Pilots Warned About Rocket Festival

[george]

Pilots warned about rocket festival

Aircraft can adjust routes to avoid launch

YASOTHON: -- Pilots flying over Yasothon province have been warned about locally-made rockets to be fired into the northeastern sky all day today. Yasothon's international rocket festival begins today, when farmers launch bang fai naga into the sky in a programme promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The Yasothon festival started last Wednesday but the highlight is the launching of the rockets today.

Amphavan Vannako, director of Ubon Ratchathani airport, said yesterday that the airport had informed all airlines of the event through Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai).

Under the procedure, Aerothai sends telexes to airlines, both local and international carriers, so pilots can re-route flight paths to avoid unforeseen accidents.

The rockets will be fired every half an hour today from 9am to 4pm from Phaya Thaen park.

The festival is held every year to implore holy spirits for seasonal rain, as the rice planting season arrives again.

The festival is held in many northeastern provinces but the one in Yasothon is the best-known.

Ms Amphavan dismissed concern that the rockets would put airplanes in danger, saying pilots had been advised in advance to adjust flight routes on all domestic and international airlines.

The airport had no need to deploy more officials to monitor the situation as everything was under normal procedure, she said.

Village, tambon and district chiefs are required to inform airport authorities in their areas at least a week in advance with details about the time of the firing, the size and weight of the rockets.

Ubon Ratchathani airport is responsible for areas including Roi Et and Surin, as well as Ubon Ratchathani and Yasothon.

Vinit Jinathongthai, chief of the airport at Khon Kaen, also had no worries about the firing of rockets, which will take place in Khon Kaen today, mostly between 9am and 10am and 3pm to 4pm.

The airport had been told of the programme and the rocket launchings will have no effect on the flight schedules.

--Bangkok Post 2006-05-14

[bannork]

This festival is a must if you're not faint-hearted.

I went a few years ago, drunken smoking farmers pounding and packing in the highly explosive powder,some rockets went sideways, some went up a few metres and then veered wildly off course, some didn't move at all, just emitting clouds and clouds of smoke until nothing was visible for hundreds of metres, scary but enthralling.

But many went up, way, way up. I remember everyone watching one rocket as it reached its zenith, turning and twisting back to earth, the crowd suddenly realised it was heading straight back to where it came from,ie us!Mass panic,the crowd scattering in confusion.Everyone should be forced to wear motorbike helmets for protection!

Those rockets are big and they must be landing on someone's property, people at the site are often killed or injured but how about those in the surrounding area? There must be a few fatalities now and then but I haven't heard of any.

[ando]

[Tywais]

A little perspective on these babies:

"Generally made of a PVC pipe stuffed with a mix of nitrate and charcoal, the rockets compete in classes, with the smallest class containing just one kilo of the mixture, while the largest contain 120 kilos! "

[Johpa]

Geez, I had nearly forgotten about the Yasothon Airport. Quite glad the authorities have notified all airlines regarding the significant threat these ground-to-air rockets pose to commercial aviation, not to mention the even greater threat to the smaller private planes one often sees flying around Yasothon. I do hope there is minimal communication between the civil aviation authorities and the Royal Thai Air Force whose planes could also easily be in harms way by these rockets, the trajectories of which can never be certain. I would hate to have to wake up an read a headline 'Thai F-16 brought down by Isaan PVC Rocket'. Although it might make for a neat little Air Defense training exercise and integrated into the Cobra Gold exercises.

Of course all this potential danger could be averted by a Royal Decree rescinding an earlier Royal Decree issued during the reign of Rama V declaring that all aircraft, whilst flying over Monthon Ubol (as the area was then called) must fly below 200 metres.

[Thaising]

The largest missile fired by caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal to kick off the rocket festival here went went badly off course.

Then it unexpectedly turned eastward, as if it had found its true target, ''Boom!'' and then dived into Ban Kwang village, three kilometres away from its launch site in Phaya Thaen public park. A mango tree near the point of landing was knocked down and rocket debris and traces of gunpowder were scattered over the area. The force of the blast broke the windscreen of a school van at the garage and damaged its roof. luckily no one was injured What kind of a festive show it this??

Edited May 15, 2006 by Thaising

[george]

Minister's rocket veers off course, explodes

YASOTHON: -- A Bang Fai festival in the northeastern town of Yasothon almost ended in tragedy yesterday when a one-tonne rocket slammed into a mango tree and exploded.

The rocket, billed as the world's biggest home-made one, damaged property but caused no injuries. Onlookers said that if it were not for the mango tree the rocket would have ended up in someone's house.

It was launched by Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, Thai Rak Thai Party deputy secretary-general and caretaker transport minister, who was chairman of the festival.

With thousands of startled villagers looking on, the rocket veered off course and zoomed towards a village about four kilometres away. It sliced the mango tree in two before exploding and sending shrapnel over a wide area, damaging a van and windows of nearby houses.

"I heard a sound like a storm, which then turned into the sound of thunder," said Kanchit Chantarasarn, 32, whose garage was slightly damaged.

Thanawut Paktaranikorn, chairman of the Yasothon Municipal Council, said the council would be responsible for damage caused by the rocket.

The rocket worth Bt600,000 was financed by Thalerng Wutthijamnong, a rich man from the area.

After the rocket mishap at about 1.30pm, an obviously upset Pongsak cancelled the rest of his itinerary and left to board a flight to Ubon Ratchathani.

Pongsak is one of a number of senior Thai Rak Thai figures accused by an Election Commission panel of being involved in a scheme to hire small parties to provide "fake" competition for his party in the April 2 general election.

Pongsak has denied the charges.

--The Nation 2006-05-15

[Jai Dee]

Up, up and away: A rocket is fired into the sky at an international Bang Fai festival in northeastern Yasothon province, where entries from six nations including Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Japan were competing. Firing Bang Fai is a traditional rain-seeking ceremony in the Northeast.

Source: The Nation - 15 May 2006

[elkangorito]

What sort of life would it be if we didn't take risks & have a bit of fun? Sonuk & Plern for me please

[Thaising]

Everybody could have fun SANUK but don’t forget about safety, this time around the rocket only hit and damaged some properties in one of the village, what if one hit an airplane, who will be responsible for the mishap.

[plachon]

Everybody could have fun SANUK but don’t forget about safety, this time around the rocket only hit and damaged some properties in one of the village, what if one hit an airplane, who will be responsible for the mishap.

If in the highly unlikely event one did hid an airplane, it would be tough cheese, cos they were warned by Ubon airtraffic control!!! So, basically, the pilot would be responsible, for ignoring warnings to keep well away from Yaso.

As one of the throng at Yaso yesterday, I can confirm that this is one of the most SANUK festivals in Isaan. No, correction, it's muan laiii, (especially if you were in the Carabao mosh pit). The Minister really didn't know what he was missing, by not getting down with the guys and gals in front of the stage. Classic Isaan stuff!!!

[elkangorito]

To those who believe that life is predictable...it ain't!!! There is one certian thing in our lives...DEATH!!! The future is TOTALLY unpredictable & therefore how & when we die, is also unpredictable. Deal with it now or deal with it later but you WILL deal with it.

Fun & Pleasure for me