Mike Ramsden
Just seen on Flyer that J M "Mike" Ramsden died on Sunday. To me he was foremost the Editor of Flight International when I read it fairly assiduously in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but I know he was much more.
The late Gainesy once of these pages, otherwise Mike Gaines also of Flight, "let slip" that Mike Ramsden was also Roger Bacon - or one of several - and I suggest he was "ahhhh de Havilland!" personified, a Total Aviation Person. RIP. |
Sad but not unexpected I'm afraid. We old "ahh de Havilland" folk can't forget that Mike was ten or so years ahead of us at the Tech. School and what that implies - as was Alastair Pugh who died earlier this year.
Happily Mike did manage to finish and publish his biography of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, a work that draws heavily on Mike's interviews over the years with the senior members of GdH's original team. As Editor of Flight International it was characteristic that he still found time to entertain us with "Straight and Level" On a more serious level, when he and others were conned by Channel 4 TV's "Comet Cover-up" he led the fight to have Channel 4 shown for what it was. Lots here. |
Yuk Speak
Was it Mike that used the term 'YUK SPEAK' for various official documents or statements that failed to cover the point in question !!!
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As I recall that was his porcine alter ego!
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“Bit late on the round out Hoskins” was another Roger Bacon classic, frequently accompanied by a black and white photo of a crumpled aircraft. |
Let’s not forget the various incarnations of the “Scruggs Wonderplane”. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightP...20-%200728.PDF |
"Captain Speaking" was another of his recurrent classics, which has entertained various non-aviation folk I have used the expression with.
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Originally Posted by suninmyeyes
(Post 10532478)
“Bit late on the round out Hoskins” was another Roger Bacon classic, frequently accompanied by a black and white photo of a crumpled aircraft. Let us also not forget "Roger's Thesaurus" |
Another Straight and Level line I remember was "the old Constipation sat on the ramp dripping oil. Passers by fled in panic as its four Wrights burst into flames..."
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...due to a failure of the knurled flange-bracket.
A line that hasoccasionally been swallowed and regurgitated by reporters ever since. So, so satisfying! |
And the American...`J.Burlington Widebody`...if you didn`t go to the `jobs` page first,it was usually to Uncle Rogers for his take on all things aviation.....
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I seem to recall that for a time 'Straight and Level' was sub-captioned '...the page you turn to second...'
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Sudden but not entirely unexpected TWANG |
Originally Posted by wub
(Post 10533127)
Sudden but not entirely unexpected TWANG
I see I wrote about it here at the time https://www.pprune.org/passengers-sl...ml#post4307062 |
Then there were the definitions. For starters:
"An air hostess is a lady who asks you what you want, and then straps you down so that you can't have it." |
"An air hostess is a lady who asks you what you want, and then straps you down so that you can't have it." |
I always thought the name was a homage to the eponymous friar:
Based on Bacon's apocrypha, he is also portrayed as a visionary who predicted the invention of the submarine, aircraft and automobile. |
Originally Posted by WHBM
(Post 10532681)
"Captain Speaking" was another of his recurrent classics
Among my favourites were Rollo Freelunch (I've met a few of those in my time) and Reginald S Potter (ditto). |
Yes memories of early aviation indoctrination.
The couple I remember was : "He is so secure in his job he reads Flight from the front !" and when RR was developing the RB Government Man :" How is the new engine going?" Rolls Royce Neddy : " Well the weight is what the thrust should be and the thrust is what the weight shoud be " |
Another Straight and Level line I remember was "the old Constipation sat on the ramp dripping oil. Passers by fled in panic as its four Wrights burst into flames..."
Ha! I remember this one too, it was a send up of Stephen Piercy's enthusiasm for old prop liners. |
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