Blue goes up, green goes below, if it’s wrong, make like you’re in a car going the wrong way.
Do you have hard freezes? If so you need to install below the freeze line to prevent frost heave. Depending on where you are that might be fairly deep. Here in central Texas, we don’t really have that problem, so I did 30" to ensure some stability. I have had good success with foam versus concrete. This stuff is the consumer sized bag of the product they set utility towers with https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sika-33-fl-oz-Fence-Post-Mix-7116170/300934597 It basically expands with enough force to lock the dirt in place around it via compression, rather than relying on weight like concrete.
It never really goes below about -7 here and that’s extremely rare, maybe once or twice a year.
Its pretty mild most of the time but it never EVER stops raining. Or so it feels like it.
I’m intrigued by that foam stuff though. Never seen it before. Very cool
Do we have any architects here?
There is an added dimension that if you keep pulling the stick long enough, the houses get bigger again… But that’s the advanced course. Not all pilots qualify for that. ![]()
I am not a pilot so I haven’t had any of those scares, so it’s a groundpounder and is not really a scare either, but the potential had me on high awareness.
From my time as a volunteer in our Police HomeGuard, I had one experience where it took about 3 days before my system got out of High Alert/Quick Reaction status.
We are regulating traffic during a Triathlon event. The athletes turn right from the side road out on the big road on their bikes and our job is to stop the traffic from the left when they come out.
I am standing roughly at the top 233 label in the middle of the road on the 2 “Do Not Cross” lines. Their width is abut 20-25cm. Note how close the car at the bottom 233 label are to those lines.
The speed limit here is 50kph so people have a chance of reacting to traffic to and from the side roads.
What got to me is that in this kind of soft curve, a lot of people ignores the speed limit. It is not unusual for people to take a curve like this at 80kph and some do it at 100kph. There are even morons who do it at 120kph!
On top of that some of them are also having part of their car on the wrong side of the “Do Not Cross” lines. All of it taking away reaction time and maneuver room.
I was there for 6 hours and at some point I was thinking about what a mess it could be if there would be a speeding moron with his wheels on the wrong side of the lines. Then I started imagining what would happen if 2 speeding trucks from each end with a set of wheels on the wrong side of the middle would meet where I stood.
At that point it was not so funny being out on that road.
Victor2 I agree with schurem, the narrower the better for the hole but the size of the rocks usually dictates that.
As jenrick says 30" for stability but with your amount of rain probably 36" and put 6" to 8" of 1/2 to 3/4" screened rock in the bottom for drainage.
Post -crete would be good for one post but for a full fence would get expensive quick.
jenrick’s foam certainly looks interesting ![]()
That’s good to know, I’m thinking that I hate doing stuff twice, so go deep. Do it properly and do it once.
You asked for it…
6 engine failures in 10,200 hours P1. I flew some ropey aircraft in my time after my first career in military intelligence.
Then not so much a scare as a personal tragedy. During the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 my boss decided to use a chemical to prevent its spread at the airport. Quite safe he said, its just like vinegar and the council use it on the ferries (steel, mostly open air). It was poured onto a piece of carpet and all on foot and airport vehicles went over it. The next day as I walked to the aircraft the baggage truck splashed through the stuff soaking my trousers in it. Like a car going through water. I was not allowed to be late as the third sectors arrival was going to be filmed for that nights news on BBC. OK says I, I will get changed when I land after sector 4 since its just like vinegar. I also put the heater on to dry out. The aircraft is aluminium and there was hydraulic fluid on the floor at my feet.
Ten minutes after takeoff flying BA8860 Tingwall to Fair Isle I was unconscious, after a short period of hallucinating. The only pilot on board with 5 passengers. I became semi conscious in the descent at 200’. I engaged autopilot but have no memory of doing so. Blurred vision and racking cough constantly until an eventual off runway landing at Tingwall. Left unattended for 50 minutes without first aid or decontamination and eventually found not to have a pulse when my girlfriend got me to hospital. (she was a doctor called in by the fire crew). Resuscitation and defibrillator worked. They usually don’t.
Read about a third of the way down the linked report where it starts - Case Presentation. Pilot Incapacitation—the Human Factor". Paragraphs beginning "THE PILOT" and the next one beginningThe Operators" . The report is by the UK Parliamentary Transport Committee.
I am still disabled due to lung and organ injury and have lost about a third of my IQ along with major personality changes. My girlfriend was told I would not survive the day. I was told a month to live in 2001 and then progressively told a year at best. 19 years so far. Since then after doing an honours degree I got back into flying after a six year lay off.
Emotionally the six years after the incident was the worst because documents were witheld, lies told and perjury in court. The blame was put on me by the airline. I proved other wise but doing so wrecked me emotionally. I have never recovered…
Aerobility the UK Disabled flying charity got me in the air again after some very nice doctors gave me a medical after they had told me how to blackmail them (the regulators) which I did. This enabled me to fly commercially, but I was never the same pilot. First on Tiger Moths, then my Long Eze, the air ambulance King Air and then the Saab 2000. Now little motor gliders. Each day is a challenge. I was headhunted by the air ambulance after it got out what had happened and how the airline behaved.
Enjoy
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmtran/809/809we40.htm
Whoa. Kudos for getting back on the horse sir. A lesser man would have stayed down.
And that ladies and gentlemen is why that dude above
has all the respect it is possible for me to give.
He lost 1/3 of his iq and he’s still the smartest man I know. Smart enough to teach a complete donut like me how to fly.
You are a badass @Scoop
That document is confirmation of almost every passengers worst nightmare regarding profits over safety when it comes to air travel @Scoop.
Wheels
A display of both sides of human nature there, the good in your example of character, and the bad, in the theirs. I tend to find myself lumping the latter into a lack of shame.
Good job, sir.
Daaaaaamn…!
That was an interesting read, @Scoop!
You made an impressive recovery, against the odds.
Sadly I will never recover. Just done better than expected. I was physically very fit when it happened. 3 miles/24 hours is about the best i can do now on foot.
Right. I understand. But still, recovering enough to getting your license back is impressive to me.
It was not in your character to quit. I’ve no doubt you’ve inspired those around you, and that has great value.
To add to this… jet engine theory:

In the then UK system it is the medical that’s the problem. A licence is for life. They gave me the ability to fly on a class 2 medical. Back then this meant I could instruct but could not get paid. I certainly could not have a place with an airline. You needed a Class 1 medical to fly for money. After a year teaching other disabled pilots a government doctor had a chat with me. I sent him a letter stating that I noted they thought I was fit to fly and to instruct but that because of my disability I was unfit to earn money for doing a job they thought I was fit to do. As requested I asked him how the Civil Aviation Authority thought this complied with the disability discrimination act? I got a class 1 medical certificate by return of post. I was and am not fit to hold it but it gave me eight years commanding an airliner. Two chief pilots sought me out and offered me jobs.Then they changed the rules so you could get paid on a Class 2 which is all I now hold because of my lungs playing up… It is fun blackmailing the CAA and winning. I have met the nicest and the worst people in aviation.
Oh my goodness - I am very impressed by the way you’re pushing on. I am also absolutely appalled by the airline’s attempts to lay the blame on you. That report is just awful - I can’t imagine the emotional and mental toll of the process, in particular coupled with the effects of the incident itself.
Much respect for never giving up!



