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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 January 2008, 09:15:09

Title: Today I have been.....
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 January 2008, 09:15:09
.....seeing a few sights.

First, The Great Wall Of China......which is by far the most amazing thing here although I am baffled why they built it on top of the Himalayas rather than in the valleys.

Here are a few pics:

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00151.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00150.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00149.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00148.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00147.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00146.jpg)


We then went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City which were also quite interesting.

To get around we paid for a car (Volkswagen Jetta.....) and driver for the day (the great wall is a good 50+miles away) and it only cost 40 quid all in!

The only dodgy moment was when he took a wrong turn and drove 500m down a dual carriageway before doing a U turn and driving at the on-coming traffic to get back to the roundabout!  :-[
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: TheBoy on 26 January 2008, 09:29:11
Busy working then ;)

One of those sights I would like to see at some point.



And also you've been texting me - thanks, and sorry to have disturbed you  :-[
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 January 2008, 09:40:00
We used a chair lift to get up to the wall and then a toboggan run to go down which was excellent (although they gestured for me to slow down twice!)
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Jimbob on 26 January 2008, 09:41:02
Nice, enjoying your holiday then  ;D
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 January 2008, 09:49:09
Quote
Nice, enjoying your holiday then  ;D

I am bloody knackered but, as we had an extra day it seemed only sensible to do something.

This is certainly not a place I would travel to out of choice, Beijing (Peking) is a very new place with high rises every where and many more being built at a crazy rate.

But, the transport system is naff so it takes a while to get into the city.

The olympic stadium is finished though.....and most of the other venues.

11 hours on a 777 to look forward to tomorrow (Boeing make THE most uncomfortable seats!)
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Matchless on 26 January 2008, 09:59:52
The courses arnt very level on that garden wall and it could do with a spot of re-pointing.
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 January 2008, 10:03:35
Quote
The courses arnt very level on that garden wall and it could do with a spot of re-pointing.

Clearly well motivated construction force though.

Can you imagine going upto a bunch of British labourers and saying ' come on then lads, off we go for todays work, only take a few hundred more years and it will be done'

I suppose if they didn't do it they cut thier heads off in them days those.
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 January 2008, 11:28:17
SOme nice pictures and don't crash!
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 26 January 2008, 12:42:10
Quote
.....seeing a few sights.

First, The Great Wall Of China......which is by far the most amazing thing here although I am baffled why they built it on top of the Himalayas rather than in the valleys.

Here are a few pics:

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00151.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00150.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00149.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00148.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00147.jpg)

(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b394/Marks_DTM_Calib/DSC00146.jpg)


We then went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City which were also quite interesting.

To get around we paid for a car (Volkswagen Jetta.....) and driver for the day (the great wall is a good 50+miles away) and it only cost 40 quid all in!

The only dodgy moment was when he took a wrong turn and drove 500m down a dual carriageway before doing a U turn and driving at the on-coming traffic to get back to the roundabout!  :-[

interesting place..possibly they think defending the walls on the  mountains is easier (as the forces must attack uphill and will have problem to bring food, water and other stuff)
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: cem_devecioglu on 26 January 2008, 12:43:08
Quote
Quote
The courses arnt very level on that garden wall and it could do with a spot of re-pointing.

Clearly well motivated construction force though.

Can you imagine going upto a bunch of British labourers and saying ' come on then lads, off we go for todays work, only take a few hundred more years and it will be done'

I suppose if they didn't do it they cut thier heads off in them days those.

many of them died during work...
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Kevin Wood on 26 January 2008, 12:44:07
Quote
11 hours on a 777 to look forward to tomorrow

Take a couple of spare throttle cables in your hand luggage just in case it needs a manual override!  :y

Kevin
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 January 2008, 12:58:06
Quote
Quote
11 hours on a 777 to look forward to tomorrow

Take a couple of spare throttle cables in your hand luggage just in case it needs a manual override!  :y

Kevin

Interestingly, on the way out we were delayed due to routine maintenance.

I commented to the guy that if its routine maintenance then it would have been planned and would not affect the departure time. He said it was the maintenance causing the delay because the plane was late arriving. I replied saying that the cause of he delay was the late arrival then................there was a look that sudgested he had suddenly realised I was right!

I hate it when they bull sh@t you.....if they said the plane is delayed as it was late arriving and had to have some routine maintenance or it would be grounded then nobody would of had an issue.....

Not the brightest button on the shirt I fear.

I did also note that the crashed 777 (we come back on the same flight number) is currently in front of the BA hanger with some temporary wheeled platforms strapped to the fuselage not 100m from where it landed and the grooves in the grass are still there!.

The other thing I noted is how bloody huge the Rolls Royce trent engine used is......dont think a pidgeon would have much affect on it!!!. Its got to be about 3m in diameter (compressor)!
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Dazzler on 26 January 2008, 13:07:02
and thats a small engine, size wise compared to the GE90 which is also fitted to the B777
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 26 January 2008, 13:09:04
Quote
and thats a small engine, size wise compared to the GE90 which is also fitted to the B777

Think I prefer having a Rolls engine strapped to it......

Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: CaptainZok on 26 January 2008, 13:14:11
Quote
Quote
11 hours on a 777 to look forward to tomorrow

Take a couple of spare throttle cables in your hand luggage just in case it needs a manual override!  :y

Kevin
Imagining the scene now, MDTM crawling out on the wing, clutching a penknife and a ball of string for an inflight quick fix. ;D
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Kevin Wood on 26 January 2008, 13:46:33
Quote
and thats a small engine, size wise compared to the GE90 which is also fitted to the B777

I remember seeing it at the Farnborough air show for the first time and they had one of the engines with all of the ducting opened out. It is a huge beast, but the oily bits in the middle are surprisingly compact.

Kevin
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: amigov6 on 27 January 2008, 21:01:18
 :-/Is that where the Terra Cotta warriors are? Or am i way off?
    Loved the wall pics. 8-)
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 27 January 2008, 21:06:14
Quote
:-/Is that where the Terra Cotta warriors are? Or am i way off?
    Loved the wall pics. 8-)

Way off......

Got back today....without to many problems.

We had to sit on the plane for an hour so the fuel could settle and the tanks could be dipped to check the quality......cant think why they did that  ::)

The pilot spoke after the landings and did the usual speal whilst commenting on 'getting it on the tarmac'

Beijing is not that great a city realy, its developing to fast, destroying its character as it goes. The transport system is very poor to.

And I shall be very pleased not to have to face any more 'scrag end' of fish......
Title: Re: Today I have been.....
Post by: Entwood on 27 January 2008, 22:19:43
Quote
Quote
:-/Is that where the Terra Cotta warriors are? Or am i way off?
   Loved the wall pics. 8-)

Way off......

Got back today....without to many problems.

We had to sit on the plane for an hour so the ful could settle and the tanks could be dipped to check the quality......cant think why they did that  ::)

The pilot spoke after the landings and did the usual speal whilst commenting on 'getting it on the tarmac'

Beijing is not that great a city realy, its developing to fast, destroying its character as it goes. The transport system is very poor to.

And I shall be very pleased not to have to face any more 'scrag end' of fish......

Aviation fuel can contain water in droplet form if not stored correctly, at altitude this freezes into little ice balls that can block filters PDQ and lead to rapid drop in fuel pressure ... not a good thing  :)

Once an aircraft has been refueled these droplets are all stirred up in the fuel, by leaving it to stand for a length of time ( which depends on the depth of tank as the water settles out at about 1 ft / hour) then a procedure called a "water sediment check" can be done. If water is found then it can be removed up to certain volumes, or declared as "contaminated" which opens a huge can of worms !! All aircraft fuel tanks have provision for these checks and the removal of water.

These checks are done routinely on all aircraft, as some water always gets into the tanks through condensation, but if there is any doubt as to the quality of the fuel uplift then they become of increasing importance.

There are additives called "Fuel System Icing Inhibitors" (FSII) that can assist in preventing the problem, but some countries don't use it, in these places the water sediment check becomes very, very important.

Its possible the fuel you picked up did not contain FSII

HTH :)