The Night Mail

[J. S. Bach]

Just now, Tony_S said:

Whatever it is, it is my new favourite toy. No more being held back  by a trailing cable…

I, too, have a bunch of DeWalt 18v battery tools; so much more convenient, one battery type for six or so tools.

 

And a bunch of WORX 20v outdoor tools, even more convenient, and the same battery for each here also.

[AndyID]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 “Errr, Firebird 3 is just nipping into Keflavik for a spot of fuel. See you later.”

 

 

So not Fireball XL5 then?

[Tony_S]

46 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

I, too, have a bunch of DeWalt 18v battery tools; so much more convenient, one battery type for six or so tools.

 

And a bunch of WORX 20v outdoor tools, even more convenient, and the same battery for each here also.

I had standardised on Bosch 18volt so was never short of a charged battery as I had one more battery than tools. However Bosch make some tools (professional range) with a different 18volt system and I have a couple of those. If ever we get a cordless lawn mower it will be one to take the Bosch batteries. All the professionals visiting this house seem to have De Walt tools.

 

[Lochgorm]

1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said:

 

Sorry, but I prefer Eine Klien Nachtmusik.

German speakers would prefer Eine Kleine Nachtmusik! 

[rockershovel]

9 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I normally drink Prosecco rather than Champagne but if someone presents me with a bottle of the latter it seems churlish not to get stuck in.

 

Dave

I dont drink prosecco ... my daughter usually gets it first...

[rockershovel]

7 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

In English, doesn't rhyme. 'Two little ducks', to which the congregation responds 'quack, quack".

Achyung Spitfire!

[Dave Hunt]

Since much of today has been the overflow from my birthday, I was presented with a second birthday cake…..

 

 

…… complete with finescale Thomas. There was no need for anti bear and hippo defences as it is a coffee and walnut cake (not on Bear’s list)  and HH is currently hors de combat.

 

It has been washed down with a couple of glasses of bubbly and there is a piece left that later could well accompany a libation of the Talisker 15 that I was presented with yesterday.

 

It’s a hard life sometimes.

 

Dave 

 

[Northmoor]

3 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I won’t go into detail is but the closest I ever came was landing a Phantom one night in Germany with the low level fuel light having been on for quite a while and about 250 lb showing on the gauge. There was a warning below the gauge that indications below 600 lb were unreliable. The next day the senior engineering officer told me that the amount of fuel they had put into the aircraft was the same as the book said it would hold. He reckoned that I must have had less than a minute of useable fuel left. I didn’t actually have brown strides but it was close.

 

Dave

Presumably if you have sufficient to get into friendly territory, the option remained to put it down somewhere empty and straight (I'm thinking of what was allowed in pre-1990 West Germany)?

 

If you got really short, hopefully you'd be as lucky as the Hawk pilot whose engine failed (just one Adour in a Hawk for the non-aircraft officianados) out over the NE North Sea over 25 years ago.  Instead of banging out, he lowered his gear while he still had some power and knowing he was very close to the Norwegian coast, thought he'd look for somewhere that he just might be able to land safely.  Coming out below the low cloud base, he found in front of him.......... a small private airfield!  Landed safely, he saved himself half his "ejection allowance" and the RAF quite a few million quid for a lost Hawk.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, J. S. Bach said:

I, too, have a bunch of DeWalt 18v battery tools; so much more convenient, one battery type for six or so tools.

 

And a bunch of WORX 20v outdoor tools, even more convenient, and the same battery for each here also.

Ryobi are similar with their 18v battery fitting all tools.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

1 minute ago, Northmoor said:

Presumably if you have sufficient to get into friendly territory, the option remained to put it down somewhere empty and straight (I'm thinking of what was allowed in pre-1990 West Germany)?

 

If you got really short, hopefully you'd be as lucky as the Hawk pilot whose engine failed (just one Adour in a Hawk for the non-aircraft officianados) out over the NE North Sea over 25 years ago.  Instead of banging out, he lowered his gear while he still had some power and knowing he was very close to the Norwegian coast, thought he'd look for somewhere that he just might be able to land safely.  Coming out below the low cloud base, he found in front of him.......... a small private airfield!  Landed safely, he saved himself half his "ejection allowance" and the RAF quite a few million quid for a lost Hawk.

I seem to remember a Harrier pilot landing on a Spanish container ship in similar circumstance.   I think that the shipping company claimed salvage rights.

 

Jamie

[polybear]

3 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I won’t go into detail is but the closest I ever came was landing a Phantom one night in Germany with the low level fuel light having been on for quite a while and about 250 lb showing on the gauge. There was a warning below the gauge that indications below 600 lb were unreliable. The next day the senior engineering officer told me that the amount of fuel they had put into the aircraft was the same as the book said it would hold. He reckoned that I must have had less than a minute of useable fuel left. I didn’t actually have brown strides but it was close.

 

Dave

 

I imagine that if you'd had to bang out then the subsequent conversation at the BOI would've been "interesting" and probably somewhat career limiting

 

 

30 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

There was no need for anti bear and hippo defences as it is a coffee and walnut cake (not on Bear’s list).........

 

A dastardly trick I might add.

[DenysW]

9 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

I have never seen sparkling Saumur on sale in UK supermarkets.

Tesco. Along with Tavel rose.

 

The shame is that the Brits seem to reject demi-sec, which generally has a better flavour.

[Oldddudders]

10 minutes ago, DenysW said:

Tesco. Along with Tavel rose.

 

The shame is that the Brits seem to reject demi-sec, which generally has a better flavour.

Couldn't find it on Tesco online store. Brut v demi-sec is entirely a matter of taste. But on the odd occasion I bought demi-sec in error it was a matter for regret, so I am a true Brit.

[NHY 581]

3 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Couldn't find it on Tesco online store. Brut v demi-sec is entirely a matter of taste. But on the odd occasion I bought demi-sec in error it was a matter for regret, so I am a true Brit.

 

 

Quite right. 

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

45 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

Presumably if you have sufficient to get into friendly territory, the option remained to put it down somewhere empty and straight (I'm thinking of what was allowed in pre-1990 West Germany)?

 

If you got really short, hopefully you'd be as lucky as the Hawk pilot whose engine failed (just one Adour in a Hawk for the non-aircraft officianados) out over the NE North Sea over 25 years ago.  Instead of banging out, he lowered his gear while he still had some power and knowing he was very close to the Norwegian coast, thought he'd look for somewhere that he just might be able to land safely.  Coming out below the low cloud base, he found in front of him.......... a small private airfield!  Landed safely, he saved himself half his "ejection allowance" and the RAF quite a few million quid for a lost Hawk.

I remember reading about that incident.

 

The pilot managed to glide over 40 mile and received an AFC for his efforts.

 

One of those events where having plenty of altitude is definitely your friend.

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

Since much of today has been the overflow from my birthday, I was presented with a second birthday cake…..

 

 

…… complete with finescale Thomas. There was no need for anti bear and hippo defences as it is a coffee and walnut cake (not on Bear’s list)  and HH is currently hors de combat.

 

It has been washed down with a couple of glasses of bubbly and there is a piece left that later could well accompany a libation of the Talisker 15 that I was presented with yesterday.

 

It’s a hard life sometimes.

 

Dave 

 

Don't want to pour water on your celebrations but don't you think they could have at least got the colour of the cake decoration correct.

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

I imagine that if you'd had to bang out then the subsequent conversation at the BOI would've been "interesting" and probably somewhat career limiting

 

The situation wasn't of my making - honestly. I actually got praise for coping with what could have been loss of an aircraft. It's too involved to go into in detail but it resulted from rapidly deteriorating weather that hadn't been forecast and multiple screwups by air traffic and operating authorities. The thing that saved me was that I got so p!ssed off with what was going on that I declared UDI and ignored what the above mentioned nerks wanted me to do, which would have resulted in us running out of fuel and jumping out.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, Northmoor said:

Presumably if you have sufficient to get into friendly territory, the option remained to put it down somewhere empty and straight (I'm thinking of what was allowed in pre-1990 West Germany)?

 

There was a famous incident in Vietnam when a USAF F4 was hit by flak and lost all his fuel in short order. The crew were then faced with ejecting over hostile territory but the formation leader got the stricken aircraft to drop the arrestor hook then came up behind and lodged the end of the hook into the rain clearing slot just in front of his windscreen. He then pushed the other aircraft back to the south and when near base backed off so the crew could eject over friendly territory. I believe he got some sort of medal.

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Don't want to pour water on your celebrations but don't you think they could have at least got the colour of the cake decoration correct.

 

At least it wasn't green (or Flying Scotsman 😝)

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

I remember reading about that incident.

 

The pilot managed to glide over 40 mile and received an AFC for his efforts.

 

One of those events where having plenty of altitude is definitely your friend.

 

As a famous German fighter pilot put it, "The three most useless things are fuel you've used, runway behind you and height you've lost."

 

Dave

[SM42]

Mrs SM42 has just gone to put the milk bottles out and found that tomorrow's delivery has already been delivered. 

 

I suspect our milkman has plans for tomorrow. 

 

Maybe  he's off to the NEC

 

Andy

[J. S. Bach]

4 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Don't want to pour water on your celebrations but don't you think they could have at least got the colour of the cake decoration correct.

Should be green!

BTW, a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Air Vice Marshall Hunt.

Edited April 27 by J. S. Bach

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[pH]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The pilot managed to glide over 40 mile and received an AFC for his efforts.

Canadian airlines seem to specialize in long-distance gliding:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_236

(claimed as a world record for unpowered flight by a passenger aircraft)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

[BR60103]

17 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

Paddy McGintys Goat.

It ate the note, and despite being stomach pumped, all they got was sixpence...

 

...Said "There's nowt for it but stummick pump."

 

They hadn't a stummick pump 'andy,

But Pa did the best that he could

With a bicycle pump as he'd borrowed,

But that weren't a ha'porth of good.

 

Marriott Edgar Jubilee Sov'rin

 

Edited April 27 by BR60103