Early Risers.

[tetsudofan]

15 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

I went to Beijing via HK in 1990 on a BA 747-400. Managed to get in the cockpit for a visit on the HK-Beijing leg.

The chequerboard is there as a visibility distance marker. They fly on ALS towards the chequerboard and at a certain point get a signal to turn to land. If they can't see the chequerboard, they won't see the runway.

 

Apparently they put enough fuel on board at HK for the return Beijing trip, as they didn't trust the fuel quality in China!

When taking off, I could almost swear that he backed the aircraft up to make maximum use of the takeoff towards the harbour

 

On the same trip, we returned to Beijing in a Chines built copy of a Russian designed twin turbprop, complete with fold-down seats.

My adjacent passenger was an ex-Chinese Air Force bomber navigator, just transferring to civilian flying and due to go on a course for 737s. (Another Chinese regional airline had just "parked" one in a mountain the previous week.

We had a great conversation as he was learning English and wanted to know about the uses of "could" and "would".

 

The return was a Lufthansa 747 from Beijing to Frankfurt, so that was my one and only trip to HK.

 

Reading the bit about backing the aircraft up to make maximum use of the takeoff  reminds me of taking off and landing at Tans Son Nhut airport in Saigon in 1968/69.

 

As the countryside around Saigon was infiltrated by the Vietcong aircraft would taxi out to the start of the runway, put the brakes on and rev up the engines to full power by which time the plane was shaking. The brakes would then be released and the plane would shoot down the runway and take off at the earliest opportunity and climb away as fast as possible.

 

Landing was just as interesting with the plane starting its descent at the last possible moment and then diving down to the runway.

 

My first experience of this was on a trip to Bangkok and back for a respite trip after a year in Saigon. Outbound trip was on a Cathay Pacific Convair 880 and return trip was on a Thai International Caravelle.

 

My original arrival in Saigon was somewhat different sailing in on  a States Line cargo ship from Manila and was one of the first ships up the Saigon River after the Vietcong Tet Offensive in Saigon in February 1968. Interesting times!!

 

Keith

[newbryford]

11 hours ago, roundhouse said:

Two airports that I have yet to visit although I have seen Faro airport form the train.

 

Talking of which our return trip from East Croydon our train was delayed by 12 minutes as usual but just missed one that departed bang on time as is par for the course so  a reasonable wait for a very crowded train as others had all gone late. Should have caught the bus  as it would have been quicker despite it taking half hour longer. Whilst waiting there was a train terminating at 'Gatwick  not calling at Sanderstead, Upper Warlingham, Woldingham, Oxted....'  - it was a diverted East Grinstead train due to a landslip!!

 

I've possibly been to Faro more times than any other airport - and that includes UK airports.

Having flown to there from Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool, Heathrow and Baz's local Leeds-Bradford on a variety of carriers.

 

As said before, some approaches from the UK direction are cross the Faro area southwards out to sea, above the runway and then do a 270 to land from east or west - the common approach is from the east.

Takeoff - wheels up and swing north. 

 

Faro was my heaviest landing - I think it was a Jet2 737. We hit the ground hard and the cabin crew came on "as you have probably noticed, we have LANDED.........."

 

Smoothest landing [*] was on my second ever plane trip to Boston. In the days of free alcohol in economy and very little regulation.

I started with a vodka and coke - one miniature and one can - and my work colleague was on beer. Two drinks later, he was on the same as me. Next time round, the crew just put two miniatures and two cans for each of us down without asking. And they just kept coming.

[*] Smooth? I didn't/couldn't care less........

Edited February 14, 2020 by newbryford

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

They'll be claiming the deep fried Mars bar next (other suitable bars are available)

 

 

Yes, but do they deep fry pizzas?

[newbryford]

2 minutes ago, tetsudofan said:

 

 

As the countryside around Saigon was infiltrated by the Vietcong aircraft would taxi out to the start of the runway, put the brakes on and rev up the engines to full power by which time the plane was shaking. The brakes would then be released and the plane would shoot down the runway and take off at the earliest opportunity and climb away as fast as possible.

 

 

 

I saw this at NAS Miramar in about 1995.

 

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, PeterBB said:

He'll be 'volting over' at electrifying speed from Amp Shar.

 

Not if he runs into local members of La Résistance.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by AndyID
Doh!

[tetsudofan]

10 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

I saw this at NAS Miramar in about 1995.

 

 

 

Don't think our take-off was as dramatic as that.....

 

Keith

[AndyID]

Many Moons ago I flew from Renfrew to Palma via Manchester in a BEA Vanguard. It took quite a while to get there.

[newbryford]

Four day catchup.... boxes ticked, C&Cs to all that require.

 

Although a day off Tuesday, golf wasn't partaken due to the less than ideal weather.

However, some hacking filling/filing of injection moulded plastic shells was undertaken with a view to them being ready to take to Ally Pally in a few weeks.

 

Work has been exceedingly busy with preparation for a trip north of the border at the end of next week, as well as the usual day-to-day tasks and at least a day and half of unexpected testing that had to be done by yesterday (although tomorrow is now the new deadline......)

 

In the meantime, MIl is moving house, so use of the company van last night was requested and I'm now feeling the after effects of shifting heavy items as the sciatica is nagging.

There is more to be done Saturday afternoon.......

 

Received an email today from Amtrak with a change to my tickets for about 6 months away. Took me awhile to notice that the change was 10 minute earlier departure for our return. That would not have been a problem, as there's no way I would be allowing only 10 minutes to catch a train in foreign climes, as Mrs NB knows I have to be there at least an hour before "to take pictures of chuffers.........."

 

Speaking of things US. Up early (for me) to take Junior NB to Ringway airport for a flight to visit her cousin in the US. Taxi fare will be a suitable bottle of duty-free on her return. Off to work, then take Mrs NB to catch an overnight coach to Disneyland Paris, where she will be with 50 leaders and 200 Guides for 3 days.

Perfectly timed for a weekend off for me at Chez NB and at least one [*] hockey match, game of golf and mudelling to be done.

 

[*] Two if Saturday's game goes to plan.

 

Have a Happy Valentine's day folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

Evening all,

 

Ah Schipol where it was the s aim among various of us if flying back to London on a Friday afternoon/early evening to try to get bumped off a BA flight back to LHR which resulted ina free night in a hotel plus some compensation payment.  Alas  it never seemed to work although one colleague always tried to arrange his Amsterdam meetings for a Friday although he very nearly scored one one occasion but then 'suffered' the consequences of a 'no show' and was given a seat.   In sharp contrast I always tried to arrange any overseas meetings on the same day as our team meeting - because the later rarely lasted less than 5 very long and very boring hours - and one SNCB colleague was extremely understanding of this and always sent a written invitation to the meeting, on the day which suited me.  

 

Faux Friday today which caused me to see the most amazingly bad piece of parking i think I have ever seen, I'll try to post a pic of it tomorrow.  How on earth the idiot managed to not parallel park in one of two empty spaces I will never understand, utterly amazing.   But that one apart there was only one halfwit driver encountered on the journey there and back - a clown who clearly didn't understand how to drive through a partially flooded  piece of road which was less than 100 yards from what amounted to a blind bend for vehicles coming in the opposite direction - at 50mph.  The halfwit obviously couldn't be bothered to judge that the water was no more than a couple of inches deep in the middle of the road so you could go through it quickly - he didn't, utter twit (it was too deep further in to drive in the right place on the carriageway).

 

I have been offered  the choice of Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow - so have selected toad-in-the-hole, romance clearly isn't dead round here!

[newbryford]

5 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

 

 

I have been offered  the choice of Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow - so have selected toad-in-the-hole, romance clearly isn't dead round here!

 

Time for a EA? We haven't had one for awhile.

Edited February 13, 2020 by newbryford

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, roundhouse said:

Two airports that I have yet to visit although I have seen Faro airport form the train.

 

 

You might want to give this one a miss. The runway is 9,000 feet ASL.

 

 

[newbryford]

4 minutes ago, AndyID said:

 

You might want to give this one a miss. The runway is 9,000 feet ASL.

 

 

Or this one.

A friend has been there. Scared wasn't in it.

 

 

 

Lima-Cusco is interesting.

Take off at sea level, land at 12000 feet.

 

The landing wasn't breathtaking, but stepping out at that altitude was.

Edited February 13, 2020 by newbryford

[Gwiwer]

Evening all.  And we're back.  

 

Back from where?  Yesterday I set out to travel over two of the few stretches of railway which have (thanks to re-opening in my absence abroad) not yet received a visit.  The Bridgend - Maesteg line, which once ran on beneath the mountain to link with Treherbert via the lengthy Blaengwynfi tunnel.  And the Vale of Glamorgan which has always been an occasionally-used diversion route but has for some time now had a reinstated service of its own.

 

Things started ominously as my train from the Hill of Strawberries was cancelled.   As I had Plan B prepared I boarded the next train just six minutes later and connected for Reading without a problem. The Swansea train arrived formed of the expected marrow and with plenty of seats available.  The trip was unremarkable except for one thing - this was my first electric train ride in Wales.  The Severn Tunnel still requires diesel power but from its eponymous Junction through to Cardiff those trains are now running on electricity.  

 

I changed for the Maesteg which was formed of the very same class 170 unit which had taken us from Norwich to Cromer last year.  These sets have very recently been transferred to TfW (Transport for Wales) as Flirts have taken over in East Anglia.  So much has vanished since I last ventured west of Cardiff.  Yards and industries have vanished.  No longer do coal trains struggle through every few minutes behind two or even three class 37s.  I saw very little freight all day.  We picked up a wheelchair user at Llanharan which cost us around six minutes; time which was not recovered meaning the return from Maesteg hoping for a four-minute connection onto the VoG train would also require Plan B. 

 

Plan B was to travel out to Neath.  I could have reached Swansea but that would have cost another hour.  So Neath it was and back to Bridgend for a later VoG train and a surprisingly pleasant ride.  Returning to Cardiff for 5pm there was a 37 and blue-grey carriages going up the valley to Rhymney and a 67 with blue carriages bound for Holyhead.  The age of loco-hauled slam-door stock is not yet dead.  

 

Returning to London I tubed over to Euston for my first sighting of Mk5 Caley Sleeper stock.  They were having problems.  The Highlander would be an hour late away and the Lowlander was expected to leave the depot 95 minutes late and therefore also make a late start.  But see them I did before returning to Paddington.

 

I boarded the Night Riviera for Penzance and settled down to get as much sleep as one can in an unforgiving upright seat.  I dozed and intermittently  slept.  I was awakened during the journey by an extremely loud noise which sounded like gravel being shot-blasted at the windows and roof.  We had run into an extremely violent hail storm which I felt sure was about to break in.  

 

Worse was to follow.  What seemed like a short time later I was again woken this time by what sounded like rocks being flung against the carriage sides.  Some hit the windows.  The suddenly rough ride made me think we were about to derail.  It felt like wheels left rails albeit very briefly whilst running at speed over some sort of obstruction.  It might have been a small landslide.  It may even have been a tree.  It was alarming to say the last being sure the trip was about to end with the train "off all wheels" and in the middle of nowhere.  Back-tracking with the help of RTT it appears this occurred at or near Worle Junction as we had come via Bristol not the Berks & Hants.  But we carried on without even a brake application and all seemed well.  Until the heating went off and it got cold inside.  What ever it was had done something.  

 

We pressed on through the night and the next time I was aware of much it was just before 6am at Plymouth.  The conductor was advising us to change onto the local train for stations to Penzance.  It appears that what ever we hit earlier had also done some damage to the locomotive.  Sleeping car passengers were awoken earlier than they expected whilst those few of us on the seats rubbed our blearly eyes and hopped aboard a 4-car HST set.  The "Night Riviera" was going no further.  

 

Even then our troubles weren't over.  Overnight lightning had knocked out the signals between Saltash and Liskeard meaning we had a slow (at caution) trip for the first several miles stopping and obtaining permission to proceed at every signal.  And finally Penzance was reached - 76 minutes later than planned and yet again on Plan B - in the filthiest weather I have seen there in a long time.  

 

Thankfully the storm lifted as the rain was "enting down" as they say there with near-zero visibility.  The rest of the day was an enjoyable meander around my home area before the long trip back to the Hill.  Those marrows don't get any more comfortable and this one was also rather cold inside.  

 

So there it is.  Two days and a night out in the life of me.  With added drama.  It's time for bed now. Good night all.  

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well I made some good progress today, I’ve completed a second relay control board and almost a third (I ran out of transistors) and a start has been made on a fourth board. I also cleaned the tracks on the other seven boards ready to start adding the links in. Although the veroboard is new and still in its packaging, I’ve had it for over 25 years, so it definitely needed cleaning before I could even think about soldering. As anticipated the missing order still didn’t arrive today, so this evening I drafted an email to the company in question and will send it off tomorrow after Mr postie once again doesn’t make the delivery. I’ll then reorder the bits from and bigger, but infinitely more reliable company.  

 

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Had quite an enjoyable evening at SEERS. A slide show of last years open garden railway events. I seem to have evaded the camera except on one occasion, just as well perhaps as I was probably stuffing my face with cake and tea. My friend and his lad did appear several times however.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

You might want to give this one a miss. The runway is 9,000 feet ASL.

 

 

 

Just to the right of the runway are the ski slopes. If you zoom-in a helluva lot you might be able to make me out. I'll be the one in a kilt.

 

Actually Telluride is quite a place and well worth a visit but I only drive to get there.

[Barry O]

7 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

Doesn't that seem a bit unlikely? DEF is injected into the exhaust system.

That was straight from the Audi dealership. I think it may have got in via a broken gasket..whatever it wrecked the engine. If it had been my car I think Mr A Udi would have been in court for providing a badly engineered cheat system.

 

Baz

[leopardml2341]

Mornin'

 

It's a bit too early to get out mi (Travelodge) bed yet as I can't have brekkie 'til 07:00.

 

Tea it is then.

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

We have a relatively mild morning today - Around 6°C.

 

Time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

Today is Saint Valentine’s Day.  I understand that in some circles it is customary to send a greetings card to a loved one on this day.  It is a long time since I have done this, principally due to a shortage of loved ones.  Many, many years ago, when I was still labouring under the hope and delusion that I was straight, I sent a card to a young lady at work for whom I had cultivated a certain fondness.  Within a year she had married someone else. To do this once is bad enough.  I managed it three years running with a different young lady every time.  Some things just aren’t meant to be.  Over the years I sent more cards than I received, which isn’t saying a lot and eventually helped to cure me of optimism.  Before you ask, I have never even thought of sending a valentine to a guy, not even as a prank.  To coin a phrase, a smack in the mouth often offends.

 

There is news of the film that was not shown.  A post on Faecesbook tells me that it is now to be shown on 26th March.  Typical: I am already double booked that day.  It is a shame that the post was not made before I made the wasted journey to the theatre on Wednesday night.  Last night’s trip to the same theatre was by no means wasted as I enjoyed the playing of Alden, Patterson and Dashwood.  You don’t see and hear a dobro every night, that’s for sure.  My mate and I were wondering what the instrument was that made the distinctive guitar-like sound on “Pretty Flamingo” by Manfred Mann.  If it wasn’t a dobro it sure looked like one.  Puzzle over that if you will.

 

Matters arising: Roundhouse was talking about drinking early in the morning at 'Spoons.  A few years ago I was having breakfast in the Victoria outlet before 8 am.  A couple of guys were raising merry hell because they could not procure alcohol over the bar.  Come 8 am they got their wish - two pints of Fosters.  Guys, if you're going to drink, do it properly.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[Ozexpatriate]

Hope everyone celebrates the beating and beheading of an obscure Christian martyr today with cards, flowers and chocolates, or <insert your particular form of devotion here> for your significant other.

 

Me, I'm delighted to be unattached on February 14.

 

EDIT:

Google's launchpad page for today (linked to their doodle) introduced me to a new (yet another) invented portmanteau word: "erocosplay". (It's for naughty role play outfits to save you looking it up.)

 

I also can't help making note of the number of "Valentine's Day" cocktails I've seen on TV today. I guess "Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker" really means something today.

 

A news anchor segued to the weather forecast tonight saying "Cupid will be wearing a little raincoat as he flies around tomorrow huh?" It is forecast to rain tomorrow (the 14th here). This resulted in me laughing out loud but I was reading more into this than he meant.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[polybear]

9 hours ago, newbryford said:

Faro was my heaviest landing - I think it was a Jet2 737. We hit the ground hard and the cabin crew came on "as you have probably noticed, we have LANDED.........."

 

 

 

I experienced a landing like that once (several times, actually).

Whilst leaving the aircraft I asked the First Officer, who was doing his customer relations bit up front, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

He remained stoney-faced, whilst cabin crew struggled not to crack up.....