A Blast From The Past!

[SASless]

As it is the last day of the Year and we start another tomorrow.....most of us take a moment to contemplate the past year and consider what the new one might hold.

When I opened pprune a few minutes ago.....an old acquaintance had left a PM for me to read.

I met him at Duxford when I was there flying the Huey owned by Phil Connolly.

At some point in a weak moment I allowed this young fellow to sit in the pilot seat of the Huey.

I very much regret that now.....as in his PM he informed me of the approaching likelihood of his becoming a licensed helicopter pilot.

He remarked of the impact of sitting in the Huey seat had on him and strengthening his desire to become a helicopter pilot one day.

I suppose I played an unknowing role in spreading the illness most of us have suffered....wanting to fly.

I very much wish him well in his flying and am humbled to receive such a compliment as was made by his taking time to catch up with me all these years later.

I look back at my flying career and as I have remarked many times in the past....if I ever write a book it will be about the people I have met and what a treasure so many of them are to me.

One of my regrets is I treated my Log Book as a sterile place to document flight hours and aircraft types.....and did not add photos, and journal entries to more fully describe each flight and event related to those days.

I have been very fortunate in been honored to know some very good folks over the years.

Perhaps I shall write that book one day....but will have to leave a few chapters out to protect the guilty.

Happy New Year to all....and especially to our fledgling aviator for reminding me of why we should all be ambassadors for our trade and industry.

[LRP]

I have the same regrets with respect to my logbooks. It would be interesting to read through my own thoughts on the particular day of some of my adventures over the years. I remember many, but I often wonder if my memories are accurate. It would be fun to see, in my own hand, what my impressions were then.

[GC47G]

SASless.All the best for 2019 , I can only hope that our flight paths cross in May ��

[SASless]

Should be a boat ride available....might even catch a fish or two.

[HeliboyDreamer]

SASless,I wish you a happy new year 2019, I don’t even know you but the following;


One of my regrets is I treated my Log Book as a sterile place to document flight hours and aircraft types.....and did not add photos, and journal entries to more fully describe each flight and event related to those days.


is a great idea to me so thanks for the idea.

If I ever manage to fly again I will definitely do that. You see you can also make an impact on people by writing on PPRuNe :)

Hope to read your book one day...

[SASless]

Happy New Year to you!

I did make some cryptic remarks when a particular flight or series of flights stood out to me.

In my two combat tours in Vietnam flying Chinooks....I relied upon the US Army flying records for time keeping and did not keep a Log Book at all....and that was a huge mistake.

For instance, If I had done a Logbook as I describe....my war stories would have had a much better basis upon which to embellish.

[MightyGem]

One of my regrets is I treated my Log Book as a sterile place to document flight hours and aircraft types.....and did not add photos, and journal entries to more fully describe each flight and event related to those days.
I started flying gliders some years before helicopters. One of my gliding instructors told me to always write something about the flight in my logbook, even if was just a 5 minute circuit(not unusual in a glider on a poor day). I did that and carried it on throughout my flying career.

[nomorehelosforme]

SASless,
That was a really well written thread starter, no doubt we all have “if only” moments in our life’s! Looking forward to the book!

Good luck with your fishing this year and try to keep away from the sharks and perhaps stop throwing empty beer cans at others!

Happy New Year to you and all on Pprune and stay safe.

[John Eacott]

These days my logbooks are used more often as diary guides, especially following a Christmas gift of a slide/negative scanner where I'm often stumped for the date of a photo until I find the event in my logbook. I was encouraged to add not only descriptions of my flights but also the occasional photo into my logbooks when RN, and it has served me well.

I'd encourage any other aviator to do the same, even if it means printing a digital image to add to the logbook.

Something to be said for analogue records in this digital age :ok:

http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/d/8220-2/1982-03+Okanagan+S76+03.jpg[

[Sir Niall Dementia]

I had to show my log books to the UK CAA a number of years ago, very nice lady handed them back to me saying: "Here's your photo albums!" I keep all sorts of stuff in mine because my rotary instructor suggested it as like SAS his were just the bland records of flying and had none of the interesting stuff.

[Bell_ringer]

It's much easier to keep digital records these days. Pics and video and store them away for eternity.

[Cornish Jack]

Jolly good idea and made a start with a course photo - somewhat short-lived when the Flt Cdr returned it from signing the monthly summary with "This is an OFFICIAL Air Ministry document, NOT a bloody photo album!!" A good idea though - in more enlightened environments!

[Union Jack]

These days my logbooks are used more often as diary guides, especially following a Christmas gift of a slide/negative scanner where I'm often stumped for the date of a photo until I find the event in my logbook. I was encouraged to add not only descriptions of my flights but also the occasional photo into my logbooks when RN, and it has served me well.

I'd encourage any other aviator to do the same, even if it means printing a digital image to add to the logbook.

Something to be said for analogue records in this digital age :ok:



I reflect with pleasure, tinged with an understandable degree of sadness, what outstandingly good use Danny42C clearly made of his logbooks - a prime example of exactly what John says.

Jack

[ShyTorque]

Jolly good idea and made a start with a course photo - somewhat short-lived when the Flt Cdr returned it from signing the monthly summary with "This is an OFFICIAL Air Ministry document, NOT a bloody photo album!!" A good idea though - in more enlightened environments!

I was told similar. Hence the details in my RAF logbooks, apart from an occasional place name, consist mainly of just exercise and task numbers. I didn't even write anything about the very cold, wet and windy night during basic jet training that my QFI and I had very good reason to find ourselves going through the ejection seat drills somewhere over Yorkshire. Thankfully we didn't quite have to carry out the final action, although I did keep a hand near the lower seat handle for what seemed quite some while on our way back to base. The one photo I do have in Vol 1 (I'm now on logbook Vol 7) is of a member of the Royal family awarding me my "wings" badge. Vol 2 has an official photo of a squadron exchange and that's it.

[SASless]

It's much easier to keep digital records these days. Pics and video and store them away for eternity.

Remember to "Back Up" all those files....in mulitple safe places so that even the Back Up File stash being lost will not result in the loss of everything.

One set of Archived Data should be safely stored at a remote location to ensure there is at least one survivor of a disaster.

[MightyGem]

It's much easier to keep digital records these days. Pics and video and store them away for eternity.
Hmm...my logbooks will be readable(if they are not physically destroyed) for many, many years to come. I started doing computer based backups 20 odd years ago, for just that eventuality.

Those backups are now unreadable due me changing(over the years) computers, operating systems and software. Will the filetypes of logbook software be readable in years to come, or will you be able to connect the device that you used to a future computer?

Paper is the only storage medium that can be read hundreds of years after it was written. Think 5.25 floppies, 3.5 floppies(some won't even know what they are) and DVDs(on their way out).

[Ascend Charlie]

Funny that the 3.5" discs were still call floppies, despite being in a rigid case. My 7" floppy is still useful after all these years.

[Bell_ringer]

Hmm...my logbooks will be readable(if they are not physically destroyed) for many, many years to come. I started doing computer based backups 20 odd years ago, for just that eventuality.

Those backups are now unreadable due me changing(over the years) computers, operating systems and software. Will the filetypes of logbook software be readable in years to come, or will you be able to connect the device that you used to a future computer?

Paper is the only storage medium that can be read hundreds of years after it was written. Think 5.25 floppies, 3.5 floppies(some won't even know what they are) and DVDs(on their way out).

The issue with those old devices was media, types and formats changed and their longevity was limited.
Modern tech doesn't rely on any specific media or format and is more often than not now based in the cloud so it transcends technology changes and age.
What's on your phone, moves to your next phone and so on with copies kept in various places.
While less interesting than an old paper book it will be more coffee and tea resistant.

[Bell_ringer]

Funny that the 3.5" discs were still call floppies, despite being in a rigid case. My 7" floppy is still useful after all these years.

We always called them stiffies :}

[MightyGem]

it will be more coffee and tea resistant.
Maybe, maybe not. Try spilling liquid on a laptop keyboard.

[inmate]

Happy New Year Sass, and everybody else.
You must have a double somewhere.
In 1969 I was doing by PPL at Bristol & Wessex and wandering around the airport stumbled on a small hanger and as "inquiring minds wanted to know" looked inside. Much to my suprize was a very well looked after 206 which I found out from the pilot was owned by the electrical company for the SW, he like you gave me the cooks tour and although this didn't cement my change over a few years later it did stick in my mind as a nice gesture on his part. Many more chapters to the book came after that encounter but I always remembered his patience and encouragement which I have tried to emulate along the way.
My LB's are a mess over the years from Desert sand to Jungle mold, but I added a few comments along the way which makes for at least an outline of "the life and times of a Nomad of the Aviation World" I do remember a less than enthusiastic member of the CAA at Star House on the Strand (that dates me) making comment about my LB's yet on the other side of the pond the FAA spent more time looking at the photos and comments, the final chapter hasn't been written yet but the old pen is running out of ink.

[BluSdUp]

I got bored over in the Fixed wing department and dropped in here for some entertainment.
Can I humbly ask you to start that book SASless, I would think it would be good fun to read and the next generation rotorheads and fixed wing pilots alike could learn a thing or two.
With regards to storage of information, AC , I think a french chap in a cave ca 35 000 years ago holds the record, by painted the size of his hand on the wall, for the girls to ponder!
Regards
Cpt B

[SASless]

The CAA Wallah that looked at my US Army Records was not impressed and rejected the lot.....2500 hours total time with 85% of it in the Chinook, with a lot of it as the equivalent of a CFI/QHI/TRE Equivalent.

He did for a short while anyway.....then when I got down off the ceiling we found common ground when I suggested the US Embassy was not far off and I was sure the Military Attache might be willing to come around and Certify the Documents for him and when would that be convenient for him.

[Democritus]

.......In 1969 I was doing by PPL at Bristol & Wessex and wandering around the airport stumbled on a small hanger and as "inquiring minds wanted to know" looked inside. Much to my suprize was a very well looked after 206 which I found out from the pilot was owned by the electrical company for the SW, he like you gave me the cooks tour and although this didn't cement my change over a few years later it did stick in my mind as a nice gesture on his part.......

There were only three pilots, plus the boss, working for the SWEB Helicopter Unit at Bristol Airport in 1969 and I was one of them. I wonder which of us was the one who showed you around! Here's the JetRanger you referred to, shown at Cardiff Rhoose Airport that year.
.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/800x522/yx_cardiff_rhoose_airport_ad15cf9ae91f973473f33a754ad0c49b1a cf14c6.jpg

[inmate]

Thanks so much for your posting. Unfortunately I have no idea which pilot took his time to show me around but not only was it good to recall that event it brought back good memories of my young dreams and early days. Who would have known what lay ahead. (Probably would have stayed working at BAC if I'd known)

[industry insider]

The old Jet Ranger still looks so good in the original style of paint scheme with black low skid gear.

[Democritus]

Did some digging and found that the SWEB 206, G-AVYX, is still flying some 51 years after we took delivery from Agusta. It's in Australia and registered as VH-EXE. Looking very smart - just checked my logbook and I have 808 hours in her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1uyiu2Z7Vs