I took a lot of photos yesterday, like everyone else I tried to capture the amazing scenery as we climbed up and...

Originally shared by rolf schatzmann

I took a lot of photos yesterday, like everyone else I tried to capture the amazing scenery as we climbed up and over the ridge. I tried to set-up panoramic shots where possible and some of them turned out quite well, considering that I was using a cheap waterproof digital point and click and holding the camera in my hands..

I took a lot of photos yesterday, like everyone else I tried to capture the amazing scenery as we climbed up and...

I took a lot of photos yesterday, like everyone else I tried to capture the amazing scenery as we climbed up and over the ridge. I tried to set-up panoramic shots where possible and some of them turned out quite well, considering that I was using a cheap waterproof digital point and click and holding the camera in my hands..

Upload GPX files to your Garmin Forerunner 305 from linux...

Upload GPX files to your Garmin Forerunner 305 from linux...

Use GPSBabel and the following command:

gpsbabel -i gpx -f your_file.gpx -t -o garmin -F usb:

Use the excellent 3rd party garmin connect plugin for linux to download..

http://www.andreas-diesner.de/garminplugin/doku.php?id=start
http://www.andreas-diesner.de/garminplugin/doku.php?id=start

Here is a panorama I just made of the view from the top of the ridge we ran along today...

Here is a panorama I just made of the view from the top of the ridge we ran along today...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/206636228

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/206636228
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/206636228

Another epic day!

Another epic day!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/206296342
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/206296342

Drinking possibly the worst beer in the world kokanee red!

6GB of free space on Wuala

I have been testing different cloud storage providers for quite a while now. The companies I am planning to keep dealing with long term are Dropbox, Google Drive, SpiderOak and Wuala.

They all have different things to offer, and whilst there is a part of me that longs for the simplicity of 'one cloud to rule them all' , the reality is that they are all better at something.

Wuala has a fine pedigree having been created by LaCie, and now bought by Seagate. They offer secure cloud encrypted storage similar to SpiderOak, but their software is far more advanced. You are able to go back in time to find that old version of a file in case it gets corrupted or you need to roll back to a previous version, this is a killer feature.

As the data is all encrypted before it leaves your machine and only you hold the keys, you really can be certain that it is secure and private.

Wuala have a referrals program like most providers, and if you sign up for a free account using the link below you will start with a Free 6GB account.

http://www.wuala.com/referral/K54B6FMP3M4NG3F4H6JH

Another thermic winter flight!

http://youtu.be/VrGNGIbgY9A

http://youtu.be/VrGNGIbgY9A

http://youtu.be/VrGNGIbgY9A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrGNGIbgY9A

If you are looking for a cheap Android smartphone. $49 fits the bill nicely. 

You can get the LG Optimus P690 Shine/Net/Spirit at Coles for $49 with a fly buys card or at a similar price on Ebay or at Australia Post. (With up to $10 credit and 1000 bonus points!)

The phone is a Hel$tra branded phone and comes with all their crap, however you can flash a clean Android Rom in about 15 minutes and have a fast and unbranded phone.

You can get the unbranded Indian Rom here:

http://csmg.lgmobile.com:9002/swdata/WEBSW/LGP690/AINDBK/V10e_00/V10E_00.kdz

Then follow these simple steps...

Sadly, you have to be running a version of windows, XP and 7 both suffice.

Get the LG USB drivers here and install them:

http://www.lg.com/au/support/product/support-product-profile-mobile-redux.jsp?customerModelCode=LGP690F&matchedModelCode=1400007741&searchEngineModelCode=LGP690F&initialTab=warranty&targetPage=support-product-profile

Then download and install the LG software update program:

http://csmg.lgmobile.com:9002/client/app/B2CAppSetup.exe

Download and extract KDZ_FW_UPD_EN.7z from XDA Developers:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=420545&d=1287222698

Configure your phone: Settings -> Applications -> Development, Tick USB Debugging

Connect your phone to the Windows PC using USB cable and wait until Windows has completed the installing drivers part...

Connect the phone but DO NOT turn on USB storage

Run KDZ_FW_UPD.exe as Administrator

Set Type: 3GQCT           Phone Mode: DIAG

Select the V10E_00.kdz file you downloaded at the start and click Lauch Software Update...

Be patient and 10-20 mins later your phone should reboot and you are Telstra Branding Free!

If it fails to reboot, try pulling the battery. If that fails try the Android 3 finger salute on this phone press Volume Down, Home and Power and release when you see the android...

That's pretty cool, an unbranded android device that works on the 850mhz (Next G) and 2100 3G networks as well as all the GSM networks, but how is this!

Download the Box application on the phone and register a new account (or even log in with your existing account) and get a FREE LIFETIME UPGRADE TO 50GB of storage. FREE. FOR YOUR LIFE!. Just for having an LG phone. 

If you have bought this phone for someone who struggles with small screens and complicated buttons, then you should consider installing this:

http://biglauncher.com/

It makes the phone very simple to operate and is great for the very old or young.

I had a nice flight on the Perfex yesterday.

I had a nice flight on the Perfex yesterday. Cold fingers setting it up and pulling it apart.. Considering it was the shortest day of the year the thermals were a real joy. 
I remembered that I had forgotten to adjust my harness after it was last borrowed, nothing worse than not being able to get comfortable...

My thick motorbike gloves stopped my fingers freezing, but make operating zips and buttons impossible!

It took me nearly an hour to setup and then pull apart the Perfex, out of practice and cold fingers to blame...

Despite some niggles it is always a joy to fly Mt Bakewell and look down on the surrounding countryside, so lush and green at this time of the year.


Winter Solstice Hang Gliding at Mt Bakewell York
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOhO-Eo9JFs

If you are running Linux and you have a joystick with a POV hat that is not working with software designed with...

If you are running Linux and you have a joystick with a POV hat that is not working with software designed with windoze as the reference, there is finally a great solution. Jhat was good, this is much better.

http://wilmer.gaa.st/blog/archives/73-uhat,-using-your-joysticks-hat-switch-in-Linux-flight-simulators.html
http://wilmer.gaa.st/blog/archives/73-uhat,-using-your-joysticks-hat-switch-in-Linux-flight-simulators.html

Congenital Short Hard Heel Syndrome

Congenital Short Hard Heel Syndrome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqBQiBByVgE

Title

Originally shared by rolf schatzmann

Free Online Cloud Backup Solutions

There is no longer any excuse for losing your data!

There are now several online services that offer you free data storage that can be used for backup. They vary a little and so I am going to go over some of them here and explain the differences. 

These are in no particular order, as I think they are all great services. *

Firstly if you are looking for a fast and secure way to backup one or multiple computers and your mobile devices, then Spideroak is one of the simplest options.

Just download their clients onto your computers & phones and then select what you want to sync. That's it! No complicated schedules or doing anything at all.  It means you can also access the same stuff from multiple machines, and share files too.  They give you a free account with 2GB storage for life, but if you use the link here, you will get an extra 1GB for free!

Get a free online backup solution, which includes Full Encryption of your data, together with dual keys for extra security. The free account comes with 2GB of space for life. Use the link below to sign up and get 3GB Free!

Spideroak is enterprise grade software and includes clients that automatically sync your data. It works with all computer operating systems and mobile phones too. If you find you need more space 100GB is around $10 so there is no excuse not to back up all your data now!

https://spideroak.com/download/referral/2aef3c1be970b57726b27f795ab6253f

Dropbox are better known, they offer a cloud hosted solution that lets you sync one or multiple folders from your machine. They don't encrypt your data like Spideroak and so it's up to you to make sure that you have enough laters of security around anything sensitive. 

Dropbox also have clients for most operating systems and phones.

Dropbox give you 2GB of free space, but you can get an extra 500MB by using the link below:

http://db.tt/OQJgYXd

Other Options....

There are also other cloud based services like Ubuntu One and Google Drive that offer free space. Both these options give you 5GB of free space for life when you sign up.

The Ubuntu service integrates nicely with the OS and also your mobile devices.

Google drive is the new name for Google Docs, it's early days yet, but presumably they will have some decent clients and backup options out soon.

And my favourite Operating System is?

My personal OS recommendation for most people is Ubuntu. It is fast and stable and dynamic, but most importantly it is FREE. I have not used Windows (except to play the occasional game) since 2006. You don't need Windows, there is a better life after Windows, seize it!

Ubuntu is much more than just a single OS. It runs on virtually any hardware. It comes in different flavours that are optimised for Servers, or Graphic Design or Education. 

If you are using Ubuntu One you can add extra storage space for just $29.99 per 20GB per year.

*Except for this one! 

(There is also the Micro$haft Skydive option, but given their history of mediocre security and locked down products I would avoid it like the plague. It also requires a windows live account *shudder*)

At last!

At last! Today I flew for over an hour at Cottesloe. Not perfect conditions, but fun and great to be back in the air there. Another quick and dirty edit, nothing exciting. I was in too much of a hurry to get into the air and pointed one of the GoPro cameras almost straight down, the footage is pretty awful and so I have not used any of it...

http://youtu.be/KEcCyohUZzE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEcCyohUZzE

Cool Gear for Runners

Since I discovered RaceReady Tech gear, I won't run in anything else. The material is so silky smooth there is no more chafing and so light and breathable that even the hottest days are bearable.
I really love the pockets in their shorts, carry anything, carry everything, never look back!

Thermic Day Hang Gliding at Mt Bakewell

I had an exciting fly at Mt Bakewell today. Very thermic. I love my Climax.

I just happened to have both GoPro cameras from work handy so I got some footage..

An Awesome day at Cott!

A couple of photos, a committed take off and the GoPro on helmet.

Today at lunchtime it was on at Cott and it stayed on most of the afternoon. All the faithful were in attendance. Some great performances and much fun had by (nearly) all.

I had another chance to try out my GoPro camera and got a better angle when mounted on my helmet and also on the wing.

I did a really quick and rough edit just to get something online in the small amount of time I had.

Here it is:

Cott!

Getting chased by happy dogs.....
Fog inside the camera lens....
Exhibit A - How not to position helmet camera!

I had to cancel my Aerobatic flights this morning as the weather was not suitable.
When I got home I noticed that it was due west at Rottnest. I threw the glider on the car and raced down to Cott. It was a perfect westerly, but blowing 14-22knots. A little gusty but possible in a fun.

I set up the fun and checked the wind again, 15-20knots, worth a fly!

I had a look at Rotto before I took off and it looked like it was easing a little.

What actually happened was that the first 20 minutes were good, a bit lumpy, but fun. Then the wind picked up to the low twenties, now it was interesting flying. Then it swung south and the gusts got close to 30knots. I got blown backwards down the ridge and basically pinned at the Northern end for a while, it was hard work just keeping the wings level. I hung in there, confident that any time I wanted I could pull in the bar and land on the beach. I was hoping it would lull for long enough for me to get to the other end and top land. It dropped slightly and I managed to fight my way to just North of the take-off, then it picked up again and I did a graceful vertical landing on the beach.

I recently acquired a Go-Pro camera so that I can film aerobatic flights, it was the first time out with it hang gliding. I learnt where not to point it when it is attached to my helmet. I also learnt how to make it fog the inside of the lens. Next time will be better.

I was in the air for over 45mins, so I can't complain, and it was mostly good fun.

Fascinating

http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/2011/07/galactic-scale-energy/


http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/2011/07/can-economic-growth-last/

If the ABC was Relevant (Part 44)

This is beautiful, poignant, funny and sad, all at the same time. Ah Politics, how I hate thee. (I found this on the interwebs, not attributed)

(a John Clarke, Bryan Dawes skit) - (The Customer)
[Scene: A car yard. BRYAN is perusing the stock.
He is approached by JOHN]
John: Morning! Looking for a new car?
Bryan: Nope. Prime Minister, actually.
John: You're the third one this morning. Anything in mind?
Bryan: You know....... nothing fancy, reliable, economical family model. Something to get the country from A to B.
John: You mean like a Howard?
Bryan: Yeah....a little Johnny. Nothing flash, does the job. Low maintenance, economical, sensible. Runs for years, no troubles.
John: So.... you used to have one?
Bryan: Yeah. About 10 years. Great little model – don't know why I got rid of him --biggest mistake I've ever made…
John: What happened?
Bryan: Traded him in for a Kevin 07.
John: Big mistake…
Bryan: Lot of people bought it. Good political mileage.
John: How was the Kevin 07?
Bryan: Came with a $900 factory rebate – that was good.
John: Anything else?
Bryan: Not much. Sounded nice but nothing under the bonnet. It was a lemon.
John: Didn't stick around for long did it?
Bryan: Nah – had a factory recall. Shipped overseas and was never seen again.
John: What was the problem?
Bryan: Lots. But the final straw was the navigation system. Plug it in and it automatically loses its own way.
John: Whatcha got now?
Bryan: It's a Gillard-Brown.
John: The hybrid?
Bryan: Yeah. The Eco-drive system – not a good idea. An engine that can't deliver hooked up to a transmission stuck in permanent reverse…
John: Green paintwork with a red interior. And steering that always lurches to the left for no apparent reason – that's the one?
Bryan: The Fustercluck model.
John: The only one they made, Bryan. Not the vehicle of choice for the road to recovery – but did they finish up fixing the navigation system?
Bryan: Made it worse. Turn it on and it does a press release, heads off in all directions and goes nowhere.
John: So that's why you're here?
Bryan: That's right. I'm stuck with a government that's wasteful, expensive, ineffective and past its use by date. I don't suppose you've heard of the "Cash for Clunkers" scheme?
John: Join the queue brother.

Awesome Aerobatic Flights

The best part of my job is the Aerobatic flights, and what could be better that taking an old friend up for a flight. Adrian got some amazing footage, as usual. Check out www.digitalkinetics.com for more of his awesome work.

Windows 7 Professional Disk Image

So I have this Acer laptop. It came with Windows 7 professional. I use the 64bit version of Ubuntu as my main OS. I sometimes use windows for games or testing.
So of course the first thing I do is make the Acer backup DVD's and then re-partition my laptop.
I make huge linux partitions and shrink the windows one, but keep it there so I can still boot into it.
6 months later and during an update windows starts freaking out and I decide a clean install is the thing to do. My Acer recovery disks only have an option to hose the entire drive back to factory. Not Cool!

So I search the internet for a solution and end up being forced to download a pirate copy of Windows 7. When I complete downloading it turns out to be a copy of Windows 7 Home and packed full of pirated software, trojans and virii. Better than gay porn, but still instantly deleted.

I was just starting to hate Acer and Microsoft for putting me in this position, when OMG I somehow managed to hit the exact search string to bring up a post on the Microsoft site with a link to the actual real downloadable images of their Windows 7 DVD's that you can use with your genuine product key.

Of course even though I try similar searches again and again it refuses to show in search most times, so here is the link.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/replacement-windows-download/83dc99b3-b15e-4d7e-98c2-91c29b6c32dc

More Bakewell goodness

Karl and I got to Bakewell on the weekend, it was a good turn out. Karl flew my fun and I flew my sexy C4..

Unlimited Web Hosting, Oh so Cheap!

EasyDomain has been offering great deals on Domain Names and web hosting packages for years.
One thing we can not offer ourselves is a truly unlimited plan, that's why we have teamed up with Go Daddy to offer a truly Unlimited Web Hosting package where you really can get Unlimited Traffic and Unlimited Storage Space on a Super Fast Server hosted on a Global Internet Backbone in Singapore.

Go Daddy have been offering a fast reliable service from the USA for over 10 years and are ranked in the top 10 web providers in the world. Now that they have fast servers in the Asia Pacific region ping times are less than half of what they used to be for Australian customers.

And the pricing is absolutely unbelievable. They prices are so low you will have to check for yourself. No word of a lie, so much for so little.

Check out the amazing web hosting plans by clicking here.

Groote Island and back

I had the pleasure of being flown up to Groote Island and then flying a 172 back to Jandakot. There were several familiar airfields like Tindal, Kununurra, Broome, Port Headland and Derby and some new ones like Groote Island, Newman & Meekatharra. It was fun flying back, always made more interesting by a new aircraft with some issues.

I'm looking forward to bringing the 172 online with RolfAir so that we can double our capacity in the near future.

This is an amazing video of the VLT setup in Chile. If you have the bandwidth select the 720p option and go full screen and sit back and get blown away by the universe. I have been to a few remote places where there is no light pollution and you can lie on the ground and see a similar picture, but nothing as cool as this.

All work!

This year has been all about getting my new business established, it has meant a lot of work. As a result I have had less chances to fly my hang glider (fun) or keep up my running fitness (brutal fun)

Last year I did my first official Ultra and it was the end result of several months training, it went pretty well considering.

Today i ran my first marathon, down at Bunbury. I managed to cross the line in a time of 3 Hrs and 44 Minutes. I averaged 83% of max heart rate for the run and it was hard work. Considering how little actual running and training I have done this year it was a pretty good result. My cardio was great, my legs were just about done at the 32k mark.

Of course Bernadette ran the 50k and took first female and set a new Canadian record, she came in 15 minutes after me despite having run an extra 8km!

Bakewell on my C4

It has been ages.

Special Offers for the Holiday Season

To celebrate the festive season and my shiny new AOC I have put together some great deals for people looking for Scenic Flights or Joy Flights or Aerobatic Flights from Jandakot Airport.

Experience the thrill of a 30min flight with Aerobatics over the Warnbro sound for just $175

"We will take off from Jandakot and fly out over Fremantle before heading south along the coast over Rockingham to Warnbro, with Garden Island on our right you can experience Barrel Rolls, Loops, Flats Spins and Hammerhead Turns and much more. Then we head back up the coast and return to Jandakot via Cockburn and Bibra Lake. You get to choose how many Aerobatics we do and how many G's you feel, take it easy or hang onto your lunch!"

Six Inch Trail UltraMarathon Logs

Ok, here is the log from my Garmin GPS Watch, it shows my heartrate and pace during the event.

Six Inch Trail Ultra Marathon 2010

Aerobatic Flights at Jandakot Airport with RolfAir

CASA have finally approved my AOC. It means I am now able to offer Aerobatic and Scenic flights to members of the general public from my base at Jandakot Airport. I am in the process of getting my new website up and running, the old one is there at the moment and is, er, basic.

6 inch trail ultra marathon

About to cross the finish line..


About 8km into the race...







Here I am in the second half after about 3 Hrs...

I completed the 46km course in 5hrs 20 mins. It was hard!

Serpantine

It has been ages since I last flew at Serpo. The weather was no good for Bakewell this weekend (after a great run the last couple of months) but it looked OK, if a little strong for Serpo. I rang the owners to confirm there were no easily frightened animals in the landing paddock and got the OK to fly there on Sunday.
Sure enough the winds were W to SW at between 15 and 25 knots. It was a little lively for the fun at times, and I was very careful not to go anywhere I was not absolutely sure I would get back from. I had a fun fly and that is what it is all about. I had performance envy as the boys on the Stings could actually explore the ridge.
I am reminded to replace the bungies on the fun, I'm sure there would be another 5 knots of penetration if I could stop the sail flapping so badly. I miss my climax.



Considering the ridiculously small amount of effort I put into this panorama it is amazing.

And here I am getting thrown around in the Fun...

I'm still here..

I'm still here. Still flying Hang Gliders and loving every second.

The magnificent Fuji

Just before I left for my European holiday I did a lot of flying. I
crossed the country in light aircraft 3 times in 10 days!
I delivered my Cessna to it's new owner in Orange and collected my new
aircraft and flew it back. I also got a re-positioning job of moving a
Cessna 210 from Jandakot to Longreach.

My new aircraft is a Fuji FA-200-180. A very rare aircraft with 180Hp
Lycoming and constant speed prop. What sets it apart from the rest is
it's aerobatic capability, it can do almost every manoeuvre possible. It
also can carry 4 adults and has a dedicated cargo area that will take
80KG of bags. It is not quite as fast as I had hoped, but will manage
120kt comfortably.

Since my return I have been averaging an hour of aerobatics practice
every day and I am falling in love with the Fuji.

I am also running again, I am back to an hour a day and so far all is well.

Fun in Davos

I did my second half marathon on Saturday. I was initially planning to
do the downhill full marathon as I feel that down hill is my speciality
(gravity assist). My stress fracture ruled that one out, even the half
was probably pushing my luck a little.
As it turned out it was a brutal 2Hrs and 17Mins thanks to a lot of
technical track and huge, steep climbs and descents. I managed to keep
running and still enjoy myself despite a brand new knee injury rearing
it's head at the 6k mark.

I'm leaving mainland Europe soon an my way back to Blighty.