tell a Model A related story

[woofa.express]

I have been asked why I am flying so high. About 8 feet off the ground in this picture. It was thought that crop sprayers flew with wheels in the crop.
If you look behind at the spray you will notice about an 8 foot gap immediately behind the fuselage and a smaller gap between the atomisers. Further back you will see it joins. A droplet test shows a much better pattern the higher one flies. As wind speed increases one flies lower and the pattern improves. The best pattern is in a quite moderate wind, also the penetration into the crop is deeper.

[woofa.express]

To follow on about spray patterns.

You will notice the spray is heavier at the right hand side root. From a pilots view the propellor turns clockwise and shifts the droplets from the right inner spray boom to the left. This will cover the under belly. Thus more material is dispersed on the right root to compensate.

[woofa.express]

Cotton spraying in Sudan. Almost a weekend's reading here. (Written for our local flying club.)

The capital of Sudan is Khartoum, a city of some 5 plus million. It is located where the Blue Nile from the SSE and White Nile from the SSW join to form the Nile. What I remember about Khartoum was the overbearing smell of urine when the day warmed up, the magnificent London Plain Trees lining the banks of the river and General Gordons all steel boat moored there with steel shutters to block incoming lead projectiles. Gordon was in Khartoum to rescue part of the British Army and many civilians. He was killed in 1885. General Kitchener had gone to rescue him. Churchill, (the one we know from both first and second wars) fought at at Omderman (10 miles north of Khartoum). The Blue Nile supports an extensive irrigation area known locally as the Gazera. It was in this area I worked in 1977 spraying cotton. Featureless of terrain and landmarks, local navigation was difficult. Just cotton, cotton and more cotton, In 90 fedan (acre) blocks. Farming was all by hand, that is no tractors or cotton pickers. Nothing but hoes and shovels. Each farmer was allotted 10 fedans. With five fedans he was compelled to grow cotton and the remainder grew what he pleased. They mostly chose groundnuts which we call peanuts. Spraying the cotton was easy apart from the difficulty in identifying the blocks which were all laid out exactly the same. Easy except for the kids throwing stones at the aeroplane.
Housing was either adobe or straw, depending on the status and wealth of the home owner. Our quarters were adobe and our meals and conditions very basic but of a higher standard compared to that of the locals. The operator I flew for was a national company, set up by a British operator and we had 12 aeroplanes. They were crewed by New Zealanders, Dutch, a Spaniard, a Dane, English, a Lebanese and myself. The kampong (village) where we were based was about 50 minutes flying south of Khartoum and I have forgot the name. (It was 45 years ago).

I had 3 months in Sudan and went to work there because of drought (again) on the Darling Downs where I lived and worked. It was a wonderful experience. Never the less I was glad to arrive back in Australia to a land were life is mostly orderly.
Among the twelve of us was and Englishman in his mid 20’s. Very inconsiderate, poorly mannered and selfish fellow. He considered himself a bit of a photographer and sent film back to mummy in England so she could have it developed and view his job in Sudan. A Dutchman who owed him a considerable disfavour was Gerard Post. Well Gerard figured on a good way to fix up this selfish bastard. He took the poms camera to a brothel, took two very revealing photos of willing girls and replaced the camera from where he got it. I reckon Gerard got even.

Ben Buckley and another Australian, John Mckeachie from Myrtleford, worked for an English operator about a half hour flying south of Khartoum. Some years later John came to Finley (mid 80’s) and flew for Riverina Airwork- Gary. Some of you may remember him. A scallywag with a stutter that had a contagious effect on us all.

Well John was ferrying a Pawnee back to the UK from Sudan and lost a mag. He decided not to cross the Mediterranean on only one and landed at Tripoli in Libya. This is where the war graves are located. It is also the place name of the American “marines hymn- on the shores of Tripoli”

John was met by armed and serious looking soldiers who marched him off to a military camp where he was interrogated by the camp commander. During the interview the commander asked John why he was shaking. John’s answer was very clever and it seems like this turned the interrogation from confrontatious to one of helpful consultation. John said he was nervous and didn’t know if they were bad men and would shoot him or good men who would help him. Of course all people would prefer to be known as good and the commander put his arm around John’s shoulders and said he was a good man and gave John assistance.

A well-known story of John back here in Australia was of him spreading fertilizer near Euroa. He was landing in a paddock with a soft surface, loading, taxing onto the Hume highway and taking off. As he was about to takeoff a cop climbed up to the cockpit and said “I’m a policeman and you are to come with me” to which John responded with “and I’m a pilot and if you hang on you can come with me.” With that John opened the throttle. Most all ag pilots know that story with variations, however the above came from the horse’s mouth.
There were more funny or strange incidents from Sudan. Maybe for another occasion.

The whites in the picture are Gerard in front with his pet monkey, 3 agronomists and two pilots.
Centre- Gary with his friend Mohamed standing in front of my aeroplane and below a village scene. It was said some pilots were able to blow the straw roof off the huts with down wash. Camels have a curious and awkward walk. To have a donkey was a status. One day a Jack donkey mounted a Jenny and pushed her into the prop of Gerard’s plane. It got chopped into slices of course.

[mercman from oz]

Gary asked me if I could expand this for those who don’t know the MG and would like a good look. Regards Mercman <><

[woofa.express]

RIMG0551.jpg
Landing at Mouse Hunter’s.

John Lynch was an accomplished pilot and aeroplane builder. He lived outside of town. A hermit who kept his front gate padlocked to keep visitors out of his property on which he had built an airstrip to fly from.
I knew John as “Mouse Hunter well". He had during a recent mouse plague bragged he could shoot a mouse at 20 yards off the hip. Originally know as "The Great White Mouse Hunter". The handle being bestowed by Christine Riley. Mouse Hunter owned a Tiger Moth, an RV6 and a glider. He was once an engineer on a freighter ship. He lived a sort of Santa Claus life building toys, mostly models just for his pleasure.

I’d visit him by landing on his strip and I would pull up at his front door. Myself and my friend Terry Walsh did that once in a De Havilland Beaver. In the late ‘80’s. What a disastrous landing. Came so close to a crash. It went like this. The Beaver has one pole and that can be flipped from left hand side to right.. It has one set of peddles which are a fixture on the left side. I had the pole on the right and Terry had the peddles on the left. One or the other of us must have both because they must be co-ordinated.. What a disaster. Off to the left we went, then to the right and we kept up this totally uncontrolled landing until we came to a stop at his front glass doors. The propeller about to trash this front entrance where Mouse Hunter had been standing. Mouse Hunter didn’t waste time standing around, he was off.

Conclusion of the story. The brain that controls the pole must also be the brain that controls the pedals.

I did my own laundry that afternoon. I didn’t want my secret to get out.

This is Mouse Hunter in his MG. Note his number plate. Merc man submitted it in a big picture earlier on.

[woofa.express]

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A Most Despicable Act.

Des was an aeroplane painter in our local community. He did an excellent job and had painted hundreds including 7 for myself. We used a common accountant whose name was Cecil. Taxation was conducting an audit on Des’s business and they appeared at Cecil’s office wanting to view additional paper work of Des’s.
Cecil called Des and said he, Cecil, was going to bring an auditor to check Des’s paperwork. Well Des said just send him out and insisted all would be well. Cecil instructed Des to just put him in a room with a table and leave him be. Don’t even make the man a drink of tea.
Well this horrible tax man arrives and tells Des he is intrigued with aeroplanes. One strikes his attention and that is a medium size twin Cessna painted in about 10 colours ringed around the fuselage. Des takes this to air shows to promote his business. Well Des opens his mouth, “would you like to go for a ride in it?”
Yes of course so off they go. I don’t know much about the flight but that does not really matter. But I do know what happened when they returned back and landed. That flight was deemed a private flight and fringe benefit tax applies for the private use of a business asset. Des said he was obligated to pay 100K when it was all sorted, not for this flight alone but other perceived private use aswell.

I have always taken and trusted people on face value as Des did here. I've been wrong on one transaction too and was scammed for an amount which still gives me a headache.

[mercman from oz]

1954 MG TF

[Jim Brierley]

Woofa, you should post the pics taken in the brothel so us horny yanks can see how disgusting they are! :-)

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

Woofa, you should post the pics taken in the brothel so us horny yanks can see how disgusting they are! :-)

Hi Jim. I would guess this is a brothel in Sudan where Gerard took the photos so as dreadful Dave, the greedy pom could send them home, unaware, to his mummy in England ? (*). But since you are curious to know I have looked up brothels in Temecula and yes, you are well catered for in your town.
(*) From story 1244, second paragraph, working in Sudan, revenge on a selfish pom.

[woofa.express]

Watch TV. Nahh.

Want to waste time? It’s easy, simply sit in front of TV. You give it time; it gives you nothing. Now that’s guaranteed.
I give our national TV broadcaster only an hour a week to watch a farming/rural program. Otherwise I don’t waste the time plus I don’t like their bias. Their radio is much better with considerable time spent on reporting international events but their programs voicing local events are, like their TV, politically bias. Likewise their reporting of social issues.
So how do I keep abreast of happenings. The internet. News, events, and reading on line newspapers, about six in all. Because I don’t subscribe I am provided with the headings and first fifteen words or so. These are always complementary without having to subscribe and are sufficient to get an almost complete understanding.
These papers include the Russian Times and the Times UK. I don’t read any American because our local Australian papers keep us fully informed.
Then there’s documentaries and the number of excellent ones are almost endless. So what are they? Almost entirely they are-

Firstly American, “Uncommon Knowledge” conducted by Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institute. Robinson is a pleasant fellow who speaks to some knowledgeable people.

Timeline. A ‘Historyhit Network’ show. A British program produced by a bloke named Dan Snow. The internet says he will be recognised by Americans who watch PBS (which I watch at times). Factories in war production is just one and it is apparent how massive American machine is which swung into production during WW2.

DW or Deutsche Welle. German as the spelling suggests. Like Timeline, much history as well as current topics.

There is also an English show featuring an excellent political commentator but this forum is not political so I will not go there.

Conversations. An Australian radio program. Two excellent talk show hosts speak to mainly book writers. Many topics, always interesting. Always my bedtime story. It is broadcast each week day and ABC radio but is on podcast were I go to listen to it. ABC’s most downloaded podcast.

Then there’s pommy comedies. You do really need to understand their humour. I can wake in the morning still laughing.

So if you have idle or spare time you will enjoy any of these shows. More informative and more interesting and entertaining than almost anything on TV.

[Jim Brierley]

I only know of 3 brothels up here, if you know of more please forward their location so I can check them out, for educational reasons only, of course.

[katy]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

I only know of 3 brothels up here, if you know of more please forward their location so I can check them out, for educational reasons only, of course.

Go to Nevada, lots there.

[woofa.express]

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

I only know of 3 brothels up here, if you know of more please forward their location so I can check them out, for educational reasons only, of course.

Hi to Jim and Katy.
I’m a God fearing man and can’t tell you anything much about brothels. However I would expect the cost to visit one here in Australia would be considerably more expensive than in America because our girls are much better looking than yours.

[Kenjt]

In the early 1980's I purchased my first Model A. I have absolutely no memory regarding my reason - very strange. Anyway, it was a 1930 Tudor. I purchased it from an antique car dealer on Long Island, NY. He must have taught me how to start and drive the car since I never drove a stick shift before then. I drove the car for a few years and never had a problem. Just about the only thing I ever did was fill the gas tank. A few years later I happened to be back at the same dealer. He now had a 1931 4-door Deluxe Phaeton. It was absolutely beautiful! I made a deal to sell the Tudor and buy it. I owned this car for more than fifteen years. I absolutely loved driving the car and took it out almost every weekend, weather permitting. As with my first A, the only thing I did was fill the gas tank. I never had a single problem with either car. After many years, my wife and I decided to move to Manhattan and I had to sell the car. Now, 25 years later, I still had the Model A bug. I discovered my current car, a 1931 Roadster, for sale not too far away. My wife and I went to see it. The owner was happy to give me a ride. It seemed fine and I bought it about one year ago. I drove it soon after it was delivered with no problem. Then the problems began. It simply would not start! I thought maybe it was the battery and put it on the charge the previous owner gave me. Having never done any work on my previous A’s, I had no idea where to begin looking for a problem. I discovered a mechanic nearby who promised he knew enough about A’s to find and fix any problem. He had the car towed to his shop and began examining everything. He found that the car had not been properly maintained and did all kinds of work on it. Finally, he drove it back to my home but, said there were a few more things he had to do. I was able to start the car and took it for a short ride. Everything seemed fine. Then, once again, it would not start. The mechanic had it towed again, fixed the remaining issues, including a new battery, and drove it back to my home. It started and drove okay a couple of times but now again it would not start. This time the battery would not even take a charge! The mechanic promised to come by soon and see if he could locate the problem. I guess the moral of my story is, if you buy a Ford Model A, don’t just drive it – make sure you know how it works and fiddle with it even if you don’t have to, and make sure you know someone that can help if you have a problem. By the way, I have posted photos of my cars elsewhere on this site.

[woofa.express]

Bill was a scallywag.

Bill Riley started a glider pilot resort and flying school in our little town of Tocumwal back in 1970. ( I came to Toc in 1978). Bill employed Ingo Renner, an expat German who had won 4 national gliding championships and 3 international world championships. Ingo flew here at Toc in the southern summers and Europe in the northern summers. He attracted many Europeans to Bills resort in our summer where they could escape the cold winters and those with cash money to dispose of.
Well Bill was a scallywag. He imported Blanic gliders from Czechoslovakia . These are 2 seaters and fly most smoothly, mainly used for pilot training followed by these newly soloed. Blanics are silver in colour and come with black or red accent stripes. It’s a yucky red too and not popular. Bill had 3 reds and 2 blacks iStock. Three were sold and the buyers were soon to arrive and pick up their purchase. Well Bill knew they all would choose the black and he’d be one short.
Bill would fix this. He let out the story they were built then painted according to the performance they exhibited when flight tested. They were painted black but those that exceeded factory performance were painted red. Well you can guess what happened. Each buyer arrived in due course and asked for a red one. Bill you scallywag.
.
Picture of Bill in his later days plus one of a Blank glider.

[woofa.express]

Todays news report-

Darya Dugan, daughter of Putin’s buddy Alex Dugan was killed with a suspected car bomb near Moscow.
Would you read in a paper today “1517 drowned in a suspicious sinking of the ocean liner Titanic”?
Or
“80,000 died in Hiroshima when a suspected bomb was dropped on the city”

Are journalists stupid or is it legal eagles no not eagles- vultures intimidating them.

[dan]

I once got a speeding ticket in my Model A. I used to live in CA and commuted three days a week to work in my coupe, about a 17-mile round trip. To avoid the heaviest traffic, I'd leave early (around 6:00) and come home early--and I drove on surface streets. At some point my speedometer cable went bad and the speedo stopped working. I ordered a replacement and figured I'd just drive the car without--after all, a Model A isn't going to be going all that fast, speedometer or no.



One morning I was tootling along down the street in the dark when a cop pulled up behind me and turned on his lights. When he came up to the window, he told me I was doing 41 in a 35mph zone. I mentioned that my speedometer had stopped working the previous week and he seemed surprised: this thing has a speedometer? he asked. Anyway, he wrote me up for speeding--I don't know how many other Model A drivers have had that happen.

[woofa.express]

they don't have much humour do they Dan.

A cop told my buddy Ken-
Not all policemen in highway patrol are pigs,
But all policemen that are pigs,
Are in highway patrol.
( I have substituted the word pigs)

[Baken]

Wow. This is an interesting thread. I have enjoyed.

[woofa.express]

Running short of topics on which to write.

I’ve been writing in this forum for maybe three years now and have enjoyed doing so. I have learned to express myself better, expression having been a personal weakness. Well English was. I failed the first and relatively simple national school exam with a pass mark of 0, that’s zero because I failed to get the minimum pass of 30 for English. I passed it the second year because a written subject worth 20 marks was on “aerial topdressing in NZ”. Well that fell into my field of expertise even though I was only 17yo.

I cannot keep these stories coming so frequently simply because I am exhausting the topics on which I write. If you readers prompt me or have questions I will respond. I do think of things that maybe of interest during the day however by the time I get to my computer they have escaped my memory. Guess I’m not Robinson Crusoe. However tails of my Model A, my thoughts and experiences and other things of interest will continue but not as frequently. I would be pleased to read stories from other A owners and enthusiasts of their experiences.