It has been writ:
I was trawling through some aviation museums in Europe and noticed
that there is a health warning on some cockpits. For example, I think
the aircraft preservation people in the UK are only allowed 10 minutes
exposure in some cockpits like Blaniks due to the radiation from the
primitive instruments. Same story in Lancaster bombers.
I guess that is probably as long as you would want to spend in a
Blanik cockpit, but it does question the sense in "restoring" them.
It can hardly escaped anyone's notice that this august (adjective - not
month) body of opinion - namely the aus-soaring list - lapses into
occasional fits of "Blanik Bash". I don't understand why such an
aircraft with such charming flight characteristics should be the subject
of such vitriol, but then I have never worked on the mechanics of one,
and apparently this may be enough to tip some people right over the edge
in respect of the total aircraft package. Sad, but so be it if that's
how it is.
However exactly why Blanik instruments alone (although Lancasters are
also cited) should be a source of radiation issues needs, for mine, some
more objective and convincing data. There are gliders with instruments
older and possibly more "primitive" that those on a Blanik, and I, and
most people with some years in gliding will have flown them, sometimes
with our private and allegedly most vulnerable parts is relatively close
proximity to these sources of radiation. Even young whippersnappers
who regard things like Kookaburras as the ultimate soaring machine (I do
not) are quite possibly using some instruments which predate those used
in Blaniks.
I recall that many years ago now I had a very late hangar flight in one
of our Ka6's. The usual late winter afternoon cable hassles resulted
in the sun sinking much more quickly than anticipated, and when I
eventually made it into the sky on the very last launch I was surprised
by two things. One was that the street lights of the nearby village
flickered into life as I was about 3/4 of the way up the launch. The
second one was the quite erie luminescence of the figures and pointers
on the instruments on the panel. I had never seen this before because I
had never really flown in these low light conditions. It was a very
memorable flight, quite magical, partly because of the hour, but also
because of the stillness and buoyancy of the air at that time of day.
Now there will be some who will be horrified at this irresponsible
behaviour citing numerous rules which might have and possibly were
broken in this exercise. Let's remember that it was in a more relaxed
and easy going era when life (and gliding itself) was more simple, and
well - dare I suggest it - more adventurous in exploring the options.
I wouldn't advocate such an exercise today. Indeed I suggest that it
would never happen because these days 'beer o'clock' in our club seems
often to come when the sun is still relatively high in the sky - more's
the pity perhaps. Winter evening hangar flights are one of gliding's
most rewarding if brief pleasures, and there is now a whole generation
of pilots who may never have experienced one. These days pilots are
driving back to their homes at sunset - if they aren't already there -
and missing some of the most moving experiences that the sport has to offer.
I relate this anecdote simply to show that luminous (and there possibly
radiation emitting instruments) have been around a long time, and on
the evidence presented thus far it seems a poor reason to single out the
poor old Blanik for yet another potential onslaught of ridicule,
vitriol, hate mail and general character assassination on this basis
alone. I predict that Blaniks will be blamed at some point in the
future for global warming and climate change and cited in the same
paragraphs and derogatory terms as farting sheep, belching oxen and
decomposing marshes. Where will it all end? It seems to me that
warnings about radiation hazards of "primitive" aircraft instruments
come into the same category as "Stop" signs at the top of step ladders.
More data specific to Blanik intruments is needed.
Regards,
Terry
:-P
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