This Amazing Jet Will Transport Ebola Victims From Africa To The U.S.

[n2doc]

How do you pack two patients that are infected with one of the world's deadliest viruses into a pressurized aluminum tube that is filled with healthy care takers and pilots for 12 hours and not get almost everyone infected in the process? You use this old ex-Royal Danish Air Force Gulfstream III that is highly modified to convey very ill people over very long distances.


N173PA looks like it belongs to the military, in fact the USAF and USMC have an almost identical paint job on some of their C-20 aircraft, and like N173PA, some of them also feature a massive clam-shell cargo door as well. This 32 year old Gulfstream III was once owned and operated by the Royal Danish Air Force and wore the military tailcode 'F-313' at the time. The jet still retains her original Royal Danish Air Force livery, minus the government titles and insignia of course.

'F-313' was sold to U.S. military air support provider Phoenix Air in January of 2005. Phoenix Air is well known for providing adversary support and electronic warfare training to the DoD. With their massive fleet of tiger-striped Learjets being forward based near key U.S. Naval installation, they can often be seen lugging electronic warfare pods and anti-ship missile emitter simulators.

These jets fly attack profiles on U.S. Navy ships and air defense units, mimicking the tactics and technologies of America's potential enemies. In addition to their Learjet fleet, Phoenix Air has two nearly identical Gulfstream IIIs intercontinental business jets, which are used for rapid cargo transport and air ambulance duties.

more

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/this-amazing-jet-will-transport-ebola-victims-from-afri-1614420685/all

[KurtNYC]

1. why fly the victims here?

Our healthcare system is 11th out of 11 in the developed world and our best can't isolate pathogens:

Recent revelations about several instances of scientists’ mishandling of dangerous pathogens—including potentially lethal anthrax bacteria and H5N1 bird flu–at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were bad enough. But testifying before a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week, CDC Director Thomas Frieden confirmed that these were not isolated incidents. He admitted that in spite of a spate of other similar incidents, “We missed the broader pattern.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrymiller/2014/07/22/cdc-errs-in-policy-as-well-as-handling-dangerous-pathogens/

US Healthcare worst in developed world:
http://time.com/2888403/u-s-health-care-ranked-worst-in-the-developed-world/

[n2doc]

2. We may have the overall 'worst', but our top-end is probably the best

One can presume that the folks involved in this do not have a suicide wish and will take every precaution. This isn't 50 year old samples, found in a filing drawer, that we are talking about

[LisaL]

3. That smallpox was still active, 50 years old or not.

To err is human.
Humans make a lot of mistakes.
And it's not like there is a cure, so what is bringing the patients here going to accomplish?

[n2doc]

5. Tell me- How many new cases came from these incidents?

If they were so bad, surely someone would have been infected? Or perhaps there was a little anti-government fear mongering involved?

Bringing there here, presumably, gives them the best chance to survive, and the best chance of examining this outbreak. I'm not involved in the decision making, so I can only guess. I truly doubt it was done on a whim.

[SoCalDem]

4. So they can die at home with their family menbers close at hand

and since they are still alive, why not bring them here where sanitary measures have to be better..who knows, they may actually survive by coming home. The bodies would have had to have been shipped back anyway, and the contagion is still dangerous after death

I'm sure they have planned this out carefully..fingers crossed for all involved..

[KurtNYC]

9. thanks for that info.

The linked article only talks about how allegedly awesome the jet is with no mention of the American victims.

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/special-cdc-jet-sets-off-bring-american-ebola-victims-back-home-605868

[longship]

8. Why? Because the CDC is the premier research place on Ebola.

They've been studying Ebola since the first outbreak. It's what they do and it's very doubtful that anybody on the planet does it better.

They are, after all, the Center for Disease Control.

[KurtNYC]

10. Canadian based firms are ahead of us in the development of drugs to treat ebola

British Columbia-based Tekmira Pharmaceuticals is a bit further ahead of BioCryst with a small interfering RNA molecule (encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles) against Ebolavirus RNA polymerase L protein. The drug is in phase 1 trials but was just placed on hold by the FDA last week in order to investigate the mechanism behind elevated cytokines in healthy human volunteers receiving the drug.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2014/07/29/ebola-outbreak-fears-will-any-drugs-work/

You may have missed the recent stories and Congressional hearings about the CDC's practices and lack of effective control of their anthrax, bird flu and smallpox samples; also the CDC's "gain of function" research:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/12/science/cdc-closes-anthrax-and-flu-labs-after-accidents.html?_r=0

http://www.wired.com/2014/07/cdc-accidents-hearing/

[librechik]

6. good luck

many of the victims (including the American doctor) were infected while using strict sanitary protocol, including gloves, masks, gowns etc. And after watching others die, I'm sure they were very thorough.

viruses are different than bacteria. So much is unknown, and there is no treatment.

sure bring them over here. What could possibly go wrong?

[MohRokTah]

7. That makes me feel a bit better about bringing them back.

Who is picking up the cost?

[longship]

11. Here's a pic.