Your Today in Pictures...

[Graham Ritchie]

I think the older we become the more we look back, there was one time where the pilots had trouble with a indicator that one of the spill valves was not working "cabin pressure". I had a quick look and saw it was the outer sleeve of the cable moving, no problem with the spill valve just an indicator. I talked to the pilots and said it would take us about 20 minutes to change the unit, which would mean a delay. I gave them an option I could quickly tie some .032 thou lockwire around the outer cable to a nearby structure and see if that would hold till later on that day, when we could do the change during a stopover. I said its up to you guys if you want me to do a quick fix. They did agree, give it a go. But what stood out, was one of the guys from the hanger rolling his eyes at me doing this quick wire job

Anyway they took of with know problems, and later that day we changed the unit. The Ops people did not like delays, if it was a airworthy matter then the aircraft was grounded, no ifs and buts on that one, but still remember the rolling eyes, and that old saying comes to mind... held together with number 8 wire

It does not matter what job you do in life or age, you are never through learning.

When I went to Ansett we were all in the same learning curve, same as being sent to work at Air New Zealand for a week if they needed help and we were quiet, working on 737 or doing a cockpit underfloor inspection on a 767 that was head scratching

Anyway its been almost 10 years since the old cinema closed, boy does time pass, so thought I would post this little video I took, sort of anniversary of those times you might say.

[Ali Hipperson]

That's one of my favourite videos of yours Graham.

I particularly like it as it's so refreshing to see a young person operating the 35mm Projector rather than just being ensconced in their bedroom watching a film streamed on their smartphone! 🙂

[Graham Ritchie]

A few years later after the the place closed and I was driving for Go Bus I called into a cafe for a stop. The young lady to my surprise who served me, was the girl rolling the ice creams in this video. She told me that some of her friends would not believe that she used to roll ice creams, until she showed them a DVD copy of this video I gave to her and our projectionist at that time. Its a great record of something they both did in the past, and to show family or friends in the future and say........."see this is what I used to do"......

[Graham Ritchie]

I was going to use my old work overalls to do a bit of painting, but discovered they had shrunk a wee bit over the last 20 years. However thinking I could still fit I did try, held my breath pulled the zip up, let my breath out.....boing...went the zip. I told my better half the overalls had shrunk, she looked at meand to think they used to be a loose fit how the years have past .

Also I did mention lock Wire, well British Aircraft was full of this stuff and split pinsfound some of this stuff the other day while cleaning out . Oh! and here is another useless piece of information. The aileron control system in the 146 had a device directly developed would you believe from the WW2 "Lancaster" bomb release and called the "Disconnect Device", I was told of its history on a Ansett coarse. .

As I say you are never through learning in life

[Lincoln Thorn]

I love the look of those Overalls! Very cool.

[Graham Ritchie]

I should mention the Mt Cook Airline symbol was the Mount Cook Lily, that is what you see on the overall. Its all history now, but I remember when we used to fly to the Chatham Islands for a few years with the 748. Its interesting that when I was on the Saturday roster, we used to fuel the aircraft to its maximum, plus fit a inflatable life raft attached to the seat track. The idea that if you had to ditch, was just to throw it out the passenger door. The 748 did have what they call a ditching handle, that when you pull it, all intakes would fully close, we used to test it. Of all the flights the airline did, the Chatham run was the the longest over water, hence I was very very picky during the pre-flight, everything had to be just right, before I signed my name to that bit of paper.

In the evening it was always a relief to hear the drone of those dart engines as it approached. The 748 was always loaded with passengers and boxes of live crayfish. I know I helped the loaders one night, and one of those things was trying to get my finger .

I never did get the chance to visit the place, it would have been interesting

[Graham Ritchie]

Neat little video of the Chatham Islands.

[Lee Mannering]

Was lucky enough to be working away also snatching some quiet time with my wife and we even managed a walk along a deserted beach. The water was definitely minus something but the landscape and sea air made up for it. Good to put everything down from the last year and reflect a bit.

[Ali Hipperson]

Plenty of daffodils are out this year - so it must be spring!

[Graham Ritchie]

Well that was a lot of work, today I loaded onto the platter a double 35mm feature for this Sunday night. The films are "The Last Starfighter"...Intermission .....then "2010 The Year We Made Contact". I thought it might be interesting to do a double feature night, as the last time we watched a Sunday night double 35mm film feature, must be all of almost 30 years ago at the cinema.

A bit of a change from using the VP.

It took me most of the afternoon to get both films ready for screening, anyway the photos are of today, although tonight, its back to using the Epson VP

[Ali Hipperson]

Now that's a job I would really like to tryout for Graham! Maybe I could apply for the position of your 'assistant' - although the morning commute might mean a VERY early start 😉

[Graham Ritchie]

Your welcome Ali when I worked at the cinema, it was near impossible to find anyone really interested in doing projection work. One of our forum members here Pat, did work for us for a while, until he left to run his own cinema. Other than Pat we only had one other full time projectionist. My biggest fear was being stuck there doing long hours I did not want to do. Getting young Chris, even though he was only 15 years old to do projection work after school. I should add most importantly it was his enthusiasm for the job came as a relief, which meant I could get away from the place more often.

I was more than happy for him to do more and more, only holding back on changing Xenon lamps until the age of 16 years. Although I did enjoy the job myself, after a while you do need to get away from projectors and films otherwise you can land up going a bit nutty .

[Steve Klare]

That's No Ocean!

During Easter week, we decided to drive out to Indiana to visit our son in college. One of the things we did while we were there is visit Indiana Dunes State Park. We found this mighty sea there:
.

-but that's no Ocean!

This is lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes. These have contributed a lot to the industrial development of the American and Canadian Midwest. Because of these iron ore can be shipped from Wisconsin to auto factories in Detroit and that's how the entire American auto industry got started. Lake Michigan is a serious body of water! It's estimated over 10,000 ships have sunk there: there's a lot of room for serious storms to develop and they do. The lake was calm that day, but it's not unusual for the beach to close to swimming.

Yet to me, what a great beach for people with high blood pressure! I've been living on the Atlantic coast my whole life and it's hard to imagine swimming in a sodium free sea!

The Ocean is out there somewhere: If you sail maybe 350 Miles north from here and hang a right turn around Michigan via just as big Lake Huron, you can go down the Detroit river and reach lake Erie. After you go the length of that, you need to get past Niagara Falls (-better to go around!) and then the full length of Lake Ontario. When you reach the Saint Lawrence river you are in the home stretch: a little under 1,000 miles to tidewater and the Atlantic. (Don't be in a hurry!)

Graham? What is Chris doing now?

[Graham Ritchie]

Hi Steve

Now married with a couple of we ones, he is busy working as a registered electrician. I suggested to him while working at the cinema, to get a trade, becoming a electrician was one he decided to go for at the time, and fortunately did get a apprenticeship with a electrical company at that time. I always remember my father telling me when I left school at 15, was to get a trade, and to this day look back at it as good advice. I did tell Chris that if you have a trade its with you for life, you can always leave it to do something else, but its your insurance policy in your back pocket to fall back on if things get tough and good to have if you go to another country like Australia to live

He did get in contact with me about two years ago, to say he was moving nearby, hopefully not next door I replied ha ha. Well only a few minutes up the road, came round to do some electrical work last year for us at discount rates ......doing well. .

Your photo and write up Steve reminded me of this hit record from many years ago by Gordon Lightfoot.

[Steve Klare]

I think he made a good choice.

My lab partner in high school electronics dropped out after the first year because he wanted to become an electrician and the content of the program didn't really apply. After I finished technical high school, I went on to college and became an engineer and he got his apprenticeship and he did become an electrician.

Who's really the smart one has changed radically year by year! People always need electricians, but I've been unemployed four times! (-including 7 months while we were engaged.)

1988, I walked into the personnel department at an electronics company (one where I later worked for 12 years...) and I told the Director of Human Resources I was a well qualified candidate for his company's engineering department. He looked back at me and said "So?!".

-When they need you they love you...until they don't!

Lake Superior is the one where the Fitzgerald sank. Take the same trip north but instead turn left!