Category: Aircraft

Carrier landings: “A perishable skill!” Notes

Background information behind the YouTube Background videos shown on Learning from Dogs

Many will have found the  video extracts about carrier operations on USS Nimitz thrilling, fascinating and superb watching.  The first was shown two days ago and the second yesterday.  In fact they come from an brilliantly executed

USS Nimitz
USS Nimitz

10-hour series from PBS in the US called Carrier.  The film has an associated web site including the ability to watch all ten episodes in full. [NB – it has been discovered that the PBS videos may not be available in all countries due to licensing issues.]

The USS Nimitz was launched in 1972 and has an overall length of nearly 1,100 feet.  WikiPedia has a good summary.

The final Post on this topic will be published tomorrow and will explore the questions of integrity and ethics that are associated with the emotions raised by the videos.

By Paul Handover

Carrier landings: “A perishable skill” Part 2

Carrier pilots learn about pitching decks, in the dark!

Yesterday we published the first of two 10 minute videos on YouTube about carrier operations on the USS Nimitz.  Here’s the second video.  Warning: Once you start watching you won’t be able to stop until the very end!

By Paul Handover

Carrier landings: “A perishable skill!” Part 1

Carrier pilots learn about pitching decks

A fellow author of this Blog, John Lewis, was chatting to me about a whole variety of items surrounding the Blog and future topics, etc.  Our conversation strayed into flying and John asked if I had seen the YouTube extracts from the PBS Film about the USS Nimitz.  I had not.  They are gripping.  Here is the first of the 10 minute videos.  The second one is here.

A perishable skill? Watch and all will become clear.

By Paul Handover

Barnstorming, the Film – update

When the original Post on Barnstorming was published on this Blog on September, 18th, we had an enormous response from viewers and the Post had one of the highest ever figures.

Anyway, the producers have just announced,

Announcing the Houston Premier of Barnstorming October 17! We will be screening the film at the 1940 Air Terminal Museum, Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas. Showtimes are 11:00 am and for the fundraising “Hobby Hangar Hop” in the evening. For more information visit the museum website!

Cool building, by the way.

Houston Air Museum
Houston Air Museum

Mach Loop, North Wales, Great Britain

High speed military aircraft at low level – all in a day’s work.

Most private pilots love to watch the professionals at work, whether it’s in the cockpit of an airliner or fast military jets.

Does this not get the blood stirring?

Read more about fast jets!

Barnstorming

As the film says, Friends can really drop out of the sky.

Copyright 2009, Barnstorming Productions, LLC
Paul Glenshaw, Copyright 2009, Barnstorming Productions, LLC

Read about the film Barnstorming

M’mmmm – Let me think about this!

The pluses and minuses of skydiving.

This looks great. Cameraman is Paul Lewis.

And here’s that Paul Lewis again.  Having a really, really lucky day!

Funny, there is a saying amongst us (amateur) pilots.  Why would anyone want to throw themselves out of a perfectly serviceable aeroplane!

Exactly!

By Paul Handover

Johnathan Wilson Lewis – another thinker.

Fourier approaches to the theory of volume holography.

Anyone who takes a doctorate with the above subject title has to have a well-functioning brain.  I know John.  He does.

John Lewis, as I have always known him until reading his Blog, and I met a good many years ago when we both were members of a private flying group that operated a Socata (French) TB20, G BPAS.

TB20 G-BPAS
TB20 G-BPAS

It was based at Exeter in Devon, SW England.  Both of us were/are private pilots.

We flew together on many an occasion and it was clear from the start that John approached everything in life from, well in his own words, “…. motivated by an interest in what things are, how they work and how they are used.”  Say no more!

Well, as luck would have it, the joys of social networking brought us back in touch recently and we had a jolly good chin-wag.  With a bonus.

Read more about John Lewis

Precision engineering

Technology is so much more than bits and bytes.

Recently had the opportunity to visit a factory belonging to Horst Engineering in the nearby town of Guaymas (pronounced whymas), Sonora, Mexico.  The factor manager is an American, Andy Law, who, with his lovely wife, livesHorst 2 across the road.

It is simply ages since I have seen a precision engineering factory at work.  Not only was I impressed but it took me on a long trip down memory lane, with a couple of strands: engineering tools and the British defence industry.

But before the reminisces, a word about the calibre of the young Mexicans working for Andy.  Unlike so many of the locals who one comes across, these bright, young men and women are committed, self-motivated, multi-lingual (Sp/Eng) citizens. It was a treat to observe them and hear Andy speak so highly of them.  Mexico sorely needs up-coming generations of highly capable people.

Continue reading “Precision engineering” →

Help save 5,000 pets in one week!

Let’s help Pilot’s N Paws achieve something wonderful.

Unless one is familiar with this fine organisation, you may be scratching your head wondering how is it that 5,000 pets can be rescued in a week.

Click to learn more
Click to learn more

The Pilots N Paws 5000 will take place during the week of September 12th through the 20th. This event was conceived as a means to draw public attention to three issues. The first and most important message that needs to be conveyed is that we have a serious problem in this country and as a result about 4,000,000 animals or more are euthanized annually.
This would not be the case if there were more and better spay and neuter programs and laws regarding owners’ responsibility for their animals.

The second issue is that because the problem is primarily regional a lot of these innocent animals could find permanent “forever” homes if they could be transported from high kill regions to areas with homes available. To accomplish this we desperately need more pilots to help with transports.
The final issue is that while aviation has proven to be a successful way to transport animals to safety, general aviation in this country is threatened. The threats range from onerous Homeland Security directives to crippling and expensive fees imposed on general aviation. We want to see general aviation perceived by the public accurately as a driving force in our economy, and one that contributes far more than its economic impact would suggest. We want to see general aviation free of these threats.

Their website has a special section devoted to PNP 5000, so do read more.  The home page has a link where you can donate to support this excellent cause.

Let’s face it, rescuing these animals is only returning the favour.

Rescue dogs

By Paul Handover