Is it a glider or an aeroplane...
I'm seeking opinions on this question. Picture follows:
They call this a Sapphire. I remember a certain friend of mine mentioning more than once that he thought the tail boom on a Katana didn't do anything for him.
Ultralight aviation is alive and well in Australia! I didn't go flying in the Sapphire, but the owner is trying to sell his 1/2 share in it.
Warrioring some more.
It was late night, well, early morning hockey on Saturday this past weekend. I've found that the midnight hockey practices completely wreck the day of Saturday, so I had the most nothingest day I've had since the glorious, now lamented, weekends at Wendy, Burt, and Chris's. I watched Star Gate SG-1, pigged out on lollies, and read Harry Potter. How's that for nothing?
Hockey was good, if tiring. I don't suppose I can call it that because it wasn't the hockey that was tiring, I was already so before I got there. It was exacerbated by the past-midnight exertion, but, oh, nevermind, it's just syntax.
The following afternoon, I went flying again! It was a great, if short flight! The clouds were low and rolling in from the Bay and as I got out to the practice area over Lancefield, I found the last remaining hole in the area. Said hole soon realised my presence and commenced closing, which, coupled with the frequent checks over my shoulder about how the weather on the route back home was going, made me quickly decide to duck back down and high-tail it for Sunbury before I couldn't get there anymore. The rule here is clear of cloud and 5 km forward visibility below 3000 ASL. Circuit at Sunbury is 800' to stay under the control area. Cloud base was about 1000' by the time I landed. Whew... Dodged that bullet! What's the phrase?
'A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid situations that require the use of his superior skills.'
Yeah, that one. Another also comes to mind:
'There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots. Except Chuck Yeager.'
Anyway, you can tell my mind is a bit stir crazy at the moment.
The next highlight of the week was ANZAC Day yesterday the 25th. I've mentioned it in the post at the same time last year, but it was just as good this year. It is a profoundly gooseflesh-encouraging mixture of reunion, comraderie, and solemn remembrance. Primarily, ANZAC Day commemorates the WWI Battle of Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915, though now is extended to all conflict involving Australian servicemen and women. Gallipoli is to Australians as Vimy Ridge is to Canadians - it was where the cornerstones of Australian nationhood were laid, as at Vimy Ridge for Canada. Over the 8 month campaign, 8000 Aussies and 2700 Kiwis died trying to take the Peninsula. There were very heavy Turkish casualties as well and the battle ended in a stalemate due to the extreme loss of life without progress on either side. It was also a foundational battle for Mustafa Kemal, later to become Ataturk, quite possibly the most charismatic person ever to walk the face of the Earth. I direct you to Wikipedia for the reader's digest version of
Mustafa Kemal vice Turkish history if you wish to know more. If you ever get the chance to be here on ANZAC Day, you simply must go to a service and experience it.
I'm in the middle of preparing my 1-year (can you believe it's been that already?) Confirmation Report and Talk. So, to forget about that, here's another airplane from the airshow:
The very fine look of the Javelin Jet Traininer from behind. Those curves are almost as good as the Hornet...
Weekend warrior.
That seems to be the formula for the next little while, I guess. First another highlight from the airshow! Canada's getting these now, as are England and Australia. Pretty nifty machines: the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III -
They are like a Caribou on serious steroids! Land them anywhere, put anything in them, take them off anywhere. Long range, easy upgradeability, versatile, flexible, sexy! And they're made by Boeing, what more could you want? (I was going to say 'They are like a Beaver...', but try that one in there in place of 'Caribou'; all you people with minds in the gutter... geeez.)
I went diving this weekend with a small group from the University, which was pretty wet and very scenic. First, I got together with a couple of them on Saturday night and we watched Star Trek! It is good to finally find another couple of nerds close by. Especially ones that are nerdy enough to like Star Trek! Then they introduced me to Star Gate SG-1, which is definitely a worthy series. It was really good to get away from the noise and stink of all the idiots on Blackburn Rd who like their engine brakes at 0200. I'd like to stand out with a sign reminding the drivers that these are actual houses on the sides of the road, with real people living inside them and everything! 500 m either side is industrial, slow down then or use the foot brake...
But, all that would do is encourage more engine brake use.
Anyway, the dive site was at a drop off called Lonsdale Wall and there were lots of interesting fish and sponges and kelp and sting rays and other sea-related goodness.
Back to the grind...
Easter Weekend.
Sorry for the delay. The university was closed Good Friday, Easter Monday AND Easter Tuesday! As a result, I had even less interest than usual in attending and therefore didn't.
Instead, I played hockey on Friday. I'd say my position is now defence, which is mostly because my puck handling and shooting are substandard, but I'm good at getting in the way.
Then, I went flying on Saturday with dead batteries in my camera, followed by dinner at Bruce and Helen's. Then Bruce and I went to get all pumped up at the movie '
300', which just opened on 5 April here. It's sooo gory, but soooo entertaining. Just don't walk away with a history lesson, that's all.
On Sunday we went to Marysville in the Yarra Valley. It's very green, which is refreshing. One thing about the seasons in Australia is that, excepting for snow, they produce the same endmembers during the same months of the year as in Canada. The summer months, December to March, are brown and dead from the extreme heat and low rainfall. The winter months, July to September are green and lush from the cooler temperatures and rainfall.
Anyway, Bruce and Helen's daughter and family are holidaying in Marysville for the school Easter holidays. I think all the tall gums there are Manna gums, which grow very tall and straight. We went for a little hike through some 'mountains' there called the Cathedral Ranges, then ate chocolate and had some lunch.
Monday was whiled in the city rather aimlessly. I mostly visited the ACMI (film place I've mentioned before) and went to a modern video-art feature put on by the Centre Pompideau in France. It was contemporary art, but using television and film as its commentative medium. Meh...
Tuesday was tame (sigh). I seem to have some funny crook neck for the last couple of days, so I took it easy.
Happy Easter.
A Normal Weekend.
Friday night was taken up with hockey practice from 2230-0200. These late practices really mess with my head! But, I was housesitting again for my supervisor, so I had a car and a comfortable house and a cat to go home to, which made me happy.
First, another sweet picture from the airshow: A Lockheed Constellation! Flying! Restored! Awesome...
Regarding some recent comments: Terrafugia! Wow! You're right Ed. As for the foggy ice. While we weren't originally sure what he was doing, the Zamboni guy was out driving furiously around the ice between periods. It dawned on me later that he was trying to stir the air a bit. It didn't work for him, and the fog seemed to get worse when there were people skating about on it. Some kind of sticky advection fog, I suppose. Night vision would have been a much better choice! It would have cut through that fog like it wasn't even there...
I wasn't at the airshow for the Friday Night Alight performance, but I'll have to put it on the list for the next one. It's such a huge show that one day simply isn't enough. Well, one day isn't enough for me anyway, but at this show even more so! They start flying at 0900 and finish about 1630 with no breaks for you to check out the static displays. There were probably hundreds of static displays. You really need two days at least.
Thanks for the Birthday wishes! It was a good day. Sorry we didn't meet up at ScienceWorks, too! I was looking forward to it. Anyway, on with the rest of the weekend...
On Saturday, after working on Flat Stanley's Adventure Book for a few hours, I took off up to Sunbury and went flying! It was wonderful again and I actually remembered to take some pictures this time! This first is an airplane hero shot of the Texan TC. Still with it's dicky flap microswitch. But, that's alright because I'm getting good practice at flapless approaches!
I then proceeded to zoom around the north practice area around a town called Lancefield to the east of a 'mountain' called Mt Macedon! Fun! Bumpy! Good! I only have bad photos of the mount, though, so I'll wait to share one of those.
I figured that since the airplane got a hero shot in this post that I might get one as well. Excuse the 4 or 5 days growth around the jaw line... It was driving me nuts. This is my happy place. And I'll have everyone know that I was not looking inside the cockpit for this picture. That's poor airmanship! The beauty of mirrored sunglasses...
Then, on the way back home, I passed Romsey Airfield. There's seems to be an excellent proliferation of small airstrips in this part of the country. The trick is to find them amongst all the greenery in the positively rain-soaked countryside! Following the road from the bottom of the picture: if you take a look across the valley to the right at the bending in the road, you might find the airstrip. It reminds me of my first few flights at Netook in the autumn when the brown airfield was hiding amongst all the other brown fields.
Lastly, one for all the 150 and 172 pilots out there. Check out that climb performance! That's the Texan under full-power climb in still air with one person in it. That's not even max performance! I've had a question or two about what I am indicating with this picture: I should have mentioned to look at the instrument closest to picture centre. It is the Vertical Speed Indicator and it shows a 1200 fpm climb. While all you people out there who fly real airplanes won't be impressed, for a little carbon fibre, rotax-powered two seater, it is a rush! Especially when your used to the 500 fpm that a Cessna 150 gives you when on climb out (with a thermal helping!). I'm hoping to top this picture one day with something indicating 40,000 fpm, and I'll be sure to let you know when that happens...
On Sunday we went to Marysville in the Yarra Valley. It's very green, which is refreshing. One thing about the seasons in Australia is that, excepting for snow, they produce the same endmembers during the same months of the year as in Canada. The summer months, December to March, are brown and dead from the extreme heat and low rainfall. The winter months, July to September are green and lush from the cooler temperatures and rainfall.
Regarding some recent comments: Terrafugia! Wow! You're right Ed. As for the foggy ice. While we weren't originally sure what he was doing, the Zamboni guy was out driving furiously around the ice between periods. It dawned on me later that he was trying to stir the air a bit. It didn't work for him, and the fog seemed to get worse when there were people skating about on it. Some kind of sticky advection fog, I suppose. Night vision would have been a much better choice! It would have cut through that fog like it wasn't even there...
On Saturday, after working on Flat Stanley's Adventure Book for a few hours, I took off up to Sunbury and went flying! It was wonderful again and I actually remembered to take some pictures this time! This first is an airplane hero shot of the Texan TC. Still with it's dicky flap microswitch. But, that's alright because I'm getting good practice at flapless approaches!
I figured that since the airplane got a hero shot in this post that I might get one as well. Excuse the 4 or 5 days growth around the jaw line... It was driving me nuts. This is my happy place. And I'll have everyone know that I was not looking inside the cockpit for this picture. That's poor airmanship! The beauty of mirrored sunglasses...
Then, on the way back home, I passed Romsey Airfield. There's seems to be an excellent proliferation of small airstrips in this part of the country. The trick is to find them amongst all the greenery in the positively rain-soaked countryside! Following the road from the bottom of the picture: if you take a look across the valley to the right at the bending in the road, you might find the airstrip. It reminds me of my first few flights at Netook in the autumn when the brown airfield was hiding amongst all the other brown fields.
Lastly, one for all the 150 and 172 pilots out there. Check out that climb performance! That's the Texan under full-power climb in still air with one person in it. That's not even max performance! I've had a question or two about what I am indicating with this picture: I should have mentioned to look at the instrument closest to picture centre. It is the Vertical Speed Indicator and it shows a 1200 fpm climb. While all you people out there who fly real airplanes won't be impressed, for a little carbon fibre, rotax-powered two seater, it is a rush! Especially when your used to the 500 fpm that a Cessna 150 gives you when on climb out (with a thermal helping!). I'm hoping to top this picture one day with something indicating 40,000 fpm, and I'll be sure to let you know when that happens...
