Musica Universalis

Universalis (the movements of the celestial bodies as music)

Kepler wrote:
"The heavenly motions ... are a continuous song for several voices, perceived not by the ear but by the intellect, a figured music which sets landmarks in the immeasurable flow of time."

It is however possible to translate that which Kepler saw as only perceivable by the intellect to also be perceivable by the ear.

Whenever a soundwave is doubled or halved in frequency, it retains the 'flavour' of the original pitch. This can be applied to any periodic cycle, including the orbits of the planets (method explained:
http://homepages.tesco.net/gregskius/oe.html).

These are the duration in seconds of our star’s planets (and Pluto):
Mercury: 0.453028141, 0.906056282, 1.812112564, 3.624225128, 7.248450256, 14.49690051
Venus: 0.578586448, 1.157172895, 2.314345791, 4.628691582, 9.257383163, 18.51476633
Earth: 0.470244884, 0.940489769, 1.880979538, 3.761959076, 7.523918152, 15.0478363
Mars: 0.442216873, 0.884433746, 1.768867493, 3.537734985, 7.075469971, 14.15093994
Jupiter: 0.697366839, 1.394733678, 2.789467356, 5.578934712, 11.15786942, 22.31573885
Saturn: 0.432755629, 0.865511258, 1.731022516, 3.462045032, 6.924090064, 13.84818013
Uranus: 0.617729291, 1.235458581, 2.470917163, 4.941834326, 9.883668652, 19.7673373
Neptune: 0.605743574, 1.211487148, 2.422974297, 4.845948594, 9.691897187, 19.38379437
Pluto: 0.455707172, 0.911414343, 1.822828687, 3.645657373, 7.291314746, 14.58262949

And in hertz (cycles per second):
Mercury: 2260.345235, 1130.172618, 565.0863088, 282.5431544, 141.2715772, 70.6357886
Venus: 3539.6612, 1769.8306, 884.9153001, 442.45765, 221.228825, 110.6144125
Earth: 2177.588813, 1088.794407, 544.3972033, 272.1986017, 136.0993008, 68.04965042
Mars: 2315.605899, 1157.802949, 578.9014747, 289.4507373, 144.7253687, 72.36268433
Jupiter: 2936.761379, 1468.38069, 734.1903448, 367.0951724, 183.5475862, 91.7737931
Saturn: 2366.231498, 1183.115749, 591.5578744, 295.7789372, 147.8894686, 73.9447343
Uranus: 3315.368124, 1657.684062, 828.8420311, 414.4210156, 207.2105078, 103.6052539
Neptune: 3380.968593, 1690.484297, 845.2421483, 422.6210742, 211.3105371, 105.6552685
Pluto: 2247.057022, 1123.528511, 561.7642555, 280.8821277, 140.4410639, 70.22053193

In 2006, Greg Fox took the above orbital periods and divided them until their frequencies fell within the human acoustic range. This gave him six octaves of "planetary notes" for each planet. He called the resulting “music”: “Carmen of the Spheres”. It can be heard and downloaded at:
http://www.archive.org/details/GregFoxCarmenoftheSpheres

Thanks to Alcibiades for that one!

Tropical Storm Patty (2012)

On October 11, a low pressure center formed at the tail end of a frontal boundary extending from the northeast Atlantic down to near Hispaniola. Disturbed weather increased near the low during the following day, as the low became disassociated with the trough to its northeast.

Over the next several days, another frontal boundary began to approach the low, causing a sharp increase in wind shear. However, the low did not get caught in the flow ahead of the front, but instead remained nearly stationary just to the northeast of the Bahamas through October 10. Despite being expected to merge with the front, the system maintained its identity, and in fact became more organized, as thunderstorm activity concentrated near the center.

By the afternoon of October 11, the low had achieved enough deep convection to be considered a tropical cyclone and so was classified Tropical Depression Sixteen. That evening, the convection increased and covered the exposed circulation, and the cyclone was therefore updated to Tropical Storm Patty. Late that night, Patty unexpectedly strengthened further, and reached its peak intensity of 45 mph winds and a pressure of 1005 mb.

On October 12, a combination of strong southwesterly upper-level winds and a northeasterly low-level flow started to pull the circulation apart. Patty weakened to a tropical depression that evening as the center once again became completely exposed. By the morning of October 13, the circulation was no longer closed, and Patty was declared a remnant low. The remnants combined with a trough of the U.S. east coast shortly afterward.



Patty as a disorganized tropical storm struggling to survive just north of the Bahamas.



Track of the short-lived Patty. Most of the positions indicate occurred when the cyclone was non-tropical (triangles), with only the tiny clump of circles accounting for Patty's time as a tropical cyclone, in which it moved little.

Hurricane Sandy (2012)

A low pressure trough embedded in the Intertropical Convergence Zone moved into the Caribbean sea on October 18, and began to increase in shower activity the next day. On October 20, as the area of disturbed weather moved west, the pressures in the area dropped precipitously, and the circulation became much better organized.

Deep convection did not consistently accompany the system on October 21, but conditions continued to be favorable as the disturbance moved southwest, bringing some showers to Jamaica and neighboring areas. By October 22, a swirl was evident amid the clouds, and the low was classified as Tropical Depression Eighteen. The system drifted southward and organized further later that day, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Sandy.

Sandy adopted a slow but accelerating northward motion early on October 23, as a front lifted out of the northwestern Caribbean. Meanwhile, convection steadily increased with the system, and became closer to the center by later that day, causing steady strengthening. In the evening, the cloud tops of Sandy's central dense overcast cooled considerably, and the first hints of an eye feature appeared, indicating that the cyclone was undergoing rapid strengthening. Meanwhile, the outflow had improved, with heavy rain bands sweeping across Jamaica, Hispaniola, and eastern Cuba as Sandy approached. These factors caused the cyclone to be upgraded to a hurricane later that morning.

During the afternoon, the center of Sandy passed directly over eastern Jamaica, but the land interaction did almost nothing to disrupt the circulation and the system continued strengthening, as an eye appeared on infrared as well as visible satellite imagery. Over the next twelve hours, Sandy put on a burst of extremely rapid strengthening, bringing its pressure down to a value of 954 mb. Very early on October 25, the cyclone made landfall in eastern Cuba with its peak winds of 110 mph!

Sandy weakened slightly as it moved over Cuba, but emerged over water still maintaining Category 2 intensity. The cyclone slowed down considerably and turned to the north-northwest that night as it interacted with an upper-level low. Higher shear weakened the system as it lashed the Bahamas, but the structure of the storm also underwent a transformation. Convection became displaced from the center in all but the northwestern quadrant, the windfield broadened, and the outflow became more extratropical in appearance on October 26.

However, shear declined somewhat, and thunderstorm activity more completely covered the center by early on October 27. By this time, Sandy had begun to moved towards the north-northeast, fluctuating in intensity but remaining near minimal hurricane strength.

By later that day, rain bands associated with the combination of a front stalling near the U.S. east coast and the circulation of Sandy swept across numerous states, causing tropical storm force winds in the North Carolina and heavy rain in localized areas up through Virginia. Dry air also invaded the circulation of Sandy, creating a narrow ring devoid of thunderstorm activity between the central convection and outer bands. However, this did not weaken Sandy, as the system was exhibiting some subtropical behavior.

Early on October 28, the central pressure of Sandy dropped again as the cyclone deepened further, plunging to a new low of 951 mb. Meanwhile, the cyclone accelerated to the northeast, and gale force winds expanded even further, stretching from North Carolina all the way to Bermuda, and rain bands moved further up the coast, sweeping across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

During the night, Sandy began a highly unusual turn towards the northwest, under the influence of an exceptionally strong high pressure ridge over northeastern Canada. This ridge caused an inversion in the normal path of the jet stream, diverting it so that it doubled back on itself. The cyclone began to be drawn in by this feature, and so curved in the opposite direction that tropical cyclones typically turn.

Meanwhile, as Sandy traversed the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, it actually intensified somewhat, despite being at a fairly high latitude. In addition, the pressure continued to drop. Conditions deteriorated rapidly along the Delaware and New Jersey coastlines that afternoon as the central bands of the cyclone came onshore. Hurricane force wind gusts and storm surges in excess of 5 feet were recorded up and down the coast. Sandy accelerated rapidly that afternoon, and was losing tropical characteristics as its central band became frontal in nature. Early that evening, the system recorded its minimum pressure of 940 mb, and winds of 90 mph.

Shortly afterward, around 7:00 pm EDT, Sandy was recognized as an extratropical cyclone, and the remnants of Sandy made landfall in southern New Jersey an hour later. High wind and occasional heavy rain continued as the low crossed into Pennsylvania late that night and weakened to the equivalent of a tropical storm early on October 30. The low continued westward and weakened, still causing rain and snow in the Appalachian areas until it dissipated on October 31. The remnants still caused shower activity for another few days as they moved northeast away from the United States.

Hurricane Sandy set a new record for the largest Atlantic hurricane, with a gale diameter of 945 miles a few hours before landfall in New Jersey, and was one of the costliest in U.S. history. Sandy caused widespread damage in a large swath extending from Jamaica, through Cuba and the Bahamas, and up the east coast from North Carolina to New England.



Sandy near peak intensity near landfall in eastern Cuba.



Track of Sandy.

The Hydroptere again .......

 

 

 

 

 

The Hydroptère

Alain Thebault does it again. He and his crew have already broken the 50-mph barrier, with a run that topped out at 54 mph (47.2 knots). We are not talking a windsurf here but a full-fledged D-class sailship!

That thing can average a speed of 41.69 knots/h for at least one nautical mile and reach speeds of 44,5 knots/h for at least 500 meters … beating thus two world speed records so far, including the one held since 1997 by the catamaran “Techniques Avancées”. It broke these records in 25-knot winds ... that’s right … meaning that it can speed considerably faster than the wind propelling it. The physics of that just have to be awesome!

It’s called the Hydroptère … a Greek name indicating water and wing … iow … the “WaterWing”.

And it's the fastest sailboat in the world.

Boeing, GECAS Finalize Order for up to 100 737 MAXs and Next-Generation 737s

- Firm order for 75 737 MAX 8s and 10 Next-Generation 737-800s

- Another 15 737-800s could be added

 

 

- 737 MAX momentum continues in the leasing industry

These images are available for editorial use by news media.

SEATTLE, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Boeing (NYSE: BA) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric (NYSE: GE), finalized a firm order for 85 737s, which includes 75 737 MAX 8s and 10 Next-Generation 737-800s. The order, first announced as a commitment at the Farnborough Airshow in July, allows for up to 15 additional 737-800s.


The order, worth $8.4 billion at list prices, further illustrates both the strength of the 737 MAX and the continuing strong demand for the Next-Generation 737 in the airplane-leasing industry. To date, 821 737 MAX airplanes have been ordered.


“The 737 MAX will be a perfect complement to our broad portfolio of modern, fuel efficient aircraft that offer our airline customers the lowest operating costs,” said GECAS President and CEO Norman C.T. Liu.


“GECAS is a leader in the commercial airplane leasing industry with a successful track record of placing 737s with airlines worldwide,” said President and CEO Ray Conner, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The GECAS leadership team will have the same success with the 737 MAX. The airplane will provide passengers with the exceptional flying experience that they have come to expect from the 737 family, but with increased fuel efficiency and technological advancements.”


The 737 MAX is a new-engine variant of the world’s best-selling airplane and builds on the strengths of today’s Next-Generation 737. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. Airlines operating the 737 MAX will see an 8 percent operating cost per seat advantage over tomorrow’s competition.


With this order, GECAS has ordered 580 airplanes directly from Boeing since 1995, which includes 737s, 747s, 757s, 767s and 777s. To date, GECAS has taken delivery of 433 of the airplanes.
About GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS)


GECAS, the U.S. and Irish commercial aircraft financing and leasing business of GE, has a fleet of over 1,710 owned and serviced aircraft with approximately 235 airlines in over 75 countries. GECAS offers a wide range of aircraft types and financing options, including operating leases and secured debt financing, and also provides productivity solutions including spare engine leasing, spare parts financing and management. GECAS, a unit of GE Capital, has offices in 24 cities around the world.
GE works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ge.com

GIUSEPPE MARIO “GM” BELLANCA 1886 – 1960

Giuseppe Mario Bellanca (or GM) immigrated from Italy in 1911 and continued his passion for aircraft design here in the United States.  His aircraft achieved numerous endurance and efficiency records, and his plane Columbia (shown below) 




 

  was  charles Lindbergh’s first choice for a Trans-Atlantic crossing.  Lindbergh was unable to secure the plane, but 2 weeks after that first Trans-Atlantic flightColumbia was flown non-stop from New York to Berlin (3,911 miles).  In 1931, Bellanca’s Miss Veedol was the first plane to fly non-stop across the Pacific from Japan to Washington State (4,500 miles, shown below).



In 1928, Bellanca and Henry B. duPont built an airfield, aircraft plant, and service hangar in New Castle, Delaware.  Located off Route 273 near the Delaware River, the plant produced approximately 3000 aircraft before closing in 1954.

FoBA volunteers are restoring the 1935 Bellanca Airfield service hangar, owned by the Trustees of The New Castle Common. Interested individuals may contact FOBA by email at contact@friendsofbellanca.org for more information or membership data. Friends of Bellanca Airfield, Inc. (FoBA), is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the Bellanca airfield and aircraft manufacturing in New Castle,Delaware. Please: become a member!

 

Bellanca Airplanes

List of Bellanca Achievements












Giuseppe Mario Bellanca was born in 1886 in Sciacca, Sicily. As a young man, he attended the Technical Institute in Milan, graduating with a teaching degree in mathematics in 1908. During his quest for a second mathematics and engineering degree, he became enamoured of aviation, and set out to design and build his own airplane. Bellanca’s first aircraft design was a “pusher” aircraft, somewhat similar to the Wright Flyer. Lacking funds for such an endeavor, he joined with two partners, Enea Bossi, and Paolo Invernizzi. The union of the three produced the first flight of a totally Italian-designed and Italian-built aircraft in December of 1909. Bellanca’s second design, was a tractor-type aircraft. Although the aircraft was successfully constructed, it was never flown due to insufficient funds for an engine.


At the urging of his brother Carlo, who was already established in Brooklyn, New York, Giuseppe Bellanca immigrated to America in 1911. Before the end of the year, he began construction of his third airplane design, a parasol monoplane. After construction was completed, he took the small craft to Mineola Field on Long Island, NY, and proceeded to teach himself to fly. He began by taxiing. He then, taxied faster, which gave way to short hops. The hops got longer, until, on May 19, 1912, there was not enough room to land straight ahead, and Bellanca had to complete a turn in order land safely. Having successfully taught himself to fly, Bellanca then set about teaching others to fly, and from 1912 to 1916, he operated the Bellanca Flying School. One of his students was a young Fiorello La Guardia, the future mayor of New York City. In return for flying lessons, La Guardia taught Bellanca how to drive a car.


In 1917 the Maryland Pressed Steel Company of Hagerstown, MD hired Bellanca as a consulting engineer. While there, he designed two trainer biplanes, the CD, and an improved version, the CE. With the conclusion of WWI, Maryland Pressed Steel’s contracts were cancelled and the company entered into receivership. Thus, the CE never went into production.


In 1921, a group of investors lured Bellanca westward to Omaha, NE, in hopes of establishing that town as a center for aircraft manufacture. Before the aircraft could be built, the company went bankrupt, but construction of the aircraft continued under the financial backing of a local motorcycle dealer named Victor Roos. The resultant aircraft, the Bellanca CF, was called by Janes’s All the World’s Aircraft “the first up-to-date transport aeroplane that was designed, built, and flown with success in the United States.” Among the local people helping to build the aircraft was the daughter of Bellanca’s landlord, Dorothy Brown. Giuseppe and she were married on November 18, 1922.
Despite its advanced design, the Bellanca CF could not compete with the economics of the time. In the days just after World War I, a surplus Curtiss Jenny could be purchased for as little as $250.00. A Bellanca CF, with a price tag of $5000.00, was just too expensive and the aircraft never went into production. After the disappointment of the CF, Bellanca designed wings for the Post Office Department’s DH-4′s. His new wings were a tremendous improvement over the original design, but only a few aircraft were so modified.


In 1925, Bellanca went to work for the Wright Aeronautical Corporation of Paterson, NJ. His assignment there was to develop an aircraft around the new Wright Whirlwind engine. He already had a design in mind, which was an improved version of the CF, called the CG. This design evolved into the Wright-Bellanca WB-1.


The WB-1 enjoyed a short, but successful flying career. The aircraft had already won one race and efficiency contest before an untimely accident destroyed the craft during preparation for an attempt to break the world’s non-refueled endurance record. Fortunately, at the time of the crash, Bellanca was already working on an improved version, of the WB-1 designated the WB-2.

During 1926, the WB-2 won two efficiency trophies at the National Air Races in Philadelphia. Wright considered putting the aircraft into production, but decided against it to avoid alienating other aircraft companies that were potential customers for their engines. Disappointed by Wright’s decision, Bellanca left the company and joined with a young businessman named Charles Levine to form the Columbia Aircraft Company. Wright sold the WB-2 and all drawings and production rights to the new company. The WB-2 went on to a long and fruitful flying career starting with establishing a new world’s non-refueled endurance record of 51 hours, 11 minutes, and 59 seconds in April of 1927.

In the latter half of 1926, Charles Lindbergh wanted to buy the WB-2, now named the ‘Columbia’, for his proposed flight from New York to Paris. He was rebuffed by Levine who also had designs on the flight and the $25,000 prize money. Lindbergh then went to Ryan for his “Spirit of St. Louis”. Meanwhile Levine, in choosing the crew, managed to promise two seats to three people. So while the Columbia was grounded by a court order brought by the third party, Lindbergh took off on his successful flight to Paris.

Eventually, the ‘Columbia’ was cleared of litigation and took off on its successful transatlantic flight on June 4, 1927. In the cockpit were Clarence Chamberlin, one of the pilots of the endurance record and Charles Levine, who became the first transatlantic passenger. The plan was to fly all the way to Berlin, and Chamberlin had vowed to fly until they ran out of fuel. Forty-three hours later, they landed in Eisleben, Germany, the first of two successful Atlantic crossings for Bellanca’s most famous aircraft.

Disappointed because the ‘Columbia’ was not the first aircraft to accomplish the New York to Paris flight, Bellanca severed all relations with Levine, and started his own company, the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation of America, and rented facilities on Staten Island, NY. The new Bellanca model was designated the CH, and was basically a commercial version of the WB-2. The new company also had two other models that were built for special orders, the Bellanca Model J and the Model K.
It was not long before Bellanca caught the attention of the Du Pont family of Delaware. They wanted to start aircraft manufacturing in Delaware, and in late 1927, an agreement was made with Bellanca to locate his factory outside of Wilmington. The site was large enough for a first-class airfield, with a seaplane ramp on the nearby Delaware River.

This was a busy time in Bellanca’s life. Along with all that was happening in his professional life, he and Dorothy celebrated the birth of their son August T. Bellanca in March of 1927.

With the exception of a few years immediately before and during the early stages of WWII, Bellanca was President and Chairman of the Board from the corporation’s inception on the last day of 1927 until he sold the company to L. Albert and Sons in 1954. After his departure from the company, Giuseppe and his son, August, formed the Bellanca Development Company with the purpose of building a new aircraft. It would have increased performance due to the use of lighter materials for its structure. Work on this aircraft was progressing when Giuseppe Bellanca succumbed to leukemia and died on December 26, 1960. After his father’s death, August continued the project, and under his guidance, the aircraft, a record breaker, first flew in 1973.

In 1993, August Bellanca donated his father’s 1920 CF to the Smithsonian along with many personal and corporate papers and correspondence. NASA craftsmen restored the aircraft and it is on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum’s new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington’s Dulles International Airport. The far-sighted, innovative designer and builder of American aircraft, Giuseppe M. Bellanca was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1993, the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame in 1999.

Compiled by Friends Of Bellanca Airfield, Inc.

An Airline Fleet Fueled by Natural Gas

 An Airline Fleet Fueled by Natural Gas

 By MATTHEW L. WALD

At the end of next year, Qatar Airways is scheduled to open a new airport that will include a 25-meter swimming pool and squash courts, among other amenities. But it will also be extraordinary from an energy standpoint because it will pump airline fuel made from natural gas.

Qatar has relatively little oil and vast supplies of natural gas. Oil goes on tankers to distant destinations, but moving natural gas is much harder for the Persian Gulf emirate. So Royal Dutch/Shell built a gas-to-liquids plant called Pearl that makes a variety of liquid fuels.

Qatar is not quite the first out of the box with this approach. That would be South Africa, which was driven to make liquids from coal in the days when its apartheid regime faced trade sanctions and the country could not import oil.Now the country makes diesel and jet fuel from coal because it makes economic sense.

Liquids from coal and from natural gas are similar because the first step in either process is to turn the hydrocarbon fuel into a gas consisting of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. From there, further chemical processing yields hydrogen and carbon combinations that are liquid at room temperature.
In South Africa’s case, environmentalists are horrified because such fuels have a bigger carbon footprint than fuel from ordinary oil because of all the extra processing involved. In fact, it is like an extreme version of the tar sands of Alberta, which Canada turns into a crude oil that environmentalists have been trying to keep out of the United States.


Visiting Washington on Wednesday, the chief executive of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, asserted that the fuel is easier on the environment than jet fuel made from petroleum. First, it has no sulfur and thus does not produce sulfur dioxide, which is a more potent global warming gas than carbon dioxide when emitted at low altitudes. (This is tricky: at higher altitudes, sulfur dioxide reflects sunlight back into space and thus in theory combats global warming.)

Second, the jet fuel from natural gas has slightly more energy per pound than jet fuel from petroleum, so flying a given distance requires fewer pounds of fuel. And the lighter the fuel, the greater the fuel economy, he said.

The airline has four aircraft with Rolls Royce engines, and Rolls has approved the use of the fuel. The carrier has 110 aircraft with General Electric engines, and Mr. Al Baker said that it was still awaiting formal approval from G.E. Rolls may have been faster because it supplies engines to Britain’s Royal Air Force, and the R.A.F. conducted an early study of the synthetic fuel produced by South Africa.

A G.E. spokesman, Rick Kennedy, said the company had already signed off on using the fuel in G.E. engines, however. Engines running on the fuel require less maintenance because they do not produce sulfur dioxide, he said, but the company does not see an advantage when it comes to reducing heat-trapping emissions related to global warming. Still, because the fuel is lighter, “you get a better fuel burn,’’ he said, which results in lower consumption.

A Boeing spokesman, Terrance Scott, said the fuel performs similarly to traditional fossil-based fuels. The company has shown more enthusiasm for innovation in bio-based fuels, though.
The process of making fuel from natural gas “is extremely costly, energy-intensive and has life-cycle issues” that negate some of the benefits from pursuing sustainable fuel options for the broader aviation market,’’ Mr. Scott said. “Qatar has the world’s largest natural gas reserves, so they have been pushing for innovative uses for it,” he noted, and “this is one example that makes sense in that region of the world.’’

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways is lamenting the European Union’s taxes on carbon dioxide emissions by foreign carriers that fly in and out of its airports. Qatar has moved some of its power plants to burn natural gas instead of oil, Mr. Al Baker said, and as a result can assign some carbon credits to the airline.

But he said he was rooting for the United States, which has taken an aggressive stand against the airline carbon taxes in a long-running battle. “We are a small country, and we cannot get into battles

with large countries like the E.U.,’’ Mr. Al Baker said.
“We will let somebody else do our battle, then benefit,’’ he said.
 

 

Boeing Looks To Future Technology Needs In MAX Design

Boeing is preparing for a big shift to advanced satellite navigation systems by adopting 787-style digital displays for the 737 MAX program, which will enable easier upgrades as airlines adapt to evolving air traffic control requirements.

The flight deck upgrade “was an important program decision” made on the advice of the 737 Airline Advisory Board, 737 General Manager and Boeing VP Beverly Wyse said today during a conference call detailing the completion of the MAX program’s “firm concept,” which defines its design and capabilities.

Boeing and CFM in April expect to achieve a design freeze on the centerpiece of the MAX program, the introduction of the fuel-saving CFM Leap-1B engine, following their completion of the basic architecture in September. “We have locked down fan size and stage count,” says Chief Project Engineer Michael Teal.

The Leap-1B development begins with the first engine test expected close to June 2014, followed by a start of flight tests in first quarter 2015. FAR 33 certification of the -1B is expected in the first quarter 2016, providing margin for flight testing in 2016.


Aviation Week has learned those flight tests are set for the second quarter.

Wyse says eight aircraft will be involved in MAX testing, four 737-8s, two -9s and two -7s. Boeing’s model designations follow the basic 737-700/800/900ER that they replace.

Three variants of the Leap’s first two core designs have so far been tested, and three more core designs are expected. “We will be running a Core 4 and Core 5 to look at technology for the future,” says Leap Program Manager Gareth Richards. These cores also will be used to support the GE9X development program for the 777X and evolutionary Leap designs, he says.

Final thrust ratings for the Leap-1B are still open but are expected to be about 28,000 lb., making the powerplant slightly smaller than the 33,000 lb. thrust models CFM is developing for the Leap-1A for the Airbus A320NEO and Leap-1C for the Comac C919. Boeing expects to announce the target thrust “before engine design freeze and before we reach firm configuration on the 737 MAX,” Teal says.
Teal says Boeing’s design team has eliminated a chin bump at the nose-wheel landing gear doors that was previously planned to accommodate a longer retraction mechanism. Using radial tires will help because they take less space than bias-ply tires, he says.

The MAX also will employ a digitally controlled electronic bleed air system from Honeywell that will enable pilots to fine-tune cabin pressurization levels based on the exact number of passengers on board as another fuel-saving measure.

The NG’s mechanical bleed air system is controlled by an on-off switch, but digital controls will enable MAX pilots to save fuel flow based on actual payload requirements, says Carl Esposito, Honeywell’s director of product management.

VP Jeff Standerski says Rockwell Collins “had to buy our way onto the airplane” by proving that its 15.1 in. LCD cockpit displays will offer greater operational efficiencies over the current NG system, which uses 8 in. Honeywell displays.


More important, the displays “set up airlines for the future of air navigation,” he says, because they are easily upgradable for synthetic vision, head-up displays (HUDs) and other system advances. Those upgrades bring higher safety margins for flying in deteriorated weather. Just last week, the Civil Aviation Administration of China approved HUDs for eight main airports and expects to add 58 more by 2015.

Despite its larger size, the “look and feel of the new system” will be similar to the NG’s, Standerski says, enabling the rapid transition for NG pilots to the MAX that airlines want.

DeeP DeeeeP......

Life is quicksand. The people in your life are different objects in your own personal quicksand. You hold onto some and try to haul yourself out while you touch others and instantly sink. Sink deep down till the mud fills your mouth and ears and nose and poof, you're gone.

Taken frame by frame, life is excruciating. In fast forward, life is inconsequential. But we're cool and useless so we take it nice and slow. Life is grim. It is grey. We move slowly and deliberately through it in slow motion. We see our arms and legs leave streaks in the surroundings.We waddle through an invisible molasses, which isn't even sweet. Bastard molasses.

If we had to be suspended in something, it should be lemon jelly. Lemon because it'd be a nice neutral colour and we would at least feel fresh all the time, and jelly because this lovely lady makes it sound so very appealing.

THE PERILS OF SELF PROMOTION: 8 Mistakes of Seminarians & Young Pastors

THE PERILS OF SELF PROMOTION: 8 Mistakes of Seminarians & Young Pastors

THE PERILS OF SELF-PROMOTION: 8 Mistakes of Seminarians & Young Pastors

Delivered to Westminster Seminary, CA- URCNA Students

Text: Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate…So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel (2 Sam 15:2).

The peril of self-promotion in the Christian ministry is nothing new.  Jesus himself had to deal with this problem on numerous occasions in his own disciples.  The Son of God became a servant to seek and to save that which was lost, and before him were his own followers often arguing about greatness, fighting over the best seats, and pushing their earthly agendas upon him for their own glory in the here and now.  Jesus took every opportunity to correct this problem, summarily when he said, “whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matt 20:27-28).”
 

Over the years I have witnessed this problem in the pastoral ministry both in myself and in others.  As I see a new generation of young pastors aspiring to the pulpit ministry, I would like to offer some reflection upon mistakes that are common both to young men training for pulpit ministry and for young pastors.  No one ever warned me of these things, so I hope such a reflection will help us all to remember that our calling is to be servants.
 

 1. I’ve Got A Hero
 

We are used to a Christianity that is full of stars, and the Reformed world has some of the most notable.  Combine personality with a robust theology and you have quite an attraction in our day of mindless Christianity. The Reformed world has really become its own little theological Hollywood, and we unite together around the theological giant who has a name.  While nothing is wrong with appreciating, learning from, and implementing the teachings of godly teachers set apart for our training, this does become a problem when we are trying to become that giant. This easily becomes our identity in our formative years.  We think like, act like, and begin to speak like the success who has influenced us the most. We’re afraid to speak apart from that identity. We feel safe within the personality of the hero we have adopted. What becomes of our homiletic training and preparation? We are emboldened in our preaching in so far as we achieved sounding like our hero.

The danger here is evident.  Not only are we guilty of following Apollos, Paul, Sproul, Piper, Beeke, et al, but we have pushed to the side the real agent of blessing in the Christian ministry, the Holy Spirit.  If the ultimate goal of our training and study is to preach Christ, what good is such preparation if we have forgotten the one who bears witness to Christ, even though we have achieved exegetical accuracy through the lens of our hero?   Hywel Jones summarizes the problem well when he concludes that preaching is today driven by the importance of exegetical accuracy and contemporary relevance, but in our attention to Scripture, has the Holy Spirit been forgotten?

 2. I’ve Become, Look at Me

As time goes on, the new pastor begins to realize that the identity he has adopted isn’t working real well in the ministry itself.  It was good for the seminary days, but for some reason, the draw just isn’t happening out at ground zero.  Where is the interest?  Why did it work for my hero and not me?  What often happens is that pastor begins to search for a new hero, or he tries to develop himself as his own new brand of hero.  If he adopts the former, often an overt shift in theological emphasis occurs with the goal of breaking the perceived stagnation. He adopts Piper's satisfication message, Beeke's assurance emphasis, Sproul's holiness of God recovery. Everything becomes built around one of these themes.

If the latter is pursued, the result will be some kind of pastoral make-over.  Excessive attention is given to books, lectures, speaking engagements, sermons, all with the goal of trying to get people to adopt the pastor himself as their hero.  There is a real danger here of theological narcissism, and radical paradigm shifts often follow.  I’ve been amazed in my short time of ministry how many pastors continue to swing from pendulum to pendulum—low liturgy to high, Chuck Smith to Pope Benedict, belief to unbelief. What is most disturbing is how much public attention is given to these theological shifts, along with the readiness to dissect, debate, and dissemble, in public, the former views once held, and with robust passion.
 

 3. I’m Ready For Debate

Young pastors, especially seminarians, should stay out of, as much as is possible, theological controversies.  As a side note, I also think our churches and seminaries should protect our seminarians from these controversies.  Seminarians are quick to jump into the fight.  I observed recently that a seminary student wrote a chapter in a book on one of the major theological controversies in the Reformed world.  This was poor oversight of this young seminarian and it opened him up to scrutiny before he has even been ordained.  Seminary students have one job, and that is to learn and to be teachable.  Theological controversy will always be around.  Those who are the most humble and teachable in their preparation today will be the greatest defenders of the truth tomorrow.
 

 4. I’m the Vox Dei

In the Reformed tradition we have a high view of preaching.  The one who proclaims the Word of God is sent by Christ to authoritatively declare his will.  But what happens when that Word is not being heard?  What is the pastor to do when, in the middle of controversy, it seems that no one is heeding the admonitions of the Lord?  There is a view of the pastor as the vox dei that is abusive.  In the midst of controversy, it’s easy for the pastor to brow beat the congregation into submission with the added threat that the people are sinning against God if they do not accept lock, stock and barrel everything the pastor says. 
 

Controversy can often so easily warp the pastors sermon preparation that he is unable to think, see, or apply Scripture beyond the controversy.  Never does the pastor stop and ask why, in every sermon, am I coming up with the same applications to the current controversy? When the pastor uses the pulpit this way, he has struck the rock sinfully, and will have the slow effect of losing his congregation. I have seen many a pastor end up defrocked from the ministry for such abuse.
 

5. I’ll Deal With This

The pastor holds an incredible position of power.  He is used to everyone coming to him for the answers.  The young pastor is prone to tackle every single problem in the church. Beware of this, the devil will attack your ministry at the inception with some kind of controversy in the church—a divorce, a mixed marriage, a leadership problem, a discipline case. The pressure for the pastor to get the situation solved immediately, exercise the key of discipline hastily, and take the problem into his own hands is a dangerous one. 
 

My advice to a young pastor is to make a distinction between those things that pertain to your office and those things that do not. With regard to the later, stay out, with regard to the former, lean heavily upon your elders. They are given to shepherd the congregation, and the pastor is sent to minister the Word and assist in the shepherding of the elders. Pastors who are too involved in disciplines cases and in the minutiae of church life will lose their effectiveness in the pulpit.  We are not micro-managers.  We are shepherds.  For this reason, I believe the pastor should not be the one reading discipline statements from the pulpit.  An elder should do this, if only for the sake of the one being disciplined that he will still be able to receive the preaching of the Word.
 

6. You Should Call Me

Seminary is an artificial atmosphere. Here students pick-apart, dissect, and “make perfect” the sermon as they are taught by qualified men who the Lord has set apart for this important task.  The student then takes his well-crafted sermon out to the churches, preaches it over and over until it is perfected.  People approach him after the sermon saying things like, “Wow, you are a great preacher. We would love to have someone like you here.”  They mean well.  The people are generally excited about the fresh new seminarian—his life, his excitement, his passion.
 

After a bit of this, the seminary student begins to take it in.  Everyone has confirmed his gift of being a pastor, there should be no barrier to his receiving of a call.  He begins to think, “Wow, I would love to pastor that church that has received me so well.”  Though not overtly, he is preaching so as to candidate, even though the church has a pastor. He visits, preaches with enthusiasm, and secretly would love to have that pulpit. 

What he has not considered is that the pastor of that was once treated like that too.  He was the young guy on the block, and the honeymoon was really enjoyable. But after years of the warfare, and a current conflict in the church, things have weighed on him.  Pastor is tired. The seminary student and young pastor should realize this dilemma.  Such a praised situation is not the normal life of the ministry.  Be careful not to self-promote when you preach in another pastor’s church.  While you should receive the encouragements from God’s people as a blessing and confirmation of your calling, realize that what you are receiving is not the normal life of the pastorate. 
 

7. Are You Questioning Me?
 

Always be willing to ask for forgiveness and be humble.  If you ever get to the point where you cannot accept or receive any criticism, pride has overcome you.  We will sin and make many mistakes along the way, and the willingness to seek for reconciliation is a big qualification of a servant.  There will always be antagonists in the church, and I believe God allows for these thorns in the flesh to keep us humble. We should see in these thorns a representation of ourselves in how we have treated the Lord, being reminded of his unfailing love for us.

 

I never accepted criticism well in my early years.  A seasoned pastor once reminded me that he was often roasted at the Sunday lunch by his parishioners and that I should get used to this about the ministry, lest I start acting like a cult leader.  I never forgot that advice.
 

8. Here Is How I Do Things
 

Inflexibility in matters of indifferent things will kill your ministry.  Be balanced and never forget why you are doing what you are doing.  The letter to church in Ephesus is one to remember.  They were commended for their doctrinal integrity, but were charged for leaving their first love.

 

What exactly was a leaving of the first love?  Ask yourself, why are you preparing so diligently to become a pastor? Imagine rising early every week to prepare a sermon, working hard, tending to the calling, and forgetting why you are doing these things. Your heart would not be in the work.  This was the problem in Ephesus. It was wonderful they were exposing error, but why were they doing this?  Was it to validate them or was it because they cared deeply for the souls of those who being seduced away into false teaching and things that Christ hates?
 

We can apply this to ministry.  Are we preaching and teaching to validate us, or are we doing all of these things with the goal that every man would be presented perfect in Christ, as Paul states. If it’s the former, we are merely promoting ourselves, if it’s the later; we are servants in the calling Christ has placed upon us.

 

 

B. James Wilson Announces the Release of "Kingdom of Light"

   

 




    Just in time for Christmas, B. James Wilson's latest novel, Kingdom of Light has been released in digital format by Smashwords.com for all e-readers. It is available for download now from Smashwords.com, Apple's iBook Store, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and many other e-book distributers. (Soon to be available in printed form.) Don't miss this amazing story of heroism being called "the back-story to Genesis in the Bible".

    Kingdom of Light is the tale of a demon's dark past as told to Mike Brennan, a NYC fireman who has entered the basement of a burning building to rescue an abandoned child in the predawn hours of 9/11. In that burning basement, Mike confronts a demon who has long been chained in a dark, dungeon oubliette. He is the prisoner of an ancient war that has raged unseen for millennia. Now, Mike's sudden appearance presents the demon with an opportunity for escape. In the course of their encounter, Mike will be forced to face his own dark past. He will be compelled to choose what sacrifice he is willing to make in order to save his own life, or the life of an unwanted child. In the midst of chaos, ancient war and the rush of time, Mike Brennan will be forced  decide who will live and who will die.

About the Author:

    B. James Wilson is the author of a wide variety of fiction. He is an artist, a teacher and student of the Bible, a lover of literature, music, sailing and the outdoors. He grew up in Miami where he spent his summers boating and fishing on Biscayne Bay. His family moved to Florida's Space Coast to become a part of the "race to the moon". There, he graduated from Satellite High School. He has studied at Brevard Community College in Melbourne, the University of Florida, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has traveled extensively and served proudly with the U.S. Navy in Viet Nam. Mr. Wilson now lives with his wife and family in Melbourne, Florida, where he spends his time writing, working and worshiping with friends, all with a thankful heart.

Tropical Storm Tony (2012)

Tropical Storm Tony (2012)

Storm Active: October 22-25

A tropical wave formed in association with an area of disturbed weather accompanying an upper-level low about midway between the western coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles on October 18. This interaction sporadically produced concentrated thunderstorm activity as it moved to the northwest over the next several days.

Atmospheric conditions improved markedly on October 21, and allowed the system to organize rapidly into Tropical Depression Nineteen on October 22. The cyclone began to curve towards the northeast later that day, as a front approached from the west. By late on October 23, convection had developed close enough to the center of circulation that the cyclone was upgraded to Tropical Storm Tony.

Despite shear from the front to its west, Tony experienced modest strengthening as it accelerated to the east-northeast, and the storm reached its peak intensity of 50 mph winds and a pressure of 1000 mb on October 24. Meanwhile, Tony was beginning to exhibit nontropical characteristics; the banding features became more linear, and the circulation elongated. The transition was very gradual, however, and the system remained a tropical storm through October 25, at which time it lost any remaining tropical characteristics and was downgraded to a remnant low.



Tony as a moderate tropical storm moving rapidly to the northeast over the Central Atlantic.



Track of Tony.

Elegant Simplicity - Geometry

Elegant Complexity - Fractal

Visitor: A butterfly lover’s philosophy of life.

As a boy I used to chase butterflies, in the field, and among the woods. My childhood time was literally divided between reading books in the room and searching for the airborne insects in the wild. After some period of field training, I learned all of the butterfly species by heart, so that I could identify which species the moment I saw one flying. Looking back, I think it was a marvelous manifestation of the brain’s ability to apply pattern recognition. What a pity it does not have any practical value in today’s world!

Sometimes, I could not tell what I was looking at, as the butterfly would appear strange and exotic. At such a time, my heart would suddenly throb violently. It could be a new species yet to be discovered by human kind (to discover one was the wildest dream of a boy like myself). The reality was not that exciting, as we all regret to learn. Most of the time, it was just the shades and backgrounds that made the butterfly appear to be different. After a more careful observation, it would turn out to be quite a common species.

From time to time, which was equally exciting, the butterfly would turn out to be a “visitor”. A species not normally resident, but was blown into the area by strong wind, especially after the passage of a typhoon. In other cases, when the butterfly had a strong ability to fly, it could wander on its own into the forest where I was chasing butterflies.

Since I spent so much time chasing butterflies, I think part of my philosophy of life has been formed by interactions with these elegant creatures. In my life, I sometimes catch myself waiting for “visitors”. Some person, event, or phenomenon, that would enter my world only rarely. It is such a pity that visitors do not come so often. But when one does come, it infuses my life with a strange sense of joy and expectancy. It makes me want to run off and venture into an unknown, enchanted kingdom.

In the Element

We've cringed a little bit here on the blog of late when Steve Crist writes about NYRA, and particularly management or the takeout snafu. It just doesn't read right, nor feel right; to me anyway.

In the muddy world of horse racing where everyone seems to be competing with someone else for PP's, Adw's, advertising or whatever, maybe we shouldn't read his shot at Churchill yesterday without a grain of salt, either:

• That is a sharp contrast to Churchill Downs’s new Kentucky Derby qualifying system, which threw the graded stakes system out the window in favor of a corporate-driven marketing plan to boost the importance of races at tracks owned by Churchill while punishing its rivals. The idea that winning the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby is literally 10 times more important than winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is utterly preposterous to anyone not employed by Churchill

But that just feels right. It's like he's perfectly in his element talking about something he's passionate about.  And it is probably "preposterous" that the LA Derby is 10X as important as the Juvy to anyone, passionate or not. It will be interesting to see if some changes are made.

I took some time and watched the discussion linked here, by the former Cabinet ministers regarding the OMAFRA plan for horse racing in Ontario. One thing that cannot be discounted, is these ministers are in their element too.  They described what a government, drowning in red ink, needs from racing, and what they think racing needs in this new paradigm, and new debt-ridden world. They also discuss, succinctly and clearly, what a government considers good public policy and bad, and what it considers a subsidy. Disagree if you'd like, which not surprisingly the commenters on the piece do, but discount it at your peril.

Very few times does a horse have everything - lightening speed, an amazing won-loss record, a racehorse of a generation, and when he or she retires, a huge career at stud. Somebeachsomewhere is in his element in the breeding shed, just like he was on the racetrack. He sires such precocious speed (I am pretty sure if there was a million dollar race in May for two year olds, all the starters would be his), and such fine staying power, that he has captured the hearts and minds of breeders everywhere. Hanover has turned away at least 40 mares this year; some of them likely pretty good ones.

Impediments to Global Simulcasting

An article on Standardbred Canada's website talked about the annual Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming where they discussed issues regarding global simulcasting.  Back when I wrote about this very subject three years ago I thought it was an important untapped market for racing and nothing has transpired to make me feel any different.  As I stated back then, one impediment to maximizing global penetration and revenue is the lack of standardization of past performance information.   

 

While the original article talked about other aspects of globalization, the primary focus was on standardized past performance information.  Since it is still relevant, I am reprinting the article.  This blog entry originally appeared on November 19, 2009.

 

Globalizing the Standardbred Product

 

The future of harness racing is in globalization. We already have globalization when it comes to breeding; yearling buyers from Europe come to our sales to pick up racing stock and there is always a European breeder looking to pick up a stallion or broodmare prospect to improve the breed in their country. The reverse to a lesser degree is true as we have foreign bred stallions such as Revenue standing stud in the States. In Quebec, before the demise of their racing program, French bred horses were imported to race as well as stand stud.

The global movement also comes to the racing side as well. It is not uncommon to see horses from Australia and New Zealand imported to race at North American raceways. International racing has made a come back. While we still don't have a true international event like the old Roosevelt International, WEG and the Meadowlands now have stake races where winners of major European races are invited to compete in some of our major races. In addition to the aged stock, we are now seeing some two and three year old North American bred horses owned by Europeans coming back to our shores to race in some of our stake races, including the Breeders Crown. American horses are also making the trip abroad. We just had Explosive Matter racing in Italy and we regularly send a horse or two to race in the Elitlopp, even occasionally racing in the Prix d'Amerique. Two years ago, Enough Talk not only raced in the Elitlopp, he stayed to race in the Copenhagen Cup. Make no mistake, this is not an aberration. There will be more American horses flying overseas and foreign horses hitting our shores to conduct small racing engagements.

Even more significant to the globalization of harness racing will be wagering. While we are behind the runners in respect to wagering, the day will come where we will have the opportunity to wager on harness racing around the globe and I am not just talking about four or five races from the Prix d'Amerique race card; we are talking full card simulcasting. As we have more horses making the trip overseas or coming from abroad, there will be more interest in the product from other countries as well as interest in the North American product. As track operators, horsemen and ADWs all over the world will be searching for revenue sources; they will be welcoming wagering from foreign sites into their pools on a regular basis and will be looking to accommodate their gamblers looking for action in the morning or late night. The world is open 24 hours a day. As technology continues to improve and it becomes cheaper to carry signals and accept wagers, ADWs and track operators will realize since they have the infrastructure in place, they may as well stay open and increase revenue (think of your 24 hour supermarkets and fast food restaurants).

There is one impediment to global wagering; the lack of standardized racing information. In fact, this is one of the reasons why you are not seeing any large scale simulcasting of standardbred racing from abroad while you already are seeing simulcasting of the runners from Ireland, England, Japan and Australia. Why do you think the V75 and V64 wagers from Sweden have been largely a disappointment in North America? The size of the pools is not the impediment; it is the lack of past performance information. How can any North American gamblers be expected to wager large amounts of money based on this information? In Europe, horses regularly travel between countries to race in major events, yet in some countries, they don't provide past performance information for races held in other countries. We don't need to go past our borders to see some of these problems. Next time you see a horse from another country racing take a look at the program; you will have minimal past performance information for their foreign starts. You don't know the track name, the purse amount, the condition of the race, no running line. You will get the distance, the horse’s race time (the mile rate if you are lucky), the horse’s finishing position and probably the first three finishers. It is hard to figure out what level of competition the horse faced. Don't feel bad, you are not alone. Racing secretaries are just as challenged; this is why horses from down under typically have to race in a set class for a few starts until they manage to determine where the horse belongs.

What is the solution? All the breed registries need to get together and develop a standard reporting process so meaningful past performance lines for each horse can be created for use in a local racing program regardless where the horse raced and which may be accessed by the various breed registries for purposes of creating past performance programs. It does not need to be a complete race line like we have in North America, but enough information to be meaningful to a local handicapper. This is not a nice to have; it is a must do. Failure to provide handicappers proper past performance information in a format they are used to will fatally inhibit the possibility of a meaningful global wagering market. I would suggest the following information be captured at a minimum: gait; date of race; name of track; distance of race in meters (I would suggest in our programs we start listing the distance both in miles and meters for comparison purposes); type of race (stake, conditioned, claiming, under saddle); whether a starting gate was used or not, track condition; race time; horse's final time; mile rate; starting position; finishing position; lengths back, number of starters; top three finishers; if a handicap, the distance of handicap. Consideration should also be given to establishing a numerical rating system which can be used universally to illustrate the level of competition in each race. This is not to say we should eliminate our past performance lines; the new format would be used for horses that raced overseas or foreign races.

The world is a small place. However, unless a standard for past performance reporting is developed, all the technology available will be for naught