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Something captivating about old devices. It is indeed a time capsule on the designs of that era; much simpler times, with much simpler devices, but brought true joy. And how we've come, and how we take things for granted nowadays.
Shooting Information:
•Nikon D7200 with MB-D15 Battery Grip
•Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
•Manual Mode
•1/60th @ f/2.8
•ISO 320
•1x Off Shoe Nikon Speedlight SB-910
Off Shoe Flash Information:
•Commander/Trigger: Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander
•Flash 1: Nikon Speedlight SB-910 with Nikon SZ-2TN Incandescent Filter, on the left, pointed towards the subject, 1/128th power
Post Processing Information:
•Phase One Capture One Pro
•Not Cropped
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You are also free to use any of my photos without a fee (except any photos that are portraits of any of my friends or family members), I only ask in return that you credit me, link my Flickr profile, not re-editing any of my shots, and not removing my watermark.
Finally, consider following me! I will certainly follow back! You can never have too many friends!! =]
This image shows the back of the fighter, including the cloaking device.
Kuat Drive Yards' TX-37 I-Wing Starfighter was a uniquely shaped spy craft during the reign of the Empire. Its' slim shape and dark coloration made it difficult to blast in dogfights, and in the event of a serious hit, the swiveling cockpit could detach as an escape pod. Perhaps the most famous I-Wing pilot was the notorious Alterf Skendiv, whose various missions contributed to the Imperial takeover of hundreds of planets. Alterf's personal I-Wing went through numerous modifications, including the addition of a Stygium crystal cloaking device. Sadly, Skendiv's trusty vessel was destroyed in an asteroid collision, but it's rumored that Alterf survived by ejecting in his escape pod.
This ship is my entry into the FBTB Alphabet Fighters contest . I'm up against "B'ob" (AKA the incredible Simply Complex Simplicity) for this round!
TO DOWNLOAD IN FULL QUALITY BY CLICKING "VIEW INFO" THEN "VIEW ALL SIZES"
PRESS AND HOLD PICTURE TO SAVE ON MOBILE DEVICE OR TABLET.
RIGHT CLICK TO SAVE ON A COMPUTER
This clever device is actually chopsticks for those, like me, who have never mastered the art of using real chopsticks. You grasp it beyond where the spring is and you can pick up all sorts of delectable goodies. Will put up the grasp picture in a bit.
…….Btw, I have no clue where I got these- probably a yard sale or donation store! Either here or maybe in the Netherlands when I was visiting my DD.
This gentleman looks sad in this photo but I was able to eavesdrop a bit, and he was just having a normal convo with a friend. I took the picture because of the enormous electronic device on his arm. I see a lot of these as I drift around. What the hell are people wearing on their arms? You could take an EKG with a device this size. Hell you could probably run an airport.
Hello Reddit!!
If you haven't had the PLEASURE of playing portal OR portal 2... YOU ARE MISSING OUT MY FRIENDS. Anyways, I was so enamored with the 50's portion of this second installment that I had to make some designs. Should I play through the game again?
YES.
If you get the chance to visit Double Arch, take a few minutes to climb up under the arches. The view back the way you came is amazing.
Device: Nikon D300. This shot is an HDR. In fact this is my first 'HDR attempt'.
Many people are asking me as to why I tried an hdr here.
Well, I wanted the front of Victoria Memorial to be properly visible in spite of of the sun being at the wrong side. At the same time I wanted to retain the original luminosity of the sun. Thought an hdr will give me the desired effect.
Enjoy the Larger View On White
Everyone has a right to access our public lands, but few of Glacier's trails were created with accessibility in mind.
A first step to addressing limits to accessibility is to identify them.
Glacier and the National Park Service are using tools—like the orange, one-wheeled device a ranger is pictured here using—to evaluate trails in the park using the High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP).
HETAP identifies trail variables: grade, cross-slope, trail width, surface material, and more.
This data allows park managers to prioritize future trail improvements, and allow visitors in the future to make more informed decisions.
Hollywood glamour graces the lens of Nokia’s N8 smartphone device as Pamela Anderson and Ed Westwick star in an amazing new short feature, The Commuter. The film will be shot entirely on the new device and Nokia is also looking for people to star in scenes alongside the Baywatch babe and Gossip Girl heartthrob.
The groundbreaking project is offering the chance to win two amazing main roles within the film, to either be in a bedroom with Pamela Anderson or up close and personal in an elevator with Ed Westwick. To be in with a chance of starring with Pammy or Ed in The Commuter, wannabe stars need to visit www.starwithpam.com or www.starwithed.com
Follow Nokia UK: www.nokia.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nokia.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/nokia_uk
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/nokiauk
Nokia UK – Nokia N8 smartphone: www.nokia.co.uk/find-products/all-phones/nokia-n8
The result of a 'CCBS only' build session with my son for Hero February! There is something uniquely intuitive and inspriring about CCBS for kids, it works perfectly for what it sets out to do - be an accessible system to create characters quickly! My son built the hero while I was on villain duty (of course) and he named his character and we came up with a scenario.
I quote: The hero is called 'Mutt', has lava, fire and plasma powers, is strong (!), and his silver armor pieces are 'instructible'. (sic)
That last bit apparently meant indestructible!
Also, technically a collab?
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When a group of archaeologists brought back an alien monolith from an uninhabited planet to Makuhero City's museum, little did they know it was an ancient containment device for a malevolent being whose body is fluid - and that they inadvertently unsealed it.
When the creature escaped after eons of imprisonment, it occupied another exhibit - an incomplete, ancient suit of armor - and went on a rampage while looking for a more suitable vessel, one it wouldn't be constantly dripping out of.
Rookie hero 'Mutt' was deployed to the location, where he used his lava and plasma powers to subdue the creature and seal it back. At least, most of it...
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More images: www.instagram.com/p/DF6dw7sIjci
This image is a First Day of Issue cover commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight. It features a Colorano "Silk" cachet and the signature of Leonard Greene.
Details of the Cover:
Subject: The cover commemorates the 75th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's first powered flight, which occurred on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Stamp: It features a 31-cent US Airmail stamp (Scott Catalog #C92) issued in 1978, which depicts Orville and Wilbur Wright and a Wright Flyer aircraft.
Cachet: The "Colorano Silk" cachet is a full-color illustration printed on a satin-finish fabric and bonded to the envelope, framed with a gold embossed border. This style of cachet was popular among collectors for its unique look.
The "Colorano Silk" cachet was created by Ray Novak, the founder of Colorano Publishers. The company was established in 1965, initially specializing in maximum cards, before pivoting to first day covers (FDCs) in 1971.
Key Information:
Founder: Ray Novak (b. 1928 in Brooklyn, NY)
Company Name: Colorano Publishers (later Colorano Silk Cachets)
Inception of Silk Cachets: The first official Colorano "Silk" cachet FDC was for the "America's Wool" stamp issued on January 19, 1971.
Process: Inspired by French company Ceres' silk cachets, Novak developed a method to print full-color designs on satin-finish fabric and permanently bond them to envelopes with a golden embossed border. The unique, silky feel of the fabric gave the product its name.
Ownership Changes: Novak ran the company until his retirement in 1995, when he sold it to Paul Schmid. Schmid continued production until 2016, when the company was acquired by Mystic Stamp Company.
Ray Novak created a very popular and distinct style of first day cover that is recognizable to collectors by its unique fabric finish and bright illustrations.
Postmark: The circular date stamp (CDS) cancel is from Dayton, Ohio 45401, dated SEP 23 1978, which is the official first day of issue for this stamp.
Signature: The prominent handwritten signature is that of Leonard Greene. While general first day covers from this era typically have minimal value, an authentic signature could potentially add collector value, depending on the person's notability and the signature's provenance.
Leonard Greene (1918-2006) was a highly impactful American inventor, aerodynamics engineer, and philanthropist known for pioneering aviation safety technologies. He is most famous for inventing the aircraft stall warning device, a critical safety instrument now standard on virtually all fixed-wing aircraft worldwide.
Life and Work:
Aviation Safety Pioneer: Working as an aerodynamicist and test pilot for Grumman Aircraft during World War II, Greene witnessed a fatal stall accident. This led him to develop the stall warning indicator, which alerts pilots when a wing is in danger of losing the lift needed to stay airborne. This device has been called "the greatest lifesaver since the invention of the parachute".
LINK to video - Airplane Stall Warning Device - www.youtube.com/shorts/gCQkMQZz15c
Founder of Safe Flight: In 1946, Greene founded the Safe Flight Instrument Corporation to manufacture and market his inventions. The company became a leader in aviation safety, developing other crucial systems like automatic throttles and wind shear warning systems, which are now commonplace in modern aircraft.
Inventor & Innovator: Holding more than 200 patents, Greene's interests extended beyond aviation. His other inventions included a three-dimensional chess game and a device to help blind painters use musical notes to identify colors.
Philanthropist: Beyond his business success, Greene applied his wealth and expertise to charitable causes. He co-founded the Corporate Angel Network in 1981, a non-profit organization that arranges free transportation on corporate jets for cancer patients traveling to treatment centers.
Connection to Wright Brothers: Greene's signature on the First Day of Issue cover is a meaningful addition, as he was a major figure in the field of aviation safety and innovation, continuing the legacy of the Wright brothers by making flight safer for millions. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1991 for his contributions. LINK - www.invent.org/inductees/leonard-michael-greene#:~:text=L....
1B +1 "Cloaking Device"
1Rd "20mm Stun Gun"
1Y "Twin Rotating Cameras" +1 Spot
Climb
Small
Terrestrial
LDD File: www.dropbox.com/s/s5mrb082civf3js/The-Chameleon-Stunner.lxf
Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. It is also known as the Canadian Falls. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York.
Formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 m (160 ft). During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168,000 m3 (5.9 million cu ft) of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate. Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.
Niagara Falls is 27 km (17 mi) northwest of Buffalo, New York, and 69 km (43 mi) southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls was formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path over and through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean.
Horseshoe Falls is about 57 m (187 ft) high, while the height of the American Falls varies between 21 and 30 m (69 and 98 ft) because of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls is about 790 m (2,590 ft) wide, while the American Falls is 320 m (1,050 ft) wide. The distance between the American extremity of Niagara Falls and the Canadian extremity is 1,039 m (3,409 ft).
The peak flow over Horseshoe Falls was recorded at 6,370 m3 (225,000 cu ft) per second. The average annual flow rate is 2,400 m3 (85,000 cu ft) per second. Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, at least 2,800 m3 (99,000 cu ft) per second of water traverse the falls, some 90% of which goes over Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities and then on to American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. This is accomplished by employing a weir – the International Control Dam – with movable gates upstream from Horseshoe Falls.
The water flow is halved at night and during the low tourist season winter months and only attains a minimum flow of 1,400 cubic metres (49,000 cu ft) per second. Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control. The verdant green color of the water flowing over Niagara Falls is a byproduct of the estimated 60 tonnes/minute of dissolved salts and rock flour (very finely ground rock) generated by the erosive force of the Niagara River.
The Niagara River is an Important Bird Area due to its impact on Bonaparte's gulls, ring-billed gulls, and herring gulls. Several thousand birds migrate and winter in the surrounding area.
The features that became Niagara Falls were created by the Wisconsin glaciation about 10,000 years ago. The retreat of the ice sheet left behind a large amount of meltwater (see Lake Algonquin, Lake Chicago, Glacial Lake Iroquois, and Champlain Sea) that filled up the basins that the glaciers had carved, thus creating the Great Lakes as we know them today. Scientists posit there is an old valley, St David's Buried Gorge, buried by glacial drift, at the approximate location of the present Welland Canal.
When the ice melted, the upper Great Lakes emptied into the Niagara River, which followed the rearranged topography across the Niagara Escarpment. In time, the river cut a gorge through the north-facing cliff, or cuesta. Because of the interactions of three major rock formations, the rocky bed did not erode evenly. The caprock formation is composed of hard, erosion-resistant limestone and dolomite of the Lockport Formation (Middle Silurian). That hard layer of stone eroded more slowly than the underlying materials. Immediately below the caprock lies the weaker, softer, sloping Rochester Formation (Lower Silurian). This formation is composed mainly of shale, though it has some thin limestone layers. It also contains ancient fossils. In time, the river eroded the soft layer that supported the hard layers, undercutting the hard caprock, which gave way in great chunks. This process repeated countless times, eventually carving out the falls. Submerged in the river in the lower valley, hidden from view, is the Queenston Formation (Upper Ordovician), which is composed of shales and fine sandstones. All three formations were laid down in an ancient sea, their differences of character deriving from changing conditions within that sea.
About 10,900 years ago, the Niagara Falls was between present-day Queenston, Ontario, and Lewiston, New York, but erosion of the crest caused the falls to retreat approximately 6.8 miles (10.9 km) southward. The shape of Horseshoe Falls has changed through the process of erosion, evolving from a small arch to a horseshoe bend to the present day V-shape. Just upstream from the falls' current location, Goat Island splits the course of the Niagara River, resulting in the separation of Horseshoe Falls to the west from the American and Bridal Veil Falls to the east. Engineering has slowed erosion and recession.
Future of the falls
The current rate of erosion is approximately 30 centimeters (0.98 feet) per year, down from a historical average of 0.91 m (3.0 ft) per year. At this rate, in about 50,000 years Niagara Falls will have eroded the remaining 32 km (20 mi) to Lake Erie, and the falls will cease to exist.
Preservation efforts
In the 1870s, sightseers had limited access to Niagara Falls and often had to pay for a glimpse, and industrialization threatened to carve up Goat Island to further expand commercial development. Other industrial encroachments and lack of public access led to a conservation movement in the U.S. known as Free Niagara, led by such notables as Hudson River School artist Frederic Edwin Church, landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted, and architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Church approached Lord Dufferin, governor-general of Canada, with a proposal for international discussions on the establishment of a public park.
Goat Island was one of the inspirations for the American side of the effort. William Dorsheimer, moved by the scene from the island, brought Olmsted to Buffalo in 1868 to design a city park system, which helped promote Olmsted's career. In 1879, the New York state legislature commissioned Olmsted and James T. Gardner to survey the falls and to create the single most important document in the Niagara preservation movement, a "Special Report on the preservation of Niagara Falls". The report advocated for state purchase, restoration and preservation through public ownership of the scenic lands surrounding Niagara Falls. Restoring the former beauty of the falls was described in the report as a "sacred obligation to mankind". In 1883, New York Governor Grover Cleveland drafted legislation authorizing acquisition of lands for a state reservation at Niagara, and the Niagara Falls Association, a private citizens group founded in 1882, mounted a great letter-writing campaign and petition drive in support of the park. Professor Charles Eliot Norton and Olmsted were among the leaders of the public campaign, while New York Governor Alonzo Cornell opposed.
Preservationists' efforts were rewarded on April 30, 1885, when Governor David B. Hill signed legislation creating the Niagara Reservation, New York's first state park. New York State began to purchase land from developers, under the charter of the Niagara Reservation State Park. In the same year, the province of Ontario established the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park for the same purpose. On the Canadian side, the Niagara Parks Commission governs land usage along the entire course of the Niagara River, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
In 1887, Olmsted and Calvert Vaux issued a supplemental report detailing plans to restore the falls. Their intent was "to restore and conserve the natural surroundings of the Falls of Niagara, rather than to attempt to add anything thereto", and the report anticipated fundamental questions, such as how to provide access without destroying the beauty of the falls, and how to restore natural landscapes damaged by man. They planned a park with scenic roadways, paths and a few shelters designed to protect the landscape while allowing large numbers of visitors to enjoy the falls. Commemorative statues, shops, restaurants, and a 1959 glass and metal observation tower were added later. Preservationists continue to strive to strike a balance between Olmsted's idyllic vision and the realities of administering a popular scenic attraction.
Preservation efforts continued well into the 20th century. J. Horace McFarland, the Sierra Club, and the Appalachian Mountain Club persuaded the United States Congress in 1906 to enact legislation to preserve the falls by regulating the waters of the Niagara River. The act sought, in cooperation with the Canadian government, to restrict diversion of water, and a treaty resulted in 1909 that limited the total amount of water diverted from the falls by both nations to approximately 56,000 cubic feet per second (1,600 m3/s). That limitation remained in effect until 1950.
Erosion control efforts have always been of importance. Underwater weirs redirect the most damaging currents, and the top of the falls has been strengthened. In June 1969, the Niagara River was completely diverted from American Falls for several months through construction of a temporary rock and earth dam. During this time, two bodies were removed from under the falls, including a man who had been seen jumping over the falls, and the body of a woman, which was discovered once the falls dried. While Horseshoe Falls absorbed the extra flow, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studied the riverbed and mechanically bolted and strengthened any faults they found; faults that would, if left untreated, have hastened the retreat of American Falls. A plan to remove the huge mound of talus deposited in 1954 was abandoned owing to cost, and in November 1969, the temporary dam was dynamited, restoring flow to American Falls. Even after these undertakings, Luna Island, the small piece of land between the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, remained off limits to the public for years owing to fears that it was unstable and could collapse into the gorge.
Commercial interests have continued to encroach on the land surrounding the state park, including the construction of several tall buildings (most of them hotels) on the Canadian side. The result is a significant alteration and urbanisation of the landscape. One study found that the tall buildings changed the breeze patterns and increased the number of mist days from 29 per year to 68 per year, but another study disputed this idea.
In 2013, New York State began an effort to renovate Three Sisters Islands located south of Goat Island. Funds were used from the re-licensing of the New York Power Authority hydroelectric plant downriver in Lewiston, New York, to rebuild walking paths on the Three Sisters Islands and to plant native vegetation on the islands. The state also renovated the area around Prospect Point at the brink of American Falls in the state park.
Toponymy
Theories differ as to the origin of the name of the falls. The Native American word Ongiara means thundering water; The New York Times used this in 1925. According to Iroquoian scholar Bruce Trigger, Niagara is derived from the name given to a branch of the local native Neutral Confederacy, who are described as the Niagagarega people on several late-17th-century French maps of the area. According to George R. Stewart, it comes from the name of an Iroquois town called Onguiaahra, meaning "point of land cut in two". In 1847, an Iroquois interpreter stated that the name came from Jaonniaka-re, meaning "noisy point or portage". To Mohawks, the name refers to "the neck", pronounced "onyara"; the portage or neck of land between lakes Erie and Ontario onyara.
History
Many figures have been suggested as first circulating a European eyewitness description of Niagara Falls. The Frenchman Samuel de Champlain visited the area as early as 1604 during his exploration of what is now Canada, and members of his party reported to him the spectacular waterfalls, which he described in his journals. The first description of the falls is credited to Belgian missionary, Father Louis Hennepin in 1677, after traveling with the explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, thus bringing the falls to the attention of Europeans. French Jesuit missionary Paul Ragueneau likely visited the falls some 35 years before Hennepin's visit while working among the Huron First Nation in Canada. Jean de Brébeuf also may have visited the falls, while spending time with the Neutral Nation. The Finnish-Swedish naturalist Pehr Kalm explored the area in the early 18th century and is credited with the first scientific description of the falls. In 1762, Captain Thomas Davies, a British Army officer and artist, surveyed the area and painted the watercolor, An East View of the Great Cataract of Niagara, the first eyewitness painting of the falls.
During the 19th century, tourism became popular, and by the mid-century, it was the area's main industry. Theodosia Burr Alston (daughter of Vice President Aaron Burr) and her husband Joseph Alston were the first recorded couple to honeymoon there in 1801. Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Jérôme visited with his bride in the early 19th century. In 1825, British explorer John Franklin visited the falls while passing through New York en route to Cumberland House as part of his second Arctic expedition, calling them "so justly celebrated as the first in the world for grandeur".
In 1843, Frederick Douglass joined the American Anti-Slavery Society's "One Hundred Conventions" tour throughout New York and the midwest. Sometime on this tour, Douglass visited Niagara Falls and wrote a brief account of the experience: "When I came into its awful presence the power of discription failed me, an irrisistible power closed my lips." Being on the Canadian border, Niagara Falls was on one of the routes of the Underground Railroad. The falls were also a popular tourist attraction for Southern slaveowners, who would bring their enslaved workers on the trip. "Many a time the trusted body-servant, or slave-girl, would leave master or mistress in the discharge of some errand, and never come back." This sometimes led to conflict. Early town father Peter Porter assisted slavecatchers in finding runaway slaves, even leading, in the case of runaway Solomon Moseby, to a riot in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. Much of this history is memorialized in the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center. After the American Civil War, the New York Central Railroad publicized Niagara Falls as a focus of pleasure and honeymoon visits. After World War II, the auto industry, along with local tourism boards, began to promote Niagara honeymoons.
In about 1840, the English industrial chemist Hugh Lee Pattinson traveled to Canada, stopping at Niagara Falls long enough to make the earliest known photograph of the falls, a daguerreotype in the collection of Newcastle University. It was once believed that the small figure standing silhouetted with a top hat was added by an engraver working from imagination as well as the daguerreotype as his source, but the figure is clearly present in the photograph. Because of the very long exposure required, of ten minutes or more, the figure is assumed by Canada's Niagara Parks agency to be Pattinson. The image is left-right inverted and taken from the Canadian side. Pattinson made other photographs of Horseshoe Falls; these were then transferred to engravings to illustrate Noël Marie Paymal Lerebours' Excursions Daguerriennes (Paris, 1841–1864).[55]
On August 6, 1918, an iron scow became stuck on the rocks above the falls. The two men on the scow were rescued, but the vessel remained trapped on rocks in the river, and is still visible there in a deteriorated state, although its position shifted by 50 meters (160 ft) during a storm on October 31, 2019. Daredevil William "Red" Hill Sr. was particularly praised for his role in the rescue.
After the First World War, tourism boomed as automobiles made getting to the falls much easier. The story of Niagara Falls in the 20th century is largely that of efforts to harness the energy of the falls for hydroelectric power, and to control the development on both sides that threaten the area's natural beauty. Before the late 20th century, the northeastern end of Horseshoe Falls was in the United States, flowing around the Terrapin Rocks, which were once connected to Goat Island by a series of bridges. In 1955, the area between the rocks and Goat Island was filled in, creating Terrapin Point. In the early 1980s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filled in more land and built diversion dams and retaining walls to force the water away from Terrapin Point. Altogether, 400 ft (120 m) of Horseshoe Falls were eliminated, including 100 ft (30 m) on the Canadian side. According to author Ginger Strand, the Horseshoe Falls is now entirely in Canada. Other sources say "most of" Horseshoe Falls is in Canada.
The only recorded freeze-up of the river and falls was caused by an ice jam on March 29, 1848. No water (or at best a trickle) fell for as much as 40 hours. Waterwheels stopped, and mills and factories shut down for having no power. In 1912, American Falls was completely frozen, but the other two falls kept flowing. Although the falls commonly ice up most winters, the river and the falls do not freeze completely. The years 1885, 1902, 1906, 1911, 1932, 1936, 2014, 2017 and 2019 are noted for partial freezing of the falls. A so-called ice bridge was common in certain years at the base of the falls and was used by people who wanted to cross the river before bridges had been built. During some winters, the ice sheet was as thick as 40 to 100 feet (12 to 30 m), but that thickness has not occurred since 1954. The ice bridge of 1841 was said to be at least 100 feet thick. On February 12, 1912, the ice bridge which had formed on January 15 began breaking up while people were still on it. Many escaped, but three died during the event, later named the Ice Bridge Tragedy.
Bridge crossings
A number of bridges have spanned the Niagara River in the general vicinity of the falls. The first, not far from the whirlpool, was a suspension bridge above the gorge. It opened for use by the public in July 1848 and remained in use until 1855. A second bridge in the Upper Falls area was commissioned, with two levels or decks, one for use by the Great Western Railway. This Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge opened in 1855. It was used by conductors on the Underground Railroad to escort runaway slaves to Canada. In 1882, the Grand Trunk Railway took over control of the second deck after it absorbed the Great Western company. Significant structural improvements were made in the late 1870s and then in 1886; this bridge remained in use until 1897.
Because of the volume of traffic, the decision was made to construct a new arch bridge nearby, under and around the existing bridge. After it opened in September 1897, a decision was made to remove and scrap the railway suspension bridge. This new bridge was initially known as the Niagara Railway Arch, or Lower Steel Arch Bridge; it had two decks, the lower one used for carriages and the upper for trains. In 1937, it was renamed the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge and remains in use today. All of the structures built up to that time were referred to as Lower Niagara bridges and were some distance from the falls.
The first bridge in the so-called Upper Niagara area (closer to the falls) was a two-level suspension structure that opened in January 1869; it was destroyed during a severe storm in January 1889. The replacement was built quickly and opened in May 1889. In order to handle heavy traffic, a second bridge was commissioned, slightly closer to American Falls. This one was a steel bridge and opened to traffic in June 1897; it was known as the Upper Steel Arch Bridge but was often called the Honeymoon Bridge. The single level included a track for trolleys and space for carriages and pedestrians. The design led to the bridge being very close to the surface of the river and in January 1938, an ice jam twisted the steel frame of the bridge which later collapsed on January 27, 1938.
Another Lower Niagara bridge had been commissioned in 1883 by Cornelius Vanderbilt for use by railways at a location roughly approximately 200 feet south of the Railway Suspension Bridge. This one was of an entirely different design; it was a cantilever bridge to provide greater strength. The Niagara Cantilever Bridge had two cantilevers which were joined by steel sections; it opened officially in December 1883, and improvements were made over the years for a stronger structure. As rail traffic was increasing, the Michigan Central Railroad company decided to build a new bridge in 1923, to be located between the Lower Steel Arch Bridge and the Cantilever Bridge. The Michigan Central Railway Bridge opened in February 1925 and remained in use until the early 21st century. The Cantilever Bridge was removed and scrapped after the new rail bridge opened. Nonetheless, it was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame in 2006.
There was a lengthy dispute as to which agency should build the replacement for the Niagara Railway Arch, or Lower Steel Arch Bridge in the Upper Niagara area. When that was resolved, construction of a steel bridge commenced in February 1940. Named the Rainbow Bridge, and featuring two lanes for traffic separated by a barrier, it opened in November 1941 and remains in use today.
Industry and commerce
The enormous energy of Niagara Falls has long been recognized as a potential source of power. The first known effort to harness the waters was in 1750, when Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the falls to power his sawmill. Augustus and Peter Porter purchased this area and all of American Falls in 1805 from the New York state government, and enlarged the original canal to provide hydraulic power for their gristmill and tannery. In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company was chartered, which eventually constructed the canals that would be used to generate electricity. In 1881, under the leadership of Jacob F. Schoellkopf, the Niagara River's first hydroelectric generating station was built. The water fell 86 feet (26 m) and generated direct current electricity, which ran the machinery of local mills and lit up some of the village streets.
The Niagara Falls Power Company, a descendant of Schoellkopf's firm, formed the Cataract Company headed by Edward Dean Adams, with the intent of expanding Niagara Falls' power capacity. In 1890, a five-member International Niagara Commission headed by Sir William Thomson among other distinguished scientists deliberated on the expansion of Niagara hydroelectric capacity based on seventeen proposals but could not select any as the best combined project for hydraulic development and distribution. In 1893, Westinghouse Electric (which had built the smaller-scale Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant near Ophir, Colorado, two years earlier) was hired to design a system to generate alternating current on Niagara Falls, and three years after that a large-scale AC power system was created (activated on August 26, 1895). The Adams Power Plant Transformer House remains as a landmark of the original system.
By 1896, financing from moguls including J. P. Morgan, John Jacob Astor IV, and the Vanderbilts had fueled the construction of giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of 100,000 horsepower (75 MW), sent as far as Buffalo, 20 mi (32 km) away. Some of the original designs for the power transmission plants were created by the Swiss firm Faesch & Piccard, which also constructed the original 5,000 hp (3.7 MW) waterwheels. Private companies on the Canadian side also began to harness the energy of the falls. The Government of Ontario eventually brought power transmission operations under public control in 1906, distributing Niagara's energy to various parts of the Canadian province.
Other hydropower plants were being built along the Niagara River. But in 1956, disaster struck when the region's largest hydropower station was partially destroyed in a landslide. This drastically reduced power production and put tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs at stake. In 1957, Congress passed the Niagara Redevelopment Act, which granted the New York Power Authority the right to fully develop the United States' share of the Niagara River's hydroelectric potential.
In 1961, when the Niagara Falls hydroelectric project went online, it was the largest hydropower facility in the Western world. Today, Niagara is still the largest electricity producer in New York state, with a generating capacity of 2.4 GW. Up to 1,420 cubic metres (380,000 US gal) of water per second is diverted from the Niagara River through conduits under the city of Niagara Falls to the Lewiston and Robert Moses power plants. Currently between 50% and 75% of the Niagara River's flow is diverted via four huge tunnels that arise far upstream from the waterfalls. The water then passes through hydroelectric turbines that supply power to nearby areas of Canada and the United States before returning to the river well past the falls. When electrical demand is low, the Lewiston units can operate as pumps to transport water from the lower bay back up to the plant's reservoir, allowing this water to be used again during the daytime when electricity use peaks. During peak electrical demand, the same Lewiston pumps are reversed and become generators.
To preserve Niagara Falls' natural beauty, a 1950 treaty signed by the U.S. and Canada limited water usage by the power plants. The treaty allows higher summertime diversion at night when tourists are fewer and during the winter months when there are even fewer tourists. This treaty, designed to ensure an "unbroken curtain of water" flowing over the falls, states that during daylight time during the tourist season (April 1 to October 31) there must be 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,800 m3/s) of water flowing over the falls, and during the night and off-tourist season there must be 50,000 cubic feet per second (1,400 m3/s) of water flowing over the falls. This treaty is monitored by the International Niagara Board of Control, using a NOAA gauging station above the falls. During winter, the Power Authority of New York works with Ontario Power Generation to prevent ice on the Niagara River from interfering with power production or causing flooding of shoreline property. One of their joint efforts is an 8,800-foot-long (2,700 m) ice boom, which prevents the buildup of ice, yet allows water to continue flowing downstream. In addition to minimum water volume, the crest of Horseshoe falls was reduced to maintain an uninterrupted "curtain of water".
In August 2005, Ontario Power Generation, which is responsible for the Sir Adam Beck stations, started a major civil engineering project, called the Niagara Tunnel Project, to increase power production by building a new 12.7-metre (42 ft) diameter, 10.2-kilometre-long (6.3 mi) water diversion tunnel. It was officially placed into service in March 2013, helping to increase the generating complex's nameplate capacity by 150 megawatts. It did so by tapping water from farther up the Niagara River than was possible with the preexisting arrangement. The tunnel provided new hydroelectricity for approximately 160,000 homes.
Transport
Ships can bypass Niagara Falls by means of the Welland Canal, which was improved and incorporated into the Saint Lawrence Seaway in the mid-1950s. While the seaway diverted water traffic from nearby Buffalo and led to the demise of its steel and grain mills, other industries in the Niagara River valley flourished with the help of the electric power produced by the river. However, since the 1970s the region has declined economically.
The cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and Niagara Falls, New York, United States, are connected by two international bridges. The Rainbow Bridge, just downriver from the falls, affords the closest view of the falls and is open to non-commercial vehicle traffic and pedestrians. The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge lies one mile (1.6 km) north of the Rainbow Bridge and is the oldest bridge over the Niagara River. Nearby Niagara Falls International Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport were named after the waterfall, as were Niagara University, countless local businesses, and even an asteroid.
Over the falls
The first recorded publicity stunt using the Falls was the wreck of the schooner Michigan in 1827. Local hotel owners acquired a former Lake Erie freighter, loaded it with animals and effigies of people, towed it to a spot above the falls and let it plunge over the brink. Admission of fifty cents was charged.
In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived; this began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the falls. Englishman Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel, drowned in 1883 trying to swim the rapids downriver from the falls.
On October 24, 1901, 63-year-old Michigan school teacher Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but otherwise unharmed. Soon after exiting the barrel, she said, "No one ought ever do that again." Days before Taylor's attempt, her domestic cat was sent over the falls in her barrel to test its strength. The cat survived the plunge unharmed and later posed with Taylor in photographs. Since Taylor's historic ride, over a dozen people have intentionally gone over the falls in or on a device, despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors face charges and stiff fines, as it is now illegal, on both sides of the border, to attempt to go over the falls. Charles Stephens, a 58-year-old barber from Bristol, England, went over the falls in a wooden barrel in July 1920 and was the first person to die in an endeavor of this type. Bobby Leach went over Horseshoe Falls in a crude steel barrel in 1911 and needed rescuing by William "Red" Hill Sr. Hill again came to the rescue of Leach following his failed attempt to swim the Niagara Gorge in 1920. In 1928, "Smiling Jean" Lussier tried an entirely different concept, going over the falls in a large rubber ball; he was successful and survived the ordeal.
Annie Edson Taylor posing with her wooden barrel (1901)
In the "Miracle at Niagara", on July 9, 1960, Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old American boy, was swept over Horseshoe Falls after the boat in which he was cruising lost power; two tourists pulled his 17-year-old sister Deanne from the river only 20 ft (6.1 m) from the lip of the Horseshoe Falls at Goat Island. Minutes later, Woodward was plucked from the roiling plunge pool beneath Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a life ring thrown to him by the crew of the Maid of the Mist boat. The children's uncle, Jim Honeycutt, who had been steering the boat, was swept over the edge to his death.
On July 2, 1984, Canadian Karel Soucek from Hamilton, Ontario, plunged over Horseshoe Falls in a barrel with only minor injuries. Soucek was fined $500 for performing the stunt without a license. In 1985, he was fatally injured while attempting to re-create the Niagara drop at the Houston Astrodome. His aim was to climb into a barrel hoisted to the rafters of the Astrodome and to drop 180 ft (55 m) into a water tank on the floor. After his barrel released prematurely, it hit the side of the tank, and he died the next day from his injuries.
In August 1985, Steve Trotter, an aspiring stuntman from Rhode Island, became the youngest person ever (age 22) and the first American in 25 years to go over the falls in a barrel. Ten years later, Trotter went over the falls again, becoming the second person to go over the falls twice and survive. It was also the second "duo"; Lori Martin joined Trotter for the barrel ride over the falls. They survived the fall, but their barrel became stuck at the bottom of the falls, requiring a rescue.
On September 28, 1989, Niagara natives Peter DeBernardi and Jeffery James Petkovich became the first "team" to make it over the falls in a two-person barrel. The stunt was conceived by DeBenardi, who wanted to discourage youth from following in his path of addictive drug use. The pair emerged shortly after going over with minor injuries and were charged with performing an illegal stunt under the Niagara Parks Act.
On June 5, 1990, Jesse Sharp, a whitewater canoeist from Tennessee paddled over the falls in a closed deck canoe. He chose not to wear a helmet to make his face more visible for photographs of the event. He also did not wear a life vest because he believed it would hinder his escape from the hydraulics at the base of the falls. His boat flushed out of the falls, but his body was never found. On September 27, 1993, John "David" Munday, of Caistor Centre, Ontario, completed his second journey over the falls. On October 1, 1995, Robert Douglas "Firecracker" Overacker went over the falls on a Jet Ski to raise awareness for the homeless. His rocket-propelled parachute failed to open and he plunged to his death. Overacker's body was recovered before he was pronounced dead at Niagara General Hospital.
Kirk Jones of Canton, Michigan, became the first known person to survive a plunge over Horseshoe Falls without a flotation device on October 20, 2003. According to some reports, Jones had attempted to commit suicide, but he survived the fall with only battered ribs, scrapes, and bruises. Jones tried going over the falls again in 2017, using a large inflatable ball, but died in the process. Later reports revealed that Jones had arranged for a friend to shoot video clips of his stunt.
On March 11, 2009, a man survived an unprotected trip over Horseshoe Falls. When rescued from the river he suffered from severe hypothermia and a large wound to his head. His identity was never released. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the man intentionally enter the water. On May 21, 2012, an unidentified man became the fourth person to survive an unprotected trip over Horseshoe Falls. Eyewitness reports show he "deliberately jumped" into the Niagara River after climbing over a railing. On July 8, 2019, at roughly 4 am, officers responded to a report of a person in crisis at the brink of the Canadian side of the falls. Once officers got to the scene, the man climbed the retaining wall, jumped into the river and went over Horseshoe Falls. Authorities subsequently began to search the lower Niagara River basin, where the man was found alive but injured sitting on the rocks at the water's edge.
Tightrope walkers
Tightrope walkers drew huge crowds to witness their exploits. Their wires ran across the gorge, near the current Rainbow Bridge, not over the waterfall. Jean François "Blondin" Gravelet was the first to cross Niagara Gorge on June 30, 1859, and did so again eight times that year. His most difficult crossing occurred on August 14, when he carried his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back.[114] His final crossing, on September 8, 1860, was witnessed by the Prince of Wales. Author Ginger Strand argues that these performances may have had symbolic meanings at the time relating to slavery and abolition.
Between 1859 and 1896 a wire-walking craze emerged, resulting in frequent feats over the river below the falls. One inexperienced walker slid down his safety rope. Only one man fell to his death, at night and under mysterious circumstances, at the anchoring place for his wire.
Maria Spelterini, a 23-year-old Italian was the first and only woman to cross the Niagara River gorge; she did so on a tightrope on July 8, 1876. She repeated the stunt several times during the same month. During one crossing she was blindfolded and during another, her ankles and wrists were handcuffed.
Among the many competitors was Ontario's William Hunt, who billed himself as "The Great Farini"; his first crossing was in 1860. Farini competed with Blondin in performing outrageous stunts over the gorge. On August 8, 1864, however, an attempt failed and he needed to be rescued.
On June 15, 2012, high wire artist Nik Wallenda became the first person to walk across the falls area in 116 years, after receiving special permission from both governments. The full length of his tightrope was 1,800 feet (550 m). Wallenda crossed near the brink of Horseshoe Falls, unlike walkers who had crossed farther downstream. According to Wallenda, it was the longest unsupported tightrope walk in history. He carried his passport on the trip and was required to present it upon arrival on the Canadian side of the falls.
Tourism
A ring-billed gull flies by a rainbow over the Horseshoe Falls
Peak visitor traffic occurs in the summertime, when Niagara Falls is both a daytime and evening attraction. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). The number of visitors in 2007 was expected to total 20 million, and by 2009 the annual rate was expected to top 28 million tourists.
The oldest and best known tourist attraction at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, named for an alleged ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, which has carried passengers into the rapids immediately below the falls since 1846. Cruise boats operate from boat docks on both sides of the falls, with the Maid of the Mist operating from the American side and Hornblower Cruises (originally Maid of the Mist until 2014) from the Canadian side. In 1996, Native American groups threatened to boycott the boat companies if they would not stop playing what they said was a fake story on their boats. The Maid of the Mist dropped the audio.
From the U.S. side, American Falls can be viewed from walkways along Prospect Point Park, which also features the Prospect Point Observation Tower and a boat dock for the Maid of the Mist. Goat Island offers more views of the falls and is accessible by foot and automobile traffic by bridge above American Falls. From Goat Island, the Cave of the Winds is accessible by elevator and leads hikers to a point beneath Bridal Veil Falls. Also on Goat Island are the Three Sisters Islands, the Power Portal where a statue of Nikola Tesla (the inventor whose patents for the AC induction motor and other devices for AC power transmission helped make the harnessing of the falls possible) can be seen, and a walking path that enables views of the rapids, the Niagara River, the gorge, and all of the falls. Most of these attractions lie within the Niagara Falls State Park.
The Niagara Scenic Trolley offers guided trips along American Falls and around Goat Island. Panoramic and aerial views of the falls can also be viewed by helicopter. The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center showcases the natural and local history of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge. A casino and luxury hotel was opened in Niagara Falls, New York, by the Seneca Indian tribe. The Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel occupies the former Niagara Falls Convention Center. The new hotel is the first addition to the city's skyline since completion of the United Office Building in the 1920s.
On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park features manicured gardens, platforms offering views of American, Bridal Veil, and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms that yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. Along the Niagara River, the Niagara River Recreational Trail runs 35 mi (56 km) from Fort Erie to Fort George, and includes many historical sites from the War of 1812.
The observation deck of the nearby Skylon Tower offers the highest view of the falls, and in the opposite direction gives views as far as Toronto. Along with the Tower Hotel (built as the Seagrams Tower, later renamed the Heritage Tower, the Royal Inn Tower, the Royal Center Tower, the Panasonic Tower, the Minolta Tower, and most recently the Konica Minolta Tower before receiving its current name in 2010), it is one of two towers in Canada with a view of the falls. The Whirlpool Aero Car, built in 1916 from a design by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo, is a cable car that takes passengers over the Niagara Whirlpool on the Canadian side. The Journey Behind the Falls consists of an observation platform and series of tunnels near the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. There are two casinos on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.
Touring by helicopter over the falls, from both the US and the Canadian side, was described by The New York Times as still popular a year after a serious crash. Although The New York Times had long before described attempting to tour the falls as "bent on suicide" and despite a number of fatal crashes, the "as many as 100 eight-minute rides each day" are hard to regulate; two countries and various government agencies would have to coordinate. These flights have been available "since the early 1960s."
Prior to World War II and the invention of radar, acoustic mirrors were built as early warning devices around the coasts of Great Britain, with the aim of detecting incoming enemy aircraft by the sound of their engines. The most famous of these devices still stand at Denge on the Dungeness peninsula and at Hythe in Kent. Other examples exist in other parts of Britain (including Sunderland, Redcar, Boulby, Kilnsea) and Selsey Bill, and Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq in Malta. The Maltese sound mirror is known locally as "the ear" (il-Widna) and appears to be the only sound mirror built outside Great Britain.
Acoustic mirrors at Denge
The Dungeness mirrors, known colloquially as the "listening ears", consist of three large concrete reflectors built in the 1920s–1930s. Their experimental nature can be discerned by the different shapes of each of the three reflectors: one is a long, curved wall about 5 m high by 70 m long, while the other two are dish-shaped constructions approximately 4–5 m in diameter. Microphones placed at the foci of the reflectors enabled a listener to detect the sound of aircraft far out over the English Channel. The reflectors are not parabolic, but are actually spherical mirrors.[1] Spherical mirrors may be used for direction finding by moving the sensor rather than the mirror; another unusual example is the Arecibo Observatory.
Acoustic mirrors had a limited effectiveness, and the increasing speed of aircraft in the 1930s meant that they would already be too close to deal with by the time they had been detected. The development of radar put an end to further experimentation with the technique. Nevertheless, there were long-lasting benefits. The acoustic mirror programme, led by Dr William Sansome Tucker, had given Britain the methodology to use interconnected stations to pin point the position of an enemy in the sky. The system they developed for linking the stations and plotting aircraft movements was given to the early radar team and contributed to their success in World War II; although the British radar was less sophisticated than the German system, the British system was used more successfully.
There are three acoustic mirrors in the complex, each consisting of a single concrete hemispherical reflector.
The 200 foot mirror is a near vertical, curved wall, 200 feet (60m) long. It is one of only two similar acoustic mirrors in the world, the other being in Magħtab, Malta.
The 20 foot mirror is similar to the 30 foot mirror, with a smaller, shallower dish 6 m (20 ft) across. The design is close to that of an acoustic mirror in Kilnsea, East Riding of Yorkshire.
Acoustic mirrors did work, and could effectively be used to detect slow moving enemy aircraft before they came into sight. They worked by concentrating sound waves towards a central point, where a microphone would have been located. However, their use was limited as aircraft became faster. Operators also found it difficult to distinguish between aircraft and seagoing vessels. In any case, they quickly became obsolete due to the invention of radar in 1932. The experiment was abandoned, and the mirrors left to decay. The gravel extraction works caused some undermining of at least one of the structures.
Many are lining up to make a photographic memory. Many were from a tour group as noted by the blue strings attached to their devices
Sutter Street + Octavia Street, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California
25 August 2013
"This lively corner structure is enriched with a wide assortment of Queen Anne devices, including a three tiered corner tower with both hexagonal and round sections, angled bays, multiple gables with window-lit gable-ends, assertive cornice lines, a dormer and an oriel, not to mention garlands, fishscale shingles, dentils, and assorted brackets. Much of the interior also remains, having been restored and refitted when the building became the Queen Anne Hotel in 1980. The original central hallway survives, with its oak paneling, as does the squared spiral staircase beneath a large stained glass skylight. The most important elements that have been lost include the bell-shaped roof to the corner tower and the grand exterior granite staircase to a massively arched open vestibule before the main door. Miss Mary Lake's School for Young Ladies was a fashionable , non-sectarian seminary that grew from Miss Zeiska's Young Ladies Seminary in South Park in the 1860s. Enrollment was probably about 120 students, ranging in age from "infants" through high school. There was room for 65-70 boarders in the building. James G. Fair, of Comstock Lode fame, and the father of girls, was the major benefactor of the school having the school built in 1889, sparing no expense, for $45,000.00. The school survived only seven years at this site. The building was then leased to the Cosmos Club which counted such local moghuls (sic) as James Flood and Governor George Pardee among its members. From 1909 to 1926, it was used as a boarding house. In 1926 the building became the Girl's Friendly Society Lodge, a home for young working women. From 1950 to 1975 it was used as a guest house called The Lodge. Henry Schulze practiced from 1887 through 1908."
Sutter Street, San Francisco, California
2016-05-14_05-59-11
These twelve modern end-of-track devices (also called buffers) are inspired by / modified from the ones in the brand new 2026 City train sets. I made twelve of them to replace the copies of the bulkier ones my dad had designed.
After the fireworks were over, huge bright lights were turned on so the enormous crowd could find their way out of the park. We were on the water side of the hill, so it was still fairly dark where we were. However, the light of electronic devices lit the faces of my young Korean friends. The Gas Works are illuminated in the background.
OnOne Acid Frame
Eerste operationele
sprong met zuurstof
Met ruim 100 kilo aan zijn lichaam en een zuurstofmasker op het gezicht sprong hij een pikzwart gat in. Een diepte van 8 kilometer tegemoet. Recht op vijandelijk gebied af. Dit keer was het menens. Sergeant Jim is één van de commando’s die begin 2016 een unieke operationele zuurstofsprong boven Mali maakte. “Ik wist dat het kon. Hoopte dat het zou gebeuren. En eindelijk was die call er echt: ik mocht doen waar ik jaren voor trainde.”
Niet eerder werd tijdens een missie een soortgelijke HAHO-parachutesprong (high altitude, high opening) met zuurstofmasker uitgevoerd. “Tactisch was dit op dat moment het beste inzetmiddel”, zegt Jim. “Ongezien een gebied binnenkomen om informatie te verzamelen, dáár ging het om. Op 8 kilometer hoogte (25.000 voet) vliegt het vliegtuig buiten gehoorafstand. We sprongen ’s nachts en legden zwevend een vlucht van zo’n 30 kilometer af. Het was echt pikkedonker.”
Zuurstof
Vanaf 4 kilometer hoogte kunnen parachutisten alleen met een zuurstofmasker springen. Slechts enkele Nederlandse commando’s zijn hiervoor opgeleid. “Ik zat met mijn ploeg precies op het juiste moment in Mali”, zegt Jim. Anderhalve week voor de sprong hoorden de mannen dat zij zich moesten voorbereiden op deze eerste operationele zuurstofsprong. “Dan kijk je elkaar aan met een grote glimlach op het gezicht. Eindelijk gaan we het écht doen.”
Spanning
Een C-130 Hercules transportvliegtuig vloog de commando’s vanaf Gao naar het punt waar ze de duisternis in sprongen. “In de kist voel je de spanning stijgen”, blikt Jim terug. “De klep gaat open. Iemand houdt een bord met 1 minuut omhoog en dan weet je: over 60 seconden zit ik niet meer in dit vliegtuig. Het moet nu wel echt goed gaan. Maak ik een fout of gebeurt er iets onverwachts, dan sta ik er mogelijk alleen voor en land ik in mijn eentje in vijandelijk gebied.”
Kou van rond de 30 graden onder nul moesten de mannen in de lucht trotseren. “En daar konden we ons niet op kleden”, zegt Jim. “Op de grond is het plus 40 graden. Zodra je landt moet je jezelf en je team in veiligheid brengen. Dan wil je niet bezig zijn met een jas die nog uit moet.” Met een combatshirt aan en een sjaaltje om de hals hingen Jim en zijn maten ongeveer een half uur in de lucht. “Je accepteert dat het even wat frisser is. Ik voelde het bloed uit mijn handen wegtrekken, maar mijn focus op dat moment was navigeren. Met de hele ploeg veilig landen.”
Lampjes tellen
De eerste en zwaarste man vliegt voorop. Aan de rest de taak in een stack te volgen. De mannen droegen daarom zogenoemde bino’s. Nachtzichtkijkers waarmee de infraroodlampjes op de helmen van de commando’s zichtbaar werden. Jim: “In de lucht tel je de lampjes. Is de ploeg nog bij elkaar? Als je al die lampjes ziet, haal je opgelucht adem. We zijn compleet.”
Eenmaal op de grond is het van groot belang niet ontdekt te worden. “We komen voor informatie. Als de vijand weet dat wij er zijn, zal die zich mogelijk anders gaan gedragen.” Maar hoe verstop je je in een uitgestrekt woestijngebied in Mali? “Je doet het met de middelen die er liggen”, zegt Jim. “Stenen in dit geval. Die hebben we opgestapeld en vanachter deze observatiepost konden we het dorp verderop ongezien in de gaten houden.”
Autonoom valscherm
1 nacht en een volle dag bleven de commando’s om hun informatie te verzamelen. Om zichzelf van water te voorzien gebruikten ze een autonoom valscherm. Opnieuw een unicum. Deze onbemande parachute, aan een pakket vol waterflesjes, werd afgeworpen nadat de ploeg veilig landde. Het apparaat dat op de lading zat, stuurde de parachute precies naar het opgegeven coördinaat (lees meer over autonome valschermen op pagina 7!). “We hadden zo’n 100 kilo bij ons toen we het vliegtuig uitsprongen, maar dit was voornamelijk uitrusting”, zegt Jim. “Denk aan waarnemingsmiddelen, wapens en zoveel mogelijk water. Maar je gebruikt daar al snel 8 tot 12 liter water per dag, zoveel konden we niet meenemen.” De inzet van het autonome valscherm verliep naar wens. “Perfect”, vat Jim samen. “De lading landde precies op de aangegeven locatie.”
Wing
Eind december ontving Jim de operationele wing voor zijn sprong. In totaal kregen 32 commando’s deze onderscheiding opgespeld voor verschillende operationele sprongen tijdens de VN-missie MINUSMA. De sprong van Jim en zijn ploeggenoten was de enige met zuurstof. “Het zou raar zijn als ik deze wing niet met trots zou dragen. Maar het maakt mij geen ander mens. De opdracht vroeg om deze manier van inzet en daar hangt een onderscheiding aan. Uniek, maar ik voel mij daar niet anders door.”
Google Translate
First operational jump with oxygen
With over 100 kilos on his body and an oxygen mask on the face, he jumped into a pitch-black hole. A depth of eight kilometers accommodate. Right to enemy territory off. This time it was serious. Sergeant Jim is one of the commands that created a unique operational oxygen jump over Mali in early 2016. "I knew it could. Hoped it would happen. And finally the call really was, I could do what I trained for years. "
Never before during a mission similar HAHO-parachute (high altitude, high opening) equipped with oxygen mask. "Tactically this was currently the best bet means," said Jim. "Unseen entering an area to gather information, there it was about. 8 km altitude (25,000 feet) the plane is out of earshot. We jumped at night and lay floating down a flight of about 30 kilometers. It was really dark. "
Oxygen
From 4 kilometers altitude parachutists can only jump with an oxygen mask. Only a few Dutch commandos are trained. "I was sitting with my team at exactly the right time in Mali," said Jim. Ten days before the jump, the men heard that they had to prepare for this first operational oxygen jump. "Then you look at each other with a big smile on the face. Finally we are going to do it really. "
Tension
A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft flew commands from Gao to the point where they jumped into the darkness. "In case you feel the tension rise," Jim recalls. "The door opens. Someone holds a plate with 1 minute up and then you know: about 60 seconds, I'm out of this plane. It must now go really well. I make a mistake or something unexpected happens, then I am only there possible and I land on my own into enemy territory. "
Cold, around 30 degrees below zero were brave men in the air. "And we could not dress for us," said Jim. "On the ground it is plus 40 degrees. Once you land you need to bring yourself and your team to safety. Then you are not doing a jacket that still needs it. "With a combat shirt and a scarf around his neck hung Jim and his buddies about half an hour in the air. "You accept that anything is fresher. I felt the blood drain out of my hands, but was navigating my focus at that time. With the whole crew land safely. "
counting lights
The first and heaviest man flew ahead. The rest follow the job in a stack. Therefore the men were wearing so called bino's. Night Vision Binoculars that the infrared lights on the helmets of the commandos were visible. Jim: "In the air you count the lights. Is the team still together? When you see all these lights, you take a breath. We are complete. "
Once on the ground, it is not to be detected is of great importance. "We come for information. If the enemy knows that we are there, it will go itself may behave differently. "But how are you hiding in a vast desert area in Mali? "You do it with the resources that are there," said Jim. "Stones in this case. We piled and behind this observation we could keep the village away unseen in the gaps. "
Autonomous parachute
One night and a full day the commandos continued to gather their information. To provide themselves with water they used an autonomous parachute. Again unique. These unmanned parachute, a package full of water bottles, was dropped after the team landed safely. The device was on the charge, the parachute sent exactly at the specified coordinate (read more about organic parachutes on page 7!). "We had about 100 kilos at us when we stood out the plane, but this was mainly equipment," said Jim. "Think of observation means, weapons and as much water as possible. But you use it soon 8 to 12 liters of water per day, as far as we could not take them. "The deployment of the autonomous parachute went well. "Perfect," Jim summarizes. "The cargo landed exactly at the specified location."
Wing
In late December, Jim received the operational wing of his jump. A total of 32 commands this award pinned to several operational jumps during the UN mission MINUSMA. Jump Jim and his teammates was the only one with oxygen. "It would be strange if I did not wear this with pride wing. But it does me no other man. The commission asked for this kind of commitment and a decoration hanging on there. Unique, but I feel no different from that. "
For my coming Jabba's palace I've built some technical device. I've made an instruction to see how I used some SNOT-techniques.
The Web Everywhere: Multi-Device Web Design
Luke Wroblewski, CEO & Co-Founder of Input Factory Inc.
The web no longer starts and ends on our desktop and laptop computers. Today, the tremendous growth of mobile devices is turning more and more people into multi-device and, as a result, cross-device users. Designing for this reality requires new ways of thinking and building for the web.
Join Luke Wroblewski, author of Mobile First (A Book Apart, 2012), for this in-depth look at today’s multi-device ecosystem. Learn how mobile provides a foundation for this new reality, how to build on this foundation to reach an ever-increasing set of devices, and where the web will take us next.