Maunderings, Musings and Meditations: A Gallimaufry of Thoughts and Ideas (Volume 2)

By Cornelius

Cornelius has travelled widely and has written an account of his journeys with his family through Europe by campervan in “The Gypsy Life”. As a Shakespeare enthusiast he has compiled “Shakespeare’s Lines”, and both books have been published by Partridge Publishing.

He is a glider pilot and engineer, and was privileged to crew on a yacht in the Mediterranean. This current book describes his ‘animal’ interests and flying/sailing experiences. The essays are topical, thought provoking and even, perhaps, provocative He and his adult daughter are fortunate to reside in a well wooded stand which encourages wild monkeys and mongooses to visit. They are also subservient to two cats.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: May 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781543770018

Cornelius

Cornelius was born in 1937 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He married and has two children Melody and Mark. In 1960 they re-located to sub-tropical Durban on the Indian Ocean. He started his career as a Junior Draughtsman and worked for Consulting Engineers. By studying, he eventually qualified as a Structural Engineer and as a Professional Engineer was able to run his own private practice.

Book preview

MAUNDERINGS, MUSINGS

AND MEDITATIONS

A gallimaufry of thoughts and ideas (Volume 2)

CORNELIUS

Copyright © 2022 Corrie Verbaan. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN

978-1-5437-6983-8 (sc)

978-1-5437-7001-8 (e)

05/06/2022

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CONTENTS

Chapter 3: Flying

3.1 ACHTUNG !!

3.2 DANCING WITH CLOUDS

3.3 FLAT MOUNTAIN (Platberg) HARRISMITH

3.4 HOW TO FLY – BACKWARDS

3.5 Flying in a US Huey (Iroqois) helicopter.

3.6 A CLOSE CALL

3.7 RAMMED AT THE AIRFIELD

3.8 Stupidity at the airfield.

3.9 Micro-lighting up the north coast of KZN

Chapter 4: Philosophy/Religion

4.1 THE EVOLUTION OF RELIGION

4.2 HYPOTHESES - MAJOR AND MINOR

4.3 DARWIN vs ORGANISED RELIGION.

4.4 An act of worship?

4.5 RELIGION IN THE LIFE OF HUMANKIND

4.6 A FEW THOUGHTS (Mankind’s Ultimate Tool).

4.7 CAPITAL PUNISHMENT? YES OR NO.

4.8 COMMUNICATION (Com-unification)

4.9 Interesting conversations with my Dad. 2019

4.10 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES – THE FINAL CHAPTER?

4.11 Philosophy of Olive Picking.

4.12 RACISM? An analysis.

4.13 WHAT IS REALITY?

4.14 Suicide – A way out?

4.15 THE TRAGIC ‘REVENGE’ OF MALVOLIO

4.16 Sounds of Life

4.17 We are all Role Players.

4.18 ARE WE ALL SLAVES?

4.19 WARNING

4.20 Maunderings of a Misanthrope.

3.1 ACHTUNG !!

Das fliegenmachinen is nicht fur gefingerpoken und mittengrabben. Is easy schnappen der springenwork, blowenfusen und poppenkorken mit spitzensparken. Is nicht fur gewerken by das dommkopfen.

Das rubbernecken sightseeren keepen das hands in das pockets. Relaxen und watch das blinkenlights.

(Notice affixed to our glider trailer for observance by the ‘dommkopfen’ and ‘rubbernecken’ that usually congregate during gliding operations.Author unknown)

3.2 DANCING WITH CLOUDS

Surrounded by giant white Michelin Men - towering heaps of fleecy meringue - I had an irresistible urge to explore further. There a gap, and there a tunnel, over there an archway – clouds below, clouds above and a diaphanous curtain ahead. WOW!

Not satisfied with providing an other-worldly milieu, now the variometer tells me that we’re going up for a closer look.

At quite a rate.

A black dome overhead, becoming blacker. The air offers a coolth not to be found on the scorching earth a mile below. Tattered tendrils trailing all round. Am I being sucked up? The vario confirms it and I’m surrounded by a mist gradually becoming denser – now I’m surely in the belly of the cumulo-nimbus. Action required! Better shoot off to the side and out…. ah yes, there’s the airfield, all ok.

Clouds - solid but insubstantial watery shape-shifters, never the same for two successive minutes, every one totally unique. Look, a poodle stretched out, a giant head with cauliflower ears. To the south, a massive C followed by his younger brother, breaking waves of nothingness. Am I drifting? Yes my Rorschach shadow is sliding effortlessly across the countryside and I must follow. Fantastic!

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THE ZEN OF GLIDING

ejaculated by wire into the womb of the vault

to fertilize the highways of space

into an expansion of being

soaring circling

the soul of the sailplane

subsists in the solace of silence

where now the demands of endeavour

where now the commitments of contract

where now the dull press of routine

the sky has no limit

touch it and see.

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3.3 FLAT MOUNTAIN (PLATBERG) HARRISMITH

In search of the Silver C gliding badge – 50 km goal flight.

Place: Harrismith Easter camp 1998.

Glider: ASK6CR – ZA GRZ. Single seat, 15m wingspan.

Weather: Sunny, light northerly breeze, scattered cumulus – fantastic.

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Task: Two remaining legs for Silver C Badge - 50km declared goal + 1000 feet height gain off launch. (First leg completed previously at Howick airfield – 5 hour duration flight).

Flight serial #221.

Preliminaries:

a) Mount camera in glider;

b) Mark black cokie spot on canopy opposite camera lens;

c) Smoke aluminium foil to record carbon trace and fix to barograph; (discover foil doesn’t burn). Official Observer to certify (Dave);

d) Wind up barograph and scribe base line on cylinder;

e) Secure barograph on foam in glider cubby and switch on;

f) Print out declaration and take photograph, ensuring task, face and glider registration GRZ appear in frame.

Plan: Follow N3 north to Warden. Not quite 50km from airfield so fly south to Harrismith railway station for start photo – now slightly more than 50km. Am informed that Warden airfield is somewhere east of the town- look for silos. Advantage of going south first is that you then overfly Harrismith a/f again in case of falling down.

Event: Reasonable winch launch, about 1500 feet, turn 180 degrees and head for town.

Over what appears to be buildings clustered among rail tracks south of town, start circling. Remember to be in sector south of the turn, bank to get the camera axis onto the station below, find much un-co-ordination between hands, stick, shutter release – result: a series of swooping, diving circles at varying angles of bank and speeds!

Take many pictures just in case, hope for the best. Lose a few hundred feet.

Head back towards Harrismith a/f, spend some time regaining height and wondering if this was such a good idea. Do a few circles over the a/f.

Radio crackles and Robin tells me to get on with it! (Does this constitute illegal help from the ground? I did not request his exhortation after all).

OK OK, start following the N3, soon leave Eeram silos behind (named for farmer Mr.Maree).

Nicely spaced little cumulus tops and things go swimmingly (flyingly?) from cloud to cloud.

After what seemed a long time, and probably was, there – a village in the murk, and yes, can’t miss those silos. Warden!

Approach town to the right, height now about 2000 feet – nasty looking river below with rocky banks (nice for a picnic, but this isn’t one).

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Neither airfield nor thermals to be found. Carry on a bit, silos now abeam with what seems to be a township down to the left. There’s a big grassy, somewhat nondescript field up ahead – is that it? No buildings to be seen. Height 1500 feet, same as my stress level.

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I peer down over the left edge of the cockpit and see a small yellow power plane - looks like a Piper Cub – about 1000 feet below tracking on the same heading as myself.

Aha, it looks like he is on final approach and projecting visually his line of flight it seems he’s surely going to land on that field.

Right, let’s swing down and follow him in.

Now it gets a bit weird.

I lose height and line up for the approach, the yellow plane not to be seen, no obvious runway, land on car tracks bisecting the field, was probably once a runway.

Where is the yellow plane? Didn’t land obviously.

Could it have been a touch and go?

on a car track in a clearly dysfunctional airport?

or was he simply overflying the area?

at about 500 feet?

Trundle safely to a stop. I take the obligatory photo of GRZ with an identifiable landmark, that old water tower in the distance should do, as background proof of arrival at the stated goal.

Area devoid of humanity and livestock, thankfully.

Wait for Robin and the trailer in the shade of a wing and muse over the mysterious aircraft.

Hey, it was yellow, same as GRZ. It actually pointed out an approach path for me. Could it have been a stress induced mental creation of my own?

No, that would signify a flight of fancy …. after a fancy flight?.

Flight duration; 2hr 10min.

Required height gained (minimum 1000 feet after release).

Silver C badge #967

Barograph trace enclosed.

END

3.4 HOW TO FLY – BACKWARDS

A good day’s gliding.

The afternoon before Good Friday was used for orientation flights and the cool south-easterly did not permit much more than circuits. This was not an encouraging start to Howick Gliding Club’s traditional Easter Camp at Harrismith in the Free State.

Next day,