowed. "It just happened very quick."
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The Federal Aviation Administration halted the air race after the crash, and was investigating the incident alongside the National Transportation Safety Board, an FAA official said.
Video apparently taken from the stands and posted on YouTube showed a plane plunging nose-down into the tarmac as spectators were heard gasping: "Oh, my God."
Debris billowed near the crash site, and officials then told spectators to remain where they were so emergency workers could get to the scene.
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"It was like a war zone where the box seats were," said Dean Davis, an Oregon man who has attended the Reno Air Races for decades. "All the people were laying there."
The FAA official, spokesman Ian Gregor, said that multiple spectator fatalities and critical injuries were reported but did not provide a number. FAA inspectors had been observing the race at the time of the crash, he said.
The head of the Reno Air Racing Association, Michael Houghton, put the number of injured at 54 people and said the 74-year-old pilot was among those killed.
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'WASN'T GOING TO RECOVER'
Mark Hasara of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a veteran of the Air Force who attended the race and witnessed the crash. "As soon as I saw his nose pointed at the ground, I knew he wasn't going to recover," Hasara told Reuters.
The Reno Air Races, which began in the mid-1960s, feature planes facing off in multi-lap races at an airfield north of Reno.
Renown Regional Medical Center spokesman Dan Davis said that at least two people were killed, a man and a woman. An event spokeswoman said the pilot had died in addition to the pair confirmed dead by Renown.
Stephanie Kruse, a spokeswoman for the regional emergency medical service authority, said 15 of the injured were in critical condition.
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In a June video posted at the website for the air race, Leeward said the Galloping Ghost raced from 1946 to 1950 in the Cleveland Air Races and afterward in other events.
He said his crew cut 10 feet off the plane's length and made other modifications to improve its aerodynamic abilities and reach speeds of 500 miles per hour.
"I know it will do the speed, the systems aren't proven yet. We think they're going to be OK," Leeward said in the video dating from June.
Houghton said Leeward, a well-known real estate developer and pilot who maintained an air ranch in Ocala, Florida, was his good friend.
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Leeward came from an aviation family as the son of a pilot, and his own sons have also flown planes. He worked as a stunt pilot on a few movies, including the 2002 release "Dragonfly."
The Reno crash was the latest in a spate of fatal air show accidents since August.
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Last month, the pilot of an aerobatic airplane died in a fiery crash in front of shocked onlookers at a weekend air show in Kansas City. In Michigan last month a wingwalker at an air show near Detroit plunged about 200 feet to his death as he tried to climb onto a helicopter in midair.
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(Reporting by Cynthia Johnston and Timothy Pratt in Las Vegas and Dan Whitcomb and Alex Dobuzinskis
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