10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...BLASTOFF!

NASA has some great new video from the last shuttle launch. What is amazing while you watch the video is the quantity of #$%! that flies off as it is going to orbit.

Reminds me of a time flying to KPRB, direct, over mountains during a period of strong winds and severe turbulence. My little PA28-112, the "Traumahawk" was going up and down so fast that the VVI was pegged at either 2000 FPM up, or 2000 FPM down most of the flight. Every lost pen, nut, bolt, screw, meal leftovers and about 10 pounds of dirt and gravel (this was a rental aircraft) was flying about the cabin along with my flight bag and all of my charts. My logbook simply stated "TURBULENCE!" in the flight details section. Now, mind you, I was still a student flying solo on one of my first cross-country flights and my instructor had been adament that I fly direct instead of the more cautious route that I had planned out. I got back and told Jerry that I was the PIC and that in the future I would choose the route.

Anyhow, enjoy the video that will launch (pun intended) in Media Player.

FlightAware

This site is great for tracking flights. You can track by specific flight number, tail number or airport code. It has a weather overlay so you are able to watch flight diversions due to weather. Oh, did I mention that it's FREE? If you ever thought about being an Air Traffic Controller, take a look at a Monday in Chicago (ORD)

Portland looks a little less insane for air traffic.

Dog Heaven

Aeroflugenachtin...uhmmm, whatever...Video of a German Gyrocopter

I don't speak German, but I think the gist of this video is that the roads are horrible and the gyrocopter is the answer. Looks like this guy flies his gyrocopter to work.

(Will pop up in Windows Media Player)

Doug Reeves' AWESOME RV-12 pictures

Do yourself a favor, click HERE to see some great RV-12 pictures. Be sure to click on "Slideshow" and then hit [F11] to really see the pictures in all their glory.

Doug wrote on his website:

"Aug 18, 2007 0410 zuluSATURDAY EDITION

Gus took me for a ride in the RV-12 on Friday, and for some reason even let me take off and land (from the right seat). I think I doubled my RV nosewheel time on this flight . It reminded me of the C-150 with the STOL mod I trained in, only easier to land and a LOT more visibility (and no smell of 'student fear'). At cruise it felt like my -6 slow in the pattern. I did one stall flaps up and one flaps down. Creampuff.

This is a joy to write...the demand for the -12 in my opinion will be massive. I didn't have these feelings when I arrived yesterday, but now I totally get the idea (in my case) of having one of these as a second airplane - something to putt around the pattern with on a calm evening. The visibility is simply OUTSTANDING. You can see almost straight down while in level flight. This is a sightseeing airplane if there ever was one. Maybe a good name would be....the Van's Sightseer."

VERY O/T...but, FUNNY!

RV-12 Video

Vans Homecoming Day 1 - 7S5 - 2007 (click on the images to see full size)

James Anglin's Harmon Rocket did an amazing takeoff that seemed to lift off...no...rocket off the runway at about a 45° angle. Suh-weeet!
My camera doesn't do justice to John Siebold's awesome paint job. He left fairly quickly. Honest, I wasn't going to drool on the paint!

James Ballard's RV-6A was beautiful. I was looking for a single rivet that wasn't flush, or anything to criticize. There wasn't a thing to see amiss on the gorgeous plane. Maybe he had it hidden by the great paint job...Nah.
Land an RV anywhere, and people seem to congregate.
Michael seemed to have a good time. Even Keshia said that it "wasn't a boring as I thought it would be". Maybe a couple of future pilots and builders here?

I wanted to take more pictures, but my camera battery died. I'm going back tomorrow when Vans will fly in all of the demonstrator aircraft. I'll have fresh batteries and 2 MB SD card at the ready.

Hurricane Dean

It looks like hurricane Dean will miss my favorite island, Grenada, but the talk on the Grenada Webcam site is that the hurricane is slamming into the neighbor islands with a vengeance. As it moves into the Caribbean and hits warmer waters, it is expected to intensify and reach Category 3 strength.

The National Hurricane Centre in Miami said Dean would likely be a dangerous Category 3 hurricane by the time it reached the central Caribbean. Forecasters said it appeared to be heading south of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola.

Hurricane warnings were in effect for the islands of St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued for the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla and St Maarten, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

3 days and counting

Vans Homecoming is only 3 days away. I'll be taking stills and video if I can carry both cameras, a tripod and walk with a cane. I should be able to at least post the stills by Friday night.

Blogspot has a new feature. I am taking a poll (over there ----->) to get input into how people feel about the man who is suing 1800flowers.com for sending a "Thank-you" card in the mail for his order. He sent flowers to his girlfriend and his wife found out because of the note.

Feel free to vote. This site is set up for anonymous comments, so you do not need to join blogspot to comment on any posts, or to vote.

Way...WAY WAAAY Off/Topic!

Sitting here, reading the news and I followed a story. This blew my mind! I've always thought in terms of a GIGANTIC garbage disposal with a cartoon-ish giant switch that the family would switch on, for myself...but, to each his/her own...

They even have KITS for all of you buiIders!

I guess they have to change with the times. Do you think so?

Blocked!

It seems that my website is a danger to the Chinese populace.

You can check your own website here.

[soapbox alert]
We hear so much complaining about life here in the United States. I think the fact that we can complain says more about this country than anything else.
[this concludes this soapbox alert]

I would be interested to understand what criteria the Chinese government uses to allow or block certain web sites. Could it be the word "porno" or "gonad"? I guess that I can understand "porno"...but "gonad" is a medical term. I can imagine a Chinese doctor searching for new treatments or surgical procedures for treating a testicular cyst or hydrocele (which I am happy to say my own U.S. doctor was able to access and fix in my own case) and finding some Chinese herbal remedy.

In my own case, surgery went well. I couldn't walk for a week and I experienced a level of pain that can only be described by imagining your 'nads being put into a bench vise and squeezed to just shy of the point of popping. To my employer's credit, they allowed a co-worker to take off time to allow me some assistance at home. It wouldn't have been half as bad had I not been seriously allergic to the pain medication and the results of taking that medication.

This will blow you away. A staged 747 jet blast vs. Truck

HEAVY DUTY PORNO ALERT!!!

Okay folks, make sure that your seatbacks are in the fully upright position. Make sure that your tray table is secured and that your seatbelt is tightly fastened. Ready? My thanks to Bryan Duke for the great videos and for allowing me to post them here.

Here you go!

Tailcam almost complete

Bryan Duke has been busy installing a tail mounted camera in his RV-6. You can watch the progress here. A funny note: Look carefully at the pictures to see what Bryan used to protect the camera when he was fabricating the housing. Too funny, Bryan. (I checked on google and the failure rate runs at 2%)

Bryan's videos are the "Dramamine© Required" videos that I have posted here. I await the new videos. Bryan assured me he is flying this weekend, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long for them.

O/T...But Oregonians do care about their beaches

ALL Oregonians, in fact.

OH! Our town is getting a new radio station, "KENC". It will broadcast on AM 1620 from 06:30-09:30 in the morning, 5 days a week. Looks to be local and topical. Can't wait. Too bad I'll only be able to listen on Fridays since I'll be at work when they go on the air. Hey, maybe I can get an afternoon job at the station...?

Quis fuit ille personatus?

Vans Homecoming is in 2 weeks. I am planning attend (on foot) and will shoot some video. I'll try to post it here quickly.

Feeling sick...

Had to spend a day in bed (when not running to the bathroom for another bout of emesis). Ok, you are right...maybe TMI. I just know that a refrigerator will be in my budget so I won't eat warm leftovers anymore.

Found a couple of great sites: Bob Collins' site makes for a great read. It just seems that people who build RV's are a gentle and polite group. They seem to always be there with a hand, not out, but to lend.

Bob Collins' other site caught me with "The view from the bench". Great writing.

I have a lot more to add...after I get feeling better.