Fleet Air Arm Group Build

 This just begs to ask the question as to why it takes the XO  six months to paint a Tamiya prop but only 2 weeks to get 1000 post?  Could there be some other more sinister motive involved here?  Or maybe he just gabs to much and paints to little?  Hard telling! Frank you know on TV we saw videos  about people doing the craziest things. They were riding go -carts!

 

 Now  the Bio's make for some interesting readingbut Ritchie is just being shy.  The truth be told he was on a secret mission in a specially adapted B-52 when nature called.  Well the bathroom's toilet paper roll was empty and  he went in search for a substitute.

Well things were begining to get critical so he grabbed  what he thought was a remove before flight tag but in fact was an emergency exit cord. So Off he went!

Always something eh?  Well  luckily he had an old pair of Panties from a hot date the night prior that he was able to use as a parachute. ( He was really drunk on that date btw)

and he managed to land safely but stranded in the Austrailian outback!

So being the resourceful type fellow that he is... He got it together and got a job with the locals! Polishing boomerangs.

For food he hunted the local flora and fauna!

and  of course made friends with the ladies!

He seemed to adapt to the land down under well enough that he stayed .

but he usually has to order his models by phone now. 

Heres to you Ritchie!

You know if Sean doesn't come clean I could always use my imagination!

razordws wrote:

Frank, Congradulations... AGAIN!!!  Sheesh!!!

Motorfingers!!!!!!

Frank, Congradulations... AGAIN!!!  Sheesh!!! 

Daywalker wrote:

Summit wrote: ...a good enough distraction for me not to do a bio. AHA!!!  You won't get off that easy.  Now, spill it sailor!

Dern right Buckaroo, spill the beans or there may be a cross border raid to interview your wife and kids and make up my own bio for you! 

Summit wrote:

...a good enough distraction for me not to do a bio.

AHA!!!  You won't get off that easy.  Now, spill it sailor!

Summit wrote:

Daywalker=11,000 Post   Frank that is a Good Reason to celebrate and a good enough distraction for me not to do a bio.  Oh good lord!

Daywalker=11,000 Post

 

Frank that is a Good Reason to celebrate and a good enough distraction for me not to do a bio. 

 

WOW!  This is really good stuff.  I am thoroughly enjoying reading each and every bio here.  Like has been said, this GB has some of the Best of the Best here on the forums.  A group of people who share a common interest, and are to help one another no questions asked.  Coming here and reading what has been going on is like coming home after a long, hard day.  I am proud to call each and every one of you my friend.

Right!  I think a glass of rum would do us all rather nicely.  Suzanne!  Drinks all 'round on the XO.

Cheers everyone!

Wow, lots of interesting walks of life that share a common love of modelling!!!!

I am 42 and currently live in Australia. California native born in Sacramento. At 18 after I graduated, dad retired and we all moved to Arkansas where after a few years I decided to join the USAF in 1988 and spent 4 years in service. In that 4 years I nearly got a free trip around the world, albeit not pleasure trips, except when coming home. Worked on B-52G's on Guam for 15 months and then C-141's, C-130's, and F-15's at Robins AFB for the rest of my enlistent. Then let my hair and beard grow. Worked at a print shop with my then gf for a few years til we were both layed off. Then got on board as Civil Service at Robins doing what I really knew, aircraft maintenence. Met my now ex-wife online and landed a job here working on Qantas 747s and lovng it here in Oz still. Have a wonderful gf now that is Vietnamese and was one of the lucky ones to get out with her parents after Saigon fell. Her name is Tanya, we have been going out now for 10 months. She was the main force behind me getting my Swordfish finished in time for the contest and like to see my work. No kids of my own, unfortunately. Seems fate has never swung that way for me. Other interests include, Railroads, Muscle Cars and classics(have a 1/18 die-cast collection of Ferrari's), reading about military history, Blues music, PC games and flight simulators, and of course just aviation in general.

Any questions arise just ask, I don't bite, unless ur made of chocolate!!!!!!! Glad to know more about us all and really proud to call everyone of you 'friend'. A comeraderie that can only be compared to 'A band of Brothers'.

TANGO 1 wrote:

Hey, while I'm here.................any  of you chaps heard from DesertRat lately?

Not a peep. He got that Job with the Border Patrol and vanished soon afterwords. I like to think that he found a girlfriend and that has been keeping him busy. Youngster that he is.

 Nammy had got the upperhand on some health issues and touched base once or twice after I called him.  Seems he has also vanished in lifes rollercoaster. I do hope they both find their way hom here again.

 Cpt Bondo being the fine fellow that he is seems to get word if anyone has most likely.

 ruddratt! I warned you about moving to the country! With those NY girls!

 Dee was my best friends GF in HighSchool! Came back from my first tour in Germany and he was married to someone else and she was a senior in College.  Took her to dinner and haven't been able to ditch her yet!   Told her when she turned 40 I was gonna trade her in for 2 twentys but that hasn't quite worked out as planned.

TANGO 1 wrote:

sfcmac wrote:  OOOOOOH!  that's the fellow that married Shelly!  I wondered were he went and had gone off too! Fell walking I thought was on the way home from the pub? Mr. McNeal, an Officer and Gentlemen never falls on the way home from the pub.  He staggers, and gets his mates to carry him. Cheers!

 Ahhh Ha that is why I was issued this special frame for carring the chums in need!

sfcmac wrote:

OOOOOOH!  that's the fellow that married Shelly!  I wondered were he went and had gone off too! Fell walking I thought was on the way home from the pub?

Mr. McNeal,

an Officer and Gentlemen never falls on the way home from the pub.  He staggers, and gets his mates to carry him.

Cheers!

Just when I thought this thread couldn't get any better, along come bio's on some of the best fellas to grace these forums!

A little about myself. Just turned 52. Spent the first 49 years of my life in Westchester County, NY, about an hours drive north of the Big Apple. Met the love of my life in the strangest of circumstances (would take more time than I have right now to explain it all - trust me! ), and have been residing here in beautiful NW British Columbia with permanent resident status since Nov. '06 with the full intent of someday becoming a citizen. Jean (who was born and raised in BC) and I have been married for only 4 1/2 years, but I feel as though I've known her my whole life. She's quite a gal! I worked as a machinist/technician in NY from '78 to '06, and am now working in retail while my wife holds her job as a dental technician (18 years for her). She has one daughter from her first marriage, who's married with 3 little ones (ages 6,4, and 1), whom I've thoroughly enjoyed spoiling rotten!

I love to bike (pedal power), garden, watch baseball (go Yankees!! ) and work with any kind of power tools I can get my mitts on (with a lot more success and a much lower injury rate than Tim Taylor ) in addition to model building.

Keep the bio's comin' guys! This is awesome!

 OOOOOOH!  that's the fellow that married Shelly!  I wondered were he went and had gone off too! Fell walking I thought was on the way home from the pub?

Hey, while I'm here.................any  of you chaps heard from DesertRat lately?

I say toe-mar-toe.............. you say toe-may-toe!

Two great nations seperated by a common language.

TANGO 1 wrote:

Other interests include...fell walking...

I believe that is like our hiking for you colonials.

Great to see everyone chiming in, good to read and learn a bit more about each of you.

Nice to know more about you lads!

OK, I'll go next.

I'm now 37 years young, born in London and grew up in a not nice area. Most of the men in my family were in the forces so homelife was pretty strict. Ended up travelling around with my Dad and eventually worked with him at a petrolchemical equipment company. Spent 6 years at college and worked in France for a while then got sent out to the Middle East just after the '91 war. I was out there repairing pipelines.

Travelled around Europe between 93-96 and came home to find my wife Shelley. We have been together for 12 years and have a wonderful son Thomas who is now six years old. We moved to the countryside of North West England when I got a promotion and  unfortunately that job only lasted two years. Around that time Shelley graduated from university and is now a Emergency Staff Nurse in a local hospital. 

I needed a job so I joined Her Majesty's Prison Service, been dealing with crim's for the past ten years and now work for the Ministry of Justice.  Its a bloody thankless job, with long hours so I need a hobby to help me relax. Have been building models now for about ten years and I love it.

Other intrests include all things to do with military aviation, my dog, gardening, history ,fell walking, motoring, reading, good food and good drink. 

 

UPDATE:

Those that have gotten gifts are:

Bill

Darren

John E.

Anyone else?

 Gee I didn't know what to write about myself. I am kinda a boring fellow. Married almost 22 years in January to Dee.   4 kiddos. All back at home now....  Ages 20. 18, 15 and 13. One girl the 15 year old. Poor thing. 3 dogs a bearded dragon and a snake share the insanity as well.

 Originally from Ohio, I spent 21 years in the active army. 3rd Infantry, 24th Infantry, 1st Armored and First Calvary Divisions on some sort of tank or another. Been a lotta places as well. Most of them resemble a cats litter box.

 Retired from Fort Hood in 2005 and stayed in Texas. Became a Locomotive Engineer( driving choo choos)  That hates traffic and likes to work nights.  Houston Traffic is a bear!

 I can be a bit outspoken at times but general mean well.  Try to keep things simple that should be simple and have but one goal!  To found a secret society thats soul purposeis to conquer the state of California and loot Cpt Bondo's Christmas feast!  ( he always post the best food piccies you know)

 I like to model because of the history I learn and the comraderie here  in the forum!  Lots of fine fellows to keep me straight jacketed!

 

TANGO 1 wrote:

Neu, excellent work there! Looks like we may end up with our own squadron of Corsairs on this GB!

Well CAG, I just realized that I'm starting to build a small squadron of FAA Aircraft... I've only got two now (Seahawk and a Seafang) but I've got four more planned by May (Corsair IV, Wyvern, Sea Hornet, Seafire Fr.47.) If CMR gets the Sea Vampire out soon enough I'll also add that to the list, as that would round out my Suez trio.

As for me, I'm late 20s, a foreign policy analyst at a University in the Great White north. My area of specialty is modern military interventions; specifically how western states interact with the societies we enter. I try to understand it from the bottom up; how our soldiers/diplomats/aid workers operate and how their citizens react to them. I find it absolutely fascinating; each day I learn something new. I've got a book coming out on the United States in Central Africa in the 1990s, and couple of articles about Afghanistan. I've modeled since I was a little kid, but only in the last two years have I taken a concrete steps towards really making quality models. I think the FSM has been a huge part of that actually... maybe I'll post the picture of the collection I've build since I came on here. Anyway I find modeling a nice complement to my professional work, allowing me to indulge in my interests by tying them into the models I'm building.

I used to play rugby competitively until recently due to injury, maybe I'll be back to that next year if my head heals up.

I'll be 63 in December, have 4 grandkids so far.  My wife and I have four kids between us, but so far I'm ahead 4-0 on the GK races.  Been married for 41 years total, 18 to Donna.  Taking credit for all of the years, though.  You know what I mean. 

I imprinted on airplanes at birth, and worked in aviation as a pilot, mechanic, and manager for 20 or more years, and spent as many years in farming and water well drilling.  I don't know why, it just worked out that way.  Airplanes were involved in all of the above.  I have an air transport rating and type ratings in the Citation and Hawker 125, and have been current in just about all of the Cessna, Beech, and Piper singles and twins.  My favorite types are King Airs, Cubs, and the Stearman.  If I won the lottery I would be inclined to buy a Mustang, but only if I could find someone else to keep it well.  I'd rather spend my time building models.  I highly recommend retirement, but not neccessarily the age that comes with it.

 

Here is the list of those who have PMed me that they have gotten a package.

Bill

Darren

If you have gotten your package please PM me with that information.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent...

I am 53, married 21 years and we have a nineteen year old daughter in her first year in College. She is studying to be either an art historian or a theater/ film costume designer, or both. I have an Architecture Degree, see Dave I didn't know about yours, I have a license in California, and I work with my wife for a business we own that designs architectural graphics and signage. Before starting this we both worked at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill which is a large and well regarded international architecture firm, where my wife was a partner. I think I became an Architect at least in part because I've loved to model ever since I can remember. We are currently designing all the graphics for the University of California Berkeley Memorial Stadium renovation, I was over there this morning.

I live in Marin County and commute across the Golden Gate bridge into SF every day. My other hobbies include cooking and model railroading, althiough that one is on hold for the time being due to space and time constraints.

I'm RC, active in my church and am sponsoring a 17 year old young man who is becoming catholic. I'm a staunch pacifist, although I'm very interested in military history. Somehow that makes sense to me. I have season tickets to the Giants.

 

Frank, I think that's a great idea for us to do a little bio so the newer folk like Jason have a chance to get to know us as well.  Heck, even the rest of us might learn something new.

I turned 46 last Sunday, yep, on the downward slide to 50 (eek).  Married with Children (Al Bundy?), three of them in fact ages 9 to 15, two boys one hormonal teenage girl.  My wife is now a music teacher for a elementary school (K-7) after a long career as a professional musician.  One cat and two newts for pets.  They pretty much take up all of my time but when I do get a chance I love to mountain bike and I live in one of the best places in the world for that kind of thing, nestled in a valley of the Canadian rockies.  I also love gardening which goes with my career, I'm a landscape designer with a Landscape Architecture degree.  I am also a scout leader (as I have two sons involved) so I get to go on lots of hikes etc. with a bunch of rowdy 11 year olds. 

Roy- Can you send a PM to us when the package we sent arrives at it's location?  Just would like to know when it arrives safely.

Jason- Thank you for the introduction!  I really enjoy getting to know a little bit more about the people here.  Perhaps some other s here can also write a brief introduction/re-introduction of themselves?  I recently turned 40, and yes it has all been downhill from there!

Seriously, I have been working as a goldsmith for the past 12 years, and have recently expanded into CAD jewelry design.  I do everything from designing the pieces to casting them in gold or platinum, as well setting the precious stones.  Jewelry from start to finish!  A lot of the tools and techniques I learned and use for modelling go hand in hand with my career, so it really is wonderful to have a job and hobby which are quite different, yet very similar at the same time.  The company I work for has been doing VERY well this year, with sales higher than we had hoped for which has allowed us to start building a new location.  We are an indepently owned business, with five stores currently and the new 20,000 sq ft. store coming in January.  Besides modelling, I enjoy motorcycling, reading books, and visiting airshows/museums.  No kids or pets, but a wonderful girlfriend who is very supportive of my hobby. 

I shipped my package today.

Just a reminder everyone.  If you have sent or gotten your FAA Christmas Gift exchange.  Please PM me so I can keep track of it.  A number of you have been asking if the person you sent the gift to has gotten it.  I bunch have sent gifts already but I only have two who said they have gotten a gift.  The reason I would like to know is if a package is lost I can get a replacement gift out to that person in time for Christmas.

 

Jason,

many thanks for the formal introduction, its good to get to know our GB buddies a little better. You have a very interesting job, thanks for telling us about it.

Dave Harvey! Good to see you again!

Hope all is well where you are mate, feel fee to jump in anytime- you are always welcome here.

Oh, don't worry about taking your time with any future FAA builds, the X/O has been working on his Corsair for the past three years.......................