The Olympic torch is due to arrive in the UK today. The answer to the question of how to transport the Olympic flame to the UK has been highly anticipated and it has been revealed that the flames will fly.
The Olympic torch has been unique to the Olympic Games since ancient times. Through the centuries it’s use fell by the wayside somewhat but since it was firmly reintroduced in 1928 it’s fire has burned brightly, uniting nations for the most prestigious sporting games in the world.
The Olympics come to London this summer and the logistics of how to carry a burning flame from the home of the Olympics in Athens to the host country has posed a dilemma of sorts for years – travelling by land would (in the majority of cases) take too long, travelling by sea would also take a considerable amount of time and travel by air, while the fastest means of transport, poses safety issues.
However, transport by air has been decided on as the method of choice and the Olympic flame will travel to the UK on the British Airways Airbus A319 ‘The Firefly’. A number of fire safety precautions have been put in place to ensure that the flame arrives in the UK alight and that the safety of the crew and the VIP passengers on the flight is not compromised.
Lanterns, akin to a miner’s safety lamp, are used to transport the flame on the plane (these lamps are also used during the torch’s relay around the host country, as a back-up in case the primary torch goes out). There are four lamps carrying the flames in total, these are strapped in to special brackets in 2 seats in business class alongside a Metropolitan police officer trained in firefighting who will monitor the lanterns for the duration of the flight.
Fire is, of course, classed as ‘dangerous goods’ which are normally prohibited from being stored on a plane. To permit this flight, a special fire safety case had to drawn up by the the pilot of the The Firefly, Captain David Thomas, and BA’s Dangerous Goods team for presentation to the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
The flight departs from Athens International Airport this evening at 5pm local time (3pm in the UK) and is due to arrive in Cornwall’s Culdrose Royal Navy base after 1,500 miles and just under 4 hours.
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