We don't wanna die!

[Nobody]

[facthunter]

You can't leave the earth unless you go above Mecca. Lotsa people know that. Nev

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

Oh don't get me started on the American spelling of "aluminum" (which doesn't conform to the standard spelling principles of elements in the Periodic Table). Just gotta be different, don't ya'?

G'day dr. We've been different for a while now. Airplane, not aeroplane. No boots on our automobiles. Ss instead of Cs when spelling words. And we don't use the letter U nearly as much as some others do - except that we'd put a U after the Q in Qantas. (e.g., quantity, quality, quintessential, Quantas.

 

 

Lots of us don't have to learn the periodic tables, but hear about periods from time to time. I think they're on the monthly tables. We, along with most of the world, drive on the "right" side of the road. But, having driven in Australia, England (which we though sorta covered all of Great Britain until I stopped one night and speaking to a waitress in a cafe said something about England only to be told that I was in Scotland at that point so I better mention Wales too, Gibraltar (can't remember which side I was on there though), the Cayman Islands, etc, I pretty much learned to drive on the left side too.

 

BTW, it took my first two teachers (grades 1-5 - it was a very small school) several years to break me from saying AL - U - MIN - i NUM instead of the U.S's Ah - LUM - i - NUM. And I still cannot SHOUT A BEER around here. No one would know what the devil I meant by that. Sometimes when I mention Alice, they think I'm speaking of a lady, not a town, and never mind that outback thing. If I were to say I was going to the Outback, they'd think I had a PortaPotty in the back yard. No stations here; ranches or farms. No circuits; patterns. And don't get me started on pavement.

 

I think it might have been Sir Winston who said "we are a common people separated by a common language" or something like that. And when they ask me for the brand of some of my hats - Akubra - oh well.

 

I've never heard an American cabin attendant make an announcement like the one above but if one did, he or she might say "die" quite differently.

 

 

[facthunter]

Qantas stands for Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services. How about THAT for a name for an airline that flys around the world? Had to use the And or it would be Qntas. Nev

 

 

[dutchroll]

I think it might have been Sir Winston who said "we are a common people separated by a common language" or something like that. And when they ask me for the brand of some of my hats - Akubra - oh well.I've never heard an American cabin attendant make an announcement like the one above but if one did, he or she might say "die" quite differently.

Don't worry......I have a number of relatives in the USA including an Uncle who emigrated there early in life, all of his family, and my sister who has lived there for more than 20 years. We send her "Red Cross" packages of Vegemite and Violet Crumble. I have visited numerous times.

Try telling an American when you're talking about football that "kicking a behind" is pretty common, but disappointing.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Biology too. Apparently their fanny is in a different location.

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

We send her "Red Cross" packages of Vegemite and Violet Crumble. . . . . Try telling an American when you're talking about football that "kicking a behind" is pretty common, but disappointing.

Vegemite isn't my cup of tea, dr. And to us, VC raises a totally different picture. But I don't know that product. Next time I'm through, I'll ask for a sample. I'd rather try it without knowing what it is than eat a Witchetty grub, or Scottish haggis or black pudding. But I would like some Lamington cake if anyone is sending one of those "Red Cross" packages this way. A slice would be tasty after a circuit or two in my A22. In return, I could send over some Rocky Mountain oysters, and a couple of Southern delicacies such as chitlings, collard greens, pickled pigs feet, and muscadine wine.

Behinds and fannies, I'll leave to you and M_d to sort out.

 

 

[johnm]

just came back from holidays and walking through the airport from the airline gates there were herds of people going in one direction and a few coming back the other way on the other side

 

the left hand side convention was being used (not that its a social sin to do something else) .......... sure enough there was a family of 4 coming back the other way on the right hand side - they were battling head winds amongst the traffic and as they past I 100% heard the american accents

 

never tried left hand drive SrPilot

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

never tried left hand drive SrPilot

Humm, johnm. I thought Australia used the left. On my times downunder, I was provided an automobile with the steering wheel on the right so I drove on the left. Guess your police are still looking for me.

 

Had to remind myself to stay in the left lane and watch for speed cameras. Oh, and when turning right, stay to the left lane after the turn. After all, as the lady said "we don't wanna die."

 

 

[Robbo]

Humm, johnm. I thought Australia used the left. On my times downunder, I was provided an automobile with the steering wheel on the right so I drove on the left. Guess your police are still looking for me. Had to remind myself to stay in the left lane and watch for speed cameras. Oh, and when turning right, stay to the left lane after the turn. After all, as the lady said "we don't wanna die."

Just look out for the drop bears.

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

Just look out for the drop bears.

Drop bears are why I insisted on a sedan when they tried to give me a convertible on my trips to Australia. But I'd rather deal with drop bears than Sasquatch. Luckily for us, neither of these creatures like to fly.

 

 

[Oscar]

Um - and connecting this and the 'Eagle Strike' thread.... http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/eightmonthold-koala-bob-recovering-after-being-dropped-10m-from-eagles-talons/news-story/00f7074835067cba596b9d11484be849

 

To quote the wonderful ( and sadly, recently deceased) British author Terry Pratchett, from his fantasy story 'The Last Continent', which centres on a mythical land called 'XXXX' (pronounced: 'Fourecks'), and in cartography, 'Terror Incognita', Death, having called upon his magical library to provide information of the dangerous creatures therein, is flattened by the falling volumes.

 

Upon his release from the avalanche:

 

'Death picked up a book at random and read the cover.

 

 

 

DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES AND LICHENS OF TERROR INCOGNITA', he read. VOLUME 29C, he added. OH, PART THREE, I SEE'.

 

Drop Bears are but a fraction of what awaits unsuspecting tourists. Sasquatches are just American cousins of Clive Palmer.

 

 

[johnm]

I better check that left and right thing

 

 

[Riley]

Um - and connecting this and the 'Eagle Strike' thread.... http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/eightmonthold-koala-bob-recovering-after-being-dropped-10m-from-eagles-talons/news-story/00f7074835067cba596b9d11484be849To quote the wonderful ( and sadly, recently deceased) British author Terry Pratchett, from his fantasy story 'The Last Continent', which centres on a mythical land called 'XXXX' (pronounced: 'Fourecks'), and in cartography, 'Terror Incognita', Death, having called upon his magical library to provide information of the dangerous creatures therein, is flattened by the falling volumes.

 

Upon his release from the avalanche:

 

'Death picked up a book at random and read the cover.

 

 

 

DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES AND LICHENS OF TERROR INCOGNITA', he read. VOLUME 29C, he added. OH, PART THREE, I SEE'.

 

Drop Bears are but a fraction of what awaits unsuspecting tourists. Sasquatches are just American cousins of Clive Palmer.

Clive is big ego, big belly, big mouth, but comparing him to Sasquatch (also known as Bigfoot) is being unfair to all neanderthals.

 

 

[facthunter]

I've had to think sometimes about which side I get in, in a car. WE probably have it wrong here in oz.

 

. In a plane the big chief sits in the left all over the world, (some helicopters are an exception) So why not the same for cars? Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

..."have been"? Sounds like has been.

If the USA had been metricated they might have got toMars by now.

 

 

[Oscar]

The whole left-right driving thing is EASY. I spent a bit over a week at the NASM restoration facility at Sliver Hill; had picked up a rental Thunderbird at Dulles, experienced the Beltway, found my hotel ( complete with a permanent Cop car parked outside - a new experience in citizen safety for me) - 'this is a no-brainer'.

 

NO WORRIES with thinking about 'left' vs. 'right' hand driving - just remember, the car that will hit you comes through the driver's side window. Just transpose left and right - simple as.

 

Except that this, being the days before GPS, anywhere I wanted to go, I had to memorise the map before setting out, and having worked out a flight path: " Two blocks down, turn right, three blocks later, turn left" etc. - when transposed - produced some interesting journeys, including through areas of Washington DC where white folks are not supposed to go. Mostly innocuous, but having headed out for a friendly drink with one of the Silver Hill NASM guys and finding myself on a small side road stopped by a boundary fence for Andrews AFB, with, on the other side, a guard of dark complexion, huge size, mammoth weaponry and a less-the-amused expression while I consulted a map, tended to diminish my confidence in my own abilities.

 

 

[Nobody]

..."have been"? Sounds like has been.If the USA had been metricated they might have got toMars by now.

"Metric" has helped them crash into mars....

 

http://mars.nasa.gov/msp98/news/mco990930.html

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...probably because some pillock was still thinking in medieval.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

There was a Qantas plane from Karachi to London when the captain welcomed everyone here today.....

 

This led to a hurried conference among the passengers who sent an emissary up to explain.."we didn't come here to die, we came to fly to London"

 

 

[Jabiru7252]

There was a Qantas plane from Karachi to London when the captain welcomed everyone here today.....This led to a hurried conference among the passengers who sent an emissary up to explain.."we didn't come here to die, we came to fly to London"

Man I am dim, I simple don't get this!

 

 

[facthunter]

You have to take the accent into account. Nev

 

 

[Guest SrPilot]

I've had to think sometimes about which side I get in, in a car. WE probably have it wrong here in oz.. In a plane the big chief sits in the left all over the world, (some helicopters are an exception) So why not the same for cars? Nev

Perhaps airplanes (prop types requiring right rudder to counteract prop torque) would benefit from the pilot's weight being on the right side rather than the left, so maybe aviation types got it wrong when the pilot was placed on the left early on in side-by-side prop aircraft. Jets? Who cares? Placement of a pilot probably was of no concern with the development of such things as the P&W J57 engine (like for B52A-F, F100, and KC135A aircraft). Because the B52 has 8 engines, 4 on each side, it might take a really heavy - and I mean really heavy - pilot to change anything anyway. Similar observation re the KC with its 4 engines. Your opinion may vary or your scientific study may prove that common wisdom wrong. And I never flew in an F100 so I cannot say.

 

Although aviation may have gone one way, maybe autos in Australia (and Great Britain and New Zealand) went the other because they were modeled after boats rather than airplanes. For boats, see, e.g., http://www.captkujo.com/aa/aa9072010.htm

 

After all, those 3 nations are surrounded by oceans and have a long maritime history. Or maybe it had something to do with the Coriolis effect. Just saying.

 

Of course, too, historically, the sequence seems to be man, woman, marriage, boats (for long voyages). Cars and airplanes came a bit later and likely could not have been modeled after man, woman or marriage.

 

Helicopter pilots though more commonly sit on the right side, don't they? Here's an explanation: http://www.airspacemag.com/need-to-know/why-do-helicopter-pilots-sit-in-the-right-seat-243212/?no-ist

 

Oh, and back to airplanes? http://www.askcaptainlim.com/flying-the-plane-flying-90/1173-why-must-a-captain-sit-on-the-left-side-of-a-plane.html

 

I don't know any of this stuff. I just read way too much But I did fly my A22LS yesterday. The temperature cold and I was colder. I love warm weather, but I like flying more.

 

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

I've actually met an Iranian who thought we said " to die" instead of "today".

 

They were also confused at the term " main building"... they didn't think we did stuff about mines, so why have a "mine building?"

 

Jab 7252, u speak too proper for summof us oz guys.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

I read somewhere that when they had more than one or two planes on a field in the very early days they had to decide which way circuits would be flown. The engine torque made a left turn easier, so they flew left hand circuits. Then when they built side-by-side seaters, much later, they put the pilot on the left so he could see the field and traffic as he flew the left hand circuit. The rest is history.