Well looks like I win the prize for most mis understood post of all time. Suppose I should ahve used more

. But I'm not going to be

about the fact that you lot can't realise when someone is taking the p1ss
Some brief explainations:
1. Is the herald sun a news limited paper.
I wasn't sure, couldn't be bovvered to check - not taking the proverbal. But still some got a bit serious on this point....
2. What I read was 2 pretty straight forward stories that present the facts
Now this is important so do pay attention, and this is probably my serious point. It was a
factual story, yes they might have put in a few more
facts. But it was factual and that means the story doesn't actually
blame anyone with anything (at least I can't see where it does). Sorry nowhere does the story blame qantas or anyone else. No case for defamation!!!
3. It is newsworthy because it is an australian airline, 300 people are a lot of people, who might have been in an accident with the "congestion", and it was a 747 the aircraft that lets us all get overseas from the remote Australian island - i.e. an iconic aircraft in the Australian situation.
4. "because of congestion" - this is news worthy because it is indicative of poor service from the government via Airservices Australia. i.e the controllers are getting the bashing for threaten the perfect record of the national carrier, Qantas. - implied conclusion IMO
5. by the same token - the airport is getting the bashing because of the congestion at their airport caused by poor facilities that threaten the perfect record of the YADA, YADA, YADA - again implied conclusion depending on interpretation
I'm truely indebted to all you people with your vastly superior knowledge of all things to do with aircraft movements and operations. (do I need the

, or might you understand my meaning here).
[aside=] who would have guessed all those things that you so kindly edumacated me with, poor dumb me who knows nothing at all about this stuff. Like Rita, I feel so up lifted, so raised up out my place of darkness now. [/aside] (Too over the top?)
But seriously, I am very grateful to NM for explaining things, that is the great thing about AFF and especially the mods :straight face
But then I have no idea WTF the details of aircraft movements has to do with my comments. . My comments are about the quality of journalism in this country. The
only thing that I read in that story that might be taken as blame was the reference to "congestion" I'm simply trying to point out that the journalist
could have been trying to point the finger at a number of other causes for the "routine procedure" (beside qantas). (NB no one seemed to disagree with my outline of the iconic nature of a qantas 747)
The hows and whys of the congestion don't come into it, other than to explain why it would be wrong to blame someone for the congestion. (due to all the reasons and facts pointed out by the experts here). But then that is my comment, we have such high quality journalist here that they don't let the facts get in the way. (Whoops, that would mean that I actually understood that it would be wrong to blame the ATC or airport for the congestion)
I hope you all found that edifying. Sorry if I was a slightly incredulous at having to explain this concept. Really, I shouldn't ahve been so insulted about being taught to suck eggs, especially as I must ahve been thinking in such a complex and abstract way.
6. weren't you lot all here complaining about how the almost worst avaition disaster (EK late lift off) in Australian history was not reported in the papers. So they didn't report a takeoff/landing/airport incident and you whinge, now they do report it and you whinge
But then who cares?
An incident where procedure wasn't followed but it worked out ok. How is that any more newsworthy than a situation where if procedure isn't followed 2 planes could crash, but lucky procedure was followed and it worked out ok?
Please understand this is a
rhetorical question. Note my earlier comments on standards of journalism. I don't expect or want an answer.
Note that this could actually be a good news story about how great our procedures are and the qantas piilots and the ATC and just everyone involved. Hard to say, maybe this "routine procedure" is a factual story with no basis. :0