Lotus

I've been meaning to read the German perspective for a long time, but never gotten around to searching for books. I'll start with these. As for "not a Spitfire", I recall looking at the tail section of the fuselage of an Me109 under reconstruction at Duxford workshops and thinking how incredibly small and fragile it looked. And remembering what a deadly opponent that fragile little aircraft was.

That's where it started for me!

Here's a idea: a list of must-read aviation books and stories. JDR's list kicks it off. My add: Robert Mason - Chickenhawk Roald Dahl (all of them) Len Deighton - Fighter, Bomber, Goodbye Mickey Mouse Steven Coonts - Flight of the Intruder Ken Follett - Night over Water Dale Brown - Flight of the Old Dog

I started watching this last night. Enjoying, it and great music.

Darn you WeekendWarrior80!! Distraction level 100. (any more where that came from?)

Potential for electrocution is off the scale. Darwin award candidate?

I've just finished watching this movie. It's an un-narrated (under-rated?!) documentary using original footage that tells the story of the mission from launch to recovery. Everyone will have their own view of the movie, but for me it showed what a leap of faith that mission was.

It's been a hectic weekend in civil aviation, with the Russian accident, and the 737 going into the river in Florida.

The video footage is frightening. Amazing that anyone survived.

Thanks bud, that's really kind of you. (Edit: this really is an amazing community, isn't it?) Fortunately he's a local there, so lots of support all round.

Same experience in the Navy with Gauloise.

Very true. My brother-in-law has been commuting and touring for 40plus years, and was taken down 2 weeks ago in CT on his new KTM adventure bike by a truck doing a u-turn. He's being moved from the hospital today to Vincent Pallotti for rehab (he's paralysed from the waist down). I was considering buying a F650GS for commuting myself until this, but on reflection I think I will still do it.

Pilatus be like minibus taxi - skip red light and stop in road to pick up pax.

Well worth watching for the car fans: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5696762/

I seem to recall they flew through a volcanic ash cloud in the night (couldn't see it to avoid it)?

Only the front one. Ewan McG had an accident a few weeks before the expedition started, and I think that made them all aware of endangering it with unnecessary risks.

And I guess they can't just whip the pin out, top up the tanks and go right away again last night?

Just watching been The Long Way Down on YouTube, and in one of the early episodes Charlie Boorman is taken to task for excessive wheelies and putting the expedition at risk. He remains unrepentant, however!

Those tight turns over Suikerbosrand would suggest that the zebras and wildebeest got a kerosene shower. Or does it vaporise before it hits the ground, even from that low altitude?

And they're back where they started from. Interested to know what causes this kind of event. Sqawk?

FA281 now gets moved out of the way to let Iberia in?

Something going on here. Heard this flight passing low over the house just now. Seems it took off then turned back quickly, now circling over Suikerbosrand. Burning fuel off to land a bit lighter?

If you enjoyed this then I suggest this movie. Another classic in the same mould.

Spoiler avoidance system (SAS) alert - you have to read the article for the answer!

How the Boeing 737 Max Disaster Looks to a Software DeveloperAn excellent article, by a software and aviation writer. See why the plane of the future will only have 1 pilot and a dog in the cockpit. https://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/aviation/how-the-boeing-737-max-disaster-looks-to-a-software-developer