Author Archives: Rob

A Cool Tree

Leave a Reply

On my route to work each day, I pass by a great looking tree.  I first saw it in the spring when there was blossom to make it look even better.  In fact, what I thought was one tree is actually two.  There is a smaller tree in front of the trunk that makes it look like a very thick trunk whereas it is really a normal size.  However, from the right angle and early in the morning when the sun is on it, the thing looks beautiful.  Sadly, the fire hydrant spoils things a touch!

Phantastic Phun

1 Reply

I was able to have a day out while in Japan after the work was done and the meetings were complete.  I have seen plenty of pictures from Hyakuri and I was keen to get there.  Mark had kindly brought me up to date with the latest arrangements for visiting, a rental car was booked and I was all set.  Starting out from the center of Tokyo on a Monday morning was surprisingly straightforward and I was soon cruising through the countryside heading to Ibaraki Prefecture.

The weather was a bit overcast.  After days of heat and sun, this was a bit of a surprise but it actually worked a bit in my favor.  I didn’t have a ladder so switching sides in the afternoon was not going to be too simple.  With the clouds, there was far less need to move.  However, that was an issue for later.  I drove up and, as I got close, I had a Phantom pass over me as it was on final approach.  A promising sign.

I got to the towers and got myself settled in.  There was plenty of action on the ramp of the recce unit.  Soon a couple of jets spooled up and taxied.  The came right by me.  I was shooting away but there seemed to be a bit of a focus issue.  Repressing the AF button brought things back into focus so I kept shooting.  Only after they took off did I realize that I had somehow switched to One Shot focus mode.  Crap.  No doubt most of the take off shots would be out of focus – they were.  However, problem fixed and then things were performing as intended.

What followed was a day of Phantom fun.  Recce and fighter jets went up in regular waves.  They taxied right by and then took off in front of us.  What a great way to spend a day.  The recce jets would do a straight in approach and landing.  Some of the fighter guys were more happy to bash the pattern for a while when returning which added to the fun.

As the afternoon wore on, there was a hint of sun showing through the clouds.  Backlight was becoming a bit of an issue but at this point I was staying put until I called it a day.  I had the drive back to the city to deal with, rush hour was beckoning and I needed to get the rental car back.  I made the most of what was on offer before packing up for the day.  The whole trip was so worthwhile.  Plenty have been so it was nothing original but it was pure fun.  There were also other types flying and they will get their own posts.

Command Module

Leave a Reply

A day for compiling things from different locations.  The Apollo command modules in this post are a combination of shots from museums across the country.  Since the command module was the only part that made it back from the Apollo missions, it was the part that made it to display.  Even so, there are not too many Apollo missions so not too many command modules.  They do get supplemented though.  There were ground test articles and mockups that were used during the program and have also been preserved.

The thing that is most striking about the early NASA spaceships is the size.  (The current Russian Soyuz capsule is still pretty compact but you aren’t aiming to be in it for too long.) The Mercury capsule was tiny.  Gemini was so-called up but had two people so was still pretty bloody tight.  Apollo was home for three crew for a number of days so had to have a bit more room to play with.  The seating area was not big but there was space behind there to get to and moving around once weightless was a bit easier.

Even so, they are really tiny things in which to spend a lot of time with two other guys.  You were also in space so this little thing was the only hope you had of getting back alive.  You also had to deal with your fellow astronauts, some of whom got a bit ill on journeys.  Read the book on the Apollo 8 mission to learn the unpleasant details.  Those guys were really ready to take on the challenge head on.

Seals Just Hanging Out

Leave a Reply

Seeing aquatic creatures when you are at sea level can be tricky.  If they pop out of the surface, you might spot them if you are paying attention.  Get a bit of elevation and things are suddenly a lot easier to spot.  We reached Point Defiance at the turning point of our hike and stopped to look out across the water.  Straight down below us was a group of seals.  Looking down they were immediately obvious.  They would dive down every once in a while but, given how many of them there were, there were always a few on the surface.  They seemed to be just hanging out near the beach on a sunny day.

Details of a Pegasus

Leave a Reply

The KC-46 Pegasus test program drags on.  The delivery of jets to the USAF is still not happening and the number of jets built increases but they are stacking up at Paine Field and Boeing Field.  Meanwhile the test jets are working through test points and endeavoring to prove that the problems identified in previous tests are now resolved.  I have seen a few jets now and shot them in varying conditions from sun to downpours.

I was at Boeing Field one evening waiting to pick up someone at SeaTac later in the evening when one of the test jets taxied out from the Boeing ramp at the north of the field and came right by me prior to departing on another mission.  The jet was configured with the boom and the underwing pods so the planned final configuration.  As it came by, I decided to get some shots of the airframe to get a better idea of what the various parts look like.

The airframe is the familiar 767 although there are some changes structurally.  The cockpit is updated too but you can’t see that from the outside.  However, you can see the various sensors mounted around the airframe which, I assume, are radar detectors.  Above the cockpit is the receiver receptacle for the refueling boom to allow the jet to receive as well as dispense fuel.  You can’t see much from the ground other than the markings to guide the boomer (and the markings that identify which jet it is).

The underwing refueling pods are a source of some of the troubles the program is having.  Apparently, the supplier in the UK underestimated what was required to achieve he civil certification that is part of the contract requirements.  The pods may not be cleared when the initial jets finally enter service.  Modern pods have a more streamlined look.  Earlier pods have a blunt back end that the hose and drought come out of.  The modern pods and more streamlined and the rogue comes out of a ramp in the bottom of the pod.

The back end has the boom.  Given how many boom tankers Boeing has produced, modern booms seem to cause them a lot of trouble.  This one is still one of the major defects with the jet.  Hopefully it will be resolved soon.  The boomer does not have a window like the earlier jets but instead uses stereo video cameras to give the boomer the view of what is going on.  I assume some of the apertures around the rear fuselage are for the cameras to support this functionality.  We shall see how long it is before we see this being used for real by the USAF as opposed to the test team.

Abandoned Weyerhaeuser Headquarters

Leave a Reply

When we visited the Pacific Bonsai Museum, the parking lot was by a large office building that seemed pretty strange.  It was settled in a valley between two ridges with multiple levels with much greenery attached.  I was curious about it when we arrived and decided to look further when we came back.  It appeared that you could almost see through the building on some levels.  When we got closer, it was clear that the building wasn’t in use – at least on the level we were.

When we got home, Nancy did a little more research on it.  It used to be the headquarters of the Weyerhaeuser company.  It was considered quite a cutting edge place when it was built but the company has moved downtown and I am not sure whether anyone is using it now.  It does appear to be maintained and there are security patrols but not much seems to be going on.  We debated whether it would be a nice place to work or a bit far from stuff and isolated.

Lakefront Properties – Who’d Want the Noise?

Leave a Reply

Here are a few of the houses that along the north end of Lake Washington as seen from the pier at Kenmore.  Sure, they look like nice houses and they look out over the lake but I’m sure the noise of all of the people having fun out on the lake would make these unattractive places to live.  They also have floatplane traffic coming and going from Kenmore.  I can’t imagine anyone who would want that.

NOTAR Sneaks Up on Me (I Guess It Works)

Leave a Reply

In the late 80s and early 90s, NOTAR was a big deal.  McDonnell Douglas Helicopters (as it then was) had come up with the concept of NO TAil Rotor and was pushing it hard.  It was seen as a safer approach, quieter and potentially more efficient.  The last one may not have been the case as, given how long the concept has been around, the successor company has continued to build helicopters with tail rotors as has just about everyone else (unless you count a Fenestron as not a tail rotor).  This example came in to BFI right over my head.  He had called up on the radio so I should have known but the quiet aspect of the aircraft was proven as I had no idea he was there until he passed directly over me.

Woodinville Skate Competition 2018

2 Replies

Not far from where we live in Woodinville, there is a skate park.  It is always popular with people hanging out be there skaters, scooter users, BMX riders or just people enjoying the park.  I have been meaning to walk down and watch some of the skaters but have not got around to it before.  However, last weekend, as we drove home, there was clearly something going on at the park so I decided to walk down and see what was going on.

I got there just in time for the beginning of the 15th annual Woodinville skate competition.  Loads of skaters had turned up to compete and they were warming up when I got there.  Indeed, the competition started shortly after I arrived.  They had a bunch of age categories.  The first to go was the 10 and unders.  They grouped skaters into pairs or threes and they had two runs of two minutes each in which to put together their based performance making use of as much of the park as possible and varying the tricks.

We had a brief downpour so, once the group had finished, they had a prize giving for the winners while we waited for the weather to improve.  This wasn’t the only weather interruption but, on the whole, conditions held out and the team did a good job of drying the park out when the rain stopped so that the competition could carry on.

Next came the 11-15 category.  The same format of competition with two runs each and there were a lot of competitors to get through.  The skill levels varied a bit but the nice thing about skating is that everyone is very friendly and supportive so they were all willing to not only do what they knew they could land but also to push themselves to try and get better tricks in.

There was a single group for the female contestants that came next.  Again, a mix of skills on show but again an enthusiastic approach to the competition and, with the conditions looking better, the weather was heating up as much as the competition.

Last to go where the 16 and over group.  Here you had adults in against the older kids (and one kid who was clearly not sixteen but was skating at a very high level.  The advantage that size brings in carrying speed and in athleticism showed itself with the competitors really making some impressive runs.

The finale was the best trick competition.  First the rail was used and everyone took it in turns to have a go at pulling of something cool on the rail without causing themselves unfortunate damage (although a couple came close to straddling the metalwork!)  Then it was over the car for the second phase.  By now the weather was beginning to turn so it was a race against time to get everything in.  When all was done it was time for prize giving.  Scoring for the runs was for the main prizes along with side prizes for best tricks during the runs and then the best trick competition itself.

It looked like a great time for everyone and I thoroughly enjoyed watching and shooting the event.  For those that were there, I have a  larger gallery of shots taken throughout the day which can be found at the link below.  At the bottom of the page are pictures of the winners after receiving their prizes.

www.robedgcumbe.com/client/woodinvilleskate2018/