Matt.

Ok, we’ll do this just once more.

I take that as an offence.

Why? I wasn’t trying to be offensive, just telling you a truth or two.

Ive had a few cockpit offers and im waiting for final emails.

And I’ve been told that you have messed people about so much that they fully expect you not to complete any transaction, the implication being that you are nothing but a time waster. I seem to remember you being warned about that on one of the numerous cockpit for sale threads which you infest.

Ive got dozens of models, pictures, instruments.

I have several signed prints, the odd model and a mouth organ.

Ive sent out CV’s for apprentaships, and to get a grant to go to uni to study a/c enginerring.

I wish you luck. I’m sure you will make a great air conditioning engineer.

I really am findiing it hard to understand what you bring to the aviation world. Cos from where im standing ive done alot more than you and im 16!

I’m not about to compare what you or I have done or achieved. Let’s just say that when you reach my age I hope you are as content with your achievements as I am with mine.

Regards,

kev35

World class retort there Kev. ROTFL:D:D:D. P.S. a public thanks for the Horsa photo’s. Very useful (from a guy who has drawn a few signed prints!!!).

Matt, I hope you spell checked your CV’s before sending them off!!!

Back out topic…

The reason I was going to Fairford and Farnborough to was to see the F-22 Raptor display (wouldn’t have gone to Farnborough if I had known that the F-22 wasn’t doing the weekend or had RIAT not been canned). The Vulcan was a bonus (though having had the forethought that the 558 project may have failed at the last hurdle, I got my ass up to Coningsby to see her fly back in May when the chance presented itself). As for Air shows today, having done numerous Mildenhall’s, RIAT’s (Fairford and both Cottersmore ones), Farnborough without fail from 84 – 90 (and 92 didn’t happen due to an RTA on route) and a few trips to North Weald in the old days of the Fighter Meet (did first IAT as a kid as well) and plenty of trip’s to Duxford (3 Shows last year). I only go to a show now if there is something I’ve not seen fly or it’s a usual type to be seen in the UK in the static line up. Missed seeing the Sea Vixen fly this year though, the one type I would really like to see flying. At the end of the day, if the aircraft goes U/S, and there are no spares, or personnel to fix it, there is not that much that can be done. As stated, in its RAF day’s had this happen, qualified personnel were available at all times, VTST cannot have a qualified contract engineer sitting around doing nothing for most of the time waiting for something to go wrong, no operation operating on a tight budget can.

Exactly. The concept, as ‘sold’ was that a small area of hard standing and a fuel truck was pretty much all you need. An “air strip” for a VTOL aircraft??? There were Argentine aviation resources at Pebble Beach and Goose Green both of which could have been borrowed.

Never been to Pebble ISLAND or Goose Green have do you!!!! (I have, thank you very much). Harriers did VL’s into the FOB, But to carry fuel and weapons, STO is required and gives you options in attacking a target up to 60 miles away (i.e. Stanley) or the 200 mile range to get you back to the carrier. Hence the requirement for PSP Runways. The ground in the Falklands is essentially a bog when wet, and a dust bowl on the odd occasion that it is dry, hence taxi tracks are required to stop the aircraft from sinking, and STO gets around you hovering in a brown cloud (so does a short rolling landing). San Carlos has a deep water port, that allowed fuel and weapons to be offloaded almost directly to the FOB (Rearm was not done much, Refuel, every movement) and hills to make air attack difficult. Use of Pebble Island would have been very difficult, seeing it was nowhere near San Carlos (Pebble Island is to the north of West Falkland), has no deep water sheltered access or hill cover (Conventry was off the coast of the place when she was sunk), the airfield was littered with wrecked aircraft and shell holes, and of course the Argies still held the place on Jun 14th when they surrendered. As for Goose Green, same problems, but for the fact we took the place (which was not part of the original battle plan) and the FOB was almost operational by then (i.e. NO POINT), Plus there are the Sussex Mountains between San Carlos and Goose Green, and the drive across them is interesting to put it mildly, this on a road that wasn’t there in 82. Yes the Argies did operate fixed wing aircraft from both locations, but had a lot of problems trying to fly even light COIN aircraft from small waterlogged grass strips really only fit for Beavers and Islanders (lost a few in accidents, and were almost always having to dig them out to move them). Most Argies air ops from the Falklands themselves were flown out of Stanley, the only hard runway down there.

Gotta say I’m shocked the TSR.2 hasn’t popped up! If you guys keep drooling over them ancient prop-jobs so much, I’m gonna kick this thread over to Historic Aviation 😀

Like the F-111K, never operated by the RAF, hence it don’t qualify.

Best half of the family comes from Hatfield….Can only vote for the Mossie!!!!

Well, with the bottom dropping out of the Construction industry happening at the minute, labour cost overruns would be minimal. However, Lottery ticket sales will very likely fall sharply as well because of the economic situation, which doesn’t bode well for the tax payer.

She’s just lost the semi though, weird sport, can’t make head or tail of it, perhaps darts would be a less aggressive alternative.

Rules are quite simple, Pete. It’s a fight, but you can only use your feet (in the version of the sport done in the Olympics, there are other versions that allow use of the hands as well). Points are scored for getting a foot on to a target area of the opponent’s body. 1 point for the torso, 2 points for the head. The foot also has to hit the target area with some strength, so a light tap or glancing blow will not score a point. That’s where the Judges come in. You can use your legs, arms and movement to defend yourself, but a dive or move outside the 10m Sq fighting area to avoid an opponent’s attack will get you a ½ point penalty. Two penalties, and you loss a point, and your opponent gains one.

Also, if one competitor should knock their opponent down with a scoring kick, and they don’t get up quickly, the ref can do a count and the successful attacker will gain an extra point.

The fight is broken down into 3 two minute rounds, with a 30 second break in between, though first contestant to 12 points, or a lead of a clear 7 points will stop the contest in their favour. Should scores be level at the end of the third round, there is a sudden death 4th round. The fight can timeout for adjustment of protective equipment or treatment of an injury, however the time out is very limited (one minute) and should you fail to re-enter the fighting area in time, there is an instant disqualification, as a Cuban found out today. Worth looking out for that match, as he then pulled a perfect 2 point head kick on the Ref and also had a pop at one of the judges, and looks like both himself and his coach will be banned from the Olympics for life. Video of it here (may not work outside the UK).

Anyhow, the Brit girl did got the Bronze in the end.

I didn’t think Team GB would get more that another 2 Gold medals, and that’s all they got, Well done, Tim Brabants and James Degale. Looks like I was right about the sprint relay teams as well, Team GB could have exceeded that 48 total. One short, 47 total and a definite 4th place.

That’s the lot I’m afraid, British sport fans, unless Dan Robinson can pull something really special out of the bag in the Marathon tomorrow, though Team GB has beaten the Aussies to 4th in any method of medal counting.

Similarly Stephen Coonts with his Jake Grafton series which starts with Flight Of The Intruder (yup the old Danny Glover film). The series got a little tired towards the end and Coonts has now rightly moved on…though to lesser material in my view.

Final Flight is brilliant :D, and a film based on the basic premise of the book was made (Steven Segal and a Battleship is a bit of a clue, just named the film after Coonts fourth book, which wasn’t that good. For starters in the fourth Coonts book, the US secret service failed to carry out their mission correctly. Bush Snr is taken out, and they dont shoot Dan Quayle!!!).:p

I read Craig Thomas years ago, and found much of it a bit samey…though he did write several that were stand out FireFox included.

Sea Leopard, Firefox in reverse with a bit of Red October thrown in. Soviets steel a British SSN, fitted with a new highly effective anti sonar system. MI6 and the CIA try to get it back before the Soviets strip the boat. Stars of the show, aircraft wise, A Harrier T bird and a Nimrod.

Just to echo what Vern says about Eric L Harry’s books. ‘Arc Light’ is very good, but, ‘Protect and Defend’ is simply one of the best books I have ever read….easily on a par with the best Clancy or Bond ever produced.

Also got to agree that Larry Bonds earlier works Vortex, Cauldron and Red Phoenix are well worth it and in the same ballpark as Red Storm Rising. His newer stuff is losing ground a bit though – I read ‘Dangerous Ground’ a year or so back and wasn’t exactly gripped.

Protect and Defend is the better one of the two, without doubt, with the Battles around the NATO airbase (C-5 Techie (and other support elements), take this M-16 and greandes and go clear the lines), plus the wounded 101 Airbourne troops holding the hill are classics.

Oh and I forget the best bit of Force of Eagles, the Crew Chief who fix anything, but can’t wash. (Also the only SSgt ‘Fighter Ace’ in TAC, by the end of the book). I wouldn’t spoil the rest by explaining how he gets that status.

I agree with you, we couldn’t expect the Russians not to put in the late spurt that we should have done, they are a big and very proud nation and must be feeling frustrated at not being up there with the leaders until now.
I feel very sorry for our relay team though, especialy as the USA cocked up their change over as well, it’s very easy to get into a tangle with the baton when emotions are fired up, I’ve messed up a few times myself, they must be gutted.
I find it very interesting how some countries medal tallies are so low, it really surprises me for instance that South Africa, cricket and rugby world class players, have won only a silver, Hungary, no golds, Argentina, Brazil, India, Pakistan, nowhere, and even France is way behind us in the medals table.
I’ve critisised our athletes, but looking at the GB performance in comparison to other, comparable nations, we are on another planet. Forget Australia, they don’t compare, their entire GNP must be devoted to sport, and if they feel they can afford it, good for them, but I find a country with a big area but relatively small population, to be achieving so much is a little wierd, they must have some sort of secret elixir, perhaps it’s called a decent and happy lifestyle, or Bondi beach perhaps.
Not knocking you Aussies, good luck to you, it’s great to see how much such a relatively unpopulated country can achieve, how do you do it.
Pity Steve Rowell wasn’t availiable for comment, we could have had a field day. Good on you Steve, you’re missing all this you silly sod.

Well, the Aussies are sports mad, and well funded and they don’t spend most of their money on Football like most of the rest of the world with the exception of the US and the sub continent. South Africa, Rugby Union and Cricket are the main sports, with football coming up behind. India and Pakistan, Cricket rules king, period. As for the rest Football is where the money really is, including the UK. However, thanks to John Major (about the only good thing I can say about the guy), the UK has been able to improve across the board as regards Sport.