Radschool Association Magazine - Vol 40

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Out in the shed with Ted

Ted McEvoy.

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Have passport – will travel.

It was time for our annual trip so, after a quick tub, a shot under the arms with spray fresh, clean set of derps, tasty lunch and a bunch of cold Veebees we four decided to have a look at China.

After checking the entry requirements (visa), we downloaded the application documents from the web then after completing the details we presented ourselves at the Chinese Consulate in East Perth to submit our applications and pay the visa fee.

However, as Malcolm once said, life she ain’t meant to be easy and we were informed that we would have to show an itinerary and a return air ticket before we could be granted a visa.  Bugga!!!!!!

In our previous trips, we like to “wing it” so that we are not limited by a schedule, go where we like and when we like and stay as long as we like.

Change of plans.

We decided to fly into Vietnam and try our luck at the Chinese Embassy in Saigon.

We arrived into Saigon on 3^rd April and headed for our usual hotel – the Giant Dragon - situated on Pham Ngu Lao Street in District 1 where we planned to spend a few days to sort out our visa into China.

Again, no luck!! Without an itinerary and a return ticket we were snookered so we decided to adopt Plan B - “Where to go next?”

We considered visiting Burma as it is now opening up to tourism but an entry visa can take up to 2 weeks – sigh!!! We've been to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the very exciting Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei. We thought about Hong Kong and Taiwan before deciding on the Philippines as a tourist from Australia can stay up 30 days without a visa.  Plan B it is.

One evening while enjoying a few cold 333/Tiger/Heineken/Saigon Red beers, we met an Aussie bloke, Rick Smith and his lovely wife, Gail. Rick is an ex-RAAF Hercules pilot who is now based in Singapore as a senior Captain with Tiger Airlines. They both regularly visit Vietnam and the Philippines during Rick's free-time. We made arrangements to catch up with them.

After departing Vietnam for the Philippines, Jim and I had a spanner thrown in our works. We were in Singapore and in the process of checking-in at the airport only to be informed that we could not board the aircraft for the Philippines as we did not have an airline ticket to depart the country – WTF...!!!!!!!!

When researching the entry requirements into the Philippines, I do not recall reading about a return ticket. Bugga again.

The check-in staff at the airport very kindly allowed us entry into the office area and to use their computers so that we could book a return flight from Manila to Perth with Malaysian airlines, whew!!

Luckily we had arrived in sufficient time at the airport for us to put out this latest bushfire.

We stayed in Manila for a few days but soon became tired of another big, crowded, polluted city. The population of the Philippines is forecast to reach between 97.6 and 103.7 million people (depending on which article you read) with approx 11.5 million people in metropolitan Manila. Accordingly the Philippines is the 12th largest country in the world today, sandwiched between Mexico and Vietnam.

The currency in the Philippines is the peso and, while we were in the country, the exchange rate was approx 44 peso to the Aussie dollar.

We had arranged to catch up with Rick and Gail Smith in Angeles City which is approx 80Kms north-west of Manila. Angeles City grew around the huge Clark Airfield which was used by the US military for a number of years. The other big US military complex was situated at Subic Bay (approx 35Kms south-west from Angeles City) and was an important base for the US naval forces.

One legacy of the long US involvement with the Philippines is the wide-spread use of English. For example, all the street signs, menus, etc are written in English. With approx 7,000 islands and 170 dialects, English has recently become the lingua franca (or working language, bridge language, vehicular language) following Spanish which was the original official language of the country for more than three centuries. The official national language of the Philippines is Tagalog.

We met up with Rick and Gail Smith on one of the days and hired some motorbikes and made our way out to the Angeles Flying Club where a bunch of nutters fly ultra-light aircraft. All four of us were fortunate enough to enjoy a 30 minute flight – it was sensational!!!!  (THIS will give you an idea of what it’s like.)

After a splendid lunch and a swim in the pool at the Club, we proceeded to a factory, called “Classic Speed” which is owned and operated by some ex-pat Aussies. They import wrecked Mustangs (that’s cars, not P-51’s) from the US and completely rebuild them – the finished product is nothing short of sensational. If you have a hankering to own one of these (RHD too) classic beauties and have a lazy $50-80K tucked away in the freezer, see HERE.

Tell them Ted sent you!!

We also visited a small, family owned business in Angeles City who meticulously hand-make wooden aircraft models at very reasonable prices. The level of accuracy is amazing.

After a few days in Angeles City, we caught the bus for a trip further north to the very hilly city of Baguio which is located 170 Kms north of Manila and is perched at 1,500 meters (or 5,000ft in the old money). It was refreshing to experience some cooler weather although the steep roads and footpaths kept the heart-rate above normal.

Because of its altitude, Baguio City was designated as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. To escape the fierce heat and humidity leading up to the Monnie season, the President toughs it out at the Presidential Summer Palace, somebody has to do it.

The final part of our Philippine's trip saw us catching another bus for 200Kms to the far northern area of the main island of Luzon to visit Vigan City.

Vigan City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is one of the few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines and is well known for its cobblestone streets and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial European architecture.

Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from China and from Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that have no parallel anywhere in East and South-East Asia. If you go to the Philippines, Vigan should be on your “Must See” list.

One of the most popular ways of seeing the city is by taking a Kalesa ride. The kalesa or calesa (sometimes called a karitela) is a horse drawn carriage and was introduced to the Philippines in the 18th Century by the Spanish. It became one of the modes of transportation in the Philippines, especially for commerce and nobles or officials that could afford it. I felt a certain sympathy for the poor old pony which had to drag Jim and I around the city.

After a few days of exploring this fascinating town, we caught yet another bus further north to Laoag City – another 75Km north. Vigan does not have an airport so we were forced to travel to Laoag which was the closest airport. We are now approx 500Km north of Manila.

Our aircraft was late arriving into Laoag which meant we arrived back into Manila at approx 9pm to be greeted by a humungous traffic-jam. Luckily for us, the driver of the transfer vehicle had been watching “Top Gear” and was on top of his game in regards dodging in and out of traffic whilst avoiding colliding with other vehicles. We were all too tired to care.

We spent the last night at an “Aussie” hotel in Manila before catching our return flight back to Perth.

I enjoyed my time in the Philippines but if I do return for another visit, I'd make sure I'd keep clear of Manila and go see some of the other 6,999 islands.

If you decide to visit, I can inform/advise you of some very important abbreviations which are understood in most establishments:-

          SMB = San Miguel Beer

          SML = San Miguel Light

          SMP = San Miguel Pilsener

Oh the pain of it!!

Some things make your eyes water just by thinking about them - have a look at THIS

DVA's Travel Reimbursement Form D800.

DVA has made some improvements to the process for clients claiming travel expenses. These changes include a new simplified version of the D800 Claim for Travelling Expenses form.

The layout and colour of the new D800 form has changed, including a reduction in the number of pages from six to four.

Significant changes to the new D800 form include: 

• health providers are no longer required to sign the form for travel which is under 100 km return in length;

• entitled persons are no longer required to submit travel receipts with their claim. However, receipts must be retained for expenses of $30 or more, per transport mode per trip, for a period of four months after claim finalisation. Any receipts for commercial or subsidised accommodation are still required and must be attached to the form.

• entitled persons can self-declare their need for a medically required attendant and/or a taxi (health provider approval is no longer required);

• the hospital admission and discharge section of the form has been removed. These trips can now be claimed like any other trip;

• additional space to record extra information that may assist with processing the claim; and

• a simplified health provider section with reduced questions.

The D800 form cannot be used to claim travel under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) or the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA). There is no specific form for claiming travel expenses under MRCA or SRCA, so claims should be made in writing and include supporting documentation such as invoices for medical treatment and receipts for travel. It is recommended that entitled persons discuss their SRCA/MRCA travel requirements with DVA staff before travelling to treatment. Also, any travel expenses relating to Veterans' Review Board or Administrative Appeals Tribunal hearings must be lodged using the existing D803 Application for Travel in Connection with a Review form.

Entitled persons can continue to use the old version of the D800 until their stock runs out. The Department will continue to process claims using the previous form for the time being.

A new D800 will be posted to entitled persons with their reimbursement notice.

DVA's MyAccount online service includes the ability to claim for travelling expenses online. If your journey is less that 100klm return, you can now make a claim on line. Using the online service also enables up to 10 trips to be claimed at once. If your journey is over 100Klms return, you must fill the form and post it in.

The new D800 form can be downloaded HERE or you can ring the DVA on 133 254 (metropolitan areas) or free call 1800 555 254 (regional areas).

A Letter.

The attached is a copy of a very powerful letter sent by 8yo William Duffield - the grandson of Jim Duffield, (ex-Army DFRDB recipient) - to the Minister of Defence Stephen Smith MP. Stephen Smith is Jim's federal representative. I wonder if Mr Smith will reply to William.

Jim has given me permission to distribute William's letter.

More strength to William's arm.  See HERE

Australian Operational Service Medal.

On 22 May 2012 Her Majesty, The Queen, established the Australian Operational Service Medal (OSM) to accord recognition to members of the Australian Defence Force and certain civilians who render service in certain new military operations.  You can read more about it HERE.

Memories.

Its 4.30pm and I have just watched one of the most moving video's ever sent to me. Matter of fact I’ve had two brews since I’ve watched it and my ole eyes are still misty. What a wonderful man this fellow is to do what he does, I wish there were more people in our world like him. See HERE.

Veteran Service goes Online.

A new website, offering veterans a more immediate way of conducting business with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs was launched on the 11 May by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon. Making the announcement at the Tasmanian Returned and Services League annual congress, Mr Snowdon said MyAccount was a new innovation in service delivery for the veteran and Australian Defence Force communities.

“MyAccount is an online service centre where clients can engage with the Department anytime, anywhere and all they need to get started is a computer and internet connection,” he said.

MyAccount offers a variety of services including: viewing and requesting forms and factsheets; booking transport to medical appointments; viewing payments and card information; requesting replacement cards; lodging travel claims; requesting additional entitlements; changing contact details; and viewing the status of claims.

“This website responds to the evolving needs of our veteran community, offering clients choice, control and convenience when contacting DVA, without the restrictions of physical location or business hours,” Mr Snowdon said. Mr Snowdon stressed the service would not replace traditional means of communicating with the Department but is another channel in which to engage with it.

“Change can be a good thing, and I assure the veteran community that this service is not the end of traditional ways of communication – you will still be able to contact DVA via phone, face-to-face, fax, email or mail. The Department will also continue to contact you using these channels. MyAccount is an evolving service and additional features will be added over time. The service is optional and veterans who wish to set-up an account can phone 1800 173 858 to receive a personal registration number.

While at the congress, Mr Snowdon also provided a summary of 2012-13 Federal Budget measures to benefit the veteran community.  “Our priority is to make sure we look after those who have sacrificed so much for this country: Australia’s 350,000 veterans and their families,” he said.

“That means those who have served and those currently serving, including forces now deployed in Afghanistan, will be cared for today and into the future by our Government. “While returning the budget to surplus, the Government has protected veterans’ entitlements and provided funding to ensure the Centenary of Anzac is appropriately commemorated.

“The 2012-13 Budget will go towards strengthening our support for veterans and their families in recognition of the contributions they have made in serving our country.

For more information on how to access MyAccount visit myaccount.dva.gov.au or phone 1800 173 858.

Music.

If you like to listen to proper music, turn your sound up and listen to THIS.

The DFRDB fight goes on.

A video was made by Shane Greenwood some months ago. It was going to be released just before Remembrance Day 2011 but at the last minute it was pulled. I understand that there may have been some implied threats to a reduction in funding to the parent organisation, for which Shane worked, if this went public. It was to be on national ABC, from memory.

In any event, Shane continued looking for a sponsor as he had committed a great deal of his personal funds in producing the full video, including flying himself and his camera lady to Townsville.

We owe a great deal to Shane for seeing this through, albeit now only on youtube. Shane tried to interview Warren Snowdon on several occasions but was rejected. I think he also tried to interview Minister Smith with the same result. He certainly interviewed the National President of the RSL who, at last, admitted that this was a major issue concerning the veteran community.

A big thank you to all those Townsville VVAA veterans Peter Martin (ex RAN), Dutchy Hislop, Ernie Gimm (ex RAAF) and to Margaret Standfast for assisting with the making of this video and for having the courage to speak out on camera. The fight for a fair go continues even though it seems the current Government couldn’t care two hoots about veterans

You can see the video HERE.

Rob Oakeshott, the controversial independent member for Lyne (NSW) recently wrote to Warren Snowdon, the minister for Veterans' Affairs and for Defence Science and Personnel on the subject of DFRDB. THIS is Snowdon’s response and is what the Government really thinks.

We find this paragraph very enlightening: 

“In particular, the DFRDB superannuation scheme is generous compared to most other government  and private sector schemes.  It was specifically tailored for military service and amongst other things, provided benefits payable after 20 years service.  DFRDB members can access their benefits before anyone else in the community (that is, before reaching their preservation  age which varies between age 55 and 60 depending the member's year of birth).”

Lockheed Martin builds an airship.

Success in the war on terrorism depends on knowing where the enemy is hiding and having resources in place to act on that knowledge quickly. In a war where the adversaries of freedom can strike at any time and from any point, the military needs the most sophisticated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets available. Their lives of the Service people and the lives of innocent civilians may hang in the balance.

Lockheed Martin’s Hybrid Air Vehicle is one such asset, a multi-mission capable airship that can be designed as an unmanned or manned intelligence gatherer or transport vehicle. As an eye in the sky, this remarkable airship can stay aloft for up to three weeks at an altitude of 20,000 feet. Loaded with cameras, infrared sensors, communications relays, and other payloads, the Hybrid Air Vehicle can provide American and allied forces a clear picture of the battlefield. As a transport vehicle, the Hybrid Air Vehicle can be sized to move equipment and troops cost effectively to unimproved forward areas.

This airship’s utility is not limited to military missions. Having eyes on a situation and the ability to support cargo transport is invaluable for humanitarian, disaster relief, and homeland security efforts. An affordable and environmentally sensitive solution, the Hybrid Air Vehicle is more fuel efficient than any other flying system, consuming less than a third the fuel of a fixed wing aircraft to accomplish the same mission. Using an innovative air cushion landing system, the airship can launch and land easily in open fields, parking lots or even on water.

The Hybrid Air Vehicle is a unique blend of technology, supporting a variety of missions in peace and in conflict, enabling a safer, more secure world.

You can see a video of it HERE.

If you have a CPAP machine, it includes you.

This is NOT an automatic payment and must be claimed for but before you do, you should read the information booklet which you can download HERE.

There are two forms to fill in, one to be filled in by your local doctor and one by you.

Download the form to be filled in by your doctor HERE

Download the form to be filled in by you HERE (You can fill it in on line before printing)

How and where to submit the forms is all on the forms themselves. Payments commence on the 1 July 2012, so get yours in.

Clear instructions!!

A new fuel tanker arrives on location somewhere in the Middle East . The HSE manager tells the fleet supervisor to ensure that the tanker is clearly labelled “Diesel Fuel” and “No Smoking” in Arabic. Click HERE to see what he got.

From our WTF department:

“Our decision to form strategic partnerships with other progressive companies is synergistic with ImageSource’s business strategy to be a leader in the facility management, print and imaging industry.”

Imagesource Digital Print Solutions.

“Student priorities are issues arising from the contributing feedback processes and are generally underlying causal issues being different from specific issues identified and addressed within the contributing feedback process.”

Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia.

“An overarching national improvement strategy will drive up quality and performance underpinned by specific plans for strategically significant areas of activity, such as workforce and technology.”

UK Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills 2008 Annual Report.

“A focus on planned, consistent customer experiences that embody the Centrelink brand and lead to optimum outcomes in terms of customer contentment, costs to Centrelink and Government, and improvements in customer circumstances (reflecting desired policy outcomes) … this has been an engine room for innovation across our network …”.

(Centrelink Future Directions 2004–2008.)

Retired Husband.

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Big W. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out as quickly as I could. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women and just loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Big W store:

Dear Mrs Bloggs, Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Bloggs, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras:

Encyclopaedia Britannica.

After 244 years, the Encyclopaedia Britannica is going out of print. Those authoritative, gold-lettered reference books that were once sold door-to-door by a fleet of traveling salesmen and displayed as proud fixtures in homes will be discontinued. In an acknowledgment of the realities of the digital age and of competition from the Web site Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica will focus primarily on its online encyclopaedias and educational curriculum for schools. The last print version is the 32-volume 2010 edition, which weighs about 60 kg and includes new entries on global warming and the Human Genome Project.

Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell, who lived in Edinburgh in Scotland, came up with the initial idea to produce the Britannica and hired William Smellie to produce and edit it. It was first published in 3 volumes in 1768 and was done to compete with the French Encyclopédie which was published in 1751.

The Britannica gradually grew in size and the second edition, was 10 volumes. By its fourth edition (1801–1809) it had expanded to 20 volumes. Its rising stature helped recruit eminent contributors and the 9th edition (1875–1889) and the 11th edition (1911) are landmark encyclopaedias for scholarship and literary style.

Beginning with the 11th edition, the Britannica shortened and simplified articles to broaden its appeal in the US market. In 1933, the Britannica became the first encyclopaedia to adopt "continuous revision", in which the encyclopaedia is continually reprinted and every article updated on a schedule. In the last 70 or so years, each edition has contained about 40 million words on half a million topics and although the printing was moved to the US in 1901, the spelling remained British.

In the 1950s, having the Encyclopaedia Britannica on the bookshelf at home was akin to having a Holden Premier in the garage, a possession coveted for its usefulness and as a goalpost for an aspirational middle class. Buying a set was often a financial stretch, and many families had to pay for it in monthly instalments.

But in recent years, print reference books have been almost completely overtaken by the Internet and its vast spread of resources, including specialized Web sites and the hugely popular, and free, online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.

Since it was started 11 years ago, Wikipedia has moved a long way towards replacing the authority of experts with the wisdom of the crowds. The site is now written and edited by tens of thousands of contributors around the world, and it has been gradually accepted as a largely accurate and comprehensive source, even by many scholars and academics. Wikipedia also regularly meets the 21st-century mandate of providing instantly updated material. And it has nearly four million articles in English, including some on pop culture topics that would not be considered worthy of a mention in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

The “New” on-line Britannica is going to be smaller. Unlike Wikipedia it will not deal with every single cartoon character, or with every love life of every celebrity. It will be an alternative source of information where facts really matter. Britannica won’t be able to be as large, but it will always be factually correct.

As a matter of interest, I asked both the Britannica on line and Wikipedia to give me info on the Holden Premier, this is what I got.

I think I know which one I’ll be using.

The Britannica, the oldest continuously published encyclopaedia in the English language, has become a luxury item with a huge price tag. It is frequently bought by embassies, libraries and research institutions and by well-educated, upscale consumers who felt an attachment to the set of bound volumes.

Only 8,000 sets of the 2010 edition have been sold, and the remaining 4,000 have been stored in a warehouse until they are bought. Sales peaked in 1990, when 120,000 sets were sold in the United States alone.

It is sad, but it is an inexorable part of life – things come and things go. A lot of us bought a set of “must have” Funk and Wagnalls (last edition 1997) many years ago when they were being sold at a major Supermarket – and just as many of us haven’t looked at them for years. As someone said, “There’s more comprehensive material available on the Web, the thing that you get from an encyclopaedia is one of the best scholars in the world writing a description of that phenomenon or that object, but you’re still getting just one point of view. Anything worth discussing in life is worth getting more than one point of view.”

Gradually the electronic version of books will replace the printed versions, it won’t happen overnight but it will happen. It will be a while before older people (them old buggers in their 60’s) who aren’t comfortable on line and who are more comfortable with print, are backed up to the big hard drive in the sky and once they are gone, there will be no need for hard copy books, everything will be produced in electronic format.

Books have outlived their usefulness – they are destined to go the way of slide rules, steam engines and horse shoes. These days the ‘smarties’ use their iPhones to look up stuff – why would you want to drag out a heavy old encyclopaedia. Some people will feel sad and nostalgic about it but we have a better tool now. The Web site is continuously updated, it’s much more expansive and it has multimedia.

Fly the Caribou.

If you happen to have a spare Caribou or two hanging around, and you’d like to scoot around the blue sky in one but don’t know how to drive it, fear not, we’re here to help.

We’ve got a video which was produced by the USAF a while back, which once you’ve watched you’ll be able to fire up those old round engines with confidence and head off into the wild blue yonder and play officers.

You can watch the Video HERE.

So!!  You think you've seen every kind of idiot there is!!

Think again.

WATCH THIS!

Blessed are those who are cracked,

for they are the ones who let in the light!

Ok, Ok!! – I’m going back to my room now!!

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