Burke's Ravings

[Chris Ross]

Happy BD Ed
at 63 I feel like a youngster

So how did the instructor overcome the understeer Ed?

Chris

[Ed Burke]

Thanks Chris.
The word is hit the corner under brakes, feather the throttle to maintain the slide and don't let the red mist descend until you can see the exit from the corner. Forget about using power to induce the slide. Sounds simple, oh yeh! Grins are trumps.
Ed

[Ed Burke]

This month's feature reminds me of a flight I did in 1954. I was working at the uranium mine at Rum Jungle, about 60 km south of Darwin when I was informed that my father, in Melbourne, was seriously ill.

The earliest flight out of Darwin was a Qantas flight on its last leg from the UK. They normally didn't carry domestic passengers but due to the circumstances, agreed to allow me aboard for Sydney where I could find an onward flight to Melbourne. The equipment was an L1049 and we departed Darwin late at night for the seven plus hour trip.

Weather was ok and we droned along at cruise while the almost full complement of pax had settled down to try and catch some sleep in the darkened cabin. Suddenly there was ear splitting scream of terror and a great thump as a gentleman of Indian appearance launched himself from his seat and crashed on his back in the aisle. I guess his sleep had produced a dream that was not greatly to his liking! The door to the flight deck flew open and one of the flight crew was on the scene before the cabin staff had even rubbed their eyes. He was quickly helped back into his seat none the worse for his rough landing and silence descended once more.

I wonder how much sleep the rest of the passengers got? I know I was wide awake for the whole night enjoying the droning of the big Wright Cyclones and yawned my way into Sydney through a drizzly approach.

[Ed Burke]

Tom mentions some good snow in Madison AL. Well the folks on this part of the globe would trade water for snow with a great deal of enthusiasm. It is still raining spasmodically in the south east of Queensland with everybody in the catchment areas being flooded out. There have been a number of fatalities and the property damage is stupendous. This is going on record as the worst flooding that Queensland has experienced.

I live on a hilltop at 425 metres ASL and for me the endless weeks of rain and gloom have just been an inconvenience, I'm lucky.

As a nation we will feel the effects. The repair bills will be monumental. Queensland coal mining exports have ceased due to mine flooding and damage to rail infrastructure and will remain so for many weeks with thousands of employees without income.

Food crops have been very badly hit so prices are about to go way up.

We have been feeling a little smug about the way we have weathered the recent financial woes, however this is going to hit hard I feel.

Enough of this glum report, back to the GAAR. Where's my PBY-5A ??

[Chris Ross]

I flew one the last couple of years and loved it
I think I may have been a bit premature
Last year I flew one as me ant the other as Les Knight( I try and use other pilots tgat I think have contributed to Aussie or World Flying History,Les Knight was the young Aussie pilot who knocked over one of the dams in the dambusters raid) I used Tony Gaze once and got an awful shock when I saw him interviewed on TV later in the year




year

[Smithy]

'ello old mate,
this Low is worse than thought
I am at about 120-30 ASL thankfully
the City of Brisbane and outlying regions are in for it
The hightide will see to that
Hopefully we wont lose anymore

We are safe, but waterlogged
Many locals are worse off
the pictures from toowoomba are jaw dropping
most cant believe it

[Bill Von Sennet]

Hi Ed,

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Queenslanders in harms way.

[Ed Burke]

Today I lost my old, trusty co-pilot. The old RedDog has been camping on my CH rudder pedals for many years while I have braved the virtual skies. No complaints when I have done foolish things that could have brought us both undone, trusting and attentive throughout. He was 17 years old which is monumental for an Australian Cattle Dog. (a Red Heeler in fact) A most amiable person, I have never known him to even growl at a human, deserving and all such a heads up may have been.

After a recent period when he has been showing his age, this morning he was in trouble and a visit to the vet determined that he had suffered an overnight stroke and one side of his brain was history. So this afternoon the old Red was given the green dream and is now helping the citrus trees do their thing down the block apiece.

You will be sorely missed by many. Cheers Reddie.

[Bill Von Sennet]

Sad News Ed.

I'm sure hardly a day will pass without a fond memory of Reddie.

[Tom Goodrick]

Sorry to hear it, Ed. I know he has flown with you on many adventures. When I lose a pet these days I tell myself I won't bother finding a replacement. That works real good as I am presently living with 2 dogs and 7 cats in the house. These days when I motor on through the virtual sky, I am semi reclined on the left half of a loveseat (right half no longer reclines) a table on the left holding refreshments and the joystick on the right seat. Behind me is a cat pole anchored between floor and ceiling with three seats to hold furry kibitzers. The trouble is the cats run toward me, jump to the top of the right seat and then onto the pole, simulating considerable turbulence in the process.

Best of luck.

[louross]

Yeah, that can be rough. Keep the memories, in a warm place in your heart.
lou.

[Allan_Lowson]

Sorry to hear about your loss, our wet-nosed companions understand us so much better than those Venusians.

My wire-haired terrier tried to warn me off a particularly inappropriate girl-friend, and the best part of four decades later I am still suffering for not paying attention.

[Ed Burke]

Thanks for the kind thoughts folks, some of the nicest people I know bark at me now and then. I would not have believed how big a hole Red has left and, yes Lou, I'll hang onto the good times.

[Ed Burke]

Tomorrow Nicole and I drive off for Melbourne where we will visit many friends over a couple of weeks before heading north to Newcastle where we will attend a friend's wedding. Then it is back home for recovery.
The bottom line of course is that I will be grounded for three weeks.

[Chris Ross]

Will you have an internet connection