[NZ_Ross]

and a more geophysical stable environment ?

Not really, you can design for it - Italy gets quite large earthquakes, and has active volcanoes. Just costs more to build in the required safety factors, strength and systems. We have already done this with the Wellington overhead motorway system bridges, and retrofitted them with seismic upgrades when our understanding grew following the Japanese Kobe Earthquake.

[zkarj]

I need to have it big enough to fit 2 bicycles inside the car (so a hatchback of some sort was a must), I need 4 seats minimum and I need a towbar. And I need something that can accelerate quickly enough to overtake safely and something that can go around corners without falling over.

If you're in Mondeo territory, there is a word missing off your description — "easily". With the possible exception of acceleration (though I question that on the basis of never overtaking when it's unsafe anyway, due to road or car) my son managed all this with a Hyundai I30 for several years.

Which brings me to another pet peeve. MOST people don't need anything anywhere near the size of a Commodore or Falcon, yet they were the common commuter cars. I've never owned anything bigger than a Mazda 3. I used to go on holiday with my family of 4 in a 1.6l Astra. The Astra also towed a hire trailer when needed. Was it an easy vehicle to do all this with? Certainly it took some effort to organise loading and also to drive over the big hills of the central North Island, but it did us as the family car for nearly 8 years. In fact, the Mazda is the only car we've ever owned over 1.6l and it's into its 16th year now.

[MarkJerling]

If you're in Mondeo territory, there is a word missing off your description — "easily". With the possible exception of acceleration (though I question that on the basis of never overtaking when it's unsafe anyway, due to road or car) my son managed all this with a Hyundai I30 for several years.

Which brings me to another pet peeve. MOST people don't need anything anywhere near the size of a Commodore or Falcon, yet they were the common commuter cars. I've never owned anything bigger than a Mazda 3. I used to go on holiday with my family of 4 in a 1.6l Astra. The Astra also towed a hire trailer when needed. Was it an easy vehicle to do all this with? Certainly it took some effort to organise loading and also to drive over the big hills of the central North Island, but it did us as the family car for nearly 8 years. In fact, the Mazda is the only car we've ever owned over 1.6l and it's into its 16th year now.

Yeah, we used to go on holiday with 4 in an Escort. Point taken re Mondeo. But, this will be the fourth Mondeo. It's hard to go back to something more compact. We have had more compact cars prior to kids and dogs and lengths of 4x2. As it is, I need something to accommodate a large dog and the greyhound fits (just) in the old Mondeo.

As for overtaking. With the short overtaking lanes around these parts: If you snooze you stay stuck behind somebody in a mobile home.

[zkarj]

Dogs do make a difference because they certainly need space (real dogs, anyway). On the topic of snoozing behind camper vans, I dislike it as much as the next person, but I will still sit behind one for a long time if it's not safe to pass. Would I like my son's Impreza WRX to get that done in a small space, or my other son's Golf R? Sure would! But given I choose to drive a bog standard 2.0l Mazda, I wait for a bigger space. Back when I was driving a 1.3l Barina (classic Aussie badge on a Japanese car) I got stuck behind a truck on SH4 southbound. Bugger me that was a long drive, but it didn't mean I needed a bigger car. In the State of Victoria, new drivers aren't allowed to drive powerful cars and I'm a huge fan of the idea. I say start 'em out in an 845cc Daihatsu like I did! You certainly learn patience and proper car control when you can't make it to the top of Ngauranga Gorge at 100km/h (when that was the limit) no matter how fast you hit the bottom.

In fact, a LOT of people could make do with less powerful cars if they would just learn how to overtake properly. It was the last thing on my syllabus when teaching my boys to drive (and they did NOT start when they were 16) but I was showing them a lot with my own driving how to do it even before they started. On the other hand, I've seen people with plenty powerful cars who could overtake in small, safe manoeuvres, give themselves the worst chance of doing it safely by doing it completely wrong. Which all goes to my firm belief (and it has been mentioned here in this conversation already) that Kiwi driver training is bloody pathetic. There should be (truly) professional driver training required (some of the so called professionals are terrible and some even dangerous), and there should be regular testing. Not just once at 16 and the next time at 70 or whatever it is! Every 10 years at least.

Edit: The key thing is no-one has a right to get where they're going faster just because they want to.

[MarkJerling]

Dogs do make a difference because they certainly need space (real dogs, anyway). On the topic of snoozing behind camper vans, I dislike it as much as the next person, but I will still sit behind one for a long time if it's not safe to pass. Would I like my son's Impreza WRX to get that done in a small space, or my other son's Golf R? Sure would! But given I choose to drive a bog standard 2.0l Mazda, I wait for a bigger space. Back when I was driving a 1.3l Barina (classic Aussie badge on a Japanese car) I got stuck behind a truck on SH4 southbound. Bugger me that was a long drive, but it didn't mean I needed a bigger car. In the State of Victoria, new drivers aren't allowed to drive powerful cars and I'm a huge fan of the idea. I say start 'em out in an 845cc Daihatsu like I did! You certainly learn patience and proper car control when you can't make it to the top of Ngauranga Gorge at 100km/h (when that was the limit) no matter how fast you hit the bottom.

In fact, a LOT of people could make do with less powerful cars if they would just learn how to overtake properly. It was the last thing on my syllabus when teaching my boys to drive (and they did NOT start when they were 16) but I was showing them a lot with my own driving how to do it even before they started. On the other hand, I've seen people with plenty powerful cars who could overtake in small, safe manoeuvres, give themselves the worst chance of doing it safely by doing it completely wrong. Which all goes to my firm belief (and it has been mentioned here in this conversation already) that Kiwi driver training is bloody pathetic. There should be (truly) professional driver training required (some of the so called professionals are terrible and some even dangerous), and there should be regular testing. Not just once at 16 and the next time at 70 or whatever it is! Every 10 years at least.

Edit: The key thing is no-one has a right to get where they're going faster just because they want to.

I've been going smaller and smaller by engine size since my first car. This year marks the first year in the Jerling household with no V8!
Engine size has been gradually decreasing from 5.8l to 4.5l to 4.2l to 3.5l to 2.0l. If I keep this up I may get to those Diahatsu lawnmower sizes eventually!

[GUB]

A quick grab shot this arvo with the Pentax 400 - 600 mirror on the K-1. Handheld so not too bad a result considering.
So is that one of our airforce ones?

[bobD]

I've been going smaller and smaller by engine size since my first car. This year marks the first year in the Jerling household with no V8!
Engine size has been gradually decreasing from 5.8l to 4.5l to 4.2l to 3.5l to 2.0l. If I keep this up I may get to those Diahatsu lawnmower sizes eventually!

I may be miss-remembering but some years back (early '90s?) I had to drive on a long trip in a Diahatsu Turbo Diesel that had a laughably tiny engine but was nick-named by work colleagues 'The Scud' (as in SS-1 “Scud”)...and boy did I find out fast they weren't joking !! Aim straight and light blue touch paper !!

---------- Post added 4th Aug 2022 at 07:51 PM ----------

A quick grab shot this arvo with the Pentax 400 - 600 mirror on the K-1. Handheld so not too bad a result considering.
So is that one of our airforce ones?

Nah....that's the tour transport for the Yellow Wiggle :-) Borders reopened Sunday...

---------- Post added 4th Aug 2022 at 08:04 PM ----------

Not really, you can design for it - Italy gets quite large earthquakes, and has active volcanoes. Just costs more to build in the required safety factors, strength and systems. We have already done this with the Wellington overhead motorway system bridges, and retrofitted them with seismic upgrades when our understanding grew following the Japanese Kobe Earthquake.

over the years I've bought a lot of Italian manufactured tooling and can only say it is top notch and so well engineered that there is nothing available here in NZ that would measure up....Given how long simple roading takes and how poorly it performs...(just drive the Electric Grotto on a wet day...) then I worry about the commitment of Government to fund a long term capable roading construction industry...other than the current 'fly-in fly-out contractors..

---

Last edited by bobD; 08-04-2022 at 12:53 AM.

[Transit]

Hi Pete, accurate observation but in fairness I have been pretty happy with the initial results off the K-3 III. It is a very nice lens.

sorry just being cheeky
In other news my 77 is off to Melbourne after it pooed itself

[Kiwizinho]

In other news my 77 is off to Melbourne after it pooed itself

I'm awaiting an arrival coming in the opposite direction, hopefully for a more positive experience. AU Post tracking shows it's already cleared customs and is ready for delivery.
If I'm really in luck, I might have a new toy for the weekend.

[NZ_Ross]

sorry just being cheeky
In other news my 77 is off to Melbourne after it pooed itself

I passed on bidding on the K-1 on TM this week. Hard to justify spending that sort of money when the K-3 III is so good.

Oh no, what has happened to your 77? I also have one and again, I am very happy with results - another very nice lens

[zkarj]

So is that one of our airforce ones?

If it ain't grey it ain't Air Force. Based on your EXIF timestamp of noon, this is a solid match.

First pic snapped from FlightRadar24.com. Second pic snapped from here.

[GUB]

I had to drive on a long trip in a Diahatsu Turbo Diesel that had a laughably tiny engine but was nick-named by work colleagues 'The Scud'

The new farmhand Daihatsu would be better nicknamed the slug.

[GUB]

Nailed it!
So an oil rig supply helicopter.

[GUB]

And I live here. So something like 4 - 5 km away.
What does no call sign mean?

[zkarj]

What does no call sign mean?

It's interesting that a commercial machine like that wouldn't be using one. The callsign is the flight identity for flight plan filing and radio comms, and has written and spoken versions for those mediums.

Airline operators will use a version of their scheduled flight number like "New Zealand Four Five One" aka NZ451 will be an AKL-WLG fight. "New Zealand Eight Two Five Lima" aka NZ825L would be one of the Dash-8s, ex Air Nelson, who used to use "Link Eight Eight Two Five" for such a flight before Air NZ moved them onto their own operator certificate.

Private aircraft will mostly just use their registration in phonetic form, so ZK-ARJ would use "Alpha Romeo Juliet". Some have special callsigns that are registered for the aircraft, particularly warbirds. For example the Nanchang based at Wellington goes by "Nanchang 55" (in reference to its fake tail number). These are kind of like personalised plates, though the actual registration is still in the form ZK-MAO for that Nanchang and the aircraft is marked as such.

Other commercial stuff would generally use some variation of the company name. I found a list of registered names in NZ but I guess PHI is a multi-national so is probably defined elsewhere.

The other option here is someone forgot to set the callsign into the aircraft transponder so FR24 have nothing to go on. FR24 display three pieces of information when they have them. Registration (ZK-NET), Callsign (NZ825L), and flight number (NZ8825).