So What did you do Today?

[hifly 925]

Went to a car boot sale this morning in the lovely E. Sussex countryside, some amazing cloudscapes, (must get a good Wx). There I bought a DVD of the film Red Tails, WW2 Afro-American fighter squadron, watched it this afternoon, bit cliched but good aerial scenes. Those guys deserve respect. Also bought a book The Bruneval Raid about a WW2 British paratroop raid to steal vital parts of German radar. Look forward to reading that. Total outlay £2.50.

 

Roast beef's in the oven, wine's breathing. Life's sweet.

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Was out this morning reasonably early (for me for a Sunday!) taking photos of GAA Specials (GAA being the Gaelic Athletics Association - the main sporting body in Ireland, promoting hurling, Gaelic football et al - www.gaa.ie). The main match was the All-Ireland Hurling Final, between Clare and Cork, with the Minor (under 21) final being between Waterford and Galway. The specials were from the Clare and Cork end, as they would come through here. To get all of them, you would have to be beyond Cherryville Jn near Kildare.

 

In the end, it was a draw between Cork and Clare (3-16 to 0-25). Replay on the 28th

 

Anyway, photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/95093559@N06/sets/72157635432121823/

 

Was also out this evening trying to get a photo of a 3x3pce in passenger service, a rareity. Sadly, the light failed before any decent photos could be taken

[jaydor 345]

Download week-end..

 

Added MegaSceneryEarth "California" to my collection to complete the western half of the USA.  The download took 27 hours nonstop, I use Flashget3 as my D/L manager and although my connection is

 

12.5Mb/s (BT), the maximum from the MSE Server is 1.5Mb/s.  So a D/L manager is essential for any of the MSE downloads.  In all there are 69 files in California and I opted for Calif complete on the purchase at

 

a cost of £66.  I was using BlueSky California but that is made up of Sat images and MSE is made from Aircraft photographic images, hence better clarity.   MSE has now updated their Install manager to version2

 

which now results in a better install.

[britfrog 180]

Had my favorite job again today!

yep you guessed it, why do some people need to use a whole toilet roll at one sitting???

Still I have had a word with my local village workers and they are coming over next week to permanently put an end to this misery

[jaydor 345]

"Quote"  Still I have had a word with my local village workers and they are coming over next week to permanently put an end to this misery

 

That means one of two thing's, bigger pipes or demolish the loo.. 

[britfrog 180]

close !!

in actual fact where my sewers go out of the property there is a swan neck, which is the way things were done years ago to stop the smells getting into the properties. Of course nowadays every sink and appliance has its own goose neck underneath so the big buried one which is 3/4 blocked with white grease is surplus to requirement. Apparently they have removed most of them in the village already , so hopefully that will be the end of my probs

Theoretically

[Andrew Godden 943]

Well, after my exploits across the South Pacific in the slick TBM 850, it's back to something far more classical that rumbles with raw power for this self confessed flight sim addict.

 

I have been flying historical BOAC flights from the period 1946 (DC-3) and just completed a trip from Bournemouth (EGHH), via Marseille, France (LFML), Luqa, Malta (LMML), Gamal Abd El Nasser, Libya (HL67) to Almaza, Egypt (HEAZ) and return.  I have now commenced the first of the many "Speedbird" flights from 1954 in the Canadair DC-4M "North Star".  This first flight takes me from Heathrow (EGLL), via Ciampino, Italy (LIRA), Cairo, Egypt (HECA), Khartoum, Sudan (HSSS), Entebbe, Uganda (HUEN), to Nairobi, Kenya (HKRE) and return.  A mere 8,200 nm, give or take a few, and a great way to while away the days.

 

So, until I next pull my head out of the "cockpit", see you in a few days.

 

.....why do some people need to use a whole toilet roll at one sitting???.....

 

well, for a start it could be that.....oh never mind, but a satirical comment goes begging. 

 

Cheers

Andrew

[hifly 925]

Hi Andrew. I have enjoyed reading your adventures. Have you read Alexander Fraters' Beyond the Blue Horizon? In it he follows the Imperial route from London to Oz visiting at all the places Imperial stopped at. It's a damn good read, lots of aviation history and some interesting characters on the way. 

 

I've followed his route in the modern planes he flew in, or as near as I could get and also my beloved BOAC Connie. Had to cheat and speed things up a bit but it was quite a trip.

 

Not sure if this topic has been covered here but how about members recommending good books on the forum?

 

All the Best,

[Andrew Godden 943]

Geoff,

 

I haven't read Frater's book, however, I have previously done my own research on the old Imperial Airways routes and flown the Eastern route to Australia and the African route a number of times in both historical aircraft of the time and other "prop liners".  A VA I am associated with, which focuses on the old "prop liners" and their historic routes, has Imperial Airways covered in some detail.

 

Cheers

Andrew

[rosariomanzo 545]

Worked hard all week, today also, well beyond the usual hours. We had a tough project deadline and couldn't fail this one.

Today I'm finally back home, on my P-40N!

[hifly 925]

G'day Andrew. Fraters' bonza book is a must if you are interested in Imperial.

 

Best, Geoff.

[britfrog 180]

This weekend took part in a classic car rally in southern france and mostly northern Spain, very tiring but back home now, this is what we used

 

 

 

[hifly 925]

 CLASS motor britfrog.

 

Today here in Hastings a Tri-motor flew over, not sure whether it was a Ford or a Junkers. Great sight and sound.

 

[J G 927]

Spent the weekend in North Wales hoping to see some RAF aircraft at Valley.

Woke up to a howling gale and driving rain, couldn't even see Anglsea from the mainland.

Back in the beautiful south now having seen diddlie squat!

[hifly 925]

What weather do you expect in Wales except rain?  

[britfrog 180]

spent most of the day fitting a VMC in the attic, not a good move having woken up with sore knees after the weekends rally, now my knees are screaming at me, i think i will give my knees a day ir two off starting tomorrow.

[J G 927]

This weekend took part in a classic car rally in southern france and mostly northern Spain, very tiring but back home now, this is what we used

is that a red Alpha 1750 on the edge of the photo? I used to own a white one back in the day...... she was a beauty..........

[britfrog 180]

yes it is John, in immaculate condition. We all know how rotten they could be but this was in "as new" condition they had driven down 8 hours from Paris to take part in the rally

here is a slightly better pic

 

 

For those interested in classic cars here are a few more pics

 

 

This village was a stop for a coffee  (in the clouds) and yes that is a Hillman Minx,,, ex factory car used in the motecarlo rally, again in excellent condition

 

an immaculate proper cooper S complete with snow tyres on roof

 

the assembly point at some 5 thousand feet in height

 

 

 

[hifly 925]

That little Alfa is so cute.

 

Our usual trot out to a local car boot sale this morning has put a real smile to my face. I came home with two bound volumes of The Aeroplane 1952. Now 1952 was probably one of the most interesting years for experimental aircraft civil and military. There are lots of black and white pictures and some in colour of a Comet on a proving flight down through Africa. Some fantastic illustrations of proposed designs. Lots of famous aviation heroes. Lots of Brylcream, round spectacles and pipes. Hours of reading ahead.

 

From the same chap, I also bought a 1:72 scale Piasecki-Vertol H-21C Shawnee and a Whirlwind diecast metal models by Amercom, all the above for £15. He was an aviation nut so we had a long natter. All this in the lovely Sussex countryside. 

 

The Sunday roast is in the oven, the cat's asleep in the chair next to me, my son is playing The Very Best of James Brown, my other son is actually tidying his room! Kate is finishing Stephen E. Ambroses' D-Day. We've promised ourselves a visit to the D-Day sites sometime to pay our respects.

 

Wait a minute! Am I dreaming?

[J G 927]

Oh the memories......  The White Alpha was my second car.  My first was an Austin Cooper of the same vintage as the blue one shown above.  Being a Cooper it had the 998cc engine and not the 1275cc of the Cooper S...... and mine was a less than exciting beige with a white roof. 

[hifly 925]

I had the Alpha Sprint Veloce, banana yellow, went like the clappers. Great rasping exhaust sound. Used to pick up my then girlfriend, now my wife, from work. She would hear it coming from a mile off. You have to own a mad car once in your life.

[britfrog 180]

Even Jeremy Clarkson likes Alphas !!

 

 

[hifly 925]

Even Jeremy Clarkson likes Alphas !!

He also waxed lyrical about Lancias I seem to remember, saying they were one of the best rally cars in their time.

 

Jeremy and James did a nice eulogy on the demise of SAAB too. I've owned various SAABs for the last 20 years, my favourite being the 'classic' 900 turbo, An Aero 900 in black would be my ideal. Apparently they were the choice of airline pilots and architects, not that I would put myself in that league.

 

I like their idiosyncrasies; the distinctive styling, dashboard knobs that look like they came from a 1950s' gas cooker, the 'belly button' ignition on the floor. Plus the fact that they were built like tanks, I got one up to 220,000 miles before it died. The ride is more like a glide and the seats like a comfortable old chair.

 

You know what SAAB stands for, Something Any ***hole Buys.

 

PS. Thanks for the accolade.

[britfrog 180]

I think SAABS deserve respect for standing up to GM and not compromising their cars even though it lead to their closure, in years to come their reliability and strength of construction will lead to them being a cult car

[hifly 925]

I think SAABS deserve respect for standing up to GM and not compromising their cars even though it lead to their closure, in years to come their reliability and strength of construction will lead to them being a cult car

Absolutely. Unfortunately my current SAAB is a GM ed 900 turbo Talledega!? Nice leather interior n stuff, goes like the clappers and was cheap. I can't complain but it just ain't the same.

 

BTW. Thanks for the accolade above.