Ops-Normal.org

British GP tomorrow.

So here's a totally boring snippet for you:

Back in 1999, Silverstone became the busiest airfield in the World on the day of the Grand Prix. All done VFR. Over 4000 movements.

Capetonian wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 3:51 pm

a cruise ship is more comfortable and designed for longer voyages than the ferries, but even the latter can be enjoyable.

We did a few P&O Ferries when daughter was in Germany. Hull was convenient for overnight and we decided to push the boat out and go for a suite. Very civilised. One of the ferries had a bedroom and lounge, bathroom and cloak room, stocked mini-bar (non-alc), glass of champagne, free WiFi, so well pleased. We also opted for formal dining and it was definitely the way to go.

Waiting for my flight to Athens. It does not look good due to weather.

All the best to Mrs IB

The EAA convention at Oshkosh averages a t/o or ldg every 15 seconds for the 10 hours a day it is open, for 8 consecutive days. Almost all the pilots are ppls. They do it without any responses from the incoming aircraft - there's no time to wait for them - and have ground controllers under the air reporting points who monitor that aircraft have done what they've been told to. They also have to deal with everything from 60mph floatplanes to jumbos, and being the Experimental Aircraft Association, there's some pretty weird stuff flying around; 10,000+ aircraft in total arrive and depart each year. There were 600,000 visitors last year. 172 ATC controllers worked last year's event, and the NOTAM was 32 pages long. This year's event starts in 9 days.

Mrs 4ma has ordained that tomorrow, the telly is exclusively reserved for her to watch the Cricket World Cup Final and she is not to be disturbed under any circumstances once play has started. Any food requirements will be sorted after the match.

Hope for a speedy recovery for Mrs Ibbie.

Pontius Navigator wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:23 pm

Capetonian wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 3:51 pm

a cruise ship is more comfortable and designed for longer voyages than the ferries, but even the latter can be enjoyable.

We did a few P&O Ferries when daughter was in Germany. Hull was convenient for overnight and we decided to push the boat out and go for a suite. Very civilised. One of the ferries had a bedroom and lounge, bathroom and cloak room, stocked mini-bar (non-alc), glass of champagne, free WiFi, so well pleased. We also opted for formal dining and it was definitely the way to go.

I did the Hull - Europort overnight a few times in the early 70's.

The best accommodation was 2 bunk cabins. If you slipped the steward a decent tip, you didn't have to share.

One of the ships, The Noreland? went to the Falklands!

reddo wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:28 pm

Yep, trabbforce for Mrs IB.

+1

I will add mine ..+2

Fox3WheresMyBanana wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 8:29 pm

The EAA convention at Oshkosh averages a t/o or ldg every 15 seconds for the 10 hours a day it is open, for 8 consecutive days.

I flew a wee Cessna Aerobat there in 1981. One was given a slot ±30secs at a particular entry point and required to fly at exactly 90kts IAS and told to STFU on R/T. A controller watched you arrive at the VRP and gave you your joining instructions and landing spot.

Not even a click of the R/T was allowed in acknowledgement. Instead one rocked one's wings. As a badge of honour, I did a flick roll in acknowledgement, rolling onto the demanded heading.

Landings were done three at once, with a coloured dot on the runway as an aiming point. Another point of honour was to touch down very exactly in the middle of the dot. Taxy instructions were brilliantly done by hand signals. One held up either one or two fingers, depending whether one was IFR or VFR and one was marshalled accordingly.

The organisation is stupendously superb. Only the Murricanes can do that sort of thing. In the UK it would be a total ****.

It's remarkable stuff; I hope to go one day.

The UK Mil are fine, which is almost all my experience. Wittering was interesting, given there were about 30 landing surfaces in all directions, about half of which might be in use in average wind conditions; and jets could switch from runway to taxiway landing in a heartbeat, and fly backwards. Only experienced controllers got sent there. Coningsby also: "You are #5 to the two Tornados, the Lancaster and the Spitfire." And Akrotiri was amusing; you could be #2 to an aircraft that wasn't there (U2, not allowed to mention it. A place you can be #1 to land verbally, but only cleared to continue).

Casa Grande in AZ has about the same number of aircraft movements as Birmingham International in the UK. I have joined IFR as #9 in the stack for the ILS, aircraft below me included a 737. There is no tower, the pilots just sort it out on the Unicom. It's open 24H; runway lights are adjusted with blips on the R/T. There's an automated weather service also. I once landed there at 2am. It's kinda weird standing in the middle of an active runway, miles from the nearest person, but the warm desert wind is very soothing.

Did some on-line reconnoitring of an establishment to which I will be taken to dine in a few days' time.
Some of the reviews in the Excellent category included words like "yummy", "to die for" and "our fave" which doesn't inspire confidence.

Best wishes for good health to Mrs Ibbie.

God speed all travellers.

larsssnowpharter wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:44 pm

Back in 1999, Silverstone became the busiest airfield in the World on the day of the Grand Prix. All done VFR. Over 4000 movements.

How did the aircraft cope with the chicane?

ian16th wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 13, 2019 12:49 pm

Might this be anything to do with 737 Max being grounded?

Airlines having to work their 320's harder to fill the gaps?

Just my thoughts.

No Ian. It's 3 mobs who are desperate for experienced 320 capts. One is in India, one startup in TPE and one in Nam. All 320/321 low cost outfits. After some digging around I found out I was "mentioned in dispatches" at roughly the same time by 3 different mates I haven't spoken to in a while who work in those countries.

IBBIE I hope your missus pulls through mate. I've known some who suffered the same condition. Not nice.

Ex-A you should've mutinied and converted that boat into a pirate ship and began terrorising the Aegean. That'd unbore everything with you as captain and TS as your ship's wench. I picture you as the Errol Flynn type. In fact in an old pirate outfit you'd look much like him!

Sorry to hear of Mrs Ibbie's travails. Hope the stone makes its way out quickly.

Overcast with low broken cloud. Hopefully will clear up later.13C at present.

Past a very pleasant 4 hours at the Royal yesterday re-reading a book written by some ex RAF chappie
who seemed to have a loathing of frogs. Book was all about some little Greek island.

OFSOs waking up on the Iberian peninsula after a journey involving car, train, replacement bus service and car. I see Macron has announced the founding of a French Space Defence Force to defend his glorious republic. From my experience they will be on strike or broken down most of the time.

Slasher:

Ex-A you should've mutinied and converted that boat into a pirate ship and began terrorising the Aegean. That'd unbore everything with you as captain and TS as your ship's wench. I picture you as the Errol Flynn type. In fact in an old pirate outfit you'd look much like him!

Yep that's me Capt. Susannah York by my side in black suspenders and stockings

CPTN:

I see that this ferry is direct from Amorgos to Athens nonstop.

Yes it is the Rhodes ship which pops in to see us. Only Saturdays high season but quite convenient.

I have lost count of the number of hotels we have stayed at in Athens. We were recommended to try the Marriot used by a friend of ours for the opera house next door. Very impressed. This is now our Athens hotel until I get kicked out for dancing on the bar again. The waiter is a bit confused he keeps trying to send us for breakfast or at least have some crisps. He doesn't understand British breakfasts.

Standing by for the arrival of our Greek corespondent.

Next stop Doha. The Qatar lounge there should be OK.

Welcome back to Espana OFSO and happy travels to the Ex-As.

Pleased to report that Mrs IB is much improved this morning.Thank you for your good wishes.

Almost ready for the kitchen gutters arrival tomorrow.

Another normal CdS day. 23c at present with a wind blowing from the east.

On way to collect Chinese last night, had to negotiate my way amongst various emergency vehicles heading for a large wild fire behind Mijas Golf which was being driven at some speed by the high wind.

Morning all from Somerset West, bit chilly this morning, but not a cloud in the sky, guessers aiming for 20C. Heading out for breakfast and then I’ve been invited to all day braai and cricket party

I predict that Flightradar24 will have more people tracking flights from DOH-JNB than usual.

Good news Ibbie and thank you I hate this transit to and from Bots. A RiS has just walked in.

Please give our best wishes to RiS. See if you can beat him to the draw when it comes to paying!