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FLIGHT ENGINEER PAY RATES as at 1 October 1970
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Have Gas Turbines Ruined Aviation?
As an ex Flight Engineer living in a retirement
home (and always a true follower of the "Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow" cult) I must fully support these comments.
They were thoughtfully written by a old colleague of mine who coincidently happens to occupy the next room to me.
“The roar of disquiet dissent from nostalgic aviators is gradually rising in intensity.”
“I can feel the tightening of my
nuts and the readjustment of my 8 inch adjustable already!”
“Prepare to mount your Otto cycles gentlemen.”
We must get rid of Gas Turbine Engines…..
They are ruining aviation.
We need to go back to big radial reciprocating engines.
Anybody can start a turbine, you just need to move a switch from
"OFF" to "START" and then remember to move it back to
"ON" after a while.
My home computer is much more complicated to start.
Cranking and starting a reciprocating engine requires skill,
finesse and style.
On some airplanes, the pilots are not even allowed to do it and must
rely on the skill of their Flight Engineer.
Gas Turbines engines start by whining for a while, then give a
small lady-like poot and begin whining louder and louder.
Reciprocating engines give a most satisfying rattle-rattle,
click-click BANG, more rattles, another BANG, a big macho belch or two, more
clicks, a lot of good smelling smoke and finally a serious low pitched roar.
We like that. It's a guy thing.
When you start a reciprocating engine, your mind must be fully engaged
and only then you can concentrate on the flight ahead.
Starting a gas turbine is like flicking on a ceiling fan…. Useful,
but hardly exciting.
Gas Turbines don't break often enough, leading to aircrew complacency,
boredom, and inattention.
A reciprocating engine at speed looks and sounds like it's going to
blow at any minute. This certainly helps concentrate the mind.
Gas Turbines don't have enough control levers to keep a pilot's
attention. There's not enough to fiddle with during the flight.
Gas Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman lanterns.
Reciprocating engines smell like God intended all flying machines
to smell.
“I think I hear the nurse coming down the hall. I gotta go.”
CLICK HERE TO VIEW >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyPvpdy4dgg
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| If Flight Engineers designed cars ??? |
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The FE's Lament.....
A tribute to that fast disappearing breed. The men that sit sideways.
Best viewed in full screen mode with sound... http://youtu.be/7XwyjQ2oL44
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Was This Person New Zealand’s First Flight Engineer?
Nev Hay was researching material for the Walsh Bos.
first flight Centennial (5 Feb 2011),
when he came across the following piece, on-line,
in an Avondale history document titled ‘Timespanner’.
On re-reading it recently he wondered could John Owen Gardiner be New Zealand’s first Flight Engineer- albeit
a somewhat reluctant one.
(see paragraph in italics)
December 4th 2013 marked the 100th anniversary of
the flight of the Sandford-Miller biplane from Avondale Racecourse to New Lynn.
As can happen in Avondale, the late spring weather
had turned to heavy rain, soaking the plane and making movements in the air
heavy and hard to control. Nevertheless, they landed in a paddock, and planned
to return to Avondale later that day .
In 1913, Auckland was in a state of “aeroplane fever”. The novelty of heavier-than-air flight had caught the public’s imagination, fuelled by the 25 July 1909 first cross-English Channel flight by Louis Bleriot, after which planes where the engine was in front of the pilot were dubbed “Bleriots”. (At the 16 April 1913 meeting of the Avondale Jockey Club the principal race, the Avondale Handicap, was won by “Mr. T Hall’s filly Bleriot”.)
In 1913, Auckland was in a state of “aeroplane fever”. The novelty of heavier-than-air flight had caught the public’s imagination, fuelled by the 25 July 1909 first cross-English Channel flight by Louis Bleriot, after which planes where the engine was in front of the pilot were dubbed “Bleriots”. (At the 16 April 1913 meeting of the Avondale Jockey Club the principal race, the Avondale Handicap, was won by “Mr. T Hall’s filly Bleriot”.)
In April
of that year exhibition flights of a Bleriot-style plane were conducted at the Auckland
Domain by “Wizard” Stone at which “nearly 30,000” crammed the area to watch a
brief, unsuccessful, and in fact comedic flight.
All the while, Frederick Sandford and William Miller worked at perfecting their flying machine on the Avondale Racecourse.
All the while, Frederick Sandford and William Miller worked at perfecting their flying machine on the Avondale Racecourse.
Over much
of 1913, they staged practice flights and tinkered with the 60 horsepower ENV
engine of their “Farman” biplane (a “pusher” craft, named after Henri Farman’s
design from 1907).
According
to Athol J McD Miller, in his book The
Gardners of “Mataia” Glorit and New Lynn, John Owen Gardner, also known as Uncle Jack (1873-1931)
“… was renowned for his knowledge of engineering …
[William]
Miller … and his partner [Frederick] Sandford assembled a plane at the Avondale
Racecourse, but could not get the engine to function satisfactorily.
Someone
referred him to Uncle Jack who spent some time disassembling parts and
adjusting the timing of the engine and on the day that he thought he had
mastered the engine I went to Avondale with him on the back of his motor cycle.
He was
standing astride across the plane and still tinkering with the engine which was
running sweetly … Sandford who was at the controls took off, and they flew
around the racecourse at a height of about 50ft and landed again.
Uncle Jack had not altered his position during the whole flight and was still there sometime after it landed.”
Uncle Jack had not altered his position during the whole flight and was still there sometime after it landed.”
Their
biplane started out as a kitset “Howard-Wright” biplane imported into New
Zealand “as a bundle of wire, un-doped fabric, unfinished mahogany stringers,
ribs, propeller, engine and plans in 1910”, according to Peter Buffett by a
syndicate which included Vivian Walsh, Sandford (an aviator from Australia) and
Miller (a “Southern engineer”).
Such
machines were meant for the then money-generating exhibition flights business
of the day.
Dubbed
the “Manurewa”, the Howard-Wright was used for the first powered flight in New
Zealand on 5 February 1911 from Glenora Park, Papakura, but later met with
several accidents and was wrecked.
Sandford
and Miller took over the wreckage, rebuilt it to their own design and altering
it “considerably”, and started testing it at the Avondale Racecourse, with the
intent of holding their own exhibition flights at Alexandra Park.
On Sunday 13 April 1913, Sandford flew solo for the first time in his career (in Australia, he’d flown a well-known Australian exhibition aviator named Hart), taking off from Avondale Racecourse before several hundred people, rising to an altitude of about 50 feet, flying the length of the course, before making a “few more modest flights as far as the space available would allow.”
Leonard Pauling (whose sons George and Percy sold goods and fish in Avondale) kept a diary and made several references to the biplane and experiments out on the racecourse. One unfortunate incident that same April was reported as “Last Thursday the flying machine at Avondale cut a dog to pieces …” According to Peter Buffett, this happened during an attempt at takeoff, smashing the propeller and, of course, killing the dog.
On Sunday 13 April 1913, Sandford flew solo for the first time in his career (in Australia, he’d flown a well-known Australian exhibition aviator named Hart), taking off from Avondale Racecourse before several hundred people, rising to an altitude of about 50 feet, flying the length of the course, before making a “few more modest flights as far as the space available would allow.”
Leonard Pauling (whose sons George and Percy sold goods and fish in Avondale) kept a diary and made several references to the biplane and experiments out on the racecourse. One unfortunate incident that same April was reported as “Last Thursday the flying machine at Avondale cut a dog to pieces …” According to Peter Buffett, this happened during an attempt at takeoff, smashing the propeller and, of course, killing the dog.
Short
flights were reported in May.
Buffett surmised that it was during this period that a Miss Lester was a passenger, and became the first woman in New Zealand to fly.
The Sandford-Miller plane also achieved the first cross-country flight in New Zealand on 31 August, taking off with Sandford at the controls from Avondale, levelling out at 250 feet and heading west. Possibly approaching West Coast Road, along Great North Road, Sandford turned back to make for the racecourse again, but the engine failed, and he made a forced landing on a glide in a paddock “against Binsted’s slaughterhouse” beside the Rewa Rewa creek in New Lynn. The flight was one of 3 miles, at more than 70 km per hour.
Buffett surmised that it was during this period that a Miss Lester was a passenger, and became the first woman in New Zealand to fly.
The Sandford-Miller plane also achieved the first cross-country flight in New Zealand on 31 August, taking off with Sandford at the controls from Avondale, levelling out at 250 feet and heading west. Possibly approaching West Coast Road, along Great North Road, Sandford turned back to make for the racecourse again, but the engine failed, and he made a forced landing on a glide in a paddock “against Binsted’s slaughterhouse” beside the Rewa Rewa creek in New Lynn. The flight was one of 3 miles, at more than 70 km per hour.
Two weeks
later, after repairs by Miller, the plane returned across the Whau creek to
Avondale. In October, he made a five-mile flight to and from the racecourse.
Come December and the promise of summer months to come, Sandford decided to test the flying capacity of the plane under the conditions of the recent heavy rains. At about 8.30 on 4 December 1913, Sandford took off, circled the racecourse, and then tried to head for Epsom. The plane’s movements were too heavy to control, however, and he decided to force a landing in what was then known as “Clark’s paddocks” in New Lynn. The Auckland Star was advised of Sandford’s great confidence that the plane would later be able to exhibit itself at Alexandra Park.
Unfortunately, his optimism was for nought. The paddock was only half-an-acre, not allowing the plane enough of a runway for lift. Sandford had the plane wheeled back, however, trying to gain maximum distance and then started the engine, racing for a gap in the paddock’s fence. The plane, however, failed to rise, and crashed into a corner post. “The pilot,” the Star reported the next day, “was thrown many feet into the air, falling on his head, and the forepart of the machine was reduced to splinters and tangled wires.”
Taken back by motor car to his boarding-house at Avondale, Sandford remained unconscious for some time, with a badly damaged shoulder and wrist. Miller remained optimistic, saying “we will not give in”, but had to face the facts that the plane would have required to be completely rebuilt again, along with a new engine (in those days, this would have cost at least £800).
Arthur Morrish, then the editor/publisher of The News from Avondale, made an impassioned plea for the two men and their project in a letter to the Herald.
Come December and the promise of summer months to come, Sandford decided to test the flying capacity of the plane under the conditions of the recent heavy rains. At about 8.30 on 4 December 1913, Sandford took off, circled the racecourse, and then tried to head for Epsom. The plane’s movements were too heavy to control, however, and he decided to force a landing in what was then known as “Clark’s paddocks” in New Lynn. The Auckland Star was advised of Sandford’s great confidence that the plane would later be able to exhibit itself at Alexandra Park.
Unfortunately, his optimism was for nought. The paddock was only half-an-acre, not allowing the plane enough of a runway for lift. Sandford had the plane wheeled back, however, trying to gain maximum distance and then started the engine, racing for a gap in the paddock’s fence. The plane, however, failed to rise, and crashed into a corner post. “The pilot,” the Star reported the next day, “was thrown many feet into the air, falling on his head, and the forepart of the machine was reduced to splinters and tangled wires.”
Taken back by motor car to his boarding-house at Avondale, Sandford remained unconscious for some time, with a badly damaged shoulder and wrist. Miller remained optimistic, saying “we will not give in”, but had to face the facts that the plane would have required to be completely rebuilt again, along with a new engine (in those days, this would have cost at least £800).
Arthur Morrish, then the editor/publisher of The News from Avondale, made an impassioned plea for the two men and their project in a letter to the Herald.
“These
two men are the first local men to build a machine and make successful flights
with it,” he wrote. “Aviation is recognised the world over now as the foremost
science, destined to materially alter the standing of any country possessing
the best-equipped and most modern machines. Would it not once more redound to
the credit of New Zealand, which has led the world in so many ways, to show
that in the field of science also she has men with the brains to keep not only
abreast of other countries, but possibly outstrip them?”
The Avondale
Road Board raised a petition to Parliament asking that a grant be made to
Sandford and Miller to rebuild the plane, but this, and Morrish’s plea, was
unsuccessful.
Frederick Sandford recovered and later went on to fly in action in World War 1 with the R.N.A.S and R.F.C., rising to the rank of Major.
Frederick Sandford recovered and later went on to fly in action in World War 1 with the R.N.A.S and R.F.C., rising to the rank of Major.
William
Miller is said to have later owned the Royal Garage at Khyber Pass,
(update, 3 May 2011): while the site, between the
ASB building and Burleigh Ave is confirmed, the name of the garage isn't),
He farmed
at Kelston, and died in 1977 after “several innovative business ventures”,
according to Peter Buffett.
And
because of them, Avondale has yet another legend to be part of.
The Sandford-Miller biplane above Avondale Racecourse. Photo from Weekly News, 6 November 1913, p. 40, via Special Collections, Auckland City Libraries ...
Sources:
"The Sandford-Miller Biplane, 1913", by Peter Buffett, published in West Auckland Remembers, edited by James Northcote-Bade, West Auckland Historical Society 1990, pp. 103-109
Sources:
"The Sandford-Miller Biplane, 1913", by Peter Buffett, published in West Auckland Remembers, edited by James Northcote-Bade, West Auckland Historical Society 1990, pp. 103-109
The Gardners of “Mataia” Glorit and New Lynn, by Athol J. McD Miller, 1983,
pp. 25-26.
New Zealand Herald, 1913: 15 April, 17 April, 21 April, 8 December.
Auckland Star, 1913: 4 and 5 December.
New Zealand Herald, 1913: 15 April, 17 April, 21 April, 8 December.
Auckland Star, 1913: 4 and 5 December.
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From Robin Hickman
Gidday Guys,
I have just got back from a cruise on which
they had this interesting book in their library.
It concerned the operation of the
Shackleton over its 1951-1991 life with quotes from air and ground crew.
I am sure our fellow Airforce F/Es would
find this quite nostalgic with their experiences of long overwater duties.
It is amazing that this aircraft stayed in
service for 50 years. Mostly through the bungling of politicians.
The book is
"Growling over the Ocean"
Shackleton 1951-91
by
Deborah Lake.
From Souvenir press 2010.
ISBN 9780285638761.
If anyone is interested. http://souvenirpress.co.uk/product/growling-over-the-oceans/
This is the quote I rather liked.
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Back in the air after 50 years
The newly restored DH83 Fox Moth past Whangaparaoa Peninsula
near its North Shore home base.
North
Shore Aero Club member Stan Smith rebuilt
and flew a
vintage De Havilland DH83 Fox Moth.
After
almost 50 years one of the world’s five remaining airworthy Fox Moths has been
restored.
The
vintage De Havilland DH83 Fox Moth was imported in 1947 for light freight and
charter work throughout the South Island, including hauling venison and
whitebait on the West Coast.
"After
several mishaps and rebuilds the Fox Moth was grounded in 1961 by a Civil
Aviation Authority inspector who declared it to be in a disgraceful
condition," North Shore Aero Club past president Ian Couper says.
Club
member Stan Smith bought the remains for £75 in 1963 with the intention of
rebuilding it.
He says it
has been hung up along with other vintage planes, including a Miles Messenger
and Tiger Moth, waiting to be restored.
"It’s
one of the few places in the world where all these aircraft are in one place.
They are all to be kept together," Mr Smith says.
The rare
planes belong to an historical trust and there are plans to add them to a major
collection in the South Island.
Spending
$10,000 in man hours restoring "everything" on the Fox Moth was worth
it for the enjoyment of it, Mr Smith says.
"It’s
a hobby and it’s our life."
The wood
and fabric covering is new and the standard of work is exceptional, Mr Couper
says.
"The
rebuilt Gipsy Major engine fired on the second swing."
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VINTAGE REBUILD & RESTORATION
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Jaguar enthusiast back for Classic Speedfest
17/02/2012
Kerry
Anderson with his Jaguar D Type.
He has
competed in the Classic Speedfest every year.
It's a
long journey from Hong Kong to Invercargill, but it's a trip classic car
enthusiast Kerry Anderson is only too happy to make each year.
The New
Zealand expatriate has competed in every Classic Speedfest event at Teretonga
since its inception in 1992 and said it was a special weekend.
Auckland-born
Anderson has lived in Asia for more than 20 years – where he worked as a flight
engineer for Cathay Pacific. He will be lining up in the sports car class over
the weekend in his prized Jaguar D-type replica.
Anderson
has owned the vehicle since 1988 and said it was as close to a 1957 Jaguar
D-type car as was possible, apart from the gearbox.
"The
chassis and body were built in England and I put it together in Hong Kong with
some help," Anderson said.
"I
love the shape of the car. It's a very famous car. [The Jaguar D-type] was the
first English [car manufacturer] to win Le Mans [24 hour race]."
Anderson
has had a love affair with Jaguars for most of his life and said they offered
the best value for money and were elegant vehicles that handled well and had
plenty of power.
He is a
devoted collector of historic cars, possessing 15 in his garage back in Hong
Kong, which includes a Carrera Porsche, MG RV8, Lotus Elan, and one of his
all-time favourites, his Lola T142.
The New
Zealand classic series features events in Auckland, Christchurch, Timaru and
Invercargill, and Anderson said it was always a thrill to return to his
homeland and test out his cars at the country's top circuits.
"The
classic series is a jolly good event. In the space of three weekends, you've
got three or four different circuits."
Anderson
has a long-standing friendship with Classic Speedfest organiser Rick Michels
and confessed to being a big fan of the Teretonga circuit.
"It's
a special place. Teretonga is probably the most famous track in the country.
Lots of really high star guys have been there. It's the most southern track in
the world. It's pretty unique."
"It's
only 10 minutes to the track and there's no traffic jams," he said with a
laugh.
About 170
drivers have registered for the Classic Speedfest weekend across the nine
classes. The event gets under way today with an unofficial practice session.
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