The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

[Ex-Ascot]

Sat around for hours waiting for the sim to be fixed but eventually the sesh was cancelled. Problem now is I have to sit in an extra day because of it. Means 10 working days straight before I get a day off.

Fairly hard working atmosphere but everything runs smoothly and the blokes here very professional.

I also loved that 13 IGS at Kai Tak. Those lead-in lights were for poofters. One followed straight to the chequerboard then broke right at the last minute for the runway with 30* AoB. One had all day really to tidy up the remaining part of the approach for landing.

Why do sims always go TU. Have sat around for hours in the middle of the night in Berlin whilst the technicians fiddled around with the dam things.

Never went into Kai Tak with any considerable cross wind but always found 15 degs AoB at DH seemed to do the trick with the 10.

[OFSO]

Ah, that word - Sims. My SIMS were launch simulations - every Tuesday and Thursday for the six weeks prior to launch. Sometimes just the mission ops control centre (MOCC) and sometimes the MOCC plus the world wide net of tracking, telecommunications and control stations. Briefing beforehand and debriefing afterwards. With a double satellite launch every three months we who worked on commonalities came to HATE Sims ! On one memorable occasion our American Ops Flight Director, George Harris Jr, got so fed up with being in the sim that he declared the MOCC was on fire, had to be evacuated, and we all went home.

[603DX]

The beloved daughter of old friends of mine was on an ambitious "gap year" world odyssey, reluctantly agreed to by her anxious folks back in sleepy Sussex by the sea. She started with HK, and arrived at Kai Tak shortly after this unfortunate mishap, with the China Airlines 747 still in the sea off the runway end. She confessed much later that she almost abandoned her planned itinerary there and then, it really put the wind up her ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Airlines_Flight_605

[OFSO]

Removing the vertical stab with dynamite, eh? I've often thought of the same technique when wrestling with rusted bolts.

[Ex-Ascot]

Just had a phone call from Vic Falls. Apparently our friend was in labour for 22 hrs so they decided to go in with the the knife. All OK but thank goodness they decided to go to Zimbabwe. Mother and child would not have survived here.

A rather warm evening. Cold beer by the pool.

Just inspected 'erbert's bamboo work in the outside bathroom. The lad did well. Quite a lot of wastage though. Can't expect everything.

Got the thatcher coming tomorrow to look at brushing the roof. Also our project manager is going to remove some ironwork from the lagoon which is an old rusting jetty. It is usually underwater but now exposed and looks terrible. Can't have inbound VIP guests exposed to that. Have been meaning to have it removed for years but it gets covered with water again and we forget about it.

[handsfree]

The train stopped at Newcastle a few minutes ago. Took a few moments thinking's of the FSL
and his pithy way with words.

Another 3 hours to go but some wonderful coastal scenery on the way.

[OFSO]

Our builder from 'arrowgate being too busy with his mate building a monster house for wealthy English, brought an older Spanish bloke up to paint some of our place - the heating room ceiling, hallway, stairwell, 120m2 livingroom walls and ceiling. Ludicuously cheap. Never had Spanish do anything before. Builders and painters all British or Maroccan. The latter being superb plasterers and tilers. British and Maroccan joined by a common love of tea, although the former with milk and the latter with mint. Oh, also share sense of humour.

[G-CPTN]

The train stopped at Newcastle a few minutes ago.

Took a few moments thinking's of the FSL and his pithy way with words.

Another 3 hours to go but some wonderful coastal scenery on the way.

The coastal scenery from the train between Newcastle and Edinburgh is well worth experiencing.

[Undried Plum]

Maroccan. The latter being superb plasterers and tilers

Yup. I've seen their work at the Al Hambra in Grenada.

They don't learn that stuff on a part-time City & Guilds course down at the local polytechnic. That takes forty or fifty generations at least.

It's one area where the Arab side of the Semitic people beats the 'people of the left hand' into a cocked hat.

[4mastacker]

The train stopped at Newcastle a few minutes ago.

Took a few moments thinking's of the FSL and his pithy way with words.

Another 3 hours to go but some wonderful coastal scenery on the way.

The coastal scenery from the train between Newcastle and Edinburgh is well worth experiencing.

Don't tell the world!! The beautiful, unspoilt scenery with miles of deserted, sandy beaches is God's Own Country's best kept secret......oh!

[OFSO]

Just flicking thru channels - saw a talk show on Spanish TV where the surname of the beautiful young moderator/hostess is Matamoros. Somehow I can't see Miss Killthemoors going down well in the UK.....

[G-CPTN]

Don't tell the world!! The beautiful, unspoilt scenery with miles of deserted, sandy beaches is God's Own Country's best kept secret......oh!

Indeed - when I was taken to Bondi I said "Is that it?".
Given that the temperature was warmer, however "Call that a beach?"

[boing]

OFSO, when I was at Akrotiri we were invited to visit an AA missile simulator on the coast. I think it was a Thunderbird simulator. The simulator was in a simple caravan and I suppose it was identical to an actual launch control centre.

So, the operators were kind enough to run us through the actual launch process even to pressing the "Go" button. On pressing the launch button there was a bl**dy great roar that shook the caravan and scared the heck out of us because, for a few seconds, we thought we had fired a real one. Much hilarity from the simulator operators and we were entered on the long list of people they had pulled this trick on previously.


.

[ian16th]

Simulators?

In my day they were 'trainers'!

[G-CPTN]

Simulators?
In my day they were 'trainers'!

Ah the stupendous Link!

[OFSO]

Tomorrow I'll write the Sardinia Sounding Rocket and the Old Man story.....

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I have worked on and flown what I believe to be one of the two remaining working Link trainers. It belongs to Wellingborough School Combined Cadet Force

[Rwy in Sight]

OFSO Looking forward to the story.

I am disappointed to note that a drinkable alcohol beer contains 0,5 % alcohol.

[reddo]

What a week at work? The wind was a nightmare. Talk about turbulence, it was a miracle there were no windshears. Only 1 diversion so that was good.

Home a day early so that's always a win.

Today I found out I am going to be the newest CRM instructor. Yay

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Congrats Reddo. You will learn far more about it from your students' questions than you ever knew before, as with any instructing job.