The NH Bushman Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 you just don't have any idea what is going to happen that day.all i was doing was shooting some photos of military exercises going on in my neighborhood. 5371 Update if one were to say, enter "5371 crash" in a popular search engine, one would find my blog on the top half of the first page.the local media is clueless as of this moment, but i think not for long. i expect them to be all over my house sometime later this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braves fan Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 WOW!! So will they "confiscate" or just get copies of the photos?Ronda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HT from Mo Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Very Cool! Who took the pictures that are on your blog?HT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 That's pretty incredible! You just never know how your life is going to go from one minute to the next. Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 WOW!! So will they "confiscate" or just get copies of the photos?Ronda on Friday, i immediately contacted the Air Force thru a good friend. they sent a junior officer over to our home to pick up a CD that i burned for them. on Sunday the officers and engineers came over to interview me and to gather information. they actually included me in the investigation and said that i am free to write about it after the investigation is concluded, which should be later this week.my blog went from 8,000 hits last week to over 20,500 today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 Very Cool! Who took the pictures that are on your blog?HT all of the photos on my blog are mine, unless of course i am in them (such as our wedding photos). then its usually my wife Hui-chen, or someone like my friend Michael Turton (the most famous blogger on Taiwan). The View From Taiwan - Michael Turton\'s Blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 That's pretty incredible! You just never know how your life is going to go from one minute to the next. Julie that is a true statement: I never know how my life is going to go from one minute to the next. one minute i was taking photos as a hobbyist, and the next minute my actions were a matter of national concern. whoot! yes, i have a written statement prepared for the press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniekNY Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Michael - are the pictures of the crash published or just in the military's hands at the moment...I think your observations that the pilots are true heroes is just so moving and true - they could have bailed out but they stayed with the aircraft to pilot it away from the public and to their deaths. Selfless courage and sacrifice personified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braves fan Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Please let us know when you complete your article. This is very fascinating, although sad. Annie, they have REAL wings now!!Ronda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cartmill Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I see no crash photos. Did they get taken off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniekNY Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Right on, Ronda! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Michael, You are absolutely AMAZING! You always have something totally riveting to post. You have the most discriminating, scrupulous eye and mind for detail! Like I said, you are amazing.--Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Michael - are the pictures of the crash published or just in the military's hands at the moment...I think your observations that the pilots are true heroes is just so moving and true - they could have bailed out but they stayed with the aircraft to pilot it away from the public and to their deaths. Selfless courage and sacrifice personified. last night, the Taiwan Air Force released 14 of the series of photos, crediting a "foreign engineer from Hsinchu" with providing the photos that proved their conclusion: pilot error.their report did say that they were heroes, and i am proud to say that some thing i influenced the report because i specifically mention that point several times.its been a media circus here. my blog got 11,000 page views since Sunday. i released photo #1 and it got 500 views on flickr.com within 2 hours.i have an meeting scheduled with TVBS, one of the top TV news stations in Taiwan, on Friday afternoon. please read the subsequent posts if you have the time and the interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Please let us know when you complete your article. This is very fascinating, although sad. Annie, they have REAL wings now!!Ronda it *should* be finished by the end of this week. the military has released it's report and i'm free to do whatever i want. i've also written a few followup posts that are worth reading.the pilots made it inside the base wall by 5 meters. we drive by the wall almost every day. last night, i wept openly as i thought about the report that was released, and remembered what i saw. i was looking at the jet thorough a DSLR with a 300mm lens. i saw the whole thing. i feel very sad about the accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 I see no crash photos. Did they get taken off? you didn't read the article either, apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Michael, You are absolutely AMAZING! You always have something totally riveting to post. You have the most discriminating, scrupulous eye and mind for detail! Like I said, you are amazing.--Darlene <picking jaw back up and closing gaping mouth>Darlene, that is perhaps the nicest thing that anyone has ever said about me. thank you very much. i don't post stuff to be sensational though. this is just how my life really is.some say that i am "lucky" but it does seem that i am often in the right place at the right time (or wrong, depending upon your viewpoint).what makes this story particularly meaningful for me is that i had been trying to photograph the jets all week and they were always too fast. you look in one corner of the sky where you hear the sound and its already too late and they are gone because they leave the sound behind them. on Friday, i was determined to catch them in the act. i kept an eye on the time (because they do runs in shifts), and had my D80 and 300mm zoom lens upstairs already, so i could just run to the top floor and grab it. i got, oh, perhaps 80 or so photos of all kinds of jets going very fast, dropping flares and shooting guns. i heard a noise to my left and found a jet very close to me. i shot 23 frames of continous photographs that show what happened in the last few seconds....one of my professional friends who works for the Taiwan government did an analysis of 4 photos i gave him. 5371 was less than 700 meters in that first photo, and came nearly as close as 500 meters to me as it passed by.i will ask the tv station for a copy of my interview so i can post it on Youtube.thanks again for those kind words Darlene. i am always very impressed with you too, you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 18, 2007 Author Share Posted May 18, 2007 The excrement is about to hit the air moving device. My photos appear to contradict the military's findings. uh-oh.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniekNY Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 Hi Michael - I just read your blog and saw the incredible photos. I agree with every word of Darlene's assessment and I add: you are a remarkable man in many ways. You witnessed the last moments of two lives and had the presence of mind to continue shooting the tragedy. You reached out to help the Taiwanese military and you posted a beautiful letter to the families of the two pilots. You are donating the proceeds of your work.Your bride is a very lucky woman.take care and be well.annie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannoman Posted May 20, 2007 Share Posted May 20, 2007 MJ, I must be asleep at the switch. I am just catching up with your story. I don't know how many folks here realize all the marvelous stuff you post. The photos and the stories behind the photos (and I am not talking about the latest incident) are fascinating. I encourage all here to go to Michael's blog and set aside a few hours to be thoroughly educated and entertained at the same time as I have been numerous times. I agree with Darlene, you are amazing.So good to see you back on the board. I have missed you. Planning any trips to Florida in the near future? I'll try not to be sick next time. Be well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Ted, my brother lives in Florida. we will be back again and i'm sure that you and i will meet. it would be my pleasure thanks for all the kind words. its greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Hi Michael - I just read your blog and saw the incredible photos. I agree with every word of Darlene's assessment and I add: you are a remarkable man in many ways. You witnessed the last moments of two lives and had the presence of mind to continue shooting the tragedy. You reached out to help the Taiwanese military and you posted a beautiful letter to the families of the two pilots. You are donating the proceeds of your work.Your bride is a very lucky woman.take care and be well.annie Annie, your words give me great face. i'm sure that you can understand that meaning, even though its an Asian concept. the way i view it is this: i only know that what i did was necessary. that's all there is to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 20, 2007 Author Share Posted May 20, 2007 Yesterday, i had an interview with a local news reporter. there is an English translation available. thanks to everyone for their support. this has taken an emotional toll on me. http://thenhbushman.blogspot.com/2007/05/5371-united-daily-news-interview.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted May 30, 2007 Author Share Posted May 30, 2007 I have posted all of the photos on my flickr account. They show what happened to the jet on that day.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The NH Bushman Posted June 25, 2007 Author Share Posted June 25, 2007 the civillian investigation is nearly complete. they have done 3D modeling using Goggle Earth to determine what the pilots could see the last few seconds before they crashed. should prove to be interesting reading. i'm going to publish it as soon as they release the data to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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