RAAF Radschool Magazine - Vol 59. The RAM

Vol 59

Sept 2017

Click the pics below to navigate to the page.
	Sadly, in the few months since our last issue, we have once again lost some very good mates. (Page 2).	Our lovely Page 3 girl this issue is Gail McDermott. (Page 3).
	Millions of email addresses have been hacked, this is how you check to see if yours has been. (Page 4).	The Brisbane Vietnamese Community held a thank-you function for Vietnam Vets. (Page 5).
	The September Pension rates have been released and how does selling your home affect your pension? (Page 6).	Ian “Tiny” Ashbrook continues his remarkable story. (Page 7).
	Once upon a time the RAAF had a base down at Mawson. (Page 8).	Why do aircraft occasionally abort a landing and "go around"? (Page 9).
	The huge USS Ronald Reagan paid a visit to Brisbane. (Page10).	Do you know how to stop someone from choking? (Page11).
	Jeff remembers peddling the old Caribou around south Vietnam during the monsoon season. (Page 12)	The blokes on 61 pilot's course had a reunion in Melbourne. (Page 13).
	We have another look over Laverton. (Page 14)	We have a look over Williamtown. (Page 15)
	John reminisces about his time as a young lad in England during eh War years and his first glimpses of many different aircraft. (Page 16).	Sick Parade. A couple of our mates have been crook. We wish them a speedy recovery. (Page 17).
	We’re looking for a few people, perhaps you can help. (Page 18).	This is where you have your say. We look forward to getting your letters - so please keep them coming. (Page 19).
	Here’s the news, all the news, the whole news and nothing but the news. (Page 20).	Index. If you're looking for a topic or a photo of someone, click on the Index link on the top of each page and just follow the links.

RAM thought for the day.

Though no one can go back
and make a brand new start,
anyone can start from now
and make a brand new beginning - See more at: http://homeinsteaders.org/category/opportunity/#sthash.1Hd7i5GH.dpuf

Tell a lie once and all your truths will become questionable.

2021 – the RAAF’s 100 year anniversary.

In 2021 the RAAF turns 100 – and we’re going to celebrate – big time. See HERE

Membership.

We’ve decided to go with the following membership.

· 1 year’s full membership for $12.00. (now till 30 June 2018)

· Full membership for $45.00 to 30 June 2021.

Annual Membership will run from July one year to June the next, with this year’s annual membership now expiring in June 2018. As we’ve said, full membership is not compulsory, you can still receive the RAM which will remain open, free and available on the net.

So, if you’d like to contribute and help us with the ever increasing costs, please join as a full member.

If you are already a member (ie: if your name is on this LIST), please fill in the form below and send it to us, if you haven’t already joined (if you're not on the list), please use the form HERE.

BSB: 124-021 Account number: 1048 7401 Title: RAAF Radschool Association.

Bank: Bank of Queensland.

and include your name in the "Remarks" window on the deposit.

You can of course pay more if you wish!!

AND!! If you work for a firm that would be kind and generous enough to sponsor the Radschool Association, please get in touch.

Reunions.

If you're having a reunion and you would like us to cover it and publish it, let us know and we'll see what can be done.

Opinion.

This edition is a bit late, we're sorry about that and we're blaming the Defence IT department for it. Some time ago, for reasons unknown to us, the Defence "gate-keeper" blocked our email address. This meant we were unable to get our Willytown story checked and approved by Defence Media before it went out. Everyone with a "@defence.gov.au" email address was unreachable to us, we would fire off an email thinking it had reached its target only to discover much later that it hadn't. There was no bounce, no indication that the email hadn't reached its intended destination, it just disappeared into that big black hole in the sky. We didn't know we were blocked until we rang Media to ask if our Willytown story was ok to print only to be told they hadn't received our mail. We did some checking and sure enough, over the past week or so, no-one with the Defence address had.

We can appreciate that Defence has to keep a very close eye on inwards and outwards emails (we do) otherwise it could and would be swamped with all sorts of trojans and viruses and other nasties but we've been alive now for 18 and a bit years, we've been sending emails to "@defence.gov.au" addresses for yonks, these people get our magazine (at last count there are 245 of them) and they share it amongst themselves. Defence would know that, they would keep an eye on all inwards emails, they would know our magazine, they would know who we are, they would know we're not out to do anyone any damage - one would have thought the decent and courteous thing to do would be to let us know there was a problem (if there is one) and give us the opportunity of fixing the problem (if there is one!) instead of just slamming the door.

But no, they just block us, don't tell us, don't tell our recipients and it seems there's nothing we can do about it. We've rung Defence IT a number of times, we've been given a "job number" and told "we're looking into it" - but nothing happens.

Some years ago our web site was infected and Defence blocked it, and that's fair enough, but back then they told us and we were able to fix it. Since then we have contracted Securi to keep us clean (it costs us but it's worth it) and each week we get a report like THIS, so if we're clean, why are we blocked.

We've texted the Willytown story email address to the relevant people and got the nod, which is why you're getting this - unfortunately, no-one in Defence is.

Poor form we say!!

An Irishman was terribly overweight, so his doctor put him on a diet. "I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a full day and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least 3 kg." When the Irishman returned, he shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 20 kg! "Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?" The Irishman nodded..."I'll tell yah though, by Jaesuz, I t'out I were goin' te drop dead on dat 3rd day. "From hunger, you mean?" "No," said the Irishman. "From all the skippin'."

Errors

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