OK Gene I'll try harder to stay sober. See, I'm doing it again. So easy to get off track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Al B said:

 OK Gene I'll try harder to stay sober. See, I'm doing it again. So easy to get off track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No problem, Al. Artie started it anyway.

Since this Topic is titled "Off Topic Posts" is this where we post posts that are off topic? 

 

 

Sorry John, I couldn't stop myself.

4 hours ago, Artie said:

Also John, this probably doesn’t get said enough, but thank you for all your work keeping this place running. Also thanks to all those who help you. 

Artie, it's music to my, our, ears. We don't hear it enough, we are all volunteers here, I know I have said it before. And when folks get really mad at us/me, sometimes I must admit, do I really need this anymore? I don't get paid to be here, our forum hosts don't get paid to be here, there is zero profit motive for running this community, and we do the best we can for sure, so when some folks start hazing us, and giving us grief for how things are run here, or the rules, or this and that, it does get frustrating, because we are all here for each other.

 

I have doubted myself for being here at times it does get rough, specially when dealing with challenging people, is it really worth it. And each time I remind myself of all the wonderful friends I have met, the camaraderie, and above all, the reason I founded this community, our veterans. And when Christmas comes, and we have our annual raffle to benefit a veterans family, and we send all those gifts to the kids from all the funding that our members contributed, then I realize always, I belong here, this is home. And I could not be more proud of who we are as a community, and what we have accomplished with the folks we've helped. And I must say, you all need to take a bow, you all make this community what it is, thank you for that.

 

So thanks for that Artie, it means the world to us/me.

John, I believe we all whole-heartedly agree with what Artie said. You've gotten a number of woodworkers together for a cause that benefits the families of veterans in need of assistance, and at the same time gotten people together who have a common interest in woodworking. The conversations here are always friendly. Yes, we do stray off topic at times, but it is never done with any mal-intent. I doubt it will totally end, but being aware it creates more work for you and all the other hosts, I think there will be more effort to minimize responses to off topic remarks which is really what causes the extended wandering from the topic. I know that at times the original topic is totally lost after of an off topic post. Sometimes our sense of humor gets in the way, but an occasional laugh is good for all of us without over doing it. Thanks for all that you've done here.

Bump to the top for a reminder, thank you folks.

Green airplanes???

 

It’s perhaps something that most travelers, even frequent flyers, have wondered about but never bothered to ask: why are airplanes usually painted white?

Of course, every airline has its own distinctive branding or livery – comprising colour, graphic, and typographical identifiers – but underneath it all nearly all passenger aircraft sport white paint. Here are a few reasons why.

1. It reflects sunlight.

The main reason why aircraft are painted white or light colours is to reflect sunlight. Other colours will absorb most of the light. This is crucial as when sunlight is absorbed by an aircraft, this heats up the body of an airplane.

Painting a passenger plane white minimises both the heating and potential damage from solar radiation not only when the airplane is in flight, but also when it’s parked on the runway.

2. It doesn’t fade.

When flying at high altitudes, airplanes are completely exposed to various atmospheric conditions. Coloured aircraft tend to fade over time, and thus require repainting to maintain their aesthetic appeal. Aside from the fact that paint adds significant weight to an aircraft –meaning more fuel is burned – the paint itself costs money, too.

On the other hand, an airplane that is painted white or a light colour doesn’t appear significantly different even after spending a significant amount of time in the air.

3. It allows signs of damage to be detected more easily.

For obvious safety reasons, commercial aircraft are regularly checked for forms of surface damage such as cracks and dents.

Nothing works better than white paint as these dents, oil spills and other faults are almost always darker than white, allowing them to be identified and repaired swiftly.

4. It reduces bird strikes.

A bird strike is defined as a collision between a bird and an aircraft which is in flight or one that is taking off, landing, or in low altitude flight. Bird strikes are common and can be a significant threat to aircraft safety.

White exteriors can enhance aircraft visibility and potentially increase its detection and avoidance by birds. Darker aircraft colour schemes, on the other hand, could possibly reduce the contrast between aircraft and the visual background. In turn, this may reduce the ability of birds to detect aircraft in sufficient time to avoid collision.

Sources: The Telegraph, Business Insider

 

 

(sorry, couldn't resist.   I'll go sit in the corner for a while.)