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  • Looking Back

    I was showing my son this photo lately, I took of a Holden car I used on loan when I worked for AVIS rentals way back in 1976 Nothing unusual in that itself, except he said, looks good for a "classic" car. I replied that it was not a classic car then, just another rental. As the years have passed and they do so quickly these days, everything I used to work on is regarded as almost a museum piece.

    I was watching this video this morning of a BA146, but what made me "smile" was watching the flaps go up and down. I remember at Ansett we had to fit them to one of the aircraft, none of us had done it before, so it was, you might say a "learning" curve. One problem was, none of us had a company approval to operate the forklift with the sling to fit them. I started up the forklift tried things out very gently, then away we went and within a couple of hours we had the flaps fitted and rigged. That video also reminded of being being asked to assist a person on our shift to rig the "Aileron" control system. The person I was asked to help, like me, had not done it before. I asked, have you got it figured out, he replied after spending two hours reading up that he had.

    I said I need 20 minutes to read up also. He was a bit inpatient, but afterwards, I said, so how were you going to do it?, "no" not that way I explained, but "this way", just watch old "Uncle Haggis" that's me, as the book does not tell you the full story of adjustment effecting other parts of the system I said.

    Reluctantly he followed me closely, in the end all the degrees for travel and tensions were spot on Afternoon tea break he came up to me and said, you are not bad for an "old bugger" ha ha. I replied to that over the years you do learn something The aircraft later went for its test flight and the later pilot report on the flight controls was good

    My thinking has always been, that no matter what the job is, you are in you are never through "learning", the day you think that, you will come unstuck and that goes for any age including me....ah! memories lots of them
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    Only photo I took during my time with Ansett NZ.
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  • #2
    Interesting video Graham.
    I volunteer at Duxford Aviation Society,and they have just taken delivery of a B A 146 from the "Queens Flight",that will be open to the public at the Imperial War Museum,Duxford. I havn"t been on board yet,but it will be interesting to see how this was fitted out for royal use.
    I went along to see the 146 come in,and I think there is more info on the "DAS" website for those interested.

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi David

      I had a look at the Duxford Aviation Society web-site, that you put me onto a while back, you really have an amazing line up of aircraft. One I noticed was a Vickers Viscount. Last weekend and in a way this prompted me to start this topic, was visiting Ferrymead on Saturday. Its been a while since I last had a look around. One aircraft was a Viscount, in which I took a couple of photos with my grandson on a previous visit.

      Jumping back to the 146, the Ansett NZ aircraft suffered badly with corrosion, in particular intergranular corrosion. During the interview for Ansett the main topic was corrosion, and what did I know about it. I would soon find out why I had never come across an aircraft that bad, it seemed to be everywhere, hopefully limited to those Ansett aircraft only. The time and money spent on maintenance on those Ansett aircraft was very high. In saying that the 146 was a very popular aircraft to fly in, they were quiet and very comfortable. I only ever flew in them once and was impressed.

      During my Mt Cook days, we did look at replacing the 748 with the 146, that looking went on for years and became a bit of a joke as to what the company would spend money on, hence those clever cartoons made by our shift cleaner In the end they decided on the ATR72, which really was the better option cost wise over the 146. Only problem was that after 15 months our major shareholder closed us down, and Air New Zealand took over the maintenance. That nasty move went down like a lead balloon with the staff, two years later Ansett went down like a lead balloon as well.

      Anyway on a more positive note, here are some photos some mine some not mine

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      Dart Engines...
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      Front half of a Bristol Freighter...
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      My moment of fame, taken one night with me looking for an oil leak
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      Ansett NZ .
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      • #4
        I forgot those cartoons taken at the time at Mt Cook over the long drawn look at getting a 146 and most likely what the company would spend money on as a replacement for the 748.

        I must add that Ansett NZ did some brilliant TV adds back then. Fluffy was the most popular.

        Plus this article might be of interest.
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        Last photo of another aircraft that the company was looking at which I quite liked and that was the ATP. This photo was taken of me towing it back to the hanger...
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        • #5
          Great sfuff Graham,thanks for posting all that.
          I enjoy going to Duxford weekly. We look after the "British Airliner Collection", 12 old airliners from the 50"s and 60"s,and including the second British Concorde prototype. Of course they wont ever
          fly again,so its mostly doing remedial work to stop them rotting away!
          After Concorde arrived at Duxford in 1977,the runway was shortened to allow the M11 motorway to be built. It now has pride of place in the main hangar next to the visitor entrance.

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          • #6
            Hi David

            I had a look at a old video I uploaded to you-tube a few years ago. I was surprised that its had 9,809 views with not "one" thumbs down not bad going for a old video.

            I guess there is still aviation enthusiast out there I think its about 27 years now since I took it one weekend, its certainly been a long time now since that short video was taken, anyway here is that link.
             

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            • #7
              One thing about looking back is the realization is that my fitness is no where where it once was. I want to head up to Arthurs Pass in the next week or so, but the energy to do the things I once used to do up, to my late forties now 70 years old, just ain't there anymore .

              I guess I will just have to look at those "old photos", however I will give the easier tracks a go. As Clint Eastwood once said in one of his movies... "a man has to know his limitations"....cant remember the film but do remember the saying and how true .

              "Arthurs Pass" when Steven and I did the Scotts Track, interesting to note the road below it was quite a walk up from the road, and even harder going back down, there is no way of doing it now
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