Thursday, May 11, 2006
manching
So this morning I went to the BWB site at EADs cos they were trying to recruit students from TUM. ;) Well, there WERE some people from TUM. But a lot of us young kiddie look-a-likes from the company. Hee. It was also convenient that the Swiss and Finnish F-18s were gonna be there. Plus, there was this old WW2 era plane that got rebuilt, practicing loopings and stuff for the ILA in Berlin next week!! Sooo exciting!! :) I wish I took videos and pictures of the F-18s and the old planes, but I left my camera on the bus, and the best I got was my v3i video. =( No matter, ILA here I come!! :) So anyways, the first stop was this propoganda video with really cool stuff, and the TopGun music perpetually in the background. Out of point but after coming to Germany, I sorta had all my stereotypes about cool good-looking pilots blown away. I mean, I spend so much time at the company I know what the fighter pilots look like. And remember the movie Space Cowboys? Well. Enough said. :) THEN. We went to the old hangars. With the F4-Phantoms and Tornadoes and the Starfighters (widowmakers) --> that's the plane whereby about 1000 were purchased, and around 250 promptly dropped out of the sky. :S HERE, photos were allowed. And so was getting into the cockpits!! I first climbed into the Tornado and whoopee! It was a PERFECT fit!! I could reach the pedals, and see COMPLETELY over the top!! And then I got up to get out, and I realised I was sittign on a lead weight. :S Coz this was used to train the kiddies in 'Ausbildung'. ie; the 15/16 year old tecchies. *mutter mutter* Then I ran all the way to the F4 Phantom. Not that big a deal considering I was already in it when I was at Neuberg. And at Neuberg it was complete with helmet and goggles and oxygen mask! So I climbed in, posed a bit, talked a bit, and proceeded to get out. Oh wait, before I forget. Again, I reached the pedals!!! It was a tad difficult to see over the top, but I managed it. WITHOUT the lead block this time. *mutter mutter* So anyway, I was at the point where I was attempting to climb out. I had to get to this lil platform on the other side, so imagine a lil wall you'd have to climb over. So I erm, got one leg over, when I realised I need to get back UP to get my other leg over. So there I was, wanting to get back in, when someone decided to help me by PULLing me out. -.- It so wasn't gonna work la. My legs AREN'T that long!! And I was like erm, this isn't gonna work. So someone else came along to try and help. So they pulled and pulled, and in the end, they gave up, and someone just picked me up and lifted me over. Bah. You can imagine what everyone was doing by that time la. Uh-huh. Doubled over laughing while I insisted it so wasn't funny. The only person not laughing was too busy climbing in the cockpit. -nyeh- So moving on, I couldn't take no more photos coz they were classified stuff or something. But we saw all the helis!! Apparently they wanted to give away a military cargo heli for research. I volunteered to help! As in, I'd take that one, stick in my Beetle Cabriolet, and my Cinquicento, (and whatever else anyone else wants from Germany) and take heli lessons. By the time I get my license, I'd fly it back to Singapore!! :) Of course they had something to say to that.. "You might have problems on the way to Singapore with a German transport heli.." "NOT if you paint it pink." *grins* And when we stepped outside on the taxiway, there was a Tiger (from 'Goldeneye') taking off and flying practice runs. Apparently the all-important deadline for this plane was the movie. Haha. So there we were gawping at it, when the pilot decides to show off!! Heh. You know how hockey skaters like to come right up to you and do a hockey brake and spray ice all over you? Well, that's basically what the heli did. Flew straight at us, SUPER low, and the only thing stopping him from coming closer was the building behind us. Then he swerved away and we literally ate his dust. Haha. Then came the coolest bit. The takeoffs!! The F18s!! The videos would have been more amazing if I had my camera with me. But sadly, no. :( And while we were touring yet another in-operation hangar like hours later, the planes returned!!! Imagine my chagrin when, standing about 20 metres from the plane, I realised that ONE of the planes had an empty seat!!! Empty!!! I could have been in there!!!! Gah. So there we were, gawping at the planes, when F told me to go smile sweetly at the pilots and maybe they would let me on. Haha. Yeah, I'd remind them of my granddaughter or something la. AND THEN, they took off their gear. And imagine my surprise. They weren't no space cowboys man! Imagine your typical stereotype of a pilot. Make it 10 times tanner, 10 times taller, 10 times cockier, and you've got them. Haha. Well, I exagerate, but hey. It was a HUGE difference. But not important la, the planes were cooler!! Especially when I saw the one they rebuilt from the WW2 era doing its loopings!! That pilot was 70 years old, and he was really doing the COOLEST things!! Can't wait for ILA!! Sooo exciting!!! :)
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