Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[smashedagain]

haha heard last night was fun

Total farce. Don't ever win the rsq please Tony

[cdw1111]

     Had our first visit from a B787 at Heathrow today,it was diverted from Frankfurt due to fog.God only knows how bad the fog was over there as you could barely see fifty feet at LHR this morning.

Click to see full-size image.

On it's way to the end of the runway,for take-off

     Smaller than I thought it would be.I'am not looking forward to next year with BA getting new A380's and B787's as I will be back in the classroom for months on end on courses.

                                         Airport correspondent cdw,over and out.

[77dave]

Watched the 1st episode of Jeremy Paxman's Empire last night. Not made my mind up yet about it. Did you catch it.

Its on Iplayer

[tikay]

     Had our first visit from a B787 at Heathrow today,it was diverted from Frankfurt due to fog.God only knows how bad the fog was over there as you could barely see fifty feet at LHR this morning.

Click to see full-size image.

On it's way to the end of the runway,for take-off

     Smaller than I thought it would be.I'am not looking forward to next year with BA getting new A380's and B787's as I will be back in the classroom for months on end on courses.

                                         Airport correspondent cdw,over and out.

Oh my, wish I had been there to see that Mr Air Corry!

Can't wait to see the BA A380's next year.

I noted the incomings were coming in from the othe end - the western end - this morning, coming in over the M25. Do they use the "landing on two parallel runways" arrangement from that end, or is that just from the more usual eastern (A30) end?

Why is Concorde parked in front of the Maintenance Hanger, right by the road, opposite Jurys Inn? It has been there for 2 weeks now. OOoooohhhhhh. Looks to me like it may have had a paint job.

More input please, Air Corry (Heathrow division).

[outragous76]

Planes! That reminds me

I watched a documentary during one of my insomnia bouts recently. It was one where the pilot got sucked out of a broken cockpit window. One of his colleagues grabbed his legs, but he was doubled backwards hanging out of the plane front window at 30,000. His collegue kept hold of him all the while during the emergency, despite the fact they believed he was dead.

The Co-pilot landed at Southampton airport (being talked down), and everyone got out safely.

Then when they peeled the captain off the front of the plane, he was still alive!!!!! It was unreal. Well worth a watch if you can find on line.

[cdw1111]

   Concorde has moved to give access to the West pen hangar which has been refurbished,the roof has been raised to accept the A380.It hasn't been repainted as far as I know maybe just washed,I heard it's in a bit of a state internally as it was filled with BA highlife magazine's for ballast and mold has taken over,pretty sad really.
   The one in Manchester is in much better nick and was recently powered up,we have a few guys at work who go up in there spare time and maintain it.Given half a chance and a bit of money they would have it taxing about,but to get it flying again would cost multi dollars and the I doubt the CAA would ever give it it's certificate of airworthiness again.

   Runways?I have no idea,I guess its all about weather conditions and evenly spreading out landings/takeoffs for the local residents.I'am not a real spotter I just hit areoplanes with a hammer for a living.

[cdw1111]

Planes! That reminds me

I watched a documentary during one of my insomnia bouts recently. It was one where the pilot got sucked out of a broken cockpit window. One of his colleagues grabbed his legs, but he was doubled backwards hanging out of the plane front window at 30,000. His collegue kept hold of him all the while during the emergency, despite the fact they believed he was dead.

The Co-pilot landed at Southampton airport (being talked down), and everyone got out safely.

Then when they peeled the captain off the front of the plane, he was still alive!!!!! It was unreal. Well worth a watch if you can find on line.

The cockpit voice recording from the incident is priceless,the language is pretty choice to say the least.The rest of the crew are convinced the captain is dead and are hanging on to him so he doesn't fly into the engines which are on the tail on that type of aircraft(Bac 1-11).

I recently read the transcript of the CVR from the Air France Airbus crash on its way from South America,quite chilling.

2 pages.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/crashes/what-really-happened-aboard-air-france-447-6611877

[JaffaCake]

I'll get me coat

Only bit I disagreed with was I've read Lin is on $762k this year, tho he only gets 80% of it as it's a shorted year because of the lockout, so $610k. Next year he's likely to stay with the Knicks and be bumped up to around $5million a year, which sounds loads, but is actually limited because he's young (players who've been in the league longer are allowed to be paid more under the salary cap).

In comparison, the two star players New York signed last year, Amare Stoudamire and Carmelo Anthony (the guys who were out when Lin got thrown into the team and who he is now getting used to playing alongside since their return) are paid around $100 over five years and $65million over three years.

As you can see from Boba's reply tho, the fact nearly 60 players are drafted into the league every year means if you are not on the list, there's basically no chance you're any good and while u might sneak into the league as a reserve or something, it's extremely rare, almost unheard of, for someone to be overlooked by all the extensive coaching and scouting set-ups and suddenly turn out to be really good.

All NBA teams are looking to make the top eight in their conference (East or West) to go into the playoffs, where the team with the best record plays the team with the eighth best in each conference and so on, til u get the best in the West v best in the East in the NBA Finals.

If the playoffs started today, New York would be seventh in the East and face the Chicago Bulls, who are second. Knicks v Bulls is a marquee match-up and would be the pick of the first round. They have lots of history and rivalry, back from the days when Michael Jordan played for the Bulls. Incidentally, Luol Deng, who is Team GB's star by an absolute mile looking ahead to the Olympics, is a regular starter for the Bulls and just made the All-Star game for the first time last week.

Have bottled posting any more best on your tips for Tikay thread (even tho I said to reverse the bets before the off for a tiny loss because of last minute team news) but I think I must be 80% on the season which is pretty good. Might stick my nose in again....

[SuuPRlim]

Hi Tikay!

Sorry yoof corry business has been slow. Any of the yoof's have anything that needs corresponding, Ive seen there has been pictures of Planes lately, which will please the younger readers, not saying that ducks aren't cool but for the mass market of >26yr olds I reckon Planes are preferable over ducks. Perhaps this is an inditement of the state of the country that us yoof's are unable to appriciate a good duck any more, maybe it's a sign of the changing times, either way this diary will continue to provide something for everyone and remain a breeding ground of mutual respect throughout the generations.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

How are things with S*y Poker and life in general, hope it's all going very well!

lilDave.

[kinboshi]

Tick tock!!

[outragous76]

i appreciate a good duck

[GreekStein]

Cast your minds back 6 or 7 years to to when Rob Yong was recruiting his Team for DTD, & Simon was announced as the TD etc. There were sort of polite silences, "what, Simon Trumper, are you sure?".

It turned out to be an incredibly inspirational selection, truly, nobody could have done that job better. If you think back, not all the selections were right, but most of them, & the key ones, were. Never try to second-guess Rob Yong.

Could you elaborate on this pls teeks?

[smashedagain]

Cast your minds back 6 or 7 years to to when Rob Yong was recruiting his Team for DTD, & Simon was announced as the TD etc. There were sort of polite silences, "what, Simon Trumper, are you sure?".

It turned out to be an incredibly inspirational selection, truly, nobody could have done that job better. If you think back, not all the selections were right, but most of them, & the key ones, were. Never try to second-guess Rob Yong.

Could you elaborate on this pls teeks?

like you dont know?

[bobby1]

I've seen it all now Tony, just seen an advert for something called Smokin Gel which is a gel that smokers can rub on their hands when they are in the office or on a plane and need a fix.

[TightEnd]

A huge breaking story in US Sports today

This from the LA times

New Orleans Saints players and an assistant coach set up a bounty program that paid players to injure opponents, the NFL said Friday.

A lengthy investigation by the league's security department determined that between 22 and 27 defensive players, as well as at least one assistant coach, participated in the program from 2009-11, in violation of NFL rules.

The players regularly contributed cash to a pool and received improper payments of two kinds from the pool based on their play in the previous week's game. Not only were payments made for interceptions and fumble recoveries, but also for "cart-offs" and "knockouts" of offensive players.

According to the league, the additional investigation established the following facts:

"1.  During the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, the players and other participants involved used their own money to fund a 'Pay for Performance' program. Players earned cash awards for plays such as interceptions or fumble recoveries. They also earned 'bounty' payments for 'cart-offs' and 'knockouts.' All such payments violate league rules for non-contract bonuses.

"2.  Players were willing and enthusiastic participants in the program, contributing regularly and at times pledging large amounts. Between 22 and 27 defensive players contributed funds to the pool over the course of three NFL seasons. In some cases, the amounts pledged were both significant and directed against a specific opposing player.

"3. The bounty program was administered by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams [now with the St. Louis Rams] with the knowledge of other defensive coaches. Funds were contributed on occasion by Williams.

"4.  Saints owner Tom Benson gave immediate and full cooperation to the investigators. The evidence conclusively established that Mr. Benson was not aware of the bounty program. When informed earlier this year of the new information, Mr. Benson advised league staff that he had directed his general manager, Mickey Loomis, to ensure that any bounty program be discontinued immediately. The evidence showed that Mr. Loomis did not carry out Mr. Benson’s directions. Similarly, when the initial allegations were discussed with Mr. Loomis in 2010, he denied any knowledge of a bounty program and pledged that he would ensure that no such program was in place. There is no evidence that Mr. Loomis took any effective action to stop these practices.

"5.  Although head coach Sean Payton was not a direct participant in the funding or administration of the program, he was aware of the allegations, did not make any detailed inquiry or otherwise seek to learn the facts, and failed to stop the bounty program. He never instructed his assistant coaches or players that a bounty program was improper and could not continue.

"6. There is no question that a bounty program violates long-standing league rules.  Payments of this type – even for legitimate plays such as interceptions or fumble recoveries – are forbidden because they are inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and well-accepted rules relating to NFL player contracts. "

The league's discipline could include fines, suspensions, and forfeiture of draft choices.