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HEM

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Everything posted by HEM

  1. Many, many years ago (probably before I got involved in the sport of gliding) there used to be gliding competitions organised in the UK in Autumn using the lift from stubble fires. I believe that these were known as "Kipper Competitions".
  2. I honestly do not believe that I could stand up on one of those boards let alone paddle at the same time. I was most impressed to see a bikini-clad not-so-young lady succesfully paddling her SUP - albeit slowly - across the bay at Cala Fornells (Mallorca) back in 2017. I'll stick to my glider / Sailplane.
  3. When the weather is c**p & you need to take your mind off things try: Prisoners Property and Prostitutes by Tom Ratcliffe https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prisoners-Property-Prostitutes-things-begining-ebook/dp/B086C9KZDH/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=prisoners+property&qid=1601365076&sr=8-1 Seems to be out-of-print but available for Kindle. I read the book several years ago whilst on holiday on Ibiza (good weather) & my wife wondered why I kept bursting out with helpless laughter. The name of the author is a pseudonym - turns out I vaguely knew the guy (his brother was a class-mate of my brother - we were all at Stockport Grammar School).
  4. That could be worth something to a collector.
  5. Brings back memories. As a kid I had a Hornby 3-rail layout. Totally unrealistic of course with a tank engine / Mallard running round in circles. Eventually when I ceased studying & started to work I was faced with the choise of a complete restart with modern equipment or taking up model R/C flying (which my brother was already doing). I chose the R/C flying which I did for 8 years before getting involved with "full-scale" sailplanes. Stranegly enough my brother did the same thing 2 years later. If any model railway enthusiast ever vists Hamburg you MUST visit this (allow at least half a day): https://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/
  6. Maybe I have not been paying attention but I cannot recall seeing these back in the homeland of Aldi & Lidl.
  7. Personally I feel nervous about going to a hotel or restaurant within the bounds of the country that I live in. The virus danger is everywhere.
  8. I have not eaten at McDonald's since becomming a grandad. I have only ONCE eaten voluntarily at McD's (well - collected) and that was back in 2002 when I was on a business trip that had me for a few days in Tokyo - far away from anything Western. I was in a big hotel (the one where James Bond landed by helicopter on the roof) & across the major road was a McD's where I went in, pointed at the menu picture on the desk & raised one finger. Lots of Japanese laughter & I got my bag to tidy me over the next 12 hours. The other two evenings were better - on one the Japanese colleagues took me out to eat & the other afternoon/everning I met up with a Professor from my High-Energy Physics days who showed me parts of Tokyo.
  9. The air is a killer (aviation), the roads are a killer & sitting on a horse is a killer. Its worth reading "Accidents Happen" by Ann Welch (1978 - sadly out of print) The introduction starts off: Why do light aeroplane pilots fly into clouds stuffed with mountains? What causes ballonists to sever high-voltage power cables? How has a yachtsman had his bowsprit run over by a train? and ends: ACCIDENTS HAPPEN is essential reading for all those concerned with safety in sport and is absorbing to read because of the realisation that 'There but for the grace of God go I'.
  10. ...and some countries (e.g. Germany) apply broadcasting charges on every property - whether you have a radio / TV, PC or not! Currently costing 52.50 Euros per quarter. I actually watch very little German TV - there are some good travel programs on NDR (even if repeats from bygone years - some are ex-BBC). Wife & daughter watch a lot of Netflix.
  11. HEM

    Hooked Cygnet..

    A bit like the male tortoise (called Turvey) I had for many years who bit my mother in her big toe (open sandals) when she was too slow slicing apple for him...
  12. HEM

    Edp

    Nowadays you'd be arrested for that
  13. From what I know of gliding in the UK (I learnt to fly in DE & only have a dozen or so flights in the UK but my brother was CFI of a UK gliding club for some years) gliders did not carry registrations of the form G-MVJC until very recently. So I'd doubt that was a glider - possibly a powered aircraft with engine failure). With just under 2000 glider flights in my log book that ain't true. Water landings with gliders whilst certainly not recommended do happen & are usually the result of a serĂ­ous mistake at least some minutes previously.
  14. Many (like 50) years ago my brother & I sailed a Martham half-decker from Martham to Martham Broad & back. the wind was such that we didnt't need to tack (not realy practical tacking there). As we shot along the reeds at fairly high speed the well-hidden fishermen were most upset...
  15. I think the last time I used them was during "A" Level Maths exam in 1970.
  16. Exactly. I presume youngsters don't know what log tables are (or slide rules...).
  17. Which reminds me of the joke our maths teacher used to tell at school about Noah & adders...
  18. HEM

    My Day

    At last - a decent cross country flight (a declared 381 Km triangle) around Hamburg airspace. Flight completed at an average speed of 75 km/h just using solar energy (which generates the thermals) apart from the initial launch. Pretty hard going halfway as high-level overcast shut out the Sun & had me dicing it with bunches of windmills. However I managed to scrape away & conditions got better. An auxillary motor onboard does calm the mind even though I did not have to use it to avoid an out-landing on some farmer's field. East & South-East of Hamburg the combine harvesters were hard at work. The best weather some weeks ago came whilst we were mostly grounded due to Corona. This was the first decent flight since I upgraded the instrument panel to have a more modern LX9000 navigation system to replace the aging LX8000 I have had since 2009. Today? Overcast & rain.
  19. I'm sure than many visitors to Spain don't want them either!
  20. Although I originate from close to the land of Ecky Thump the idea of black pudding is to me totally revolting!
  21. Threads tend to drift (or go off at tangents) on any forum.
  22. Steeleye Span -The Victory from the Album Storm Force Ten I saw them perform this live at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. This track is one of my son's favourites.
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