Unpredictability - Good for your health

Our modern life is based on organising an environment free from the unexpected. The house needs to be as stable and reliable as possible. The job as safe as possible. Nothing should break down. Nothing but what we predict, should occur.
This is the life of the zoo animal. Let's explore the life of the Nomad. Let's live the life of the Nomad.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Sunday in Connecticut

I awoke on Sunday fairly early and had breakfast and headed off to Bradley Airport.  There is an aviation museum there I wanted to see.  For some reason I thought it opened at 9.00 am, but in fact opening time was 10.00 am.

http://www.neam.org/


The car park was empty so I made good use of the icy conditions by spinning the car around a few times and generally doing things you are not supposed to do when you are a middle aged man that should know better.  After this I drove to the local Walmart and purchased six spare fuel filters for my van along with a multimeter and petrol cap all for only 42 dollars (26 pounds).  Apart from being so cheap what really surprised me was being able to purchase such items at what is, in essence, the equivalent of Asda in the UK.

Anyway, by the time my shopping spree had ended it was after 10.00 am so I headed back to the museum and paid my entrance fee.  The girl serving wanted my zip code, which sort of made me giggle and I guess it's not often she has to enter a UK post code in the computer.

The first exhibit that caught my eye was a Norden bomb site used during WW2 and I possibly in the Korean war as well.


Although the information card next to this proclaimed it to be a highly accurate bombing device, I read later on the internet that in fact the British tried it and concluded it was next to useless.
Here are a few more exhibits that caught my eye.

A beautiful F-86F Sabre



A Grumman F-14B Tomcat


A Kaman HH-43F Huskie.  I have never seen one of these two rotor helicopters before.  This eliminates the need for a tail rotor.


And here is a beautiful DC3 - the commercial aircraft that bought flying to the general population


I spent a good couple of hours in this great museum.  Heading home I couldn't help thinking about how remarkable us human beings are, to be able to design and build such amazing aircraft.  Unfortunately such contemplation resulted in a lack of concentration and I found myself driving on the left side of the road - normal in the UK but highly dangerous in the US.  After this I pulled into the nearest dunkin store for a coffee and rest.

Already I am getting homesick.  On Thursday morning I will be on English soil again, and this is something I really am looking forward to.


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2 comments:

  1. dawn16 February 2011 at 07:26

    Ok, I admit it!!! I've been delinquent, so to finally make it over here and read that you were on my turf!! What brought you to our country? How was your stay? Wish you could have traveled to the midwest (where I live) and where that "real" snow and cold temps are that I have been boasting about. :)
    Details mr.!!
    ~d

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  2. MDM Searle16 February 2011 at 14:18

    Hi Dawn
    I arrived a week ago Monday and have been working for a company in Bristol, Connecticut. It sure has been hard work, and this is my last job for my present employer. Next week I start a new contract that will allow me to organise my life a bit more. Would have been great to meet up, but I really only had the weekend for personal pursuits.
    PS - I'm sure I saw lots of real snow haha.

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