Well my situation have changed a bit. I found out that in my trades common workterm agreement each employer is obligated for 2 vacation days per month. As my workperiod is 6 month long I have totally of 12 vacation days (and note thats my summerjob!). I took 5 days now so at the moment i’m on holliday:D …..but then again just spended a full day labour by masoning my parents sheds foundation in +25 degree (thats equal to sahara to us finns;) )

12 days vacation?!?… for a summer job!?!?!… does all of Finland belong to the trade unions?

ohhh to be young again (and live in Finland – at least for the summer) but then again, I work at home, and chose the hours I work, and the beach is 15 minutes walk away and we do hit highs of +35 to +38 which makes me very happy… but then again we don’t have any Finnish ladies nearby… actually not too many ladies nearby 🙁

well, from north of the border, here’s my view…

Here in Canada, the private sector gets to make their own ‘rules’ (company by company – although I believe the Labour Board specifies a minimum 2 weeks – but that will change province by province) – I spent over 9 years with the same company and only ever has 2 weeks vacation per year (paid). By the same token, a friend worked at a similar office and the vacation time was as high as 6 weeks paid after 3 years service. (and no one pays for us to go south in the winter)

I can’t answer for the public sector (government and associated corps)… only that those I know who work for them, seem to have one heck of a lot of time off (paid).

But now self-employed – I’m desperate for a vacation (3 years since my last) – or a real job that pays me to stay away for a few weeks.

JJ

2 A-10s … assuming either MA ANG or PA ANG

1230 hrs (July 13), heading east along the St. Lawrence River at about 500 feet – low and fast – what a sight (and sound)… its been such a long time since I’ve last seen the ’10s running the river (back when ‘The Boys From Syracuse’ flew the ‘Hog’)

In those days they would practice target runs on the shipping along the St. Lawrence Seaway.

6th pic on Kev’s Legends alternative thread has a nice shot of the Danish Esk 721 crest as applied to Cosford’s Catalina

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=72127

As a rough guess-timate… red griffon/eagley thing, white ‘puzzle-piece’ pattern outlined in blue to the edge of the shield, and quite likely gold lettering applied over the blue band. Blue always seems to be the last colour to fade out in sunlight and the remaining text seems to indicate the former presence of a superimposed layer.

JJ

Well, we find something new everyday… a little further search pulls this up…

“Congo Air Force / Zaire Air Force
The former Belgian Congo was an early customer of the SF.260, by ordering twelve SF.260M’s in the late 1960’s. The aircraft were delivered to the Training College on the airbase Kinshasa in 1970 and 1971. In 1972 the country changed its name in Zaire, only to be renamed the Republic of Congo after a bloody civil war in 1997.

There is a report of nine new SF.260MZ’s awaiting delivery to Zaire on Venegono (Italy) in October 1982, to replace the survivors of the first batch, which had been returned to the factory. It is unclear if these new aircraft were ever delivered. Five old SF.260MC’s were eventually sold to the second-hand market in the USA.
No longer in service ?”

From here… http://www.siai-marchetti.nl/sf260mil.html

Egiptyan Caribou or Bufalo (not shure about the type) landing at Praga in January 2007.

http://www.planes.cz/cs/photo/1011598/

Regards from Spain.

Oh she’s a Buffalo … DHC-5 – one of my personal favourites

biggest key issue…

MONEY!

It is all fine and dandy for the ‘fan-club’ to shout out their dreams of equiping their respective (or favoured) air forces, but the first issue that everyone should look at is money.

Just from my point of view – and sticking to my own national interest (Canada) – we can dream, but what – in reality – is achievable?

I live in the second largest nation (with the longest coastline) on the face of the planet without an ‘enemy’ to be seen. Does Canada need a combat capable air force? Our air force officially has 3 F-18 squadrons. These Hornets continue to undergo one of their greatest upgrades yet, but what do we do after the Hornet?

My personal opinion – regardless of the money being thrown at the F-35 – is that the F-35 will not be purchased by the Canadian government. Until such time that the government actually has a viable plan in place for the future of the Forces, the F-35 should not be included in anyone’s ‘pipe-dreams’.

Finally being able (soon) to properly and economically transport our land forces to where they are needed/required/ordered is the first step in the right direction. What is needed (in my opinion) is a modern F-5 which can provide proper close air support to the ground forces. As much as we operate within a unified organization (NATO) there is certainly no need for duplication of roles.
Canada is NOT the US, but while we share a great deal of inter-operability and security, there are other operational needs for which we cannot/should not have to rely upon our neighbours – but air combat is not one of them.

How anyone can even dream that Canada will operate F-35s in any substantial force is beyond me. The cost in itself is prohibitive and completely unwarranted. Bring on the attack choppers, transports and long range recce UAVs… and a decent CAS aircraft (if there’s money left over).

JJ

Mine’s a tie… somewhere around 1975 – still indelibly etched in my memory is the hideous two-tone beige floral pattern on the interior walls (and pink?/orange fabric on the seats) of a Canadian Forces CC-137 (B707) during a walk through at CFB Trenton’s Armed Forces Day air show – the other is also my first sighting of the Snowbirds… a vivid memory of bright red flashes criss-crossing during their performance over the St. Lawrence River.

JJ