Wayne T Mathews

Wow !!! You met old Vince in England... Crickey, the old bloke has been threatening to go over and teach the Poms a thing or three for ages, and now you're telling us he's finnally done it? Wow !!! In the old days, when the mallee country (Google Mallee) of N - NW Victoria (which is where Swan Hill is) was being cleared so the land owners could grow wheat, the roots of the Mallee scrub trees had to be grubbed from the ground. Because "Mallee roots" would burn down easily, and with tremendous heat, to a fine ash that resembled talcum powder, they were a prized fuel for the wood burning stoves people had in those days. I've seen photos of train loads of "mallee roots" being transported to Melbourne for that purpose. Now, in the Australian vernacular, "root" is as "screw" is to Americans. Does it make sense now?

It just occured to me: My wife had an Uncle who lived in one of the Southern States of America. Old Uncle Mac used to drill a hole in the corner of last year's Sears catalogue and hang it on a nail in the outhouse. He reckoned it was great value. Entertaining, high quality, strong paper, and the ink didn't come off like the newspaper stuff did. Perhaps there is a great use for expired ERSAs after all !!!

In a previous life, at the end of the Captain's brief and while taking the the runway for a test flight in a DC10, the Test Captain asked, "Are there any questions?" I leant forward from the F/E panel and said, "Yair Neil. What's the purpose of life?" Without missing a beat, he said, "Flying Jets, driving Vetes, drinkin' Whiskey and chasin' Women. And if you've got no other questions, set thrust 'cause I'm gunna aviate." You've just gotta love a man like that, eh?

YEE HAARRR !!!... The dream is alive and well... Go Scotty, GO !!!...

Holy mackeral, getting from Wayne T...? Mark C...? and around the key board to rearrange the words and conjure up a vision of Mark Twain...? Now that's clever. And I thank you for the compliment by association. But I have to ask you Riley. What were you smoking? It had to be really good stuff...

Come on Fellahs. Give the man a fair go, please. I don’t know Mark Clayton from a bar of soap. But I do know Hunter Jones, one of the other blokes on the GM shortlist who made it to the interviews. And I’ll make no bones about it, I did everything I could to help Hunter get the job because I know he’s a switched on man and we’d work well together. When Hunter rang me to tell me he hadn’t got the job, I reckon I was almost as disappointed as he was. And when Kate Prior, the Lady from F2Frecruiting, rang me yesterday to tell me my start date would have to be Tuesday because Monday is a public holiday in Canberra, I told her I was disappointed Hunter hadn’t got the job, and I asked why he hadn’t got it. Kate told me the three GM candidates were neck and neck at the end of the interviews on Thursday with Hunter ahead by a hair. But that on Friday morning, before the remaining two TM interviews got underway, it was decided that Mark’s personality would be a better fit in RA Aus. I have to tell you: at first I didn’t believe that, because Hunter is a top bloke. But then I thought, hang on a minute, I don’t know Mark from a bar of soap. But Mike App, Steve Runciman and Geoff Kidd interviewed these blokes. They do know them. And at least two out of the three interviewers decided that Mark was the better man for the job. With that in mind, I’ve come to the realization that I’m going to be in hog heaven (and I’ve told Hunter this) because I’m going to be working with a bloke that Mike, Steve and Geoff have assessed will be better to work with than Hunter. Okay, it’s selfish of me to say this. But how good is that for me? And by extension, I reckon the odds are it’s going to be bloody good for RA Aus too. So please Fellahs, let’s give the man a fair go.

Arthur went with the original idea and it's working fine... Mike modified his because... and it broke... Hmmmm...

Hey Scott, You've heard me say this before, and I don't want to be a smart ar*se, but what does the manual say?

Wayne to Earth... Come in Earth... Yep, I'm over the moon about being selected as the Tech Manager, and I feel honoured to be given the oportunity to be part of the team involved in what I'm thinking of as a healing process. Thanks for the kind words and support fellahs. But there's a couple of things that I'd like to correct please. I'm not the Mathews who is the supa/aeropup guru, Alan. That's another Mathews whom I've yet to meet. Over the couple of years I've been posting here, I can't remember an instance when I've been able to say to David Isaac, "Sorry Mate, but you've got that wrong." But then I've never heard him talking about me before, so it's not really a level playing field is it?... I'm an L3, not an L4 David... Thank you for the promotion, but I haven't earnt it yet so I'll hold off on that one for the moment. The rest of what you've said is pretty right. I joined the RAAF in '68 as a 16 year old apprentice on #22 intake. I graduated as an Airframe Fitter from what was, and may well still be, the strictest boarding school in Australia, the RAAF School of Technical Training (RSTT) at Forrest Hill, Wagga NSW. And I did spend time as a check and training flight engineer on some of the biggest aircraft out there, before I chucked it in and came back to Australia in 2004, bought a motel lease to pay for my habit, and proceeded to get involved with recreational aviation and the people who fly for the pure joy of it. I've actually got three sons in the Australian Defence Forces. Lincoln is a W.O. in the RAAF. Nathan is a Sergeant in the Army (but flying on helicopters as a crewy). And young James is coming up for his LACs in the RAAF. I also have a daughter, but Lorene has chosen to return to America and is working for a publishing house over there. Thanks again for the kind words and suport fellahs.

This is along the line that argues little boats are stronger and safer than big ships. If you doubt little boats are stronger and safer, have a look at the little boats people get into when the big ship gets into trouble...

You're right Kaz. Very interesting. Thank you for posting it...

Then you would have gone to the same school Maj. It was/is the strictest boarding school in the country. RAAF School of Technical Training (RSTT) Wagga. Rowdy was a framey on 21 intake of apprentices, I was a framey on 22 intake. And you're right, he wasn't a big bloke physically, but he sure as hell punched above his weight. It's one of my bragging points that I got to play League on the same team with him for a season. And in one game between 21 & 22 intake, I got to play against him. It cost me a broken nose, but I've been able to truthfully say to my sons, "I tackled, and brought down Tommy Raudonikis once." I'm not sure they believe me though.

Nose down and power on, she'll make it...

I was told when I went to school with him, that Tommy (Rowdy) Raudonikis kept a pair as pets.