Simply random stuff

[DuncanS]

And, let’s not forget that a gallon is an “Imperial” unit of measurement, just like a mile and a pound.

Yep, but weirdly a US Gallon is different to a UK one! The US gallon is 0.833 of a UK one, don't know why.

I remember in primary/junior school (UK ages 5-11) being taught about things like hectares, pecks, bushels, then we switched to being taught metric which was a lot easier, probably around the time of decimalisation of our currency (15 Feb 1971).

 

[barfle]

Yep, but weirdly a US Gallon is different to a UK one! The US gallon is 0.833 of a UK one, don't know why.

I remember in primary/junior school (UK ages 5-11) being taught about things like hectares, pecks, bushels, then we switched to being taught metric which was a lot easier, probably around the time of decimalisation of our currency (15 Feb 1971).

I believe in Canada a gallon has five “quarts.” Which makes it ten pounds of water. At least that was true in the 1960s.

I read an article a couple of years ago that said the biggest obstacle to metrification in the US was milk, which really doesn’t export well. We still buy quarts, half-gallons and gallons here, and there is virtually no incentive to change that. Of course folks in other parts of the world have local dairy industries, too, so I don’t understand why that same idea didn’t apply to them. Personally, I’m willing to make the shift.

 

[Owen Smith]

Not only that, you drive on the wrong side of the road!

Pretty much the entire world used to drive on the left like the UK. It was because with coach and horses the driver sits on the right and uses the whip in their right hand, so driving on the left you could have coaches passing each other in opposite directions with no risk of them accidentally whipping each other. There are similar issues with horse riders wearing their swords on the left, if you pass each other riding on the left your swords cannot clash.

Then Napolean decided he want to prove how big a deal he was by ordering the entire of his empire to change which side people drove on. After Napolean was defeated no-one reversed this so the entire world ended up driving on the right apart from the British Empire and Sweden (which was still a major military power at the time of Napolean) and Japan (I'm sure there are some I've forgotten). Sweden changed in the 1950s. It's too late for the UK to change now.

So if it weren't for Napolean's ego the entire world would drive on the left and nobody would be confused. And there I go with the history lesson again!

 

[Owen Smith]

Yep, but weirdly a US Gallon is different to a UK one! The US gallon is 0.833 of a UK one, don't know why.

Don't forget the ton, the US has short ton and long ton and the UK has the Imperial ton. All three are different.

This is why I use the names "US Customary Units" and "Imperial Measures" to try to distinguish them, but it doesn't always work.

 

[JohnN]

Musicologist Ross Duffin has argued that Lavallée constructed the melody for "O Canada" by adapting material by Mozart ("March of the Priests", measures 1–8), Wagner ("Wach auf, es nahet gen den Tag", measures 9–16), Liszt ("Festklänge", measures 17–20), and Matthias Keller ("The American Hymn", measures 21–28).

 

[par4ken]

I had to look up the reason for the different sized gallons.

So at one time there were different gallons used for different purposes. The "Queen Anne’s gallon" was used for measuring wine. The Americans chose that as thier "gallon".

The Imperial gallon wasn't established until 1824. It was defined as 10 pounds of (pure) water @ 62°F. By that time the U.S. was on thier own so didn't adopt the new standard. The US gallon predates the Imperial one.

 

[Bruce00]

lol. I think it's funny. We are supposed to know all the terms you UK use but you have no clue about us.

I worked on a new garbage burner, Waste to Energy in Rahway NJ,, many years ago. All the blueprints were Metric. We would get "cut sheets" of the main blueprints on the section we were building. I worked down to a 1/16 of an inch, with a 25' tape and a 6' wood rule, so MM was off the chart for me
It was a fun job, just screwing with the foremen over converting measurements...
We all bought Casio pocket "computers" to convert MM to SAE inch, but it was a secret club, so we could double check the foreman's measurement. Because we would have to fix mistakes and who wants to do your work twice

Iam sitting here laughing out loud just thinking about that job now and the fun we had on it

 

[Bruce00]

Several times:

• From Chicago to Niagara Falls via Boston, New York etc down to Atlanta on a road trip with my uncle's family in September 1990.
• My first job was 1987 to 1990 at a UK office of Data General, I spent a week at the Westborough Massachusetts headquarters and then was made redundant 4 weeks later.
• Next time I flew on Concorde Heathrow to JFK in 2003 the last year of service (what an experience) and spent 4 days in a hotel overlooking Central Park. Intrepid Air and Space Museum was the highlight for me in New York.
• In May and June 2024 first in Canada riding the Rocky Mountaineer train from Banff to Vancouver, and then on a 10 night Alaska cruise on Viking Ocean from Vancouver to Seward and fly back from Anchorage. That was a great trip. Saw one moose from the coach to Anchorage airport.

I also worked from 2000 to 2005 for a UK office of a New Brunswick based Canadian telco subsidiary. I twice visited HQ for a week each time in St John's New Brunswick, in January the first time for my sins. Didn't get to the US on those trips, but I did learn not to fly to Toronto and then all the way back.

Clearly given I've been to the US a few times I wasn't paying attention given the things I don't know about the US.

The UK has changed a lot since the early 1970s, as has pretty much everywhere.

Flying on the Concorde would be a highlight of a lifetime for me. Before it started service, it flew to different airports in the states. I was at Tampa Internation airport when it stopped for a ceremony. Seeing it land with the nose tilted down was unbelievable and when they flew out, it was almost a straight up takeoff. I "think" it was in the mid 80's, but can't be sure, but sure left an impression
On a sad note, I was in a jury pool in Newark on a Federal Grand Jury trial, gun running, when it crashed. The judge stopped the jury selection and the bailiff rolled a tv into the courtroom so the courtroom could watch.........there weren't many dry eyes in that courtroom
All because of debris on the runway, getting sad thinking about it again

 

[mandrix]

Flying on the Concorde would be a highlight of a lifetime for me. Before it started service, it flew to different airports in the states. I was at Tampa Internation airport when it stopped for a ceremony. Seeing it land with the nose tilted down was unbelievable and when they flew out, it was almost a straight up takeoff. I "think" it was in the mid 80's, but can't be sure, but sure left an impression
On a sad note, I was in a jury pool in Newark on a Federal Grand Jury trial, gun running, when it crashed. The judge stopped the jury selection and the bailiff rolled a tv into the courtroom so the courtroom could watch.........there weren't many dry eyes in that courtroom
All because of debris on the runway, getting sad thinking about it again

Well brace yourself. The faster than sound commercial aircraft is coming back, though I don't recall who is going to manufacture it.

Ah found it. Colorado based company called "boom technology" lol.
Their test plane has been able to reach 750 mph over the Mojave Desert.

 

[jimfisheye]

The iZotopeRX spectral noise reduction can be used for an absolutely brutal compressor targeting your "noise" sample. In case anyone was wondering about that.

 

[Bruce00]

Well brace yourself. The faster than sound commercial aircraft is coming back, though I don't recall who is going to manufacture it.

Ah found it. Colorado based company called "boom technology" lol.
Their test plane has been able to reach 750 mph over the Mojave Desert.

Yes, saw that on the news yesterday, hope Iam not ashes before it's available to us common folks

 

[mandrix]

The iZotopeRX spectral noise reduction can be used for an absolutely brutal compressor targeting your "noise" sample. In case anyone was wondering about that.

Rock and Roll ain't noise pollution.....

 

[mandrix]

Yes, saw that on the news yesterday, hope Iam not ashes before it's available to us common folks

Pretty sure I won't be on it. I doubt I'll see any situation where I need to fly again, though sometimes it would be nice to have a chopper. (not that I can fly one. Kaptain Kopter said he wasn't going to let me ruin a perfectly good aircraft) lol.

 

[Bruce00]

Pretty sure I won't be on it. I doubt I'll see any situation where I need to fly again, though sometimes it would be nice to have a chopper. (not that I can fly one. Kaptain Kopter said he wasn't going to let me ruin a perfectly good aircraft) lol.

I live at the end of a small airport runway. Alot of air traffic, but when those TV helicopters fly out for breaking news. They are low and sound angry. Don't know how to explain it, it's a very different tone compared to normal helo flights.
Also students working on their flying license, but those are aircraft doing touch and go's and you hear all their throttle inputs....LOL , that's as close to flying as I will get

 

[Owen Smith]

Flying on the Concorde would be a highlight of a lifetime for me.

It certainly was for me!

Before it started service, it flew to different airports in the states. I was at Tampa Internation airport when it stopped for a ceremony. Seeing it land with the nose tilted down was unbelievable and when they flew out, it was almost a straight up takeoff. I "think" it was in the mid 80's, but can't be sure, but sure left an impression

Concorde entered service in 1976 so not likely in the mid 80s. One takeoff before entry into service the aircraft would have been light, no passengers or luggage and likely a low fuel load for short distance flight so climb could have been very steep.

But even my full flight with a full fuel load for a transatlantic flight had far more takeoff acceleration and steeper climb than I'm used to. Not only could you really feel the acceleration on roll down the runway, when they switched off the reheat (afterburners in US speak) a few minutes into the flight you could feel the reduction in acceleration.

On a sad note, I was in a jury pool in Newark on a Federal Grand Jury trial, gun running, when it crashed. The judge stopped the jury selection and the bailiff rolled a tv into the courtroom so the courtroom could watch.........there weren't many dry eyes in that courtroom
All because of debris on the runway, getting sad thinking about it again

It was more than debris on the runway, though that was the primary cause. Beyond the debris:

• Air France had repaired the under carriage incorrectly leading to the aircraft drifting sideways on the runway, which is how it ran over debris at the edge of the runway.
• The aircraft was above it's maximum takeoff weight and the Captain knew that, so he committed an offence by taking off at all.
• But it was even heavier than he knew as more luggage had been loaded into the tail, which also meant the centre of gravity was further back than the Captain knew.
• The Captain had the fuel tanks filled brim full, whereas the design called for there always being an air gap to allow for expansion and contraction. The lack of that air gap is why the wing ruptured when the shredded tyre hit it, if the air gap had been there as required there would have been no fire.
• Once the fire started the crew shutdown both engines on that wing, despite one of them still providing full thrust. You never shutdown engines during early climbout even if they are on fire, precisely because they may be still giving thrust you don't know about.

Like most aviation accidents it was far from one thing, it was a catalogue of mistakes and deliberate rule breaking that caused the Concorde crash.

 

[mandrix]

I live at the end of a small airport runway. Alot of air traffic, but when those TV helicopters fly out for breaking news. They are low and sound angry. Don't know how to explain it, it's a very different tone compared to normal helo flights.
Also students working on their flying license, but those are aircraft doing touch and go's and you hear all their throttle inputs....LOL , that's as close to flying as I will get

If the chopper is taking off in a hurry, it's not going to gain elevation fast, so it probably is lower and it is louder to you.
Mind you, I haven't been on one in over 50 years now so I have no clue what sort of tech is out there now. I know the old "hueys" or Hughes Rangers did not climb that quickly if you were trying to scoot and DD (depart and desist) out.

I did meet an active service guy some years ago that flew Blackhawks. Even on leave he carried his "$10,000" helmet with him everywhere he traveled. Not sure why.....but he was proud of it. He did say he was responsible and accountable for it (heads up display and all that tech) so I guess a locker on base wasn't good enough for it.
He told me the Blackhawks could actually do a "360" loop in the air. Never seen it but apparently is so.

No clue what the latest and greatest will do, or what they are even. I loved flying on the chopper in the service, but not in some situations. I did have a very, very good pilot. Still thankful for that dude.

 

[Owen Smith]

Mind you, I haven't been on one in over 50 years now

I had my first helicopter flight up to a glacier on my Alaska cruise back in May. It was amazing seeing the glacier from above with all the lines from where glaciers merge. Also seeing all the ground up rock flour from meltwater in the sea with the cruise ships making patterns in it as they arrived and departed.

 

[mandrix]

I had my first helicopter flight up to a glacier on my Alaska cruise back in May. It was amazing seeing the glacier from above with all the lines from where glaciers merge. Also seeing all the ground up rock flour from meltwater in the sea with the cruise ships making patterns in it as they arrived and departed.

Sounds cool. I've watched a lot of videos of both chopper and light engine fixed wing aircraft in Alaska. Much of it imbued with much scariness of weather and wind. I understand that.
I have only once (I think) been in a chopper on the mainland USA. It was fun, but was one of those little Mosquito Hawk looking suckers. I had a few rides in a small Piper fixed wing aircraft, as I had a bud that had passed his final flight exams and would rent a small aircraft and take me for rides.

I had some adventures in another land I will not bore with all here, other than I once had the misfortune to take a trip on a "jolly green giant" dual rotor chopper where it seemed the mission of the pilot(s) was to dump us and all our gear at the back of the aircraft. I'm sure they had a good laugh, but they got cussed big time for being either so inept or so ...childish.
I wondered at the time why we were cleared of ammo pre flight, afterwards not so much. lol.

For real fun you should take a 16 hour flight on a C130 Hercules 4 engine turboprop. Don't get me wrong, the take off and landing can be so smooth you hardly notice. But those damned web seats, sitting ass to ass with your buds can get rough. But there's always relief by making your way over all the gear and going to the pisser on the loading ramp, where you have to stand with one foot higher than the other, or just look out the little windows of the jump doors.
It's all good, spice of life.

 

[ar surround]

For real fun you should take a 16 hour flight on a C130 Hercules 4 engine turboprop. Don't get me wrong, the take off and landing can be so smooth you hardly notice. But those damned web seats, sitting ass to ass with your buds can get rough. But there's always relief by making your way over all the gear and going to the pisser on the loading ramp, where you have to stand with one foot higher than the other, or just look out the little windows of the jump doors.
It's all good, spice of life.

Contrast is everything. No thank you, Boonie.

 

[Bruce00]

It certainly was for me!

Concorde entered service in 1976 so not likely in the mid 80s. One takeoff before entry into service the aircraft would have been light, no passengers or luggage and likely a low fuel load for short distance flight so climb could have been very steep.

But even my full flight with a full fuel load for a transatlantic flight had far more takeoff acceleration and steeper climb than I'm used to. Not only could you really feel the acceleration on roll down the runway, when they switched off the reheat (afterburners in US speak) a few minutes into the flight you could feel the reduction in acceleration.

It was more than debris on the runway, though that was the primary cause. Beyond the debris:

• Air France had repaired the under carriage incorrectly leading to the aircraft drifting sideways on the runway, which is how it ran over debris at the edge of the runway.
• The aircraft was above it's maximum takeoff weight and the Captain knew that, so he committed an offence by taking off at all.
• But it was even heavier than he knew as more luggage had been loaded into the tail, which also meant the centre of gravity was further back than the Captain knew.
• The Captain had the fuel tanks filled brim full, whereas the design called for there always being an air gap to allow for expansion and contraction. The lack of that air gap is why the wing ruptured when the shredded tyre hit it, if the air gap had been there as required there would have been no fire.
• Once the fire started the crew shutdown both engines on that wing, despite one of them still providing full thrust. You never shutdown engines during early climbout even if they are on fire, precisely because they may be still giving thrust you don't know about.

Like most aviation accidents it was far from one thing, it was a catalogue of mistakes and deliberate rule breaking that caused the Concorde crash.

eh, mid 70's 0r mid 80's what's 10 yrs among friends? LOL, I was trying to remember what motorcycle I rode to the airport. Apparently it wasn't my 1980 Sturgis, just remember it being such an awesome sight