Engineers and the Human Condition

Engineers and the Human Condition

A little unusual for a title, but I am Human and always an Engineer, a Mechanical Engineer. As I have said from time to time, my blogs are really 'Stories based on fact, as I remember them' and goodness me I have so many stories I can barely contain my excitement, when I 'Think' of all the achievements Engineers – Mechanical; Structural; Electrical and Electronic et al – have made for the benefit of the 'Human Condition', over many decades.

During this tribute to Engineers World wide I will to refer to three of my blogs in particular.

1. AIRCRAFT MISSING – An Integrated Electronic Search System. May 2014
2. INOPERATIVE – Anti-Terrorist Measures. September 2014
3. TOYOTA – Lead Vehicle Supplier To Terrorists. June 2015

As I look at a plaque next to my computor 'University of Birmingham' England and “PER ARDUA AD ALTA” A kind of striving for the best and all things are possible , which is exactly how I went about things, complete with absolute disasters, like trying to design and build a Super- Sonically diffused centrifugal compressor , to be saved from ridicule by a kind Chief Engineer at AEI Ltd, a Mr Huittson I recall, Rugby, England.

 

Ok, I am a product of the old 'Graduate School of Thermodynamics and Related Studies', which was lead by a charismatic Professor F K Bannister and a team of brilliant and not so brilliant lecturers, of course the best were the mature students and me the youngest.

I just don't know where to start, rubbish , yes I do. In Dartmouth, Devon England there is a museum and inside is a machine that defied imagination in 18 something and for me still does today. It is one of those steam powered engines designed and used by a Cornish Engineers for use in their Tin and later Copper mines. De-watering pumps, as many of the shafts were under sea level and very near to the ever present danger. This particular one is really a vacuum engine, in that from a relatively low press boiler, steam entered the cylinder and water was injected, causing a vacuum and up went the piston and round went the massive Flywheel ----- Fantastic

From then, came the true pressure engines and the study by Engineers of super heated steam and its use. The age of steam had begun, leading to those locomotives of fame, like the Flying Scotsman and Mallard class's; those wonderful creations in the USA ; France and Germany, Then on to Turbines for Industry and shipping.

I have to tell you of one, as a young lad, I actually saw a steam power unit working. It was in the late fourties when I lived in Lydney Gloucestershire England, where there was Tin Plate works. They heated the ingots and rolled successively thinner, then folded and rolled again a number of times. Finally when the sheets had been trimmed men using leather gloves with Lead palm pieces separated the sheets for the tin plate and on to cans we knew so well – Golden Syrup was one. Ah, what was up front of the rollers in series, line , An enormous Triple Expansion Steam Engine, with a Flywheel that must have been at least 6 Metres Diameter. It was at this time I learned my first Metallurgy lesson and property of molten metals, To make the lead separating pieces, a brick was chipped to make a 'well' of about 50mm by 50mm, 20mm deep. Melted the leads to molten stage then poured into the 'well' and there was your Palm piece. Great, that is when you have thouroughly dried the brick, if not, molten lead spate and flew every were. ---- Goodness that was educational. Engineering, thats me. My first lesson in Metallurgy and the properties of metals.

Steam made history with its use and development, by Engineers for advancement of 'The Human Condition'. Steam for power to run Industry, Shipping and general transport, as in Locomotives. My goodness, from simple loco's to those most immpresive magnificent machines produced by UK; Germany; France and the USA. Piston engines through to Steam turbines, the first turbine powered train I think was in Switzerland in the thirties? . Steam always seemed like a living being, from firing up to listening to the engine and the first Hiss of life and to watch the pressure gauge rise, until the piston started to move --- shear joy. Me of course went on to study Super Heated Steam with its almost gas like behavior. Enough now Mason on matters steam. Maybe, but I am going ask the question – Do some machines have souls. Not so long agoe a broadcaster was in Japan and he stumbled upon a garage where young men were working on Special Vehicles, built out of old American cars, with all the spray art to go with them. The chap asked – Why the fasination with old cars ---- The reply

' Old cars have souls'. If that is true , certainly it applied to Steam power.

Engineers were and are responsible for nearly everything about us, we just have to look around.

Insects can be Engineers and Ants of all kinds in particular, like the Iconic Terrmite Mound., Look and you will see. Ah yes, I was somewhere up the Kyber Pass between Pakistan and Afghanistan with a chap, a tribal man of the area and we sat very high up,looking down and across the valley – scary for me. He pointed across the valley and said What do you see?. Whew , nothing I thought, just rock.

After a while he said , now look at one spot and suggested a certain direction, I see nothing I said. No, keep a steady eye on that small area and then I saw a slight movement, look on and there and behold a man sitting with a rifle across his legs. My man praised me and advised that the chap across the valley had probably seen us arrive and start our search, he gave us a sporting chance by moving, but had I been assumed hostile, would probably not be here to tell the tale.

OK. Another lesson by the same chap. Sit anywhere you think there is no life. Now look down at' the same spot and something will come along, usually an insect . Nothing said I – very Patient this fello, so for a about ten minutes I looked, when of course an ANT came passing by.

This is all about Engineers and Humans and their ability to Observe and Identify.

Before I move on there is one thing a Engineer must be able to do and what I have advocated for many years. 'Listen to the Wind' and more correctly ' Listen to the Winds of Change'

Engineers Observe and they Listen and what a World we have created.

In order to design and creat things for 'The Human Condition' ENGINEERS had to be able to measure. A science in itself from very ancient times,I believe from Egypt and others like Messomatiania?, Cubits ,Furlongs and others. Angles were a special part of measurement,from Geometry of course, see how the Pyramids were built- What was that angle,a strange one but absolutely on the marker. Ah yes, I rang my friend and fello Engineer, David Greenhill, again a product of Birmingham Universities department of Mechanical Engineering, did he know that angle?. Of course like all good Engineers, he looked for the facts and here it is 51 degrees 52 minutes. I looked further and they are both Triangular numbers 1326 and 1378. Enough Mason.

It was in the early fifties , whilst studying for my Higher National Diploma , and taking a City and Guilds Machine shop operators course, that I attended a special short course on measurement = Sounds good I thought , so I turned up with lads of all kinds, Fitters, Machinists, Loom Tuners and we assembled in a room full of steel Balls; Rollers; flat plates with their scribing blocks and all manner of measuring instruments. This will be boring I thought- How wrong I was.

Right on time, a fello entered the room,not in a brown jacket with cleaning rags in his pocket, but an immaculately dressed gentleman in a grey suit, white shirt with a silver tie and shoes of which the shine would do a Sergent Major proud. He looked at us and smiled and all most like a top artist on a London stage, he became alive with his subject and had us all captivated with the topic of measurement and interpreting that measurement for the manufacture of products for the Human Race.

We were all fascinated with the world of Micrometers; Verniers and very accurate steel balls; rollers and steel rulers . To show us that we could achieve good measurement in simple ways, we all had a Flat Plate, with a scribing block and needle with which to scribe on a piece of steel a set height of one inch. Goodness it was difficult and of course the winner was a machine shop foreman. Our man then took us to a Timken Limited bearing works , to see how accuracy , repeated accuracy is achieved on a daily basis. We all rely on ball and roller bearing for our cars to proceed, Jet engines to rotate and machinery of all kinds to function. At that time there were things they did not show us, as they were regarded as trade secrets,sought after by competitors, particularly Japanese. Well known now , mind you the Chinese still, fail sometimes, as with my wind turbine. Very tight to start with, then progressively deteriating to destruction- mainly a metalurgical problem I think.

Engineers and the Human Condition. Let us have a look around at things that could not have been possible without Engineers of all kinds. COMPUTORS, lap tops iPads etc-lids; casings; keys; batteries and chargers plus plugs and sockets etc. PRINTERS and TYPE WRITERS, take a closer look, its nearly all mechanical mechanisms. CARS; TRUCKS; TRACTORS; BULLDOZERS and EXCAVATORS. GENERATORS of all sizes, piston and turbine. COAL and NUCLEAR power stations. POWER lines; COMPRESSORS, tiny to one I was associated with – 20,000 cfm, eight stage ,water inter-cooled, Centrifugal Air Compressor for a mine in South Africa. Whow and of course our beloved Passenger Aircraft, transporting Humans almost where ever they want go. Too many of them of course as polluters of the skies. Fighter aircraft, lethal weapons, used all too indescriminently at times, by good and bad governments. For good measure, there is the massive Space industry and almost equally the Medical categary , with all their MECHANICAL devices they use on a daily basis including research Microscopes. How say you people?.

Many books have been read on defining the small and the great engineering acheivements in history,so we will leave them in our libraries – for the moment.

Engineers have always been aware of their responsibililties regarding standards of measurement, observation and the reporting and sharing of facts. I have over the years advocated that Engineers of all categories endeavour to keep a very high standard, even when thinking outside of the square. There are rogue manfacturers who ignore their Engineers and produce rubbish or faulty goods. Remember the TAY Bridge, a Victorian railway bridge, of Cast Iron colunm design. The design was good but the manufacturers in the casting works failed to achieve compete air cavity free products. Thus the bridge collapsed, sending a passenger train into the river. Apparently only a few days earlier the good Queen Victoria crossed and declared it a marvel of Engineering.

Over the years has grown organisations that form the very basis of standards today. The Americans with their Department of Transport DOT seen on your Tyres; Brake fliuds and many more . Society of Automotive Engineers SAE, lasting standards and Technical Papers without end.

Then there is one of the originals, Deutsche Industrie Normal DIN , I believe started with standards for photographic emulsions. Of course for Engineering there are many standards a nd papers published, over the years.

For me and many around the World the most important organisation for Mechanical Engineers,is “The Institution of Mechanical Engineers”, still at 1 Birdcage Walk, London, I gather. The home of learned Engineering and Promotion with many Papers Published and lectures arranged and enjoyed by all. When one writes to them,they actually respond, doing their best to assist. Bravo.

Before we bring our liitle dicusssion to a close, I wish to tell you of some of the major, problems I have been involved in- very briefly.

Lockerbie – I have numerus times said I have filed my input to this tradegy. It started with the initial Photograghs of the 747 in a field in Scotland, which clicked my little grey cells into action. It was all about Boeing series of aircraft at the time, being involved in terrorist attacks, namely High Jacks.This was interesting in that at first, no one listened to my report, until I wrote to the then PM Margaret Thatcher and she opened the doors I needed. Thus Pan Am, UK authorities and I think Boeing. The real identification on how the Crash landing accurred, will remain under strict security and there the matter lies and I for one, feel its best that way.

Lockerbie – I have numerus times said I have filed my input to this tradegy. It started with the initial Photograghs of the 747 in a field in Scotland, which clicked my little grey cells into action. It was all about Boeing series of aircraft at the time, being in volved in terrorist attacks, namely High Jacks.This was interesting in that at first, no one listened to my report, until I wrote to the then PM Margaret Thatcher and she opened the doors I needed. Thus Pan Am, UK authorities and I think Boeing. The real identification on how the Crash landing accured, will remain under strict security and there the matter lies and I for one, feel its best that way.

HRH Princess Diana and her friend in Paris – I placed my submmision with the Royal Courts of Justice and were accepted by them. It was of course a Motor Industry associated matter, involving a non armoured vehicle in not that good condition. The submission also went to HRH Prince Charles.The contents were then and now in confidence and I was pleased with my efforts.

MH370 – The most read of my blogs and I remain convinced of my area of location, far from the multi million Dollar search,still on going. The blog was full of Aircraft design and operational matters

Airport Protection Program – Anti Terrorist - Was written a while agoe and covered many topics including my ideas for Neutron Radiation to be used in luggage and cargo inspection. Since developed in the USA. Ticketing Systems and lots more. Distributed around the World, at the time taken seriously by a number of Airport Security authorities, particularly UK and Australia.

Many papers were written a nd submissions made, all ENGINEERING inspired. My deceased University John McWaters and I made I believe the first colour Photographs of an Air Shock Wave, still have the Photo somewhere. I then in a fit of brilliense wrote a paper on Transient and Thermal Stresses in Rotors. For turbines and Aircraft turbines in particular. The computor people did their bit. Solved the QE 11 problems I gather, plus many Jet and Gas Turbine Rotors. Stable speeds are easy to calculate both Mechanical and Thermal stresses --- Transients were the problem. If you listened to a cockpit conversation,. At some point you will hear the co-pilot say 'Engines Stable', at which point, there is every chance and the ENGINEERS have done their job, all will well, for the main event-- Engines nearly full on and off you go, up up and away.

All Engineers of some kind,all related to the Human Condition. All good men and true, they diversified from Hydrualics Laboratories and Wave effects on ships; Involved with Concord and their air intakes, through Standing Shock Waves, transposing Super Sonic Air to Sub sonic as the engines were indeed well designed and developed sub-sonic.; Mentioned in other blogs and the Graduate School, Tony Marsall being the fello in charge of Chubb s largest firetenders. Mason got himself involved again suggesting Armoured units, which could get in Close and Personal- sounds familiar?. Tony became a Fello of the Institution I believe, passed away last year, in fact only me and the Concord man, another Graduate school friend, David Hall, appear to be around.

Engineers and this is only a few of them, all involved in the interests of the Human Condition.

Before I shut down this conversation,as a Motor man, I must bring up the topics of VW and Sunrise Oil debacles. From my experience of compliance with regulators edicts, the fines etc imposed on VW are extreme and totally ridiculus. Here we have the manufacturer of the worlds best small diesel engines in cars and vans being indited and aimed at - Germany and in particular older Germans (Directors)- who still have some form of collective guilt from times past. These good people have let down their Engineering/Design/Developement divisions, being daft enough to Roll Over and be got at. They shou;ld simply have said, really?. We will look into your complaint and make any Engineering changes we consider necessary to correct matter. Full Stop.

What VW did or did not do, to undermine the Human Condition, is MINEQUELE compared with what TOYOTA and JAPAN have done towards the devastation of Human Beings , by allowing the unrestricted flow of vehicles to Terrorists groups, including ISIS , over many years and not one Head of Governmet or Nation, has done a damn thing about it. It saddens me to know that the very distribution network, taken over by Toyota in the Sixties and seventies was the Austin- Morris net set up so delegenlty over decades by dedicated people, some like me Engineers. I remember coming back to our Birmingham HQ from Singapore 1961? to report the start of the takeover (For Free) of the Network – Dealers, Supply routes every thing. I felt like the sole suvivor in 1874 of the 16,000 men, women and children, after the British retreat from Kabul, at a British post in Jalalabad. Like now the news what not taken well, and action taken too damn late. NB Later ISUZU went for Bedford and GM . Mitsubishi for Chrysler/Rootes networks. I was in Geneve when they actually asked a Vice President for full details of all World dealers. What do you say,asked the good man, I said absolutely NO and they watered down the request- Someone somewhere leaked a lot of confidential information, now lost in time.

Anyway, there is always silly story to tell and true as far as I remember. In 19 seventy something a Jaguar was presented to the Japanese vehicle regulators . They looked tested and deliberated and then declared the vehicle did not comply. Why not replied the houghty Jaguar man and they said the headlikes were too high or too low ,I don't recall. May Jaguar man said ,I say , Thats not fair and pondered what he would tell Coventry. Well the Technical (Engineer) bloke said hang on boss, give me a little time.

So, our man came back and said , hey boss the Datsun180B does not comply either. With great applom our houghty Jaguar executive, informed the Japanese authorities.

They replied “The Datsun180B is a Japanese car and a not an Import and does NOT have to comply with this particular regulation”.
The problem was resolved for the benefit of all, including Mercedes Benz, BMW etc My goodness, those were the days. OK VW stand tall and do not take any nonsense from any one. You make the best and have some of the best Auto Engineers in the World. My goodness, wouldn't be wonderful to have people like these, working on my Aircraft Missing- An Integrated Electronic Search System. For missing Aircraft. How well I remember Porshe cominng to the resqoue, when Austin had so much trouble with syncromesh in the MINI gearbox.

Nearly there and I will now relate a story, going back to the beginning where I said “Engineers and Humans with their ability to Observe and Indentify. Its about me; Professor Bannister; Primo Levi and Tullio Regge. The later two were Phyisists , but we won't hold it against them , in fact the first Radio Celebrity Physisists. Their programs published in book” Conversations “1987 in Italian.

I wrote this and Ver Batum I will quote it

“Once upon a time in the Graduate School Of Thermodynamics at the University of Birmingham England, a brilliant Professor Frank Bannister was exposing to his students about a 'Particle of Matter'. With great authority he pointed out that it takes students;lecturers;Professors;Readers and Researchers years of deep study to even guess at the activities of a 'Particle of Matter' under any set of conditions ----- and yet without any education or training, that 'Particle of Matter' under any set of conditions KNOWS EXACTLY what to do and it does it.

Young Mason pondered on this, asking the question – Does our Professor think that a 'Particle' behaves the same whether it is being looked at, or not.--WHAT, said the Professor and it remained dorment all these years until an older Mason read this book, given to him on his sixtieth birthday. 22-8-95.”

And so, thats about it from me on Engineers and the Human Condition.----------For Now?.

Malcolm E Mason

Mogood (Shallow Crossing State Forest) NSW, Australia

The search for the project which produced John Mc Waters and my colour photo of a Shock Wave, using products of the day and Ilford film?.was successful now comes the problem of how do I get onto this blog – My computor man Bryan Henshaw with his three screens, will make it look easy.

Plate 1

The graduate School of Thermodynamics and Related Studies - Iconic year 1959 . Thats me fourth from the left, behind the good Professor.

Plate 2

B&W two dimentional photogragh of a three dimentioal probe – Super Sonic Air M ?. Difficult to get the full analysis. Modern Supersonic intakes are Square, I wonder who thought of that. Great stuff.

Plate 3

The first Colour Photogragh of nearly the same as Plate2. Of things yet to be.Will published separately.

   

Malcolm E Mason

X@malcolmemason       masonedgar@gmail.com  

A Sense of Occasion and Sense of Purpose

Throughout my career, mainly in the Motor industry then with my security equipment/consultancy business when travelling plus of course private family travel, I always felt a Sense of Occasion, an adventure if you will.Pilots of aircraft commercial and military , I feel do their job with a Sense of Purpose.

With these thoughts, so it was that I read the book QF32 the story of engine failures on an Airbus, the largest of the series the A380, by its Captain one Richard Crespigny a very descriptive writer telling of his and associated personnels experiences in getting their stricken aircraft back to the safety of terror ferma and its attendant emergency crews and aircraft staff in order to clear the plane of endangered individuals – its passengers. A Scense of Purpose I would say.

As a passenger for the Austin Motor Company and later The British Motor Corpporation and because I mostly flew over eight hours to distant places, I traveled first class and so was 'Up front and Personal' a term I will use from time to time in this little story of mine.

A little house keeping,to say that most of my early career in the 1960's is covered in my blog space http://thinktrue2008.blogspot.com and covers mainly my time as first a graduate trainee and later a design engineer trucks, on going to represent The Austin Motor Company ; The British Motor Corporation around the World visiting over seventy countries in the fields of Service' Sales' Assembly plant monitoring and special operations and investigations where it called for one man to go in alone take action where appropiate. A period was spent with Chysler International in London and Geneva. Whew that covered a mutitude of sins I can tell you.

What matters in this story, is that after Technical College I somehow ended up as a product of the Graduate School of Thermodynamics and Related Studies at the University of Birmingham, England and a place where I really found my taste for matters outside the square and learned to say so. As at the Austin I seemed to be chosen as the union leader of some kind, which launched me into the fiery area of the big boys, well they said they were, anyway.

Here we go===== A story of Engineering daring do; Oil; Airplanes and their fliers and the Sense of Purpose and Ocassion, not forgetting the power and influence of major corporations and governments surrounding in the main AEROPLANES and their PILOTS.

Way back in ancient time, around early 1940's the United Kingdom and the USA decided to block the oil routes out of the middle east ie the Persian Gulf for any tanker sailing for the destination – Japan, a real time blockade to keep that country firmly at home. Later when I travelled, the Foreign Office requested we use the term The Gulf which we did I suppose, when we felt like it.

Told in full by Daniel Yergin in his book 'The Prize' The epic quest for oil money and power, I will give a few thoughts on Pilots sense of purpose and finite quantities of Coal and Aviation fuel. The story goes that a Japanese battle fleet left Tokio, led by an Aircraft Carrier and its Admiral and bound for Honalulu and the US Pacific fleet base.

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Off they went and when they got near, the Admiral (boss) said what is the American fleet doing,? nothing boss came the reply. Then the first critical question, how many tonnes of coal do we have?

Not a lot was the answer and a tonnage given. Well here was a situation of Sense of Purpose and a worry about finite quantity of coal. Nearer the target a new problem arose that of a finite amount of fuel for the light bomber aircraft. The boss was told they had X amount fuel and Y number of aircraft to attack sleepy Honalulu and its American Pacific fleet.

At about this time a bright spark came up with the idea that if , not all of the fighters came back then they would have sufficient fuel to take both fire power and much damage that could be inflicted by aircraft hitting the targets where the pilots could see available targets, aim their aircraft and get up Close and Personal. Well for the Emperor and little old Japan , young top guns volenteered and the rest is history as they say. Whoops, not quite, the dasterdly honorable deeds done, the fleet turned around and headed home and apparantly just making base with only a small amount of that finite load of coal.

Thinking about that 'Sense of Purpose' of those pilots one wonders what they thought as they targeted the American Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbour. My guess is, they totally concentrated on positioning their aircrafts to approach the targets side on, release projectiles then at the last moment they trimmed their aircraft, to the now very visible ship of choice and finally become 'Up close and Personal'.Whatever the world thought of their act, they were indeed aircraft pilots with a ' Sense of Purpose' and dedicated in placing their aircraft where they wanted it to be and a black Sense of occasion.

Many years later a similar incident occurred on the eleventh day of the ninth month in the year two thousand and one, now known as nine eleven (911) a number not lost on many, as a number all Americans know by heart as their national emergency number 911, nine one one and few are unlikely to forget in a hurry. OK, fellows after taking over the cockpits of passenger jets had the same objective as those 'Zero pilots' at Pearl Harbour. At best they could point the aircraft towards their target building and 'Get up close and Personal' . Again the rest is history, now in this year of 2015 the USA has started to move on.

The Boeing aircraft had very conventional controls that even a chap like me can understand and possibly handle. As the aircraft were not required to land and only change speed a little, then guide to their destination not far off the ground. Had the aircraft been of Airbus manufacture with controls like those of the Qantas Pilot on QF32, with its side control stick and hands off when you have decided your move and the computors follows that instruction, there would been little likelyhood of the terrible incident occuring.

Now lets have a lighter tale of two chaps in one little vehicle and one lady in an aeroplane – the time, the early to mid 1930's all with 'A sense of Ocassion' ; 'Sense of Purpose' and adventure. thrown into one. The story goes, that two well educated gentlemen A Cameron Gilg and Walter Kay with a little money, decided to drive a Soft top Morris Eight from London to Cape Town. The route would be down through France and Spain, over to Morroco, turn left along to Algeria, turn right and south heading for Kenya , Rhodesia and on to South Africa. A marvelous story of daring do with a Sense of Purpose and Occasion. An RAC publication – Turn Left – The Riffs Have Risen By A. Cameron Gilg. It took until 1981 for Mr Gilg, for the tail to be told.

Anyway, they arrived at the rail head south of Algiers where they met French Foreign Legion staff officers and of course with that rank there was a Hotel, which they booked in after the car had been covered against sand and dust. Beni-Ounif was the name of the town which was situated at the real begining of the desert Sahara and the place where at first the authorities were reluctant to let the two Englishmen and their tiny car proceed further, as this was definitely big car country.

Being inquisitive they looked down the register to 1930 and there behold was the signature of Amy Johnson, when apparantly she had to make her forced landing, for what I know not. There had only been five English visitors in those three years to the 1933 visit of the Morris eight.

Amy Johnson had to make a critical decision and it was furtunate that there was a flat rail head within sight of mountains. I wonder what was going through her mind as she approached level ground near the railway, that lady with a Sense of Purpose. There was a book with her log published all out of print – any ideas. The only definate thing I found was that her sponsor was Lord Wakefield , of Castrol Oil founder I wonder!. Well Amy got to Australia and the two lads with their Morris eight got to Cape Town via Salisbury , Southern Rhodesia and they went to a Rugby match, the visiting team was no less than from – you quessed it, Australia. On the third of September 1971 aboard a 707, QF168 Myself Patricia and our children Timothy and Samantha arrived Melbourne en route for Adelaide .A sense of occasion? Oh yes, because I expected a job with Chrysler Australia and ended up in Sydney with ,my old company BMC Australia as Export Manager for the change to Leyland Australia.

It was also a Sense of occasion because at Adelaide Airport we were some how met by a very nice couple ,who welcomed us to Australia. How times have changed and that act remains to this day in my work and papers for refugees. When ever I meet a person from say the Sudan pushing a Supermarket trolley, I always say hello and introduce myself, always receptive and more so, if I tell them I have travelled in their homeland- Great people all and here for the long run, whether they are standard migrants or asylum seeker cum refugees, the same applies and quite frankly I never ask, it just does not matter.

Only the other day a train arrived in Frankfurt or was it Munich Germany with refugees from Syria and a crowd of local people welcomed it verbably and with food and water plus a child handing out sweets to other children. Anyway one refugee, when asked what he thought of the welcome, he responded “Nice, very very nice.” Well now, that man would have started out with a Sense of Purpose and certainly ended up with a Sense of Ocassion. I know a couple of Prime Ministers who have been encouraged to think on these things and are at last taking appropiate action however small, since the photos of that boy dead on a beach.

Some where over there, is a family, a Mum and Dad and their children, who had set out from Syria with a Sense of Purpose, to reach the safety of a welcoming people. One day soon they will meet wth an Australian immigration official and the offer of asylum here. When they arrive, oh what a Sense of Occasion for them and all of us will have, as they step off the plane.

I personally hope that all in detention here, whichever way they arrived, will be pardoned and brought from from Manus; Christmas and Nuaru Isands plus Australian centres, and introduced to our incredible society.

Ah, yes was it the Frankfurter Hof I stayed at, way back in time and was it the Rhine Blitz I had arrived on from the north, maybe not, anyway , I had a Sense of Occasion, nice, very very nice.

There were two books published on the successful saving of stricken aircraft. One the story of the Qantas Airbus QF32, by Captain Richard De Crespigny, mentioned at the beginning of my blog The story by him of the,safe conclusion to a harrowing return to Singapore, landing and saving the lives of crew and passengers. The Airbus A380 had an engine on fire, in which the computors did their best to keep the engine running, for awhile, until the computor savvy Captain and crew, got the better of it. Mind you, had Singapore had the mighty Chubb Fire tenders , then it may have been easier for the tender to lob-in great quantities of foam, directly into air intake. Good result and I am certain it was a gratifying Sense of Occasion, to achieve what the crew did. I mention the Chubb tender, because ,my late friend and University Graduate school colleage, one Toney Marshall was the General manger at time of its development. Whilst we are on Aircraft, my main colleage in the Graduate School of Thermodyanics, still standing I gather, did work on the Concord engine air intakes, I will shut up here as I would go about the wonderful world of Shock Waves and how another chap and I took the first colour photograghs of Shock Waves in Air --------------------

The second recent book was by the Captain who ditched his US Airways Airbus A320-214, flight 1549,.on New Yorks, Hudson river and with the prompt assistance of the Circular Line ferry boat and others, all passengers and crew were safely evacuated. The book 'Highest Duty' and the Captain one Chesley 'Sully” Sullenberger, appeared with great fanfare a little later. Sense of Ocassion, certainly for all concerned, especially when they were assisted off the stricken plane plus for the Pilot and his family on meeting his President at a ball. This Captain as the Qantas fello used all his skills and knowledge of his aircraft to achieve a positive outcome. Good training of course.

I wrote to both these gentlemen -without response – saying how I enjoyed their books and asked two questions.

1. How many Left Hand threaded parts, if any, are in there a Rolls Royce Trent Jet engine.
2. What was the Nick-Name of the old Pan- American Pilots. No one seems to know.

Any ideas any one.

In my library there is indeed a book about a man and an aircraft type, which comes into the category of this blog title.

The book 'Duel in the Dark', the author Peter Townsend. First published by Harrap in 1986. Peter became Group Captain Peter Townsend , CVO; DSO; DFC and Bar and Equerry to HM King George V1 1944 to 1952.

The story is all about his relationship with a special operation at an airfield I know in Kent England. It was a Hawker Hurrican, Night Fighter Squadron which went up in the dark at the time of the 'London Blitz'. At that time, to make it more difficult for the German aircraft to spot,. The planes were painted Black. Eventually the Luftwaffe fighter planes were also pianted Black.

In the book there is a photo of a London street with its bombed houses partialy or completely demolished. It so reminded me of a street my late brother in law, one Alan Hall, took Patricia and

I, to see the street where he lived during that terrible period in Londons history. He showed us that even in the late 1990's the patching up of some and complete rebuild of others, was evident indeed.

Alans wife , the late sister of mine, of course knew Alans child hood home well enough. Their two children , I know not, they were not mentioned at the time. Good people my Sister and brother in - law.

Peter Townsend, I believe was the chap who wanted to marry Princess Margaret, but was thwarted by the PM of the day and the current occupier of Buckingham Palace, Regretfully her sister died a distressed woman, in my opinion. The good Peter Townsend married and went to live in France. What can I say.

Sense of Ocassion – Here is the story of Moi and Blue-Moon Jack a most risky encounter.July 2015 was the Blue Moon month and lived up to its reputation. On my local radio a young chap said have you heard the Barking Owls making their barking sound all night and Fox's too. Well animals and I am certain humans also, do odd tings on Blue Moon.

Well now, it was a unusually warm day at Blue Moon time and moi was having an afternoon rest , on a garden lounger and apparrantly fell asleep. Patricia was upstairs in bed. My dear lady was getting up and looked out of the bedroom window, to see a full mature big Red Bellied Black snake, approach a sleeping Mal, he looked up, went back a bit then went under my lounger and stopped, he was the length of my repose. I awoke to see Patricia at the window with her finger to her mouth Ssssh and pointed at the snake. I looked and said under my breath G'day, now bugger off, to which he lifted his head looked back at me and moved slowly along the house and into the foilage.

When out in the middle of winter they are at their most aggressive, our snake had a bump in his body, so probably had just taken a bird or mouse. I called him Blue Moon Jack, because only males are daft enough to be out in winter. The snake had a Sense of Purpose and I and Patricia certainy had a Sense of Ocassion. As Agatha Christies, Hercule Poirot, would say “A Situation Most Dangerous”

The next day Jack was out again sunning himself near by , half out of an old stump and grassy under growth and Patricia photographted him, a most magnificent example of an Australian Red Bellied Black Snake ---- named Jack.

Bye for now

Malcolm Mason

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Response and Responsibility

Many words have been spoken; written and illustrated, about people we elected to govern our societies, plus of course those  who have taken on Governance by direct force. Increasingly the same, has been said about people of  high positions in Industry; Religion; Royalty and society in general . At the bottom of the pile are the Moi's. like me. More correctly by me about the Moi's, as in  this blog.

All around the World the Moi's are sending messages, by many means of communication, these days. For me in the past, was in the main by letter, in an envelope with as many stamps as possible - depending on the patience of the Post officer. The idea being that in the post reception of important people, there was and is always a stamp collector, who hopefully will get the letter, as near the addressee as they can, to secure the stamps - after security checks of course.

Before I continue, I did in fact say in a previous blog, that my next would be about Ukraine, however I find it little boring. The Country which over the years, has a number of border changes, Ukraine-Poland; Poland- Ukraine , or was it the other way round.  Crimea, it had; taken away and given back, now taken again. It gave us Chernobal - The Nuclear Irresponsible, blow out and still has,is it ten others?. Its had an Orange revolution and a President who lived high on the hog  -- there must be more.
Now its a Russian speaking region , trying to break away, once more a possible change of boundary and they say with Moscow's help. Some silly buggers fired off an anti aircraft missile at an unidentified aircraft, with a head intended for fast moving fighter's, ie explodes with metal fragments to damage the  fuslage.
They apparantly did not know it was a commercial aircraft MH17, stupidly still routed over a war zone, when other airlines had re-routed clear, weeks before. Malaysian Airlines have a lot to answer for and Ukraine itself must investigate thoroughly.


This is all to do with 'Response and Responsibility'. Ah yes my late friend Kazimiere, was born in Ukraine? in a village that changed into Poland and probably back again. Any way he and his brother Bronic, walked over the Tata Mountains. Kazick to marry a Belgium lady and come to Australia and Bronic an English Lady and lived in Kiev and was Mountain rescue volunteer in his younger years   ---  Confused yet?.  I think only Russia understands the area, as did President Tito. the old Yugoslavia . Kazick died in 2008,and I wonder what he would have thought. My intellectual friend  who liked classical music (of course) and spoke Russian
Polish; French etc and was the author of my word Perfidy.

Now we have Greece and every one running around like chooks (Chickens) who have had their heads cut off. All very boring to a chap like me or say, people who are over extended with their Credit Cards, when the credit provider will send endless 'nameless' text messages and telephone calls , irrespect of due dates
with threats. All Greece has to do, as the credit card holder - simply start paying something,showing willingness to pay whatever sum they have available, on a regular basis. Suddenly it all goes quiet and the computors have a rest. Over simplified. I do not think so, just plain common sense.

Yes this is all to do with Response and Responsibility. That is to say , we all have a Responsibility to Respond to statements and ideas put out by others. The afore mentioned Responses on  both sides are of course debatable.

Now for some examples of the good and the bad.
Yes, this old fello, still believes people in high places,have a responsibility to respond to people who have taken the time to sit and Think and then write down as carefully as they can , their thoughts on subjects important to them and society. (In my case the World in General)

Now let us have a look at just few persons in high places who have taken time out to ensure their staff, on their behalf, Respond to some of this writers letters over the years.

A.     HRH  Charles The Prince of Wales.
         Always his responder, acknowledges the letter and very important the subject - indicating it had been
         read or  briefed upon - With a thank you. This shows his good breeding and  interest in his
        correspondants thoughts and ideas.  A good man, the future King  of the UK and Commonwealth is
        an extraordinary man of great intellect and vision. His book HARMONY, still available.
        In my opinion, of course,is only held back by a rather stubborn old lady, who refuses to abdicate -
        2015 would be a good year and on 22 August, my eigthieth and from Scotland the Brave no less.

B.    Ex President Bill Clinton.
       Almost never failed for one of his correspondence staffers, to acknowledge and thank  me mentioning
       the subject, with a short comment once or twice.

C.   Ex President Nicolas Sarkozy
       Another man of stature, who responded to my essay and blog    think - A Proposal for a Major Change
      within the World Financial System and matters relating.
      Of course the letter was written by the Chef du Cabinet and when he was President of the EU. Another
      good man of great inttelect and vision.
D.  The list is very nice with most Australian Prime Ministers; Certainly the UK Prime Ministers in the past
      and the President of Indonesia.
There are others of course and a wooden spoon list of people who never respond, to any thing and are relegated to below the bottom line of the Responsibility and are possibly none real achievers anyway. 

A bit complicated at times, like life itself. Response and  Responsibility is important  to all thinking people and to any non educated persons who have ideas and feelings, that should be listened to by all of us. Most important of all  -----  Responded to, with respect.

See you next time.

Malcolm E Mason        July 2015