http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/5136316.stm

With all the government's heatwave hyperbole and stories of litigation
overriding common sense I thought this was vaguely on topic.

Joe

Joe Hunt wrote:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/5136316.stm

With all the government's heatwave hyperbole and stories of litigation
overriding common sense I thought this was vaguely on topic.
Will might not need one, but I got close to wanting one last week. Now
you can all laugh, but an insect bite (horsefly or something like - I
always get a ridiculous reaction) became infected and my leg below the
knee was very swollen. The size is not yet back to normal but
improving. But at least, it doesn't hurt any more. But last week my
knee was absolute agony and getting up and down stairs seemed to take
fully five minutes each time.

First cumulus today popped at around 1240 BST with base 6,400
(calculated). Glider pilots yesterday reported remarkable cumulus
bases of 8,000. One chap reported a climb from 2,000 to 7,000 feet in
a mere 5 minutes - better than a fully laden Jumbo.

Jack

wrote:

First cumulus today popped at around 1240 BST with base 6,400
(calculated). Glider pilots yesterday reported remarkable cumulus
bases of 8,000. One chap reported a climb from 2,000 to 7,000 feet in
a mere 5 minutes - better than a fully laden Jumbo.

Jack, do you ever use the LGC at Dunstable? It's at the foot of 'my' hill,
now that I've moved. When I'm fully appointed, recording-wise, up
here I'll try to interest them in a little AWS down below ... unless, of
course, they already have one. Should make for some interesting
contrasts.

Philip

LGC does have a webcam:

http://www.londonglidingclub.co.uk/webcam640x480.jpg

home page
http://www.londonglidingclub.co.uk/

The club doesn't have a weather station as such, but looking at that
picture, you might want to start by trying to sell them a lens cleaning
brush!

Your contact is the Manager/Chief Flying Instructor Andy Roch

Very approachable splendid chap.

I have flown from Dunstable in the past but am now retired from active
gliding. But I was on Bison Hill Whipsnade a few weeks ago
photographing rare butterflies - now I bet you didn't know what was on
your doorstep!

Jack

wrote:
Joe Hunt wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/5136316.stm

With all the government's heatwave hyperbole and stories of litigation
overriding common sense I thought this was vaguely on topic.

Will might not need one, but I got close to wanting one last week. Now
you can all laugh, but an insect bite (horsefly or something like - I
always get a ridiculous reaction) became infected and my leg below the
knee was very swollen. The size is not yet back to normal but
improving. But at least, it doesn't hurt any more. But last week my
knee was absolute agony and getting up and down stairs seemed to take
fully five minutes each time.

First cumulus today popped at around 1240 BST with base 6,400
(calculated). Glider pilots yesterday reported remarkable cumulus
bases of 8,000. One chap reported a climb from 2,000 to 7,000 feet in
a mere 5 minutes - better than a fully laden Jumbo.

Jack



That's 12 mph vertical speed Jack, I thought Jumbos were much quicker
than that. Though I suppose it's the horizontal speed I'm thinking about.

Joe
Wolverhampton
175m asl

Joe Egginton wrote:

That's 12 mph vertical speed Jack, I thought Jumbos were much quicker
than that. Though I suppose it's the horizontal speed I'm thinking about.

That's correct. 1,000 feet per minute would be good for a fully
laden Jumbo on a hot day.

A Jumbo just after take off can be extremely heavy and climb very badly
indeed, but of course the weight reduces in flight as fuel is consumed.
If an engine failure occurs just after take off, the climb is minimal
and if two fail after take off - well. "Windsor Castle. Here we
come"

That's why they have to dump the "disposables" if a problem
occurs when heavy - fuel, baggage, toilet contents (you will have
heard of those blue-ice meteorites) in that order.

Phil will tell us where the approved dumping grounds are.

Jack

wrote:

Your contact is the Manager/Chief Flying Instructor Andy Roch

Very approachable splendid chap.

Thanks for the contact

I have flown from Dunstable in the past but am now retired from active
gliding. But I was on Bison Hill Whipsnade a few weeks ago
photographing rare butterflies - now I bet you didn't know what was on
your doorstep!

That is, literally, on my doorstep! Next time let us know, and you'd
be welcome to pop in for a cuppa. Although a wild-life ignoramus,
I love the variety of living things to be seen around here, many of which
I've never seen before, and most of which are not human. The only
problem is the flotilla of airborne nocturnal beasties which head
straight for my office light during the evenings. (Can a 'flotilla' be
'airborne', he wonders?)

Philip

wrote:
Joe Egginton wrote:


That's 12 mph vertical speed Jack, I thought Jumbos were much quicker
than that. Though I suppose it's the horizontal speed I'm thinking about.


That's correct. 1,000 feet per minute would be good for a fully
laden Jumbo on a hot day.

A Jumbo just after take off can be extremely heavy and climb very badly
indeed, but of course the weight reduces in flight as fuel is consumed.
If an engine failure occurs just after take off, the climb is minimal
and if two fail after take off - well. "Windsor Castle. Here we
come"

That's why they have to dump the "disposables" if a problem
occurs when heavy - fuel, baggage, toilet contents (you will have
heard of those blue-ice meteorites) in that order.

Phil will tell us where the approved dumping grounds are.

Jack


Thanks Jack for the info. I've never flown. (Well, only when a nasty
teacher whacked me around the head for being naughty with a guillotine
in metalwork.)

When I see airplanes on the TV, they look like they climb at about a 45
degrees angle, so I assumed their vertical climb was at a greater rate
then 1000 feet per minute.

I learn something everyday, and lose at bit to make room !

Joe
Wolverhampton
175m asl.

"Joe Hunt" wrote in message
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/5136316.stm

With all the government's heatwave hyperbole and stories of litigation
overriding common sense I thought this was vaguely on topic.

Joe



Big talking point today in Devon media!

Personally having moved to an area which is wild and where one can experience
nature "in the raw" the thought of such a development leaves me horror-struck.
The person proposing it obviously has no idea what winter conditions are like on
the Tor summit. 60 mph winds, horizontal heavy driving rain, and icing at times
with heavy snow. I would suggest that any moving strucrure is going to need an
awful lot of maintenance. A granite path from the car park would also be very
slippery in wet weather, there is an easy grass track up there so I don't even
see the point in this. Ah well Dartmoor National Park won't allow it that's for
sure as all development is very very carefully scrutinised. And what would
happen at the top, will it be fenced to stop people falling off, and why stop
there why not make all the Tors more bleedin accessible. I'm now too old to
learn to climb Mont Blanc summit but do I ask for a stairlift to take me to the
top? Of course not. Yes there but for the grace of God go I but if I was infirm
the last thing I would want to do would be spoil other people's enjoyment of
nature at her naked best just for my benefit.

Will (who actually lives in Haytor)
--

On 3 Jul 2006 09:32:28 -0700, wrote:

A Jumbo just after take off can be extremely heavy and climb very badly
indeed, ...

I don't like Jumbos for that reason they take what seems an eternity to
gain flying speed, the runway just can't be that long... Give me a
Trilander, only appears to need about 50yds of runway and climbs really
quick.

If an engine failure occurs just after take off, the climb is minimal
and if two fail after take off - well. "Windsor Castle. Here we
come"

I've been in one with an engine failure just after take off from
Heathrow. Overheat light came on and it was pretty noticeable when they
shut that engine down. Overheat light stayed on though even with the
engine off for 10 mins...

Spent a merry hour or so flying up and down the English Channel dumping
fuel before returning to Heathrow, chased down the runway by loads of
fire tenders and parked up out of the way before being allowed to taxi
into a bay.

The other reason that jumbos have to dump weight before landing when
heavy is because they can't actually land with that weight on board. I
suspect that applies to a lot of long haul planes as well.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail