General Chat

Oh dear, how can I go away if I am having to fret about Tec not being well?

Hello Carole and Janet, although I don't think that you will be around. Janet, I always tried to do something different at night class once a week. This was while I was working, just a two hour class once week. Over the years I have done some odd things such as pottery and car maintenance for ladies. They were two different courses I hasten to add.

When I first retired I spent a year doing an afternoon class on the history of the town, that was fascinating. The next year or so, I did computer courses, but I haven't done anything for a while now.

I did a great course on creative writing just over a year ago. It was focussed on writing your family history. The youngest person was me - the eldest was an 84 y.o man. He wrote amazingly well and did it all on his computer as he had done a course a few months earlier. I do scrapbooking at our local neighbourhood centre. It is focussed on preserving old family photos. That has led me to give a demonstration together with our tutor to a group of people during Senior Citizen's month. I had a great time and I was able see some wonderful photos and listen to many stories about the "old days".

Sue xx

Sorry Sue, I posted then got side tracked. I was just trying to sign up for a two day workshop on using Photoshop. I have been looking for one of these for ages,as I have a copy of this on my computer and can only do the basics on it. I would love to be able to restore some of the old photos properly. They are not sure if the course if going ahead,so I will have to keep my fingers crossed.

I am going off soon for my romantic break with OH, I wonder if it will work lol.

I hope that everyone is OK, especially Tec (frets).

See you tomorrow night my time.

Hello Linda and Sue...

Now that sounds interesting, Linda - a course for car maintenance for ladies. I have in the past in my single days, changed a tyre on my car also changed the globe in the indicator thingy. Ive always like things mechanical, I like to know how things work!

Ive also done a little scrap booking Sue, after a few classes, I bought a few albums and some bits and bobs to scrap book with but lost interest, maybe when I retire I will take it up again. I have been collecting lots of photos since I started my family history, and I intend to scrap book them all:-) A creative writing course is a good idea, too!!!

Carole xx

Linda..

Have a nice time with your OH, I'm sure you will both have a great time:-))

We will keep an eye on our Tec, while you are away, so don't fret:-)))

Carole xx

Good morning/evening everyone. Hope you are all well.

Sue xx

Good Morning Sue,

Hope you too are well today - thank you for your earlier kind remarks, and to Perse, and Carole. Not sure I deserve such flattery - quite had me blushing - yes, I still blush lol

Tec

Hello Tec. Hope you and your Duchess are well. Not flattery - just how we see you:-))

My OH had his instructional flight yesterday (Friday our time). I think he now wants to be a pilot. He left feeling quite nervous but when I saw him get out of the plane he had a smile a mile wide that didn't leave his face all day. I think I made a good choice for a Chrissy present.

Sue xx

Sue,
I meant to ask about the flying lesson, what a brilliant experience that must of been - I'm so glad that OH enjoyed himself. I t was certainly a great gift to give him - maybe he will want to take up flying lessons now, having got a taster - you could end up flying all over Australia - just the two of you..........keep doing the lottery

Tec

It's quite an expensive licence but he doesn't have to do it in one go so I think he's thinking about it. He loved it as he actually flew the plane for awhile.

Sue xx

Sue,
I think a pilots licence can be achieved over quite a long period of time, depending on flying hours, theory test, and competance of course.
Australian rules may be different than here, but what a wonderful thing to take up in retirement...........

It is much warmer here today - a balmy 9 c - we had heavy rain overnight and much of the snow has gone, except on the mountains, where there is an avalanche warning now.

Tec

Good morning/evening all.

Sue I have mixed feelings about flying ( I am not a pilot I hasten to add)

I've been on all sizes of aircraft from Hercules down to a six seater single engined aircraft that I flew to Rottnest island on a couple of years ago when I was working full time.

A group of local government people had to go to Rottnest to audit the waste management practices.

if you hadn't known any one at the beginning of the flight you knew them intimately at the end of it because the plane was so small. It never really got much above roof height, or so it seemed! and the flight over only took about ten minutes.

Allan

Hi Allan:-) I really don't like the idea of flying in a small plane. The plane that goes on joy flights holds 4 people including the pilot. The plane OH had his flight on was for 2 people and as he and the pilot have long legs they looked very cramped to me. OH said the hardest part was getting in and out of the plane - it was actually quite comfortable once inside. If he gets his basic licence he will then be able to fly with 3 passengers on very short trips. I read the booklet about learning to fly and it's an amazing amount of work just for the basic licence. However if OH wants to do it I would encourage it all the way.

Sue xx

Good Morning Allan,

It must be an experience flying in a Hercules - we get them fly low over us regularly - I've no idea where they come from, or go to. Sometimes just one comes over, but occassionally three at once.They fascinate me as the fly so low, and slow - hardly fast enough to stay up airbourne, or so it seems to me.

Tec

Sue the amazing thing about the small plane was that you could see what the pilot was doing.

The only doubts we had was that we flew from Jandakot Airport just South of Perth.

This particular airport is one of the busiest in Australia, even though it is only used by small aircraft. It is the main base in WA for the Flying Doctor Service and numerous flying schools. It is also used by the Singaporean Airforce for basic flight training. You just hope that the air traffic control is on the ball

Allan

Good evening Tec

The Hercules also have a very short take of and landing requirement which makes them ideal for emegency work.

The weird thing with the plane is that it is very basic: there is no lining inside so you can see all the levers moving controlling g*d knows what. No seats, just netting strung up at intervals, and the noise level is so great in the "passenger" area that we had to wear ear protection

The passenger area also doubles as the cargo area which is why there are no luxuries.

Allan

I hope you had your parachute - Allan.

Our Previous PM was quite happy to go in a Hercules.
They set up a bed in one when Sir Edmund Hilary did his last trip to Antarctica. They didn't take a tractor for him to ride on when he got there though.

My OH has a bit of a fear of flying - but he insisted on sitting by the window when we flew out of Queenstown. Let's just say that's the first and last time he will be doing that.

And good morning to you all - glad to see you back and chirpy Tec.

Persey

Morning Persey.

No parachute....I was in the medics not the airborne section!

We were expendable!

Allan

Allan,
The Hercules sound very basic, and I think the ones we have overhead are used as RAF supply transport.
This area of North Wales is constantly used by the RAF as a training area. It can get very noisy some days. They normally use the Hawk trainer jets, but now we get the new Eurofighters - the Typhoon. They are incredibly noisy, it sounds like thunder overhead. Quite alarming when they go over at speed, making an air splitting noise.
I realise they have a job to do in an unstable world, but I dislike jet fighters intensely - I do marvel at the technology and design, but in the end they are just killing machines in my opinion.

Tec

Expendable: makes you sound like stationery supplies.

Sorry all this flying talk is way over my head.