What do you do when you can't fly?

[nomadpete]

Kaz,

 

Can I conclude you are of the same Gurney family?

 

Peter

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

getting married in the USA during my next break in 3 weeks

Fantastic Bluedog, congratulations! Try to get in some flying in the USA when you are there, much cheaper than it is here and really beautiful scenery in most parts. I won't be counted towards training here but hey it's fun and your wife will catch on about what is important and all.

 

 

[facthunter]

Kaz, People who fly the Kittyhawk tell me it's a pretty benign aircraft They look and sound great. I knew many ex WW2 pilots and flew with quite a few. My flying instructor was an ex Changi POW. Most don't speak of it really at all.

 

I was friends with Brian Walker for a few years involved with race cars and I never knew that he was the "Blackjack" Walker of Beaufighter Fame in the Coral Sea. I first met him flying an Auster out of Rutherford. (West Maitland).so you are in good company with your "kite". Nev

 

 

[Bluedog]

Fantastic Bluedog, congratulations! Try to get in some flying in the USA when you are there, much cheaper than it is here and really beautiful scenery in most parts. I won't be counted towards training here but hey it's fun and your wife will catch on about what is important and all.

That is a great idea, I never thought of that........... As a side note, I've managed to fit a little bit of aviation into the wedding. We are doing a helicopter wedding that takes off from Las Vegas and lands 3500ft down in the Grand Canyon for our service, then returns along the Strip at dusk with all the lights of Vegas lit up.

 

To say I am excited is an understatement!

 

 

[boingk]

I like to build/repair/fly model aircraft and also enjoy simulators - I would particularly recommend 'Rise of Flight' and 'Aces High II', both free download simulators for WWI and WWII aircraft respectively. Heres an ingame video from Rise of Flight that I'm fond of. Its got a good backing track and great flying by both of the combatants.

 

 

If you're after a reasonably priced joystick that will actually fit on a desk check out the Logitech 'Extreme 3D Pro' as they retail for about $50 online via ebay and so far its the best sub $300 joystick I've used.

 

Congrats on the wedding, too!

 

Cheers - boingk

 

 

[Bluedog]

If you're after a reasonably priced joystick that will actually fit on a desk check out the Logitech 'Extreme 3D Pro' as they retail for about $50 online via ebay and so far its the best sub $300 joystick I've used.

I've got that joystick for FSX, I've never used one before so I can't base my opinion on anything other than the fact it is quite easy and comfortable to use, and the array of different customisable buttons.

 

I really haven't had much of a play on it to be honest, I don't really have much time in camp unless we've been rained off

 

 

[kaz3g]

Kaz,Can I conclude you are of the same Gurney family?

Peter

Several generations back, Peter. We all originated from Cornwall and branches of the family moved to British Columbia and Australia.

 

Squadron Leader Bob Gurney was killed in NG while engaging a superior force of Japanese Zeros. The field there at Milne Bay was liquid mud a foot deep. The runway was covered in steel mesh and even that tried to sink into the ooze until some Yank engineers designed a bulldozer with a street sweeper front to "clean" it off. The Kittyhawks lost 15 knots because of the accumulation of mud. By the way, Bluey Truscott's captained the Bombers just before the war (Aussie Rules). He also died in combat when his P40 failed to pull out and hit the water off Broome.

 

Private Arthur "Stan" Gurney won a VC with the 2/48th AIF in Egypt and his story is told at the Alice Springs RSL. His medals are in the Australian War Memorial. he got the posthumous award after charging and silencing 3 machine gun posts in the Western Desert with rifle and bayonet.

 

And another Gurney, Alex, was on the trucks transporting munitions up through the Centre to Darwin along with my Dad. Alex was the cartoonist of the Bluey and Curley comic strip. He and my dad were mates but I don't think they ever quite worked out the bloodline.

 

It's funny how these things mean more to you as you grow old...

 

Kaz

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I read a lot...always have. I especially like WWI and WWII aviation history and good fiction about the same era. I have about 50 Biggles Books and read and retread them, too :-)Have just re-read Ivan Southall's biographical account of Bluey Truscott's life and service. It is a fascinating story of incredible courage. Bluey's war service began with an Australian squadron in UK flying Spitfires and ended when he was killed in a Kittyhawk just after the Battle of Milne Bay. This was the turning point in the war against Japan...

 

Kaz

 

(Karen Gurney)

We have been raised on stories of The War the other side of the world. Keating was right to recognise the efforts of people who fought in New Guinea- much more relevant to Australia. I believe that the enemy got so close to the Milne Bay airstrip that Kittyhawk pilots were firing their guns before they could raise the undercarriage.

 

 

[facthunter]

In answer to the original question "What do I do when I can't fly", some I have known try to keep it secret from those around them for as long as possible.... Nev

 

 

[Sapphire]

In answer to the original question "What do I do when I can't fly", some I have known try to keep it secret from those around them for as long as possible.... Nev

You practice your stick control in a stimulator.