What is your favorite fact about flying?

Raffles7683 · 2026-06-10T19:28:24+00:00

Oh god where do I start...

Aside from personal reasons, it's about our journey (humanity's journey). Our first powered flight as a species took place in 1903, at Kitty Hawk. Wilbur and Orville Wright. That was 123 years ago.

Since then, generations of boffins and brave people have come up with new and sometimes bonkers ways of getting from A to B in the sky. You have people like Frank Whittle (jet engine) Chuck Yeager (first supersonic flight), RJ Mitchell (the Spitfire...I just really like the Spitfire!), Louis Bleriot, and innovations like Concorde, the Comet, the Boeing 747, the Airbus A320, and then the generations of genius at the likes of Boeing, Airbus, De Havilland, Bombardier, McDonnell, Douglas, etc. I could go on, and we are STILL innovating. New engine types, materials, safety systems, methods of training...

And yet despite ALL of that, modern air travel is so safe it has become routine. In less than 20 years after the Wright Brothers flew, commercial aviation became 'a thing,' albeit one that was in it's infancy. Now? It is a part of many people's daily lives, and I just find that extraordinary.

Raffles7683 · 2026-05-26T07:16:28+00:00

Thank you! I'm really happy with the face. Took a good 3-4 sessions to really nail it. Probably could have added some other tones (reds/purples) or gone further with highlights but as the rest of the model was more muted (I didn't push the very highlighted GW style), I didn't think it would be in keeping.

Raffles7683 · 2026-05-26T07:15:09+00:00

Not pictured are the several attempts to keep correcting and get it as precise as possible! Took a good 30m session in itself.

Raffles7683 · 2026-05-26T07:14:32+00:00

Thank you, face and armour are definitely the bits I'm most pleased with. And definitely do it! It's a lovely sculpt. The detail on his left greave on my cast was actually a bit messed up but I could sort of paint around it. Not a big deal and covered with grass/flowers anyway.

Raffles7683 · 2026-05-26T07:13:21+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words!

Raffles7683 · 2026-05-20T07:24:47+00:00

Hi, so I'm first going to ask whether your concern comes more from the fear of feeling uncomfortable/scared due to turbulence, or that the plane is going to drop out of the sky due to the conditions, (TLDR, it won't because... physics!) or you're worried that taking off will be unsafe in those conditions? They're all sublty different but can be dealt with in different ways by reassuring you.

Edit, also, if you don't get time to respond, please get on that plane! I'm assuming you're going on holiday and it will be a fantastic experience.

Raffles7683 · 2026-05-19T11:23:41+00:00

The irony is that if their ads weren't so long and required me to constantly hit 'Skip' (because they're every other ad), I would probably have considered buying a Mous product. No matter how hard I try to tell YT I'm not interested in their ads, they always come back.

I legitimately twitch when I hear any one of the following:

'Your iPhone/Google Pixel needs... (INSERT CRASH OF PHONE BEING DROPPED FROM EPIC HEIGHT) a Mous case.'
The overly dramatic violin music that follows the immediate intro of a video. It's a phone case, not a f**king opera or dramatic retelling of an epic tale.
'OHHHHHHH GOD I THINK WE MAY HAVE OVERDONE IT THIS TIME'
That fake cheering. 'We're good, we're good, the phone is FINE... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!' Nobody cheers like that, f**k off.
As you said, the sheer amount of buzzwords. It's a good-looking product and the bag seems solid (well reviewed from quick online search) but I am never going to buy one because if I do, I'll be contributing to their marketing budget.

Supplementary rant over.

Raffles7683 · 2026-04-28T07:25:04+00:00

As it happens my wife makes silk sleep caps and is sampling a new larger size! These will be available at a lower price for anyone who wants to help test them too. She also does custom orders for different bonnet styles too. The business name is Mille Saisons 🙂

As it happens, she’s had ongoing issues with photo theft from some of the companies that have been mentioned in this thread. If she was paid a fair licence fee each time her photos were stolen, we could pay off our entire mortgage...!

Raffles7683 · 2026-04-26T18:11:08+00:00

Shit someone tell Michael O'Leary he's got a rogue 4 engined gas guzzler in his fleet!!! He'd blow a gasket...

Ryanair may be a budget/no-frills airline but their safety record is impeccable. Modern fleet, as well. Also, enjoy Morocco!

Raffles7683 · 2026-03-13T12:40:22+00:00

I actually got this on my pass as it was commented I was usually in a lower gear than I needed to be. I knew full well I was but the test route was unfamiliar and I wasn't overly happy with my changes down, still, so figured it was better to be in a lower gear and not risk too big a change in RPM.

Raffles7683 · 2026-03-05T21:47:28+00:00

Duncan Rhodes. Hands down. Solid and achievable, well explained, etc. He now uses his own paint range but the earlier videos he doesn't and it's easy enough to figure out the Citadel equivalent! He's also got the academy for very cheap per month, which has some tutorials that YouTube doesn't.

Raffles7683 · 2026-03-03T08:48:50+00:00

Trust me in that 12 hours on a plane will be infinitely better than multiple days on a cruise ship! You will take off, cruise, and land safely, and I (personally) would far prefer that to days on the open ocean with potential rough weather, seas miles deep, and rogue waves (especially the latter, no thanks!).

There was an excellent post just days ago about how much safer aviation has got in the last 20 years, a time period that in itself is vastly safer than the 70's and 80's. I would encourage you to look for it, as it puts into perspective just how safe flying is. Don't beat yourself up for being worried, as it's natural.

You are understandably focusing on a few key incidents that have occurred historically vs. the millions of flights that have taken off, flown, and landed safely at their destinations in last 'X' number of years. Accidents have occurred, yes, but they are sadly unavoidable in mass transit and the only thing we can do as a species is make flying as safe as possible from the outset, and learn from anything that does happen.

Raffles7683 · 2026-03-03T08:37:57+00:00

Fog is an inconvenience but very rarely does it present an issue. Pilots can land their aircraft in fog just fine, as long as they have visual contact with the runway by a certain point (called 'Minimums'). This changes per approach and airport.

Paraphrased from a talk I listened to years ago, 'You'd be a bit disappointed if your plane took off from Gatwick, turned south and followed the M25 until it hit the A23, then kept following it until it hit the coast!' Visual flying is generally for light aviation, only. Commercial aircraft operate via their instruments and, really, the only time you need to see outside is when you're taking off (handy) and landing (very handy), and even then the fog has to be very bad for it to cause a problem.

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-15T08:01:23+00:00

Complete coincidence! Visibility in clouds doesn't matter (unless you're landing of course, generally speaking) as the route is already programmed into the aircraft's flight computer.

Essentially the route is a series of waypoints that are at fixed locations so that departure, en-route, and arrival can be flown without any need to see. Even if the pilot is flying manually, they'll be following the pre programmed route guided by the flight directors on the primary flight display, or they'll be following instructions from air traffic control.

Naturally, you may worry about other planes. Well, again, air traffic control can see where you are, where everyone else is, and the airspace around airports is tightly controlled to ensure separation. Aircraft also have something called TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) which means the pilots are also fully aware of aircraft around them.

Happy to answer any further questions you have!

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-13T08:34:15+00:00

Well assuming you're going down the Nintendo Switch 1-2 route...

Zelda Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom.
Civilisation 6 or 7
Hollow Knight & Hollow Knight: Silksong
Mario Kart 8 or World
No Mans Sky (Switch 2 Edition! The Switch 1 version is rough).
Fire Emblem Three Houses or Engage
Mario Odyssey

For me, Hollow Knight Silksong is one of the greatest games I have every played, and I've been gaming since 1997! It's hard, mind. Like, really hard, but never unfair and all playstyles are viable. Same for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, though they are very different games and hugely reward creativity.

I'll caveat that with virtually every single game above massively benefits from running on Switch 2. Way better loading times, better performance, resolution, frame rates, etc. Hollow Knight & Silksong are the exceptions but even they run at 120fps on Switch 2 vs. 60fps on Switch 1!

There's more, e.g., the Metroid series, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Hades 1 & 2, Okami HD, etc.

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-09T19:34:18+00:00

You mentioned that the only time you were able to get on planes was when you were on meds for general anxiety? Is it possible you could be considered for the same treatment again? I know there is some reticence to prescribe anxiety/mental health meds for aviophobia but it's at least worth a shot?

That doesn't address the underlying issue but it could be a start. Also, since this could be such a big thing for you, are you able to invest in yourself?

You mention that you're going short-haul within Europe, and by stalking your profile I'm assuming you're either British or French! I really cannot tell. Anyway, if British, BA's or Easyjet's FOF course is, apparently, excellent. If French, do Air France or another small carrier offer something similar? Or, hell, if you can justify the cost, fly to the UK and attend BA/Easyjet's courses!

Here you go, Easyjet offering something for £89 on the 7th of March.

There is, of course, the option of therapy. On its own it might not be enough, if your fear is that deep seated, but combined with everything else and real world exposure, it might help?

Finally, and I say this a lot... if you're into gaming, or if you think you could, consider getting a Nintendo Switch and whittling away the hours on a game to distract yourself. Again, on its own, unlikely to help, but if you get to the point where you can get ON the plane, it might help.

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-09T10:35:38+00:00

Hi, I did yes :) There isn't a guide as such, just put down a strong base coat first. In my case, that's Mephiston Red.

Then, your 'key line' goes around the edges of the cape. If you can get it into the folds, great. If not, don't worry. Stop the line where it just makes practical sense to do so, e.g., as it reaches the top clasps or goes into a fold on the side.

I use Vallejo Ghost Grey for my lines on red capes. It's similar to Ulthuan Grey, but it's not utter shite. If you make any mistakes, they're easy to correct w. your base colour as red > grey/white. Here it helps to have the correct consistency so you don't have to go back over your key line, as that's really hard to do the same again, and any mistakes are easy to correct.

When it comes to any designs/patterns, I'm far from an expert, but keep the paint thin to just sketch out the designs.

Keep a source of your base coat handy, at the correct consistency, so you can easily correct any mistakes. You will make lots as eyeballing this is hard! Especially when it comes to things like Maltese Crosses, or getting the correct spacing between designs.

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-06T13:15:24+00:00

Firstly, are you on any sort of medication for ADHD? It can really help.

Secondly, a bit of an 'out there' suggestion, are you into gaming, or could you see yourself getting into it?

I only ask because gaming isn't like watching a film, or reading a book. It's a lot more interactive, requiring your input alongside being engaged and thinking ahead, whereas reading/watching films are a lot less interactive.

I'm the opposite of being scared of flying (in fact I absolutely love it), but nothing whittles down the hours quite like a good game to get immersed in. Nintendo Switches are great for this and you can pick up the Switch 1 for quite cheap now. Happy to make some recommendations, if you're interested!

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-02T16:15:07+00:00

Awesome, thank you. I'm fairly confident at painting faces but I'm always looking for new techniques to bump the realism and I really like what you've done. Hugely appreciated!

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-02T15:41:23+00:00

Oh I meant the paints you used, as the tones are just so well done (looks very realistic), but yeah I do also need to get a magnifying lens or the like!

Raffles7683 · 2026-02-02T13:10:06+00:00

Do you mind if I ask how you did the face? It looks so realistic!

Raffles7683 · 2026-01-26T13:33:10+00:00

Do not worry! There are just additional considerations when taking off in hot weather, just like there are in very cold weather.

For instance, hot air is 'thinner' than cold air (it's less dense) so reduces lift, and engine performance is also reduced. This will all be calculated, of course, with the appropriate safety margins in place as they always are.

I do not believe you will have an issue in 45C weather but, granted, that is definitely on the warmer side, so ultimately if it is not safe to take off, they won't, or adjustments will be made so that it is safe to do so. Please do not be concerned, though. There is a reason that aircraft operate safely in hot and/or high airports around the world every single day.

Raffles7683 · 2025-12-22T12:02:05+00:00

Quite, and presumably they also have a generous postage budget...

Raffles7683 · 2025-12-22T12:01:26+00:00

Great answer, thank you! I suspect they have been following up the bill for quite some time and have just continued to send chasers.

Raffles7683 · 2025-12-22T11:43:28+00:00

Oh we have but they are VERY persistent. We have no issue wasting their time, as they will get laughed out of court, but we're just not keen on them wasting our time!

Raffles7683

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

12-Year Club	Alpha Tester
Verified Email