onetrack

Critical head and facial injuries is a bad sign, particularly when he's been flown direct to RBWH. I hope he makes a full recovery.

Mustering operations have got to be the most dangerous style of flying you can indulge in, always on the edge of the envelope, and always with distractions on the ground, such as looking for stray cattle and musterers on bikes, taking your attention off the gauges in the cockpit. Three seconds too long with your eyes off the instruments, and you can be history in seconds.

A lightweight trike, two mature blokes, no doubt pretty large and heavy, and they go flying in conditions where a severe weather warning has been posted. What could possibly go wrong? ?

What never ceases to amaze me, is virtually every single time an ultralight bites the dust with a fatality or fatalities, the supporters come out with, "Oh, he was such a wonderful bloke, and such a professional and careful pilot!".

He might have been a top bloke - but, No, he wasn't a careful and professional pilot, he and his pax are dead - 9 times out 10, because they failed the ultimate pilot professionalism test.

I may end being proven wrong here, and the inquiry may find the cause was the generally rare event of structural failure. But 9 times out 10, the fault lies with bloke holding the control column.

A harsh analysis, I know, but one that is backed by crash investigation after crash investigation summaries.

The worst thing that has ever happened to Western democracies is allowing lawyers to have the major say in how they are run, and what the rules and regulations are.

Every.single.thing that happens today, is guided and driven by lawyers, and an abject fear of crushing litigation destroying peoples life work and assets.

......20L of 98 RON, if the Big Bang has affected the Tilt of the Planet and interfered with oil production?". "It's not the Tilt of the Planet, it's the Angle of the Dangle that's important", said the Cappy with a wise look.

"Speaking of things dangling, said bull", "Have you seen what else is dangling off your aircraft?". "No, what's dangling off it?", said Crappy.

"It looks like a heap of electrical wiring", said bull. "Have you been playing around with it, and trying to sort the electrics again?". "No", said Crappy, "I've never touched a thing under the cowl in weeks".

"Holy Moly!!" said bull, "It must be that The Fakir has turned your aircraft into a flying bomb, and is going to commandeer it and detonate it, as soon as you get airborne again!!"

"Not possible", said Crappy, "I've......

If you have a serious exhaust leak for more than a short time, be aware that high temperature exhaust gases being propelled through the gap, will create erosion of the mating surfaces, thereby making a good neat fit of the mating parts, impossible in the future.

Have the peoples names in the accident been released yet.

 

No, they have not yet been formally identified. It takes time to find the close relatives, and organise physical identification of the deceased. The only information is the men were aged 44 and 71.

There's nothing in the crash related to the Williamtown air corridor. It was purely and simply in-flight structural failure, it was seen by a witness on the ground.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/two-dead-after-light-plane-crashes-near-newcastle-20191130-p53fn9.html

EDIT - Yes, ID of the victims has now been confirmed. More information in the link below.

https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2019/12/01/woodville-aircraft-crash-victims-identified/

....said, "Yeah, I can be a bit of a non-starter sometimes, too! Particularly the morning after a hard night, holding court at the 19th hole!"

Cappy yelled "Clear Prop", and swung the key again - and Turbs vanished - but the engine still wouldn't crank. It was becoming increasingly obvious to Ratty, that the torpedo had sapped all the current from the battery when it was launched.

"What am I going to do??", he wailed, as visions of being hung drawn and quartered, and then shot and hung again, passed in front of his eyes.

If it wasn't A-A hunting him down for destroying his Jag, it would be the airport owners looking for a piece of his hide, to pay for all the damage caused by the torpedo.

Then there was CASA to contend with. Cappy didn't know of any aviation regs that covered "accidental launch of a torpedo across an active runaway" - but he was sure CASA would be able to produce the relevant regulations - and list the associated penalties.

Next second, there was Onetrack, standing by the aircraft - with a set of big jumper cables and a battery cart. Cappy could've kissed him - except OT didn't take too kindly to being kissed by blokes, so he didn't try.

"Is this what you're looking for for?", said Onetrack. "God, yessss, PLEASE!!" cried the Rat.

"They'll only cost you $250 for 1 minute 30 seconds hire", said OT.

"We have specials on hire rates this week, particularly if you pay in cash in brown paper bags!"

"That's outrageous!", cried the Rat. "You're an extortionist!! You have no shame!!".

"Not where you're concerned, I haven't", said OT with a toothy grin. "Do you want the cables and cart, or am I going to.........

Here's Ratty desperately trying to find the hire fee......

....launched, before he could even yell out "clear prop!". The torpedo took off across the airstrip and went straight through the wall of the pilot training school latrines, causing more than one occupant of the latrines to literally "crap himself", more so than sighting another aircraft landing in the opposite direction, when on final.

After travelling through the wall of the latrine, the torpedo continued on its merry way, burying itself in a Jaguar belonging to a AA (he wasn't averse to owning a chauffeur-driven Jag, even though it was a product of the decadent, immoral West, and built by Kafirs).

The torpedo then exploded in a ball of flame, scattering pieces of Jaguar as far afield as the airstrip far boundary. Cappy was appalled, horrified, and stricken with paralysing fear, all at once. What would AA do? - he would probably make Cappy into an example of torturous punishment for other wrongdoers to take note of. He had to move out, fast, before AA found out. He turned the key, and ......

.....we'll also get rid of one of the Bushpigs as well". "But there's problem with your plan", said Ratty."No-one can get into the ATO office in Canberra", it's totally secure - and besides, it's only staffed by computer robots, not humans, because humans make mistakes, and computer robots don't!"

"Well", said AA, "We'll organise to steal an aircraft (avref), fill it with explosives, and fly it into the ATO office, and blow up all the computer robots! That'll fix the tax problem!"

"Now we need a suicide volunteer to steal and fly an aircraft", said AA, "Everyone who has a pilots licence (because we need to be legally accountable to CASA on this), and who feels like killing themselves occasionally, step forward".

At that, Ratty stepped forward, not realising he was on a suicide mission - because his hearing was no longer the best, due to many hours sitting next to screaming Rotaxes sitting on 6000RPM and Continentals sitting on 3000RPM - because Ratty loved going places, fast!

Upon sighting Ratty stepping forward, AA couldn't conceal his excitement. "Ratty, you're the MAN!!", exclaimed AA, "Now, step into my office and we'll finalise this scheme to.......

Good God, I'd forgotten all about that song. The Statler Bros were a favourite of mine, about 45 or 46 years ago! I think I've still got a cassette of them somewhere!

....out the crabs that have infested the tunnels, and which stopped the Palestinian tunnellers in their tracks.

"Ahhh, this is a piece of cake", said Harold (giving him his proper name, he's a C.H. you know), "I'll have these crabs hosed out faster than Calwells Labor team in a 1960's election".

With that, Harold disappeared into a tunnel. But after an hour or more, he hadn't returned. Turbs peered into the tunnel, and called out to Harold, to be met only with silence.

"Well, I'll be blowed", said Turbs, "The blokes done a Harold on us!! Not a sign of him anywhere!! He must've gone too far, and got caught in a rip!!"

At that, gloom descended on the gathering, comprised of bull, Turbs, Ratty and Onetrack. "He's hitched a ride on a Chinese sub, for sure", said Ratty.

"That's possible", said Turbs. "Clive has warned us regularly about the Chinese threat, now it looks like they've entered Australian Territorial Waters unnoticed, in a sub, not via an air assault on a mining airstrip, as Clive reckoned they would.

"Yair", said bull. "If those damned useless Collins-class subs were operational, instead of being in the Henderson shipyards 11 weeks out of 12, we might've stood a chance of intercepting the Chinese sub!".

"It'll work out alright", said Turbs soothingly. "Once we've spent $255B on the new Froggie Attack-class subs, the Chinese subs won't stand a chance, they'll stand out like the nuts on a Brahman bull".

"But they're 14 years into the future!", squeaked the Rat, "and by the time we get them, China will own Australia anyway, and they'll have 50 copies of the Attack-class sub in their fleet, a full 10 years before we get ours!!"

"Shhh", said Turbs, "I think I can hear something!". At that, they all leaned forward, listening for the sound that Turbs heard, which was.....

..... thought the bushpigs he heard Cappy talking about, would suffice. "I have to stay in hiding, though, there'll be hell to pay over my lifestyle, while I'm still drawing down an ex-P.M.'s pension!" "Nah, that can't be right", said The Rat. "How could you be drawing down an ex-P.M.'s pension when everyone thinks you're dead?".

"It's easy when you're a politician", said Harry. "Most of the population have no idea what we're doing most of the time, and they all think we're swanning around doing nothing for most of the day, so I thought I'd just live up to expectations!".

"And besides, the Govt payroll systems have no idea if you're dead or alive, look at the number of dead people they've sent letters to! I've got plenty of letters, too! I just had to bin them, it was a bit overwhelming after a while!"

Meantimes, the bushpigs of FIFO had turned up, having got information that The Rat was in the vicinity. The Rat spotted them and was off like a rabbit being chased by a fox. The bushpigs took off in hot pursuit, intent on getting a man.

The Rat stumbled into Turboys office in downtown Moorabbistan, panic spread across his face. "Turbs, you gotta help me! The bushpigs are onto me, I only just escaped from their clutches!"

"Who are you?", said Turbs coolly, "I don't recall knowing you? Why would I shelter some refugee from a horde of bushpigs??" The Rat was flummoxed, here was his so-called best mate, disowning him in his hour of need!!

The situation called for desperate measures, so the Rat dived into......

And that is the secret to stopping large fires - plenty of eyes on the bush to pick the fires up as they start, and to hit them before they get too big and unmanageable.

The S.W. of W.A. used to have a large team of firespotters in the tops of the highest Karri trees, often more than 100M off the ground. In the days before drones and firefighting aircraft, they were invaluable, and saved much forest.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-22/early-bushfire-lookout-diamond-tree-turns-75/8047218

I have just studied the T's & C's of the raffle and the organisers have stated the laws of QLD apply to the raffle, and the draw would be held in QLD.

I still can't see any clause stating the organisers could refuse to hold the raffle draw at their discretion. I would expect that there's likely to be some official complaints laid, about the failure to hold the draw and award the prize.

After all, people have handed over money with the stated aim of being part of a properly organised and legally-held raffle.

I see on the wrinkled fruit forum there is already one complainer who bought tickets purely for the chance to win the aircraft, he didn't even go to the show.

https://airventureaustralia.com.au/about-us/terms-conditions/

It might sound like a reasonable explanation for not supplying a specified prize - but if the raffle was run under the rules and requirements of the NSW LOTTERIES AND ART UNIONS ACT 1901 - as it should have been, to be legal, then there is going to be a lot more awkward questions asked, than what is covered in the above social media message.

There is always the possibility of charges being laid against the organisers for inducing show participants to buy tickets, without advising them that there was a likelihood the specified and advertised prize would not be awarded.

....this led to the Rat grabbing the wheel and running off the road into a ditch, as he and Turbo fought for control of the car.

Of course, Ratty Rattus made the serious procedural error of not stating loudly, "I HAVE CONTROL", as he grabbed the wheel, a procedure he failed to grasp when undergoing training.

This led to a heated discussion wherein Ratty told Turbo he was heading off to find a bunch of FIFO brides, who were all desperate for a man, according to him.

What Rattus was unaware of, of course, is that the FIFO terrorists didn't blow themselves up because U.S. Marines and Seals were closing in on them - No, Sir - they blew themselves up, simply because they were sick of being henpecked constantly by a dozen FIFO wives! - a fact that Ratty was blissfully unaware of, as he sallied forth to FIFO-Land, looking forward to a good molesting.

What he was also blissfully unaware of, was that Onetrack was a Commander of the FIFO group, as the FIFO group is concentrated in the Western Regions.

As a result, Onetrack was setting about personally selecting all the ugliest bushpig FIFO brides that everyone else had totally recoiled from. It was a fitting punishment for a Rat that demanded more than his fair share of the wimmen.

Accordingly, as Ratty Rattus' Aero Commander touched down in the West, with the Rat gleefully imagining the hordes of big-boobed blondes waiting to grasp for him, the bushpigs all surged forward onto the tarmac, and suddenly Ratty realised to his horror, what had happened! Onetrack had struck again!! He firewalled the throttle in desperation, as.......

Onetrack finds the above post extremely difficult to believe, because it is well known that The Giant Rat from Kapookistan would never make it to OT's hometown, because, like all Rats, he is fearful of open spaces, and therefore suffers from crippling agoraphobia, thus meaning he is unable to cross over the Nullarbor Plain.

Fortunately, the Nullarbor Plain has protected us in the West for 190 years, against the pestilences of the East, apart from Skeleton Weed, which rode in on the train, and which cost us mucho moola to eradicate - and no-one in W.A. has ever sent the bill for exterminating it here, to NSW yet. 

It is obvious from The Rats clear photo in his avatar, that he's so ugly, any wimmen would run screaming from him in fear, so I'm guessing his tally of conquests is far below OT's. It appears that The Rat carries a large weapon, obviously used to subdue fleeing wimmen, and thereby leading readers of NES to correctly presume, that The Rat also lives in a cave, and grunts for communication purposes.

The Rat has also apparently not yet discovered Fire. When he does, he will be terribly fearful of it, as all Rats are. 

However, to return to all things aviation related in this story, bull indicated he would like to try shooting down the Captains drone, because he was worried about what it could be recording - whereupon he immediately produced a beautiful Tonolini Brescia double-barrelled 12 ga shotgun, and blew the contraption out of the sky.

When OT congratulated him on his fine shooting skills, and his excellent choice of fine Italian weaponry, bull remarked, "Ahh, it's nothing, I honed my skills on the ducks on Lake Boneville.......

...."Yes, I believe he's also known under several aliases, so that could very likely be him. What do you know about his Camel-riding qualifications", said the Nice Rat.

"Where ya callin' from?", said the Palestinian suspiciously, "And who wants to know? We like to keep this kinda thing confidential, ya know?".

"I'm just calling from NSW", said the Rat ... and before he could say any more, the Palestinian answered loudly, "I dunno nothing about Camel-riding or qualifications, I'm just an occasional tunneller".

With that, the Rat was stumped. He put the phone down, musing on what he could do next.

"Ahhh, yes, the Outback", said Onetrack, "That reminds me of my own experiences in the rural and station regions. I've spent considerable time working in those regions, and I once knew a lovely girl there, you know?"

"She was such a generous soul. She was just the local sawmillers daughter, but she gave circular saws to every bloke she came into contact with."

"Yes, I've known a few girls like that", said the Rat. "Always giving, they are just amazing".

"But what are we going to do about checking up on the Turboids credentials?", sniffed the Rat. "He just makes this stuff up, as he goes along!"

"I know!", said Onetrack, we'll ask bull, he's from the Outback, because Bone is further out than the Black Stump! He'll know......

......I'm just going to keep modernising ancient hoary jokes, because I've run out of ideas about what to write.

"But everyone thinks this story about you and Crappy going boundary-riding, is as about as fabricated as Pamela Andersons Baywatch boobs", said Onetrack. "Everyone knows the only boundary-riding you pair have ever done, is in your bed at night, in your wildest dreams!"

"Ahhh, that's not true", said Turboid. "My other nickname is 'Horse', and it refers to all my honed skills from rough-riding in the Outback. Why, I've even tamed wild camels and ridden them until they were like pussycats".

"What a flight of fancy (avref)", said Onetrack, "You wouldn't know one end of a camel from the other! You've been smoking too much home-grown, high-strength weed!".

"Well, I was well-instructed by the best Palestinian Camel-Riding Instructors one could find (PCRI's)", said Turboid. "As the Palestinians were done out of a tunnelling job, they had to turn to other sources of income, and seeing as all the local car-wash positions were taken, they turned to what else they knew best - camels!".

"It sounds a bit dodgy to me", said the Rat. "I guess they wanted to be paid in cash, no invoices, no questions asked, too?".

"Yes, they did have trouble getting accreditation as PCRI's, but I believe they saw a bloke in Waggastan, who sorted the problem at a high level with some bulging brown paper bags, accidentally left in certain offices, and their NSW PCRI qualifications were sent to them, without any further problems.

"Well, we'll have to see about this", said Onetrack, as he called up the local Camel-riding business.....

If it's anything like the Telstra voice-to-text messaging, it would be next to useless, as the messages are usually turned into gobbledegook.

I got one yesterday - in the message, "Ron" was turned into "John", "tracks" became "gates", and "Esperance" became "Western". Computerised Voice recognition has a long way to go.

That 747 is impressive, and the only way to hit fires. There might be some future as fire bombers for the large numbers of A380's that are rapidly becoming redundant?

The A380 can carry 150,000kg in cargo version, that means it would be capable of carrying nearly double the 76,000 litres of water that the 747 carries.

I guess the A380 might have some difficulty in finding adequate numbers of runways capable of carrying its weight, and runways of adequate length.

It never ceases to amaze me, how warning devices usually emit a high-pitched tone, that can't be heard by people with hearing deficiencies.

It's the ability to hear high-pitched sounds that goes first, when your hearing deteriorates. So a low-pitched tone is a better warning sound for those with hearing problems.

Most males over 60 that have worked in industrial/machinery/engine-closeness environments have hearing loss of varying degrees.

Had to smile, the missus and I were going for a walk locally, and an old fella about 90 came down the street towards us on his flash gopher, complete with indicators (and he was on the road, and why wouldn't you be, it's fitted with indicators, isn't it? LOL ). 

But he'd left an indicator on - and it was fitted with a (VERY) loud high-pitched scream for a warning buzzer - and the old fella couldn't hear this screaming warning buzzer, and as he went past, we yelled at him, "you've got your indicator on!!" - at which he just grinned back at us, and waved and roared past, still with the indicator on, and still with the warning screaming buzzer going full bore!!  LOL

.....the Rat with a huge Rat Trap first. But, how was anyone going to get within 50 metres of bulls bandaged and sutured rear orifice, without heavy duty breathing equipment??

So a call was put out to the Bone Fire Brigade to come to the rescue.

These brave blokes took time off from fighting serious-sized bushfires, to don their heavy duty breathing and protective equipment, so they could get within arms reach of bull and his sutured, rat-trap-fitted, rear-end. 

They picked him up, and bull screamed - mostly because the rat trap went off and caught his fingers.

But the firemen went on regardless with their rescue, they were tough men, used to screaming from victims they were rescuing.

"Buut, I duurnt waant to be rescuuued!!", said bull incoherently, through the results of 15 pots of beer and a bundle of bandages, some of which covered his mouth, and made him even harder to understand (it's hard enough trying to understand what he writes, let alone what he's speaking about).

But the firemen ignored him as they carried him to the waiting RFDS aircraft, that Cappy had just flown in (avref). As bull was being stretchered through the doorway, Cappy said, "No-o-oo! Not the Rat Trap!! - Not the Rat Trap!!......

That video is just riveting.

I've never had pulled rivets, are they similar to pulled pork? 

That last photo looks like it belongs in the Guggenheim in Bilbao.