The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

General Chit Chat
Message
Author
larsssnowpharter
Capt
Capt
Posts: 830
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2018 3:31 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Gender:

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9161 Post by larsssnowpharter » Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:44 pm

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.

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9162 Post by Pontius Navigator » 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.

User avatar
Rwy in Sight
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6740
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:04 pm
Location: Lost in an FIR somewhere
Gender:

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9163 Post by Rwy in Sight » Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:51 pm

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

All the best to Mrs IB

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 12979
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9164 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » 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. 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.

User avatar
4mastacker
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5141
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 5:38 pm
Location: With the wife
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9165 Post by 4mastacker » Sat Jul 13, 2019 8:54 pm

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.
It's always my fault - SWMBO

User avatar
ian16th
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 10029
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:35 am
Location: KZN South Coast with the bananas
Gender:
Age: 87

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9166 Post by ian16th » Sat Jul 13, 2019 9:58 pm

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!
Cynicism improves with age

User avatar
ian16th
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 10029
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:35 am
Location: KZN South Coast with the bananas
Gender:
Age: 87

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9167 Post by ian16th » Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:03 pm

reddo wrote:
Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:28 pm
Yep, trabbforce for Mrs IB. :)
+1
Cynicism improves with age

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 12979
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9168 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:20 pm

I will add mine ..+2

User avatar
Undried Plum
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7308
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 8:45 pm
Location: 56°N 4°W

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9169 Post by Undried Plum » Sat Jul 13, 2019 11:23 pm

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. :YMAPPLAUSE: Only the Murricanes can do that sort of thing. In the UK it would be a total ****.

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 12979
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9170 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Sat Jul 13, 2019 11:58 pm

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.

Karearea
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 4746
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2015 5:47 am
Location: The South Island, New Zealand

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9171 Post by Karearea » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:12 am

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. :-s

Best wishes for good health to Mrs Ibbie.

God speed all travellers.
And with the morn, those angel faces smile...

User avatar
llondel
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5909
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:17 am
Location: San Jose

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9172 Post by llondel » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:24 am

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?

Slasher

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9173 Post by Slasher » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:29 am

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!

IMG_3938.JPG

User avatar
handsfree
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 2607
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 5:56 am
Location: EGNX country.
Gender:
Age: 68

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9174 Post by handsfree » Sun Jul 14, 2019 5:56 am

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. :-bd

User avatar
OFSO
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 18597
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 6:39 pm
Location: Teddington UK and Roses Catalunia
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9175 Post by OFSO » Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:18 am

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.

User avatar
Ex-Ascot
Test Pilot
Test Pilot
Posts: 13095
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:16 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Gender:
Age: 68

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9176 Post by Ex-Ascot » Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:52 am

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 :ymdevil:

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.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

User avatar
Ibbie
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6077
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 9:11 pm
Location: Mijas Costa, Malaga, Spain
Gender:
Age: 74

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9177 Post by Ibbie » Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:03 am

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.

User avatar
Woody
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 10244
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:33 pm
Location: Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand
Age: 59

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9178 Post by Woody » Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:06 am

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 :D

I predict that Flightradar24 will have more people tracking flights from DOH-JNB than usual.
When all else fails, read the instructions.

User avatar
Ex-Ascot
Test Pilot
Test Pilot
Posts: 13095
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:16 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Gender:
Age: 68

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9179 Post by Ex-Ascot » Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:44 am

Good news Ibbie and thank you I hate this transit to and from Bots. A RiS has just walked in.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

Capetonian

Re: The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread IV

#9180 Post by Capetonian » Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:52 am

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

Locked