Yes sir, should have said Mayflower 2..... We were discussing that when we were going by. Friend was saying that the Mayflower II isn't a true replica as they didn't know exactly what it looked like when they built it.. Just built it to be true to the period it was was constructed and sailed. Quick search of "mayflower firewood" yielded the following on google books from the book "Last of the Mayflower." "The fleet reached the Persian Gulf in safety, and anchored, probably in Gombroon, where they sold the prize rice, and then broke up the "Mayflower" for firewood. It also said that many ships were named "Mayflower" back then.. Great day on the water..
Still a good find and sounds like you had a great day with the kids. I'm not trying to be picky or find fault but if you'd turn that log to split the other way, it will split easier and you won't wind up with uglies. I also have many times split right at the crotch first. This gets some trash out of the way but will still make a good sized piece. Then if you need to you can still split that limb piece again even though it is angle cut.
It's funny you mentioned this. I was going to post something along these lines the other day when I seen someone else post a similar picture.
Sav, if I remember correctly, that piece was too long to fit in the other direction (turned 90 degrees). If you look at the bottom of the piece, it angles down away from the splitter, so splitting across the crotch seemed like the best way to split it at the time. There were two pieces that were too long and I started by placing them perpendicular to the splitter (guess I could have done the same with the piece in the picture). I suppose that I could have broken out the chain saw and trimmed them but I wanted to test the limits of the cub cadet. Thanks for the pointers... I'm still learning. It was indeed a great day with the kids.. Each of them got to drive and see the effect of turning the wheel on the position of the outboard motor. Once they got the hang of it, they were pros.. Here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/M...a!3m1!1s0x89e4baddf5a6d0e5:0x4ea307a42b936531
Thanks for the info SM. BTW... is there a backstory on your avatar and name? You a giant airplane driver? You prolly posted this already and I missed it.
The avatar is a pic of me, my crew and aircraft that I found online after attending an air show a few years ago. That's me in the left seat (stage right). Pretty nice wood hauler huh? http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-...1138508/&sid=85c006600066a69193664f8e835c5a80 Had a few challenges (health, financial and work) over the last few years, thus the name.. One step forward, two steps back.. Things are getting better though.
Are you still flying for fun at least? And, yep, cool wood hauler there. Would look great parked in your backyard with your wood stacks under the woodshed wings... ... definately gonna need pics for THAT...
I'm flying for work.. Had to take a low paying job to get current again. Supplement my income in the USMCR.. Yeah.. I think we're going to be waiting quite some time for those pics.....
Have you played with any of the Sport Light size aircraft at all or mostly just heavies? Glad you were able to get current again. Was that a major hassle?
The only major hassle is the low paycheck... I've been telling my friends that I'm having fun flying but I have to take the pay stub directly from the mailbox to the shredder to avoid being reminded of how low the industry pays "entry level" pilots. Flown some Cessnas and Pipers, but only as a student. I'd like to get my hands on one of these some day. Taking this baby out for a spin tonight... It's Sporty but certainly not light..
If you ever "need" a mission location, come on over to Twitchell's Airport in Turner, Maine. I'll buy lunch... Buddy of mine flying a Huey for the Guard "almost" got himself in hot water once when he decided to touch the skids on the peak of an abandoned old farm house in Canada. Only problem was... after he blew a lot of shingles off the roof... there was an old guy living there. Ooops. Yeah, the $$ in the flying biz is below low. My son gave up at DWC in Nashua, working toward a com flying career, when he realized he'd make a lot more money doing just about anything else. Many of his buds, who stayed in for over a decade, have now dropped out too. I see DWC has dropped their flight program.
Hmmmm if I was going to stop in Maine, I'm thinking lunch would look a lot like this: My helicopter puts down winds of a category III hurricane.. so I won't be trying to land on top of anyone's house. As for the flying, the industry is a complete mess. Thousands of pilots go into huge debt to get their ratings seeing what the guys at the majors make only to get stuck at the regionals feeding their families on food stamps and housing them with public assistance. All while working their tails off. I joke that the guys who fuel our airplanes and drive the shuttle van for the hotel all make more than a regional pilot who has people's lives in their hands... okay.. off the soap box..
Sad thing is, the general public doesn't know or care. To them, all pilots are rich... so they better fly that load of passengers to their destinations on time and in any weather. Bet many folks would not consider flying the smaller carriers knowing what they pay the pilots. Are you flying more helos than fixed-wing now, or both? One nice perk of the military that's sure deserved. Hours built on Uncle Sam. Can't even imagine the cost of flying a helo that big.
The industry is changing rapidly. With the new 1500 hour/ATP rule that went into effect last year the part 121 carriers (scheduled airlines) can no longer hire pilots with 3-500 hours. There are few exceptions to the 1500 hours. So now they are having to hire whoever they can get. Pilots with DUI's and failed check-rides. Regionals are parking airplanes as the majors hire their pilots away due to the huge increase in retirements of the Vietnam era guys who are passing the 65 y/o mandatory retirement age.. After years of indentured servitude, pilots are finally starting to get a fair wage commensurate with the required experience and responsibility of the job. That change is happening sssllllllooooowwwwwwllllllyyyy though.. As you can imagine, the regionals are dragging their feet while kicking and screaming. You don't have to imagine the cost... it's $12-15k per hour.. 3 engines, 13k shaft horsepower, 70k lbs. Initially a helicopter guy who got C-130 qualled.. Then the big green monster ordered me back to the CH-53E... Back to the Super Stallion, Aye, aye, Sir!!
The Super Stallion must be considered the Caddy of helos? Maybe not the sports car but, man what a ride it must be in chitty winds compared to lighter ones. Can a helo that big do a decent power off landing, or are there so many systems going, it can't land without power? 3 engines... can it still climb, empty, with 2? Is there a market with good $$ in the private helo world? Shuttling guys to oil rigs would be a thought, but boring over and over I would think. Sorry for so many questions... it's a kid in the candy store thing...
My first commanding officer in the Marines called the 53E "God's Cadillac" because it's a smooth ride. Very maneuverable with the fully articulated rotor system. It can and has landed power off, but generally the results are not pretty.. Somewhere in this mess is a CH-53D. One less engine and one less main rotor blade than the E. Tail came apart on this one and the crew "landed" power off on the university property... They all lived.... Fortunately incidents like this are few and far between with the redundant systems. We lose one engine, it's pretty much a non-event unless we are really heavy, it's hot or we are at high altitude.. Jobs in helicopters include oil rigs, EMS, Corporate and logging/firefighting on the civilian side. On the gov't side, it varies from local, state and federal government jobs.. I prefer to fly fixed wing as the $$$ tops out a little higher and the lifestyle is a little better. Being dual qualified is somewhat rare, so I'll market that when I decide to grow up and get a real job.
Very interesting stuff. When I last posted, I thought you prolly have better things to do than entertain me answering a buncha questions. I appreciate it. Do you ever fly over here in Maine at all?
I'm in "crew rest" because I'm flying late tonight so that's why I'm on here.. Happy to feed your thirst for knowledge.. Flew to Maine a couple of times with my civilian employment back in 2008-2010. Always nice to get the twin lobster rolls with the fuel fill-up. Stumbled across the Portland airshow in 2011 when I flew up there in a Herk. Also did the low level route that goes across Moosehead lake (VR840) 8-10 years ago.. We were low enough that we had to climb to avoid hitting moose antlers!! Beautiful country up there....
"We were low enough that we had to climb to avoid hitting moose antlers!!" ... perty low if they were feeding in the pond at the time... Next time I see a CH-53E helo blasting across the sky, I'll wonder if it's m' ole buddy on THE forum...
