Aviation, Masculinity and Good Books

[Marty_d]

I thought it was Albert Einstein... (with combed hair).

 

 

[Garfly]

But here's some graphic social history that confounds the masculinity theory somewhat.

 

What to make of it?

 

(Note to Mr. Cessna: "Where's my Family Car of the Air, dude? It's been 73 years, already!")

 

[Enlarged text-boxes below.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Garfly]

Anyway, this should settle the Tri-gear masculinity issue once and for all:

 

 

 

[IBob]

IBob, sure, recreational-aviation is the new lawn-bowls.But that doesn't stop old silverbacks thumping their chests!!

And sorry Nev, this time the cynic might have a point.

 

[ATTACH=full]44029[/ATTACH]

 

Elevator-music is born!

Loving that elevator music, chesty silverback...but what happened to the dog?

 

And I wasn't looking at the hair and clothes, or even elevator, more at his seated stance: to maintain that upright position he would require one heckuva set of stomach muscles, and more so given that his arms appear quite relaxed.

 

When I was an oldfart on a motorbike (before I was an olderfartinasportscar, then an evenolderfartinanaeroplane) we used to reckon the reason Harley riders never waved was they'd get blown off. Try it sometime!

 

But it may not be Photoshopped as such: the business of altering photos goes back pretty much as far as photography itself.

 

 

[Garfly]

Doggone!

 

True!

 

False:

 

 

 

Cottingley Fairies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

[pmccarthy]

And nearly all of Frank Hurley's Antarctic and WW1 photographs. Such as:

 

 

 

[Garfly]

Yes, true, I think he saw his job more along the lines of making pictures than taking pictures.

 

 

[IBob]

Some better than others, admittedly

 

 

 

[IBob]

There was genuine footage of several...um....gentlemen scaling the rear cargo door hinges of a DC3, reaching up to the tailfin root, and shimmying along to go sit on the stabiliser during flight.

 

I suspect it may have originated in your own Queensland.

 

I wonder if any copies survived???

 

 

[IBob]

Then there were these folk; before Life became So Serious:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtG9TCH2tfQ

 

Go to 3.30 for some serious aircraft clambering...

 

 

[eightyknots]

I am not sure how strong the connection (that tailwheel = manly and nosewheel = less-than-manly) really is. Is this a more recent propaganda campaign?

 

When I was doing my flight training at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, the flight school was owned by a female and operated two tail wheel aircraft, a Piper Super Cub and a Piper Pacer. There were both male and female students and male and female instructors. Never did the tailwheel = manly connection ever come up in any conversation.

 

 

[onetrack]

I must confess, I glanced at the title and I misread, "Aviation, Masculinity and Good Looks".

 

Now, here's some aviation porn for real men. It's got it all. Taildraggers, gliders, brute muscle strength, guns ... and aviation engineers. And not a gal to be seen.

 

Ooops - that's right, the gals were too busy building the gear, that the guys were wielding!

 

 

 

[Nico13]

That image gentlemen oh and ladies of course is definitely a made up one.

 

A quick look around the outline of the plane quickly shows a very irregular line.

 

My cousin now in her mid eighties and her husband both IFR pilots and I think she was the one who could have shown the ones with the biguns a thing or three when it came to Airwomanship.

 

They would often when traveling overseas not hire a car but a plane to get around.

 

She cursed when hubby sold the 210 out from under her.

 

 

[WayneL]

I think anyone who has been outside an aircraft in flight will tell you that he's sitting on the tail while they turn her over on the ground...and...Photoshop is born!!!

Shucks...disappointed. .....you burst my illusion bubble!

 

 

[Hargraves]

Hey ibob if you liked "fate is the hunter" try " Sagittarius rising" theirs no bullshit or posturing in this WW1 aviation diary, that he did,nt get to finish himself, but for individual shear guts and dedication as well as the revelation that at least some people involved new how stupid and futile the whole war was you won,t find a better account, official or otherwise. Tallyho hargraves

 

 

[IBob]

Hey ibob if you liked "fate is the hunter" try " Sagittarius rising" theirs no ******** or posturing in this WW1 aviation diary, that he did,nt get to finish himself, but for individual shear guts and dedication as well as the revelation that at least some people involved new how stupid and futile the whole war was you won,t find a better account, official or otherwise. Tallyho hargraves

Thank you, Hargraves, I shall hunt that down. I am a reader.

 

As for a clear view of the futility, I thought Robert Graves "Goodbye to All That" quite exceptional. Not that it has any reference to aviation.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Try Winged Victory by Yeates as,the best book on WW1 flying. Fiction, but really based on his own experience flying Camels. It is on digital in Kindle.

 

 

[spacesailor]

I gave up trying to read a good book while on a trip!

 

The wife complains I"m watching the ROAD.

 

Audio books are good but mostly on tape.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Marty_d]

I gave up trying to read a good book while on a trip!The wife complains I"m watching the ROAD.

Audio books are good but mostly on tape.

 

spacesailor

If you have decent internet, most libraries have audiobooks you can download.

 

 

[spacesailor]

Hi Marty.

 

I was going to say no internet when driving interstate, But saw the "download" comment so will have to resurrect my library card & check it out.

 

thanks Marty.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[spacesailor]

Just noticed that I lost a word from my post, it should have read " I'm Not watching the road", ( as my eyes are looking at the book).

 

spacesailor