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James May Daily Telegraph article

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Old 9th Jun 2009, 23:59
  #41 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
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No, not american.....i just lack your apparent pomposity.
I sense your apparent lack of a sense of humour.

I say again, the whole thing is a wind-up.
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 01:23
  #42 (permalink)  
 
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Now that takes a lot of crust.....a Brit accusing a fellow Brit of "Pomposity"!

And all the while thinking the other guy was of all things....a YANK!

Shy,

A lot of my friends are Americans and used to be proud of it!

Being Americans.....that is.
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 01:38
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If you can't take a joke you shouldn't join a rotorheads thread!

PJ - please spit that hook out!
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 01:44
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"For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. The disease has increased in severity and I feel it will soon cost me an increased amount of money, if not my life."
— Wilbur Wright, beginning of his first letter to Octave Chanute, 13 May 1900
He got that right, particularly the money bit.
Like all novices (in our childhood), we began with the helicopter but soon saw it had no future and dropped it. The helicopter does with great labour only what the balloon does without labour, and is no more fitted than the balloon for rapid horizontal flight. If its engine stops it must fall with deathly violence, for it can neither float like the balloon nor glide like the aeroplane. The helicopter is much easier to design than the aeroplane, but it is worthless when done.
Wilbur Wright, 1907
Well, we know better now.
"We have been real good over here. We have been in a lot of churches, and haven't got drunk yet!"
Orville in France to his father, Bishop Milton Wright, 1907
What else would you tell the Bishop? French gals and wine are tops?
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 03:11
  #45 (permalink)  
 
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Yes, point taken re this thread.

I forgot to mention earlier, having read that little ditty at the end of whirlygigs post (#35) that it says "she will be with new men", as in multiple. Heli pilots like a slut then eh?

Reminded me of the difference between a slut and a bitch....
A slut goes with everyone at a party
A bitch goes with everyone except you at a party

Have fun
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 07:58
  #46 (permalink)  

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Thumbs up

PJ, I first flew jets thirty years ago but I'm over that now. No need to be rude to a lady just because she has a sense of humour, btw.

SASless, thanks for stepping right in there to nicely illustrate my point that Yanks still don't understand irony
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 08:12
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That's like goldy and silvery, isn't it? Only cheaper?
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 08:53
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This is a fricking great thread. PJ chill the beans man, we are sky gods, get used to it. Also another little thing that I'd like to make a point about is nature. A force that man cannot control nor tame, in most cicumstances. Helicopters are a lot closer to nature than planes. Have you ever seen a bird coming in to land on the ground, they usually don't come screaming in at 60,70,150, etc knots and then burn the feet off themselves trying to stop on the surface. No, they come to a "hover", for just a second, then touch down nice and softly. They can also land and take off from wherever they see fit. Seems logical to me.
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 09:39
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No no no Trans Lift. Don't forget the Albatross - veeery gracefull when it take off and lands, right ..
Maybe we should call all FW tincan drivers for Albatross Airlines


I myself consider flying a hummingbird, what more gracefull sort of flying is there than that. That is the true mastering of flying from nature ..


- madman
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 11:22
  #50 (permalink)  

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I do like the writing and programmes of May, J but I think he too would be amused by the number of people taking it seriously. And implicitly he was making comparisons with light aircraft, so range considerations are out of court too.

Later this year, I'm astounded to discover that I celebrate the 40th birthday of my first helicopter solo (Bell 47), and like Shy, I did it after flying some baby jets which the military insisted I demonstrate competence on before they would give me a helicopter!

All that time ago I got a buzz out of just doing appropriate things with the controls and seeing the concrete move further away between my feet .... wow! None of this manic rushing up and down a mile or so of concrete before and after flight.

And last month, when I most recently flew (Bell 412) the same buzz was still there ...... eat yer heart out May, don't knock it 'til you've tried it!
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 11:45
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I just love to read his articles....

He has no tast if it comes to cars, haircuts and obviously flying.....but he is funny!!
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 12:01
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He has no tast if it comes to cars,
He can be forgiven for rating the Alfa Brera highly

Cheers

Whirls
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Old 10th Jun 2009, 22:32
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Turned you down did he Whirls?
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Old 11th Jun 2009, 04:20
  #54 (permalink)  
 
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That Baffoon!!!

Please do not mock the next Primeminister of UK and Northern Island!!

(All praise his abruptness)
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Old 11th Jun 2009, 04:39
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Torn between my 2 loves

Being a lucky SOB I fly both these types of heavier than air craft.

Its like dating 2 very jealous sisters:
Both have nearly killed me, both are extreme fun, both have major attributes and both have major draw backs.

One sister is suited to long comfortable encounters, she can be very accommadating, steady and reliable!! , the other sister is increadibly 'flexible' and 'manouverable' as well as high maintenance, she also makes a lot of noise and soon wears you out!!.

Both are wonderful in their own way, and the world would be a lesser place without either of them.
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Old 11th Jun 2009, 08:23
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Mock, heli-phile?

That's not a mock. It's a job description!
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Old 12th Jun 2009, 10:10
  #57 (permalink)  
 
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Indeed Mr May is an inexperienced ppl plank pilot, so the story was going to be extremly biased. But please don't blame the poor chap, blame the people that trained him, brained washed the poor little muppet in his training enviroment to hate us far superior rotary pilots. The standard chopper envy is apparent, as they are doomed to take off on a runway, little grass field strip and land to a little wooden hut smelling of damp, with old biscuits and stewed tea, (bacon sandwiches are acceptable though).
As for us expert's at handling our own chopper, we go and land in these rather nice hotel's just to annoy the guest's, demand the right to be served and to say "everyone take a look at my chopper" and then meet the mistress for desert.
Hark what do I hear the plank pilots say " At least we can go long distances, like to france ".
Yes that is true, yet you still have to land at an airfield and a french one at that !
While the plank pilots are being molested by french drivers on the roads trying to get their chateau, the expert chopper handlers will already be there sipping the champagne from young french serving girls.

I am a chopper pilot and proud of it, avec gross sac.
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Old 12th Jun 2009, 10:21
  #58 (permalink)  

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The standard chopper envy is apparent,
According to Sigmund Freud, isn't that what Laydee Pilots suffer from?

Cheers

Whirls
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Old 12th Jun 2009, 10:46
  #59 (permalink)  
 
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With James May's long hair I rest my case.
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Old 12th Jun 2009, 21:55
  #60 (permalink)  
 
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James May isn't that inexperienced and flies taildraggers so he does have taste. He used to owns a Luscombe but now own a Super Decathalon.

Oh, and the registation? G-OCOK....

PS Love the hummingbird video!
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