Well now, two Welcomes in as many weeks! Thing is I was hoping to have had the news and an article or two out before we went gallivanting in Spain but clearly that didn’t happen, so apologies. Since our return from sunny, raining cloudy, exhausting Spain rather a lot has occurred not least our Pete falling twenty foot out of a tree. Fortunately for Pete he landed on his ropeman Tom who now looks like he has been in a car crash. Fortunately, but to be expected, they were both a hundred percent Health and Saftetied up. Had they not been, neither would be able to tell the story. Pete has broken his lower vertebrae but it exploded, apparently, so with his toes a-wriggling and his legs working it will only be a slow painful recovery. Tom, being a cushion, is a hero having saved his life. Most of the Swan and the village have now been into visit him and his girlfriend Steph has stayed by his cripple-bloke bedside throughout and the grand-children various have eaten all his sweets, grapes and oranges. Thanks for all the messages and the like. There is a thing coming up with the CAA and the BBAC concerning the transition of inspectors. Hopefully we will get an invite and, to that end, we have offered our services to the BBAC as it transpires that Paul Spellward is now the ‘Acting Chairman’ of the BBAc Tech Committee as he is now the Chairman of the BBAC. Its all getting rather confusing. I have spoken with him recently, in good humour, and I trust we will work together. He told me to get over it and I assured him I had (o:
Here we go then, we have the News as promised, hi-light being a special sweatshirt. We have been going through the nonsense that is the Balloon Rules Handbook. My take has been revised now I have been studying the tome. It is quite honestly at best commonsense and, at worst, commonsense filled with applied bollix. I’m sure the EASA countries will largely ignore it and we will have to put up with the full works thanks to rigorous application by the CAA but never mind. Graham Hallett, I understand, has written a treatise which, to be honest, I haven’t read yet. Best we try and have a word with the CAA once I have read it, but I fear it is far too late. Accordingly we have put together a simplified (if that is possible) thing comparing what the manufacturers require as ‘additional equipment and what EASA now require. It is rather chilled and not in exact technical writ! Hopefully I’ve also managed to find Steve Roakey’s bit on expensive aviation watches. He could get mugged next time he comes over.
Upon my return from Spain, now me burnt nose has recovered, I haven’t ventured into the Dark Barn nor done anything constructive spanner-wise on account of outstanding paperwork but it seems that Barry took advantage of the bike ramp and his Guzzi is good to roll which means the Thunderbird is good to have its oil pump replaced. I do have large list of roundtoits which I will hopefully apply in due course.
That’s a lot off me chest so best regards from us all. If it isn’t on the site now it will be in the next day or so. Promise. Chris, John, Jane & Polly