onetrack

But you have to input a serious amount of energy to compress the gas, Spacey. There have been experiments using compressed air for motive power, but it's not a viable system over anything more than a short distance. For machines or vehicles or equipment working over short distances in say, factories or other short-distance operations, it can work. The lack of fumes is a big factor. However, even lead-acid batteries and electric motive power, are probably more efficient.

And EV's won't really hit their straps until numerous models start offering swappable batteries. This is the total answer to "range anxiety". If the main Tesla shareholder hadn't poo-pooed swappable batteries, Tesla could have been on a winner. As it stands, they're on a hiding to nothing, once the Chinese EV's roll up with myriads of choices, including the swappable battery choice. Nio have over 3000 battery-swap stations in China already and their 183 battery-swap stations in Shanghai carry out 9,000 battery swaps a day, very smoothly. Imagine buying your electric ultralight - no need to fork out $40,000 to $60,000 for an IC power plant, you just buy a very efficient 100HP electric motor that converts its rotary power into propellor power simply and efficiently - then you simply rent the battery size you want for your trip. When you land, a full battery is ready and waiting for your return trip. It's a no-brainer, no waiting for years for "hydrogen technology" to come to economic fruition, this is technology capable of being installed right now - and the operating costs would be affordable to anyone with modest income. https://cnevpost.com/2025/02/10/nio-swap-stations-shanghai-close-to-profitability/

........rarest of all the roads in the Universe - because there are no toll roads in W.A.! Cappy was stunned. "No toll roads? And here was I, collecting all my 50c and 20c coins, getting ready for the first W.A. toll booth I came across!" "Well", said OT, "we West Aussies understand, that you East Coasters can't believe there's a place in Australia without toll roads - so, accordingly, we've set up a special toll booth for the arriving East Coasters, to make them feel right at home, as they reach the Land of the Golden West. As soon as we see an out-of-state number plate, we redirect them through the special toll booth, and relieve them of $15, just to make them feel welcome, and right at home! Of course, the funds collected are put to good use, they're used to........

There's never been a better time to buy a floatplane! 😄

Sorry, I must have missed something at the start of the Ukraine/Russia war? I seem to recall it was a massive attack launched on the Ukraine by Putin - who called it a "three-day special military operation" to root out those terrible Ukrainian Nazis - but obviously I got it all wrong, it was actually a massive attack launched on an unsuspecting Russia, by those terrible Ukrainian Nazis. 😞

The pilot of the crashed Cessna 150 has been identified as Eric Roulston, Chief Pilot and owner of Shark Bay Aviation. There's a large amount of public expressions of sorrow over his death. Incredibly, his 23 yr old son was also killed in an aircraft crash in the Murchison (W.A.) region, on 13th February 2008, when the Piper PA-18 Super Cub he was piloting, was involved in a mid-air collision with a Robinson R44, when the Super Cub and the R44 were mustering goats as part of a State Govt contract. A spotter in the PA-18 also died in this crash. https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/eric-roulston-heartbroken-family-pay-tribute-to-wa-pilot-who-died-in-ogilvie-plane-crash-c-18191042 https://www.coronerscourt.wa.gov.au/_files/roulston_kean_finding.pdf

That's one Pitts that's never going to fly again, and I trust the pilot, if he pulls through, hasn't incurred debilitating injuries, that means he will never fly again.

You're not allowed to leave the ground in any aerial device without CASA's approval, so the Jetson machine will need to have a whole new bunch of regulations drawn up, to cover it - and it will need an AAC. Maybe the drone legislation and regulations will be expanded to cover it.

........poured in a truckload of concrete to solidify the solution, thus enabling Mark to climb out unaided. However, then there was the lingering odour to deal with. No, we're not talking about the lingering smell associated with Marks sudden departure from politics, saying he was so tired - and his sudden almost-immediate re-arrival, totally refreshed on the boardrooms of numerous public companies - but the lingering smell that one acquires from being smacked into a long drop hole with 25 years of accumulated excrement, amongst other smelly things. "I've got a 20 litre drum of carbolic acid, we can give him a bath in that!", said Cappy, trying to be helpful. "You won't get me within a bulls roar of a carbolic acid bath, thanks very much!, countered Mark. "But it will kill all the bugs!", said Cappy, again trying to be helpful. "You just don't know what might have been lurking in that long drop! There could've been some...............

Not exactly a flying car - more like a flying ATV - but the production-ready Jetson One has been test flown successfully (including hands-off hovering) and full production is slated for 2026. Before you all get excited, its maximum speed is 63mph (100kmh), and it's good for 20 mins of flying before the batteries run out of puff. Needless to say, nothing is mentioned about retail pricing, but I'll wager it'll be around $200K. https://www.designboom.com/technology/jetson-one-first-production-ready-evtol-takes-flight-hovers-without-pilot-control-03-27-2025/

Peter, there's already a thread running on this crash in the Incidents and Accidents forum.

There's still a lot of LPG bowsers in W.A., just not universal like they once were. A lot of forklifts still run on LPG, and I regularly fill my forklift bottles at LPG bowsers in servos. What has disappeared, is the myriad of LPG installers and repairers, and suppliers of LPG equipment. But there's still plenty of LPG available, it's a byproduct of refining and gas production, and we still export sizeable tonnages of LPG.

And the reason quoted by the current Labor Govt for removing that funding for hydrogen powered trucks, is because there was a major shortage of hydrogen-powered trucks available for testing and research work. I'd suggest the reason there are virtually no hydrogen powered test trucks available, is because virtually all truck manufacturers see no potential in pursuing that market, simply because the economics fail to stack up, and the simple fact that an Australia-wide hydrogen-dispensing infrastructure is non-existent, and isn't likely to be installed, in the foreseeable future.

The weather forecast is for a pretty warm day on Friday 28th, cooler on Saturday with a strong Southerly wind picking up, which is going to bring showery rain (up to 6mm) from Saturday night into all Sunday, with showers easing on Monday. http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/avalon.shtml

Airshow visitors planning to fly in to Avalon are being directed to land at Lethbridge Airport, as there is no provision for fly-in visitors to land or park at Avalon. QUOTE: "Only aircraft pre-approved through the Avalon 2025 registration system (application link below) will be authorised to fly in and out of the event. This will be limited to: Air Transport operators: Jetstar and other scheduled commercial operators. Airshow participants: aircraft attending Avalon 2025 and pre-approved to participate as flying displays, static displays, commercial exhibitors and airshow related charter flights." https://airshow.com.au/visitors/plan-ahead/flying-in/

There's a massive "green hydrogen" project planned for a coastal area on Murchison House Station, N of Kalbarri. A company called Murchison Green Hydrogen has set in place, plans for a massive "green hydrogen", highly complex production plant, that is going to use solar and wind power to desalinate sea water from the Indian Ocean, and turn it into green hydrogen. However, the "green hydrogen" production is not being released for any kind of local transport, or even industrial use. Once the project produces the "green hydrogen", it is then going to turn the "green hydrogen into liquid ammonia, by combining it with nitrogen from the atmosphere - whereby the liquid ammonia is then going to be exported for industrial uses in other countries - which uses apparently centre around using the liquid ammonia to produce "green hydrogen" again, for industrial use. Nothing is mentioned anywhere, about a transportation use for the hydrogen produced. To me, the entire project looks like a highly convoluted, costly, and economically borderline project - but it seems that Murchison Green Hydrogen are proceeding at full speed with the project, and it's planned to be in full production by 2031. Interestingly, despite being largely funded by the Danish-based, global entity, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners - they have managed to convince the current Govt to give them around AU$800M in production incentives, to assist in getting the project off the ground. I fail to understand how, if the project is such a great idea, why it can't stand on its own feet, without Govt subsidies. The project is proposing to produce around 900,000 tonnes of "green ammonia", which is around half of Australia's current production of ammonia from fossil fuels. The Asian economies are the ones being targeted for the bulk of the "green ammonia" production. I have this lingering suspicion that none of Murchison Green Hydrogen production and capability targets, will be met in the time frames stated. https://www.murchisonrenewables.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Project-at-a-glance_ONE-PAGE.pdf https://www.murchisonrenewables.com.au/ https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/800m-pledge-keeps-labor-green-hydrogen-dream-alive-20250320-p5ll52

Typo, sorry - meant to put "AN-225", didn't notice until long after the editing period ended.

I doubt that any type of airfreight will ever become a viable option if any level of weight or size is involved. The exceptions are huge projects where downtime costs are astronomical (such as the 117-tonne generator flown into Perth on AN-224 Mriya in 2016), or where life-sustaining critical supplies are needed. https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/antonov-an225-mriyas-117tonne-cargo-arrives-at-worsley-refinery-in-collie-20160516-gow4m7.html

Only 5% of the lithium in Li-ion batteries is currently being recycled, which needs to increase. However, it's been found that the bigger lithium batteries are lasting longer than expected, and they're finding positions in other power generation use after they're removed from their primary use. I would think the biggest problem as regards lithium going to landfill is the high level of small, consumer-level batteries that end up in landfill. The problem, as I see it, is that lithium battery disposal/recycling is unfairly being shouldered by local councils, who are often unable to fund proper recycling measures. Distance from recycling facilities is also a problem. My personal opinion is that in the case of all manufactured products that are produced in huge quantities (such as tyres and batteries), the manufacturer should be made to take back their product for recycling at the end of its life. We've seen China stop importation of Australian low-grade waste for recycling, saying we're dumping our waste on them - but 95% of that consumer waste comes from China, anyway! Our landfills are full of Chinese products that are cast aside within a very short time, and this process has to cease, if we want to get a handle on minimising waste. The first thing we have to do is take the responsibility for waste processing and recycling off local councils, and initiate dedicated Federal or State recycling authority or authorities, that take over the disposal and control of all waste and recycling. And of course, we should impose higher taxes on products that are difficult or costly to recycle, and place lower taxes on products that are easy and relatively cheap to recycle. Lead-acid batteries are looked down on today, but few people realise that about 98% of lead acid batteries are recycled today, and it's not something trumpeted from the rooftops, but the lead-acid battery industry is a class example of what a "circular economy" should look like.

.......vitriolic verbal responses towards criticisms of his progressive policies - such as locking out disease-ridden East Coast immigrants who dared to try entering W.A., whilst carrying disease, and other undesirable East Coast products. Marks attitude appeared harsh to outsiders, but the benefits to the W.A. population could be seen in the health and wealth of all West Australians after Marks important decision-making. However, all this was merely background noise, compared to the screaming and yelling and hysterics following the Patrol rollover. Of course, nearly all of the screaming and yelling and hysterics came from the Patrol, and very little was heard from elsewhere. Then someone stepped forward and said, "Where's Mark? The last I saw of him, he was..........

.....did a perfect, spectacular, and slow, two-and-a-half-times roll, coming to rest on top of the only roadside thunderbox, for 300 kms. Unfortunately for the coppers, there was someone in the thunderbox right at that exact moment - and that someone, was no less than..........

The electricity generated by the multitude of home solar panels that is not being used by homeowners, is sent into the grid-level, short-term storage batteries, for release later in the day/evening, when demand is ramping up, and maximum load is being placed on gas and coal fired power stations in W.A. The batteries currently being installed are good for 4 hrs of storage, enough to get over peak demand periods. The W.A. Govt is spending up to $2.8B on renewable energy sources and grid-level storage, to enable W.A. to retire its last coal and gas-fired power stations. The State has generated an average of one-third of its power requirements from renewables on a fairly steady basis over the last couple of years, and up to 84% of W.A.'s power has come from renewable sources, at peak renewable generation times. https://reneweconomy.com.au/four-new-giant-batteries-to-be-built-in-w-a-as-worlds-biggest-isolated-grid-navigates-transition-from-coal/ https://www.ess-news.com/2025/03/20/western-australia-awards-2-6-gwh-of-battery-storage-in-first-cis-tender/ https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/energy-policy-wa/energy-transformation-strategy The W.A. Govt is now setting out to provide major subsidies for home batteries (from July 1, 2025 - and I for one, will certainly take up their offer) - and I strongly suspect that the State Govt is also preparing for the set up of local VPP's (Virtual Power Plants) whereby home solar and home batteries are harnessed to provide integrated energy over a local area. Western Power has already carried out testing of VPP's locally, but the arrangement needs more fine tuning, to ensure all of the energy generation orchestra plays the same tune. It's entirely possible AI will be harnessed to ensure future co-ordination of power generation and use. I think the State Govt is on the right track, and it appears a lot of other W.A. voters think so, too. https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/groundbreaking-trial-shows-how-vpps-can-pay-for-home-batteries-slash-costs-on-the-grid/

It's the energy required to electrolyse hydrogen-containing products, such as water, that kills the idea that cheap hydrogen can be mass-produced. Batteries recharged via renewable energy sources are still way in front of any hydrogen idea, and as battery technology continues to improve, hydrogen will continue to fall further behind. The amount of surplus energy being produced by rooftop solar is now so huge, it has become a problem, that's why State Govts are investing in grid-level storage to soak it up.

......the printer said, "Hang on! Who wrote this stuff on your jackets?? The wording actually says, 'F*** U AUSSIES!!!' in Sanskrit! You can't ride around with this kind of stuff written on your jacket today, you'll be.......

.......person unaware of the devices nasty, hidden habits. However, when the bomb-chuckers came to the realisation, that riding a Harley whilst wearing an explosive vest, without club markings, could lead to premature........