Destructions

Flickr images set.

Men do not read instruction manuals. Do they?

This is a sticker at the base of a new wind turbine. There is not a chance that the duty Numpty is going to turn up, get out his anenometer and commence checking the windspeed.

Rant 1. Windspeed from the Met office is given in MPH, yet it is issued to mariners and aircrew in Knots, which relates to the speed at which aircraft and ships operate. Some foreign types even use m/s (Metres per second) which confuses the issue even more.

The wind turbines annoy and impress different groups of people. Most of us have seen them in operation, but how do they start turning?
This is linked to the dark arts of aviation, but this time rotating wings or helicopters. There is a force acting on a descending blade as it rotates called "Autorotative Force," this causes the blade to rotate, enabling the jodphur wearing hero at the controls to descend under a modicum of control. Hooway for the cavalwy!

To understand this fully please click on this link and remove your remaining grey cells. When you have looked at the page, especially the pretty pictures, please read Rant 2 below. :-)) Autorotative Force.

This morning I went to have my ears filled with gunge ready for the fitting of a second hearing aid. The very kind chap who looked after me is of a similar age and has taken up studies as an audiologist, like many of us he was awarded Credits toward his degree when he showed his qualifications to the university administrators. I then told him how I had applied to Aberdeen Uni for credits and been asked to show my qualifications. Upon displaying my Airline Transport Pilots Licence (Helicopters and Autogyros) the snot nosed little dork in charge sneered and said, "That's not worth anything." I didn't clout him, but I felt like doing so. IF you understood the link to the page about autorotative force then well done, if you didn't then you may understand my frustration, because to me it makes sense, in fact it is a basic principle which enables helicopter drivers to survive.

Rant over, move along now, nothing to see here. :-))