An odd title for a posting on my blog? I think not as I want the readers of my blog to understand that it is all about me, how I feel, my emotions and my life.
No, it is not about you, your friends or your neighbours – maybe someday I’ll rejoin a social networking site and take part in the social melee, but for now, it’s all about me and for better or for worse, what my life is like.
This blog is image intensive…
Yup – just a bit of fun…
A chance encounter with a beautiful ship bound for Kingston.
The St. Lawrence II was designed in 1952 by Francis MacLachlan and Mike Eames expressly for youth sail training. The hull was built at Kingston Shipyards in 1953 and she was finished by local craftsmen, the Kingston Sea Cadets, and enthusiastic amateurs, many donating their time. Originally attached to the “Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corps St. Lawrence”, her program was soon opened to other youth groups and now any teen, 13 to 18 years of age, can apply to join her crew for a summer training cruise.
The video gets a bit bouncy as we were doing about 35 knots while closing to intercept and I’m hanging out the front.
The ship is built of all welded steel to very high safety standards, with an overall length of 72 feet, a deck length of 60 feet, a beam of 15 feet, and a draft of 8.5 feet. The rig is that of the traditional brigantine with square sails on the foremast and for-and-aft sails on the main. The total area of her working sails is about 2,500 square feet. She is also powered with a 125 horsepower diesel engine which will give her 8 knots under power. Electricity is supplied by a 12.5 kilowatt diesel generator. Navigation and communication equipment include GPS and VHF radio. There is accommodation for 25 officers and trainees in three cabins, separated by watertight bulkheads and doors.
Actually I saw bright lights and that was on Canada Day. I could have watched the entire Canada Day celebration on parliament hill,or driven to Toronto to watch the show but I opted to see what Quinte West could offer.
It was a wonderful show, probably one of the best I have ever seen.
Just a few images of me doing what I do.
My face making frownish looks. Grrr – people in my way. Step away from the video camera or I will frown at you and make another unhappy face!
The Snowbirds
Hawk One
The 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Pipes and Drums performing at the rededication ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Memorial Gates.
and a bit of video as well…
The relaxation of flight restrictions is one of the advantages of an air show held on an air force base – especially a base as big as CFB Trenton that is bordered by the Bay of Quinte.
Low and fast – that’s the best way to describe this performance.
More images in an album
Scenes from the rededication ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Memorial Gates.
More images here
The CFB Trenton open house was, despite official press release the 8 Wing/CFB Trenton Armed Forces Weekend and Air Display was an airshow – oh was it ever! The weekend was also a tribute to the following major anniversaries:
100th Anniversary of Powered Flight in Canada
85th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force
60th Anniversary of the Memorial Gates
40th Anniversary of 8 Air Communication and Control Squadron (8ACCS)
25th Anniversary of the National Air Force Museum of Canada
Lots of images are here
The history of the North American F-86 Sabre (and its variants like the Canadair Sabre models) is closely tied to the beginnings of the Cold War and famously with the Korean War battles with Russian MiGs. The Sabre, a swept wing, single seat air superiority fighter is long recognized as one of the finest fighter aircraft of all time and the Sabre 5 and Sabre 6 models built by Canadair at their Montreal plant are considered the most capable of all Sabres. Of the more than 9,500 Sabres constructed worldwide, more than 1,800 were built in Canada in six different variants.
The Canadair Sabre saw operational service both in Canada and with 12 squadrons at Royal Canadian Air Force stations in Europe as part of a large NATO commitment. The most spectacular paint scheme ever to grace the already graceful lines of the Sabre was the livery of the RCAF’s precision aerobatic team, the Golden Hawks. The Golden Hawks were created in 1959 to honour the 50th anniversary of powered flight in Canada and the Vintage Wings of Canada Sabre wears the same metallic gold paint scheme to celebrate the 100th anniversary of flight in 2009.
Hawk One, a Canadair Sabre 5 takes off
The Snowbirds with Hawk One
The Centennial Heritage Flight: Hawk One, the demonstration CF-18 and Snow Bird 6
More images here
Local weather – well, local to me Comox Weather – Olive Debeach’s home Ucluelet weather Victoria Harbour CBC news Qunite West news Scientific American