This afternoon, a number of news agencies are reporting that Greek criminal Vassilis Palaiokostas has escaped from prison. Again. That isn’t what makes this story awesome, though. The cool factor is in how this criminal pulled off the feat.

Vassilis Palaiokostas, 44, had escaped from the maximum security prison in 2006 in an operation involving helicopters and fast cars.

Ok…. I don’t really know what this means… but I want more. The photo shown to the right is the helicopter that was used to perform the lift. It was apparently abandoned in a Grecian suburb.

Conflicting reports say that the convict’s accomplices hijacked the helicopter with a hand grenade and other small arms, forcing the pilot to pick up the inmate and bring them to their stashed motorcycles. Motorcycles??? This is getting even cooler.

According to the Athens News Agency, this latest attempt was the pinnacle of bond-like awesome escapes, in which a woman in the (yet again hijacked) helicopter throws down a rope for the inmate to climb, and the AP added that she then whips out an automatic rifle with which she fires down on prison guards below. The prison guards fire at the helicopter and hit the fuel tank. The heli was found abandoned near a highway, and no one is reported to be injured.

Nothing is said about what mode of transportation was used to take the group from the heli to their next destination. I think that it’s safe to say that it was probably a Pagani Zonda (see image below).

It’s already Thanksgiving on the eastern seaboard, and we are all gearing up for a food and football. While you are enjoying your mid-afternoon 3rd quarter nap, remember that there are U.S. Soldiers fighting on multiple fronts on the war against terrorism.

I pray for the safe return of our troops and for peace on the families of the fallen.

And just for fun… here’s a video to remind us all how awesome our military is.