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Farewell flying friend

Posted on September 25, 2012 by John

Pilot error (by me) has cost the life of a good friend, my 50cc Extra 300 radio-controlled aircraft (sob!) It was a fairly spectacular crash which resulted from a low inverted fly-by at our flying field in Blacktown. There were lots of bits. A friend helped me gather them up on a groundsheet and we carried the remains back to the pits like a casualty on a stretcher.

I salvaged all the good bits – the engine was ok, as were all the electrics. I’ve already bought a replacement plane and have started installing the rescued parts.

The new plane is green and black. The pilot has a blue helmet so I’ll have to repaint him otherwise he’ll clash.

The old plane just failed to make 300 flights – it had 296 since July 2008. Not bad going considering all the crazy flying I did with it.

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Fun with Water

Posted on September 18, 2012 by John

I went to see the play Water at Sydney Theatre with Jan and Viv. Excellent.

I was a little apprehensive because as we were taking our seats the actors were wandering about the stage and there seemed to be lots of electronic stuff there – screens, keyboards, projectors. Oh dear, I thought, this looks a little too technical. But the technical stuff worked well to support the story – for example, the screens were used as Skype screens as two characters talked to each other from opposite ends of the world.

A gripping story, a very interesting production, and well acted. Some good English actors – Ollie Dimsdale, Poppy Miller, Tim Phillips, Ferdy Roberts.

Altogether a great night at the theatre.

The UK Telegraph reviewer agreed with me. He said: “The gripping narrative, beautiful soundscapes and knack of combining strong personal emotion with a political dimension all help to ensure that Water emerges as one of the most refreshing productions of the year.”

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Lunch with travel advice and gossip

Posted on September 14, 2012 by John

Had a lovely lunch with former SMH colleague David Dale yesterday at Watts on Crown in Surry Hills. David has been giving me advice on Liguria in northern Italy – we’re heading there for a holiday soon.

David is a bit of an expert on the area because he’s written a book about Lucio, well-known Sydney retaurateur, who comes from that region. The book is called Soffrito: a Delicious Ligurian Memoir and David gave me a signed copy.

The cover of David’s book.

Watts on Crown offers terrific modern Australian food. They have a mini roo burger as a starter which is very special. We had squid on black pudding and a sort of bouillabaisse. As usual with David, we shared everything and drank lots of good wine.

David is still writing columns for the Sun-Herald and SMH as well as lecturing three days a week for the UTS Journalism course. He filled me in on all the latest SMH gossip – who’s gone and who’s been promoted.

Now I must read the book before I venture to Italy.

UPDATE: Finished the book – a rattling good read about Lucio’s family and the history of their restaurant – Ciccio’s in Bocca de Magra, Liguria. Lots of interesting stuff, mostly about the food of the area. Recommended.

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One step at a time . . .

Posted on August 22, 2012 by John

The Spitfire model is taking shape, slowly – here’s a look at the progress. I assembled the bits just to se if the wings would fit to the fuselage and the undercarriage angles were correct. It all looks good to me.

And the good news is that the fuselage will fit into my Mazda 6 Hatchback. The tail comes forward between the front seats but I will still have room to change gear!

Mimi the cat does a walk-round inspection of the Spitfire.

I’ve built the ailerons and flaps and sorted out the servos and the linkages that make them move.

I will now continue with covering the wings. After that, I have to sort out the engine compartment and fit the electric motor and batteries. There’s still a long way to go but I’m enjoying the building work.

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Birthday boy

Posted on August 20, 2012 by John

The view

We head off to Sanders Restaurant on the Parramatta River near us to celebrate Chris’s birthday – his choice of venue. A brilliant winter’s day – bright sun and blue sky and not much breeze.

We have a very pleasant leisurely lunch – Chris, Viv, Jan, me and Eunice. The food and service are great and the views splendid. The restaurant is on a wharf leading to a marina filled with lots of expensive-looking boats.

Birthday boy

As we eat, people are turning up to be shown around various boats and taken for a trip down the river.

There’s a boat sharing scheme operating from the marina with some flash motor cruisers and lots of people are interested – see http://www.pacificboating.com.au/ if you want to join in!