A Photo of an Airship
Last night I was going through some old photos of my mother-in-law’s and found a couple of pictures of an airship.
Here’s the best one.
The Airship Photo
On reading the call-sign on the side as G-FAAW, it became obvious with a bit of searching the Internet, that the airship, was the ill-fated R101, which crashed on its first flight in France.
The R101 is one of those projects, that suffered from bad design and management. It should also be said that there appears to have been a lot of political interference. After all the R101 was the government’s project to rival the capitalist R100, so I don’t think they wanted it to fail.
But was this pressure worth the lives of the 48 people, who died with the R101?
The picture looks like it was taken in the area of Cardington, but it might be elsewhere.
My mother-in-law and in fact others in North London, including my own mother, were somewhat fascinated by airships. A lot of this was probably due to the shooting down of the German airship by Captain Leefe Robinson in September 1916 at Cuffley, the fire of which could be seen a hundred miles away. I think both would have been about four at the time and it was something that must have made an impression on both their lives. Somewhere, I’ve seen a tin box of the remains of the downed airship, that had been scavanged by perhaps a child at the time.
A Failed Darwin Award Attempt
I find the Darwin Awards very funny, as they really do celebrate the stupidity of some of the people on the Clapham Omnibus. Here’s how you get an award.
In honor of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool by (accidentally) removing themselves from it. The Award is generally bestowed posthumously.
This guy will surely feature on the site. Probably as a good try.
How Internet Rumours Start
I was looking down the list of flying exhibits at Duxford today and noticed that the Royal Netherlands Air Force were flying in their Spitfire. So I was curious as to how they acquired their plane and searched the Internet. I found the details on this page at the Spitfire Society.
But there is also this interesting bit on the page under a heading of Dissimilar Combat Exercises.
In 1963 it was thought that the English Electric Lightning might have to be used against P-51 Mustangs in Indonesia, and the Mk XIX PM631 of the BBMF was diverted to Central Fighter Establishment Binbrook to provide an opponent similar to the Mustangs in a dissimilar combat exercise. During this exercise it developed engine troubles, and PS853, which while being a Gate Guardian at CFE Binbrook had also been maintained in flying condition on the orders of the Station CO, took over the role.
Has anyone any information on the story that in the simulator, a Spitfire armed with Sidewinders has a fair chance against a Tornado?
The question has to be asked, as to why need all the expensive military hardware, politicians and those in the armed forces, say we need.
But how many people would take the last part of the extract and believe it to be the truth?
A Spoilt Basset Hound
C would never allowed this and I generally don’t! But some of my guests invite my basset to misbehave!
A Spoilt Basset Hound
Did You Know That If You Get Angry Your Buttocks Catch Fire?
Well according to that distributor of the truth, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, they do. He is quoted in this piece in the Guardian.
The president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, urged Americans to “pour water where it burns”, a reference to a phrase about people who are so angry that their buttocks catch fire.
So there you have it! It must be true, as it’s in a reputable newspaper.
More Iranian Injustice
Iran must be the most inhuman regime in the world and goodness knows there are quite a few about. They are now going to lash poor Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani because a picture of her appeared in The Times without a headscarf. But according to the BBC, the picture wasn’t even her.
How long should we go on having diplomatic relations with people like this?
Do Blackburn Rovers Want This Man as an Owner?
The BBC has been doing some investigating into the prospective new owner of Blackburn Rovers Football Club.
This an except from the report.
Records show Ahsan Ali Syed has failed to pay a county court judgement of £61,500. Other debts include £7,800 in unpaid rent and nearly £1,000 in unpaid council tax.
Mr Ali is also listed as director of two UK companies which were dissolved for non-compliance.
We mustn’t let dodgy characters ruin our national game, by being able to buy clubs. I’m going to Portsmouth next week, where they know all about people who live on a different planet.
The Anonymous Widower 