Piracy!

 Not limited to the far and Middle-East?

Over recent years many yachts have disappeared in the Caribbean sea and off the coast of C-and S-America and it is believed that they were hijacked for various reason, kidnapping, used to smuggle drugs or just theft with the crews being murdered and dumped overboard! 

With this comes the use of drones on both sides of the criminal world more and the respective authorities in the region, since they are more pliable and cheaper to use to see what is lurking about more so at Night and are also capable of targeting?

The United States claims it wants to end the drug trade coming into the southern states, but it may also be to start another war this time with Venezuela with F-35 Jets being deployed in Puerto-Rico

Israels new Space Rocket!

 Communications and Spying?

A country like Israel needs to be up to date on knowing what is going on around it and in the Gaza strip, but these rockets are much more special than what other nations might be sending up or trying to maintain in space, costing millions!

It would seem that Israel wants nothing at this time to do with Musk and his antisemitism rantings, while the Trump administration is grumpy over Jerusalem refusing to share technology, but then how could you with unpredictable Trump?

Bezek is one of the best communications companies in the world and Israel needs to keep in contact with its diaspora to get them home at short notice and having their own GPS that is independent of other Gentile nations, that most Jews no longer trust with the their twisted political ideas of supporting the rights of the terrorists who killed 1500 people on October 7th 2023!

Hot air Balloons!

 Morning and Evening?

Despite the many modern materials and power plants things can still go horribly wrong as recently seen in Brazil, but also a bit of mystery fun in the U.K.!

This form of transport was around for at least one hundred years before flight and it is the Montpellier brothers that were famous for the start of French military aviation? 

This allowed them the ability to move orders, mail, guns and ammunition in three days on a flight that took over a week, depending on the weather by horse?

Following Frances novelty balloon, Germany set about developing their own, that lead on to the Zepplin airships, while the British were late to the field, but they had great success in South-Africa with their balloons and later airships or Durables from the R101!

Chamchat Earthquake in Eastern Russia!

 Loss of a Pacific Submarine base?

It  may be true that this base has been seriously damaged, but Russia has many in the region that one believes remained close to prying eyes and it is believed that much Uranium is mined in this region to sell on to France, U.S.A. and the U.K, with other precious metals, what about sanctions, what about them?

Losing one base might be sad, but this will not deter the largest submarine fleet in the world and the largest types ever built the Typhoon class! Russia and the former Soviet Union has had a long history of accidents and loss, but so has the west, only not reported?

Russia has a military philosophy in warfare that the sub is a better launch platform, than aircraft carries, since they can dive and disappear after firing cruise and ICBM missiles, more so than being a large fairy lights sitting duck?

Cyclist mini-towing micro Accommodation!

 Home-builds more common than Ever?

People are now finding it too expensive to get overnight accommodation and if they can, it may not be quiet as one would expect, budget or luxury! 

So many are turning to the micro homes that are for sleeping and preparing a basic meal or keeping out of the rain and other bad weather or just a rest from Cycling?

Many of these designs are no more than 2 meters long and one or just over four feet wide and have a gas burner, with flew, while having various electrical connections for a outside shower, toilet and others, while the weight empty for the road should be less than 8.5 Kilos and pulled by a E-Bike of individual choice?

Not many make the remit of having cooking facilities, three windows and a door and storage for bedding, coats and basic cloathing, radio, laptop, camera, and batteries, and other connections for powering up and limited lighting!

London Underground after twenty Years!

 Very little has changed with the Emergency Services?

Fifty two people died on the 7/7 2005 and four suicide bombers with 800 injured and over 1000 with psychological problems and in this period, even after Grenfell tower block fire the emergency services have not changed their policy and despite some coordination in communications another disaster would be the same!

The failure to improve is hard to understand and the lack of special equipment is sad, because its probably the Lord Mayors and the Government who refuses to finance this type of gear and vehicles?

It would seem in some cases life is of less value than others and tradition and routines refuses to modernize with the times and this is seen across many professions as people bury their heads in the sand to refuse taking responsibility!

Cymru/Wales Airshow 5th-6th July 2025.

 The annual Swansea Bay/Bai Abertawe 2025.

Its more of the same, but there will be what can make it and its free, drawing some 250,000 people to the city of Swansea and there is plenty more to see on the ground as well as food and a funfair I think?

The Rad Arrows will probably be the high point of the weekend, with many modern and classic aircraft also appearing, entertainment from the sky walkers and parachute team will be exciting too!

One hopes that the weather will be good and not to hot and that people keep their bags safe from light fingered folk, while not lighting and leaving barbecues on the beach, taking home rubbish and just having a good time?

What happened to Air India flight 171?

 Last words, I am losing power and cannot get lift!

The loss of power could be a major mechanical failure, or it could be that the aircraft was too heavy with luggage, more than was expected?

Another factor was how long this Boeing dream liner had to move down the runway to get lift, it seemed to take-off midway thus it had nowhere to go but crash were it did! 

The death toll was 241, with one survivor and on the ground between 42 to 90 may have been burned to death?

The last alternative is that of terrorism and the suspicion of the one survivor who failed to rescue anyone but himself from the aircraft stunned or not!

Chinese aviation Markets!

 Competition to the United States?

China has developed some serious commercial jets that are cheaper than the sophistication of what the U.S. has for the world and they will take the market off Boeing in SE-Asia and Africa as the next few years go on with ridiculous tariffs!

The C909/919 could sweep away the European Airbus A320 as much as the Boeing 737-8/900 and MAX derivatives and be a comparison to the Brazillian Embraer E-Jets!

What will be the game changer is the MC-21 being built and used between China and Russia to replace their aging fleets and other new Russian types such as the Ilyushin 114 and Sukhoi super jet-200, Tupolev Tu-214/244 and a few others that need nothing from Europe or the U.S.

Sea and river Barges?

 Once known as Coasters!

Moving around Europe will small but essential loads is the work of the Sea barges that can work the the English Channel, the River Rhine and the Humber and many other rivers to to the Black sea and beyond into the Ukraine and Russia! 

They need certain conditions at sea, but on rivers they remain in their own league and so far there is no replacement for them?

But the coaster has seen its demise, with better Port facilities and ferries taking vehicle loads to and from islands and remote places along the coasts of the U.K. and Europe, despite being smaller that General cargo, they were bigger than a sea barge, but were limited to deep rivers and not canals?

USAAF Strange Movements!

 Chagos Redeployment's?

With the arrival of the B1 and 2 USAAF bombers there has been a sudden change with the arrival of the original B-52 fleet and this maybe due to progress on talks with Iran over its nuclear developments that the U.S believe they can achieve peace with!

The truth may be that the United States have not as many aircraft as they claim that they have or they are scared of losing them for costly replacements?

But what ever is really going on many believe now that the President is playing TACO in chickening out of anything that costs too much or that he might lose out one when others by-pass him?

China cancels all new Boeing orders!

 Something not yet reported in the western-Media?

In the war with tariffs with the U.S.A. the cancellation of Boeing aircraft will be a big blow to Trump and with China and Russia returning to build their own type, spare parts for existing aircraft may be also produced in both countries!

Meanwhile Beijing has the option of now buying the European Airbuses to replace what is being refused and this will change the face of aviation in the far-east for some time to come, if other nations also cancel U.S. military contracts and adapt what they have to new types?

Copyright will be an international issue, but since the new U.S. administration is breaking all the rules anyway, it has opened a door for everyone to follow!

'Lets do the Locomotion?

 U.S. tariffs will mean for Trains!

It seems a good idea to the U.S. to bring home jobs for heavy industries, but will it really work in 2025 or be the cause of more problems and broken promises as last time around to the Ohio dust belt?

The building of locomotives is not what it was and now with many nations going electric, there is no demand for Diesel and the dirt that they produce, meanwhile Africa is looking to China for conventional engines, because they are cheaper!

In the U.K. we face loosing our Scunthorpe Chinese owned steel mills and many rail projects may go under or come to nothing?

When these import taxes hit, we may need to start to look to Europe or the far-east for a Class 66 replacement, since many were built in Canada

NATO and Europe!

 Dwindling Forces?

Without the back up of the United States, ie paying the bills of other peoples wars and the U.K. talking about supporting the Ukraine, when we and many of them have nothing to keep going for a few months? 

One finds it hard to believe that our government still has the clout to think we are a world key power, when we have been cutting back our own armed forces for the last twenty-five years!

It is easy to believe that the U.S. will back us up, but with the anti-Israel situation, we have lost curry favor already with the Donald.

Submarines and forces in Estonia may look good to the media, but when facing the Russian bear, many lives will be lost and this proud moment will lead to more memorials and duties for the British royal family to keep going???

Space flight not as easy as it Seems!

 This week we see a Moon lander flop over and the Musk Star-link Fail.

Space is still a dangerous place to be and what sets out for it does not always function, even with triple checking the systems, something that NASA learned over the years with the initial loss of rockets and then the disasters with the Space-shuttle and now even connecting to the International station remains a problem?

But many lesser nations have made it to Mars and the Moon, if not also to our Sun and we don;t get to hear much about them, because of our biased media who just cannot accept that they have been out-done!

Working together was seriously damaged under the Biden administration, but now Trump is fixated with Musk, cooperation with Russia might return to save the day?

Meanwhile China has its own Space station and a lander working on the dark side of the Moon with great success, the European space agency has many probes making breakthrough discoveries and the NASA New Horizons in now approaching a strange object well beyond its last target of Pluto.

Demise of the flying Boat?

 Beriev A-40 and Be-200.

Russia now is the only country to still build and sell flying boats that are dedicated to that particular role and the Be-200, which is a civil version of the larger A-40 has proved itself in the fire fighting role, easy to fill on landing, with an immediate take-off it can just keep working!

Very little is known about the Russian A-40 flying boat and what its long-range role with the Russian navy is, but perhaps this is the last line of a successful aircraft that maintained the Soviet naval defenses from 1945?

Other countries that maintain the flying boat is the peoples republic of China, which have adapted the Antonov An-12 to this role, but it is believed Russia has supplied the Chines navy with the A-40 and the BE-200!

While the rest of the world has abandoned this effective concept, with Japan and the U.S. retiring the last of there aircraft, many other countries have purchased the civil Be-200 for several roles, Greece, India and others and so the story will continue for some time yet?

New supersonic Travel?

 Forgetting Concorde!

The way that the media are reporting supersonic travel is something new, the XB-1,when we have thousands of combat jets that can break the sound barrier many times over, but we also have the possibility of converting an America B-1 bomber to a civilian aircraft or re-start the Concorde program, but this is where the U.K. has given way to the states again?

Concorde could seat 100-110 passengers, but the current jets 20 to a planed 60, costs may be the main factor, but a converted B-1 could seat 28+ for starts!

So all the hype gives us the impression that this is something new when it is not, but many younger people may be fooled into believing another lie, such as that of Boeing and Space-X being the only things developed over the defunct Space Shuttle that could do the job!

PAC-750!

 A New Zealand Wonder?

The development of this aircraft has opened the aviation market up to this southern nation and now the type originally for New Zealand and Papua New-Guinea is operating also in Australia and Israel.

With a crew of two and nine passengers it has multiple roles, but in the parachute version it can cram seventeen people in and for other operations, it has a STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capability making it very versatile?

There are at least two versions developed over the past twenty years the latter being up rated and able to handle in a better way than before, but both types are equally good aircraft and have both military and civilian usage and may the type continue perhaps with a two engine capability?

Trump is shutting down Musk?

 Happy and a Peaceful New Year 2025!

Trump is not for Electric?

Wow it looks like all that money that Musk has invested in Trump is going nowhere and his dreams may be coming to naught with the gas guzzling new President and the automobile is to stay on for another while!

European reality is moving still for the electric future and perhaps Musk will open a European plant for his cars and trucks and take a piece of the market off the Chinese, but one has to wonder what Trump might make of that?

In recent weeks many electric powered projects have been cancelled in Europe in relation to flight and this may be in relation to U.S. sales of the types and heavy U.S. tariffs, but it might also be that conventional bio-fuels are more reliable than all electric?