Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

Was Thursday all day today and most folk know exactly what I do on a Thursday.
Had no intention of buying any thing-------but one of the first things I spied was an almost new bench press. It had no on off switch, but it did have everything else I wanted in a bench drill.
Got it for half the asking price because of the broken switch---------not rocket science to make a new switch.
My youngest sister Jan wanted to take me out for lunch, she arrived at10:30 and we headed out to the yacht club. We both opted for Scampi and fries which turned out to be excellent

Had to go to the surgery this morning-------three weeks on and the poorlie Paw is pissing me right off.
Doc did a thorough check, poking and squeezing before telling me all the tendons have been well stretched and it's likely to be another month before it's anything like normal.
Whoopee FECKIN doo--------just what I needed---------more grizzlearse time !

Saturday morning and forage time at the scrapyard --------July is on its way out and this is the first weekend of the great British getaway.
Must be over three weeks since I did any thing constructive in the workshop----getting withdrawal symptoms in huge quantities. Dislike idleitus intensely-----wasn't born to sit on my arse and do nothing. There's only so many books you can read before all writers begin to be the same. I've reached the stage where I can't remember which books I've read !

Bought a rake of high quality aluminium extrusion-------perfect for mounting some of the old "Concepts.
Sometimes there's as much work making the mount as there is in the model, very difficult to find a piece that suits what I'm up to.
My friend Chris is back from the Mille Miglia ------he had a faultless 2000 km run------the Moto Guzzi performed faultlesssly over the six days .
Have to say, I'm glad that I didn't have to do it-------he's only seventy and it's taking him a long time to get over the trip. I just let the old body tick over these days, don't like to be "Druv" -----it has a nasty way of telling me to bugger off and stop treating me like that!
Weve had a helluva lot of rain the last couple days--------floods in the West Country ------Tsunami and earthquake in Turkey --------half the people in England have gone on vacation --------should get a bit of peace and quiet for the next six weeks.
Poorlie Paw is still a pest, going down in size a bit, but the bugger still aches and throbs.
I got more pills and potions than you can shake a stick at, I rattle when I walk and can fart for the foreign office.
Lady gardener has just come in soaked to the skin demanding I tie the Dahlias up------all this juice is making the blooms top heavy!

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

Put a new blade in the bandsaw-------cleaned off the South bend------uncovered three already honed planer blades. Mitts need a little more time to heal before I attempt to change the planer blades, you have to be deadly accurate to make the cutting block sing!
UPS collected all the concepts this morning just before noon------be interested to see how long it takes them to deliver that little lot.
Shop looks quite empty now that lot have been shipped out.
We have picked a vase full of sweet peas for 44 consecutive days-------they are usually all through after about a month---------still no sign of a let up, there's an abundance of blooms to be picked.
Looked at the last two lonely Mystics on the bench--------ones bound for Mark's desk, Maybe Gary might like the other---------but Gieco got shed loads of those perfectly formed plastic R.C,s built to scale with total accuracy------you can buy one for the price of the props on mine-----why the hell would anyone want one of mine ?
Sam bought me the second edition of "SHEENE"-------says in there he first got interested in helicopters and bought a Hughie because he was impressed with the air/ambulance rescue services ? Now that's not quite right!
I had just dropped into the garage at Southwater on my first ever solo run------in the Enstrom. Barry had dropped in to have his Mercury engined Shakespeare serviced. He demanded I take him up for a spin-------told him I didn't even have a licence yet and if I took him up I never would get one. Made no difference , he refused to get out until he'd been up.
Just one week later he'd got his licence and bought a Hughes 500 -------he landed it at the farm in Shipley and took all the kids up for a ride. He loved choppers for the rest of his life-------think his last one was a "Gazelle". Just thought I'd put the record straight

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With all the in helicopter, live to tape narration I did over 20+ years I only rode in one Gazelle...and it was the fastest most nimble SOB of them all. it was very tight in cockpit space , but the acceleration and high " G" turning made it perfect to chase the old Superboats at flank speed...all the way around the St Pete Race course.... The second best aero performer was an ex military Hughes that actually burst some blood vessels in my eyes going up, over and right back down at the Baltimore Harbor Bridge....

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Originally Posted by T2x

With all the in helicopter, live to tape narration I did over 20+ years I only rode in one Gazelle...and it was the fastest most nimble SOB of them all. it was very tight in cockpit space , but the acceleration and high " G" turning made it perfect to chase the old Superboats at flank speed...all the way around the St Pete Race course.... The second best aero performer was an ex military Hughes that actually burst some blood vessels in my eyes going up, over and right back down at the Baltimore Harbor Bridge....

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T2X,
Well, that was Barry all over-------he did things because he could------or because he wanted to. There wasn't a hurtful bone in his body------his greatest adversaries became his best friends.
When he moved out to Australia, he bought two plots of land on the Nenang river at Surfers Paradise. Neighbors were Greg Norman, Jack Brabham and the like. He became Australia's answer to Murray Walker-------except he was on double the salary.
I only ever saw planes and chase choppers at USA races------mostly offshore. Watched Pruett pilot a couple of races-------was then I knew ALL pilots who went following boats were just plane "Nuts".
Pruett was a larger than life character that I loved to pieces-------great guy to have on your side-----but mad as a March hare ?
Ive got a rake of stories of both Barry SHEENE and Billy Don Pruett-----as I get older and dafter I'll try and put some of them down------I know that a bunch of old racers, both bikes and boats will relate to lots of the incidents.
Another of my friends who had a Hughes 500 was Keith Duckworth------when we first met, he had a Brantley which his wife Jill kept for many years, in fact, it's not long since it was put up for sale.
Ah! So many people, with each one having so many stories,from SHEENE to SIROIS and some I haven't even mentioned yet-----what does it say------ALL PART OF LIFES RICH TAPESTRY !

No one mentioned Gentry and Copeland?

Showed up at the races with nice equipment:)

Gentry had a Long Ranger--we spent a few weeks in the Baja with two fixed wings and the Ranger transported in a trailer--

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Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

No one mentioned Gentry and Copeland?

Showed up at the races with nice equipment:)

Gentry had a Long Ranger--we spent a few weeks in the Baja with two fixed wings and the Ranger transported in a trailer--

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Gene, I only met Al Copeland a couple of times, once when he was with Sirois in Lugano, and again sometime after the fall out .
Think the last time was when he took his whole circus to either St. Louis or New Orleans !
He threw a Bar-B -Que on the dock------was with Billy and Lynne at that time-------was actually invited to dine on board his yacht with the Seebold's . We actually turned him down, damned if know why..
He had a tiny fixed wing towards the back end , squeezed in amongst eight V8 motorcycles, a couple of forty foot offshore race boats and a rake of other toys.

Gentry, I can't recall ever meeting him--------always seems to be a cloud over the accident that claimed his life------when that incident is mentioned, every racer I ever met picks up his beer and walks away. I never pushed it!
The Long Ranger was always a nice piece of kit, bus load of passengers and easy to fly----afraid they were way out of my league.
That was in the days of the old offshore racers------when men were men and the women sure glad of them !
Remember those people--------they made films out of them------LEGENDS-----wrote books about them. Most of them never made old bones, lived life in the fast lane and went to that 500 in the sky with smile on their faces!

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

The Long Ranger was always a nice piece of kit, bus load of passengers and easy to fly----afraid they were way out of my league.
That was in the days of the old offshore racers------when men were men and the women sure glad of them !
Remember those people--------they made films out of them------LEGENDS-----wrote books about them. Most of them never made old bones, lived life in the fast lane and went to that 500 in the sky with smile on their faces!

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2 blades??

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Originally Posted by powerabout

2 blades??

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Yes--That is the only configuration that it would fit in a trailer and be transported all over two counties--

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Originally Posted by GENE LANHAM

No one mentioned Gentry and Copeland?

Showed up at the races with nice equipment:)

Gentry had a Long Ranger--we spent a few weeks in the Baja with two fixed wings and the Ranger transported in a trailer--

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Gene, did you carry all three on one trailer ? Or just the long ranger?
I never heard of the Bells being anything other than twin rotors.
Must have been a bit of "De Luxe" camping-------just toddling orf down the Baja for a spot of fun DONTCHA know-------jolly hockey sticks !
Did you ride down there on the Harley, or sail down in the Ferretti Gene?
Those were the days when boys had toys for real!

I did a few miles in h500 and then squirels heliskiing.
First time i got in a bell for a joyride i couldnt believe how much it shook
I know why boats have 3 blade props

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Originally Posted by powerabout

I did a few miles in h500 and then squirels heliskiing.
First time i got in a bell for a joyride i couldnt believe how much it shook
I know why boats have 3 blade props

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One of the smoothest riding choppers I ever went in was the old "MASH" Hughes's-------a six year old could fly it---------smooth as silk-------top speed 75/80 but handled like a dream.

Jesus wept, but I find myself spending more and more time on that memory lane coach tour. Reason for that is her indoors has locked the workshop front and back and thrown away the keys.
Was warned off doing anything that might put the poorlie Paw under pressure, seems like if I even pick up an empty paper bag, blasted mitt blows up like a balloon. Sunday , thought I might just do an hour in there to while away the hours------result was a fistful of pain .
Even went out for an hour traipsing round the shops with her who shall be obeyed at all times-----not one of my favourite pastimes -------wheeling a trolley round Tesco's is not my idea of a perfect mornings outing .
Somebody has to put up with my moaning and groaning-------might as well be you!
Its gotten so I'm scanning the E Bay pages----just for the sake of looking.
Has to be somebody out there who'll talk to me, just to save me from dropping off the edge.

Jackie....any more tales telling the world that you walk round Tesco pushing a wire basket on wheels is liable to send you right to the bottom of the street cred league, some things a man leaves out of his daily conversations.

Toilet habits and shopping with the bride being 2.

Tell us your memories of Trevor Fox if you can cast your mind back that far.....Phill.