onetrack

.......get overpowered by the smells from the hawkers market, and you will end up in the soup, literally - and I can tell you, flying into Pakistani soup is one of the........

The British electric passenger aircraft manufacturer, Vertical Aerospace, has had a setback in their electric passenger aircraft plans, when their prototype VX4 eVTOLmodel crashed on Aug 9, 2023 at Cotswold airport in the U.K. The crash occurred when the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 20 feet and undergoing simulated engine failure testing. It was being operated remotely when the crash occurred, and no-one was on board, and there were no injuries, even on the ground. Photos taken from a distance show a crashed VX4 with substantial airframe damage, especially the starboard wing. The crash will no doubt set back Vertical Aerospaces planned testing and production programme, as the prototype was the only flying model they had built, and a second, supposedly improved prototype, is only partially built. Vertical Aerospace has already pushed back certification of the VX4 from 2025 to 2026. However, they currently hold around 1,400 pre-order bookings for the VX, which reportedly is going to be capable of transporting 4 pax and 1 pilot for up to 100 miles (160km) at a cruise speed of 150mph (240kmh/130kts). https://simpleflying.com/vertical-aerospace-vx4-evtol-crashes/

.....said, "My jolly goodness! A talking dog! And one that can speak Hindu as well! This dog is extra-special! - he must have been trained by the great............

Hallelujah! So Tasmania really is the Promised Land? No wonder Marty's been keeping quiet about it!

More Internet fakery and hoaxing. The image was created using an AI programme. https://www.e-farsas.com/um-mosaico-antigo-com-imagem-de-ovni-foi-mesmo-encontrado-na-italia.html

......Toto, I've a feeling this isn't Kansas any more?" But as the Capt turned to speak to him, Toto was nowhere to be seen. Toto had already been seized and was heading for an Indian street hawkers market, where the Curry of the Day was often........

Probably a good start point is to try and define how many aviators involved in crashes died from head injuries that could have been avoided if they had been wearing a helmet. Not so easy to find that information, as so much crash information is deficient, or many sites need to be trawled, to dig out reports and to try and find the relevant details. We know that helmets save lives in motorcycle and bicycle crashes - but those style of crashes are different to aircraft crashes, where speeds are often higher, and there's a cage with many hard points of contact around the pilot. I really am surprised that more effort isn't put into softening surfaces and recessing projecting controls, knobs, levers, etc., in light aircraft.

Personally, I'm glad we've got Gary Larson to keep our ideas about aliens on the right level, and to stop us getting too serious about their existence .......

I enjoy all the "character" and original Australian place names. It's depressing to find so many old Australian place names were simply the result of naming places after similar-looking places in the Old World. A lot of these early immigrants must have been pretty homesick. I'm amazed at the number of place names that fall into this category, I still keep finding them! But names like Mt Nameless, Lake DIsappointment, Egg and Bacon Bay, Starvation Bay, Candlelight, Point Torment, Useless Loop, etc, all represent a bit of Australian initiative in naming. https://www.winetraveler.com/australia/funny-town-place-names-in-australia/

I don't think our feeble little minds can really grasp what is possible with other parallel dimensions, time travel, etc., that are just sci-fi to our minds. The fact that many UFO's simply disappear or travel at what seems to be fantastically unbelievable speeds, indicates to me, that other dimension travel, or time warp, exists. Our Planet Earth physics and other established natural laws just simply don't apply to these dimensions, they're in the realm of science fiction to us. After all, scientists are still researching, experimenting, and finding all the hidden particles in atoms that they suspect exist, but cannot see - they can only measure them in specific ways. They didn't spend mega-billions on CERN's LHC just to have a school science experiment, these blokes are still trying to find out what makes the Universe tick. https://www.livescience.com/mystery-of-proton-neutron-behavior-in-nucleus.html

I would imagine the U.S. military are not going to let a video be released, that clearly shows the quality and full features of their HUD, on their premium level fighter aircraft, to all and sundry - including foreign militaries, who would dearly love to have that info.

Tik Tok videos rate a zero in credibility. Try some of the genuine USAAF and USN Navy pilots videos of UFO's.

The 767's were weak in that region of the fuselage and after several early fuselage wrinkle events on 767's, Boeing undertook strengthening of the upper crown stringers in the fuselage, in production aircraft from January 1995. However, no retrofit of the fuselage strengthening was available - the strengthening obviously required structural changes that couldn't be carried out to earlier production aircraft. As this United 767 was 37 years old, it's obvious it's an early 767 (it's actually United's oldest aircraft) - and the 1995 strengthening couldn't be carried out on this aircraft. Boeing advice on fuselage damage - https://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_18/aero_18.pdf This is how easily the fuselage buckling can happen - ANA bent this 767 in 2012, and it was captured on camera. It appears the porpoising event was where the damage occurred.

Sorry, my error, I somehow got the idea they were using 787's - I failed to check before posting. Yes, I knew Bonza are using brand new Boeings - the "junky, creaky, ancient 737's" I referred to, are the aircraft belonging to Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar. Some of those aircraft are well past pension age.

It's unfortunate that hoaxers, either people just mischief-making - or people craving for public adulation - have muddied the waters surrounding the many UFO sightings. The 1969 Maddington (W.A.) UFO hoax by 3 young panel beaters, made it to American media, and the Americans were going to send representatives, and pay good money, for exclusive interviews - at which point, the young panel beaters got spooked, and decided they'd better come clean. These young blokes were just intent on a bit of mischief, and made up a UFO (I previously thought they'd used an old Customline hubcap - but the video shows it as a circular piece of plastic with Mr Whippy cups attached top and bottom) - threw it in the air like a frisbee, and got a few good shots of it airborne (just slightly blurred, of course). https://www.facebook.com/StateLibraryWA/videos/maddington-ufo/308819851213323/ It's not like UFO sightings have been small in number, and centred over a short period of time, they've been reported since before WW2 - and many intelligent and highly-skilled and well-educated pilots have sighted them, whilst flying high performance aircraft. Even Jimmy Carter and a group of his friends sighted a UFO. Interestingly, Carter stated that when he became President, he would ensure all previously-hidden and secretive Govt information on UFO sightings, would be released. It didn't happen, and one can only ponder why. Obviously there was a concerted effort to ensure that UFO sightings information and records, had to be kept secret. Whether that was because of the fear of inducing panic in the population, or a need for secrecy around military projects, can only be the subject of debate. I have little doubt that some UFO sightings may be linked to secret military projects - but not all of them. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/jimmy-carter-ufo-sighting I have a number of sensible associates and previous employees, who've sighted UFO's, and have never spoken to anyone in authority or the media, about them. One gent in particular, sighted a very large metallic circular object parked in a farm paddock near Wickepin (W.A.) in mid afternoon, as he was driving past the paddock. He stopped his ute, got out, climbed over the fence and approached it - whereby it simply flew straight up, and disappeared. He told a couple of blokes about it, and they just laughed, so he never mentioned it again. The Yerecoin sighting of a metallic UFO just before sunset in 1967, by Allan Poole, a farm manager, is one of the few UFO sightings where the object came so close in a solid physical form to the bloke, he couldn't get the door of his Landrover open properly, because it actually hit the UFO. Allan Poole was previously a total sceptic, as regards UFO's, but maintained to his dying day, that what he reported sighting was true - and he could not offer any realistic explanation for it. https://ufos-scientificresearch.blogspot.com/2012/09/cold-case-investigation-yerecoin-wa-15.html

The concrete on the front loader was merely a dampening device, using its mass to minimise big wobbles. The ball-type balancers have been around for about 50 years at least, I can remember a company selling them to fit to truck rims in the late 1960's. They used steel balls inside a mercury-filled tube, back then. The ceramic balls are an idea I've not seen before, I wonder how they get the weight into them? Some of the balancers used lead balls, but I would imagine they'd have to be a lead alloy or they'd be too soft.

Oooh, that one won't buff out. Pretty old aircraft anyway, she was nearly due for the scrapheap.

They'll be making a killing with the Fitzroy River Bridge out of action. The temporary River bed crossing is "iffy" and goes out regularly with any decent rain event.

I have yet to see a flight since COVID, from Perth to Brisbane or return, that has empty seats. The airlines are rolling in money with current pricing and load factors - and the fact that they're still using ancient aircraft. They're like taxi operators still running 900,000km Falcon wagons. Bonza have it all over the others with brand new Dreamliners, I'd fly Bonza in a heartbeat if they rolled up here on the left coast. There's no joy in flying with Qantas or Virgin any more. Used to fly Virgin business class until we started getting treated just like another passenger. The only advantage was bigger seats, and you paid accordingly, but failed to get the business class treatment. In flight entertainment disappeared, the food and drinks got cheap - so you might as well travel on the cheapest fare with the newest aircraft. Of course, Jetscar don't even come into the equation unless you like riding in the back of a cattle truck and being treated like a mushroom. Got to be the most hated airline around.

Nev, Bonza are running 787 Dreamliners. Busselton to the Gold Coast would be a doddle for them - unless they bought short range Dreamliners with small tanks. 737's are the current workhorse of the Bris-Per run, I'm sure anyone who offered a Dreamliner for long-distance flights would be rushed - as compared to flying on the junky, creaky, ancient 737's, we get to fly on now. And all the alternates available to the 737's would be easily reached by the Dreamliners. There are a rapidly increasing number of new minesite airstrips that are capable of taking big jets.

Probably worth it when you consider the delays, the processing hassles, the poor seating, being treated like a commodity - and the cost, of commercial flights today. Interesting article below about how chartering is an increasing business. A company called Monarc Global has designed and produced software that enables anyone with an aircraft to get to a commercial-level transaction basis with potential clients, with ease and simplicity. https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/frustrated-business-travellers-get-a-better-deal-on-private-jets-20221125-p5c19l

Seems like you need to update your thinking, Nev - they're in use in regular cars and trucks, as well as race cars. https://www.abcbalancingbeads.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-balancing-beads https://www.abcbeads.com.au/products/6ozbag?variant=44946870862138&currency=AUD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=Cj0KCQjwib2mBhDWARIsAPZUn_m5ICwcfCPz3W5afY9SUkJPLOlZixR3DkvjJUYE7qMW-WUw7wV9NSEaAtiEEALw_wcB