FOA2016 Week 8

Qantas 216

This another made up story in my Air Crash Series. None of the

events in this actually happened. Qantas still remains the safest airline in the world.

Qantas 216

It was an ordinary day at Auckland International Airport as Qantas prepared to take-off. They had been stranded at Auckland after one of the Boeing 747-400’s engines malfunctioned. Luckily the engineers fixed it in a record 5 hours! Captain George Wall and First Officer Jeff Caloundra were scheduled to land at LAX at 24.45.pm NZET after leaving Brisbane at 9.15.am NZET. Flight Engineer Matthew Collins has invited a friend who was on the flight into the cockpit jump seat. “ Qantas 216 you are cleared for take-off runway 23L.”

“ Qantas 216 cleared for take-off runway 23L. Thrust full, flaps 10.” The roar of the engines get louder and the aircraft leaves the ground in 20 seconds.

Hijacked

The aircraft has just reached cruising altitude when the Captain. hears belts unbuckling. “ Stay in your seat gentlemen.”

“ NO! From now on the plane is under our control! Fly back to Australia!” There is a squawk code for hijackings, but with the hijackers in the cockpit, they can’t use it. Captain Wall uses special hand signals to tell the F/O to attack the hijackers. The F/O agrees. He gets up and walks away from the cockpit, pretending to use the lavatory. When he comes back he jumps on the armed offender and takes the gun. He knocks both of the hijackers out and sits back down. They start descending back to Auckland.

One of the hardest landings

“ SQUAWK77! SQUAWK77! Auckland we are coming for an emergency landing.”

“ Qantas 216 the runway is clear.” The hijackers have woken up.

“ Hey, where are you going. I said Australia.” The runway is in sight. They have to come in from the water surrounded north end because of wind direction.  “ Blow this thing Matthew!” BOOOM! A bomb goes off and the 747 starts falling. The F/O knocks the hijackers to the floor again. “ FULL POWER!” The engines roar.

“ TOO LATE!” The aircraft slams into the runway. The tail flips from the water and the aircraft starts furiously sliding along the ground. Metal screeching can be heard from across the water. The plane splits in 4 and comes to a fiery stop. The Captain is first out of his seat followed by the F/O. The F/O still has the gun and shoots the hijackers dead. Everyone apart from the hijackers are alive. The fire devastated Auckland Airport and it isn’t a full 2 months before it opens again. The crash itself, however, wasn’t anything for Qantas. It was Qantas’ first hull loss ( hull loss meaning destroying) crash and it still didn’t have any crash fatalities. The airline just keeps going like nothing happened.

FOA2016

The Formula 5000 Grand Prix

The Formula 5000 Grand Prix

“ Hello Chad Neylon here, welcome to the first annual Castrol edge Formula 5000 Grand Prix. Today we are holding it on the streets of Auckland's CBD. Alright here we go for the hot lap driven by Ken Smith in the number 4 Lola T430.”

“ Hi guys here we start off going down Queen street and turn right into Customs street. After turn left into Britomart Place and left again into Quay Street. After the straight turn left again into Lower Hobson Street and drive up Hobson Street. Turn right into Sturdee Street. Left onto Nelson Street.  Left into Victoria street and then right into Hobson street and drive up past the sky tower then left onto Cook Street and left again onto Mayoral Drive. Go up there and turn right onto Wellesley Street and finally left back onto Queen Street and as you go past Victoria Street you have completed one lap at this awesome track.”

“Thank you Ken. Alright now let's get the cars onto the track. Starting in first and second we have the Team McRae with two McRae GM1s.

In Positions 3-13 We have Team Lola with 2 Lola T430s, 7 Lola T332s, 1 T400. In Position 14 we have Team McLaren which has one McLaren M22 and finally starting 15 is Team Eagle with a Gurney Eagle Fa 74 . All the cars are lined up on the start line. 3, 2, 1, GO!! And they’re off. A nice start for Ken Smith as he gets past the 2 McRae GM1s. Here they go into turn 1. Coming up into turn 2 they are three wide. Down the short straight and into the Britomart Quay street corner. Into the Hobson street and into Sturdee. Just keep powering guys. Now Into Victoria St towards the sky tower. Back onto Hobson Street past the Sky Tower and into turn 9. Turn 10 down mayoral drive through 11 and across the line to complete lap 1 of 58.”

Lap 34

“ Ken Smith leading in his Lola T430. He may be aged but he can still race. Into 10 for Smith. And across the line onto lap 35, now into 1 and he is slowing down a lot why is that? Oh it looks like Lyons has gone into the wall. Let’s see why. On the replay it looks like Abbott and Lyons were battling down Queen Straight and Abbott on the inside locked the brakes sending Lyons into the wall. That is not good for the Gurney Eagle driver who was in 1st coming into this round.”

Lap 57 Restart

“ He we go for the restart he in the streets of Auckland as Ken Smith leads into 1. Nice jump out of 2 against Sefton Gibb in the Lola T332.”

Lap 58 Corner 8

“It is Smith v Gibb as they fly past the Sky Tower here on the streets of Auckland. Into Turn 9 Its Smith with the lead into 10 and 11. Drag race down the front straight. Oh No, Gibb has a blown Tyre and is slowing. Ken Smith the 74 year old has won the Formula 5000 Grand Prix for 2016. What an achievement.”

On the Podium

“Congratulations Ken on winning the first Formula 5000 Grand Prix on your 74th birthday. August the 11th is your birthday right.”

“ Yeah this is the best birthday ever. Best gift I could’ve wanted.”

“ Alright people big round of applause for your Formula 5000 Grand Prix Podium.”

Podium Placings

1st: Ken Smith-Lola T430

2nd: Sefton Gibb-Lola T332

3rd: David Abbott-Lola T430

Deadliest Air Crash

July 11, 2016

Soaring high above the clouds, where no one is able to see it, the Clipper Santiago is on a routine flight at its peak altitude of 45,000 feet. It is a Pan Am Boeing 777-300ER on its way from New York JFK Airport to Johannesburg International. It took off at 3.30 AM from NY. 5 minutes ago at 7.22 AM it took off from Charle de gaulle Airport in Paris after an alarm malfunctioned and went off in the cockpit. As the plane carries on an bang is heard  and the passengers feel the sudden feeling of dead people. Everyone a who was asleep awakes and finds something only seen in movies. Nothing. The entire front of the aircraft is gone. The Clipper Santiago is falling to the ground at nearly the speed of sound. When the aircraft reaches the speed of sound, the entire plane rips apart. Three people are torn limb from limb. From the moment they broke the sound barrier, every one is killed.

The same day at Tenerife International

“ Qantas 759 you are cleared for departure.” The controller has given Qantas 759, a Airbus A330-300 on a return flight to Perth, the clearance for take off. Tenerife is famous for the deadliest air crash, the collision of two Boeing 747s. As the Qantas plane starts down the runway the ground starts shaking. Everyone but the people on the Qantas plane feel it. About 500 metres from the fast moving plane an explosion is heard. The controller say to the others, “ Not again.” No one can see it, or can they. The Qantas pilots can see the explosion. Captain Zach Adams quickly turns to avoid it, but it's too late. The A330s right front tyre runs over a piece of debris and it pops. The craft turns vigorously to the right, throwing the pilots to the left as the monster turns towards the terminal. Another plane, a FedEx Mcdonnell Douglas MD-11 is parked at the terminal. The pilots know of the tremor and are beginning the engine shutdown. Captain John Carlson is reaching for a switch when out of the corner of his eye he sees lights. They are getting bigger by the second. He says to first officer Mark  Wright, “ Is that a plane?”. Mark replies, “ That's a plane and I think it’s going to hit us. BACK UP! BACK UP!” Luckily the engines are still running. John pulls back the reverse thrusters and they fire up. The MD-11 slowly rolls back. Windows in the terminal shatter within touch of the thrust. Zach Adams gets up from the floor and sees the FedEx plane and tries to lift the plane from the ground. He pulls as hard as he can on the control yolk. Finally the nose lifts, but not high enough. As the Airbus gets closer the pilots can see each other for a split second before Mark and John duck and then blackness. No one can see anything. About a minute later Mark wakes up and finds the plane has somehow gotten closer to the terminal he climbs down the nose and tries to close his eyes to the nightmare before him. He just can’t do it. Instead of dismissing the horror, he tries to help the people lying on the ground. None of them are alive. Of the 225 people on the two planes, one survived, that one person is Mark Wright. He is devastated. The build up of his life since then has been hard. He lives everyday with dread that his flight will have the same turn out. He says if it does, he hopes he is the one killed. Tenerife

Book Review

Book Review

Star Wars Revenge Of the Sith is an amazing book. I give it 4.5 stars.

Star Wars Revenge Of The Sith is the 3rd book and movie in the series.

It is about a young Jedi named Anakin Skywalker, who has broken the Jedi code many times. One of the biggest times he has broken the code is getting married to Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. After having a force vision of his beloved wife dying in childbirth he sets out on an epic journey to stop that from coming true. As he does this he meets a man who has been lying to him for a long time. He says he can help Anakin, but can he? He helps his old friend (who turns out to be a sith) destroy the Republic and create an Empire. At the end of the book, he has an epic battle with his old master and transforms into the widely feared Darth Vader.

If you have a taste for sci-fi and adventure then this book is for you!

Palm Oil Letter to Nestle

Dear Nestle NZ

Hi, we are Bradley and Logan. We go to Hornby High School and we are concerned about the environment and what you do to it. We heard that you guys use palm oil in your products. Do you have any idea what cost that has on the environment? Every day 300 football (American) fields are cut or burnt down to plant palm oil plantations. Places like Borneo and Sumatra are turning from islands to palm oil factories. And the reason for this happening is, YOU!! You have decided to use palm oil in your products, so the money that you make for people buying your products go toward people cutting down more and more forests. Soon the 33 km a day will turn into 1,086 Kms a day (that's the size of Auckland).

Palm oil has many different names. Did you know that 37% of vegetable oil named in the ingredients is actually vegetable oil? Can you guess what the other 83% is? You're probably thinking, palm oil. Palm oil is taking over. Palm oil has at least 186 names other than palm oil.

All the animals in the forests are being killed by the chainsaws and fire burning. The orangutans are nearly extinct because where they live is being burnt to a crisp, just so you can make some Kit Kats. Is killing the Sumatran tiger worth getting money? And if you don’t stop, you could at least donate it to Greenpeace or The World Wildlife Fund. They have been trying for years to stop Palm oil but companies like you are too strong and always defeat them in battle. People think that wars like the cold war and world war 2 were bad but the real battle is making the earth survive. Do you think that cutting down trees is going to help? Orangutans eat the seeds of plants and spread the seeds by their manure. If you are killing them then they can not spread the seeds. You are the bad guys of this war. And you’re winning! World War save the World is being won by the bad guys.

So please, stop using palm oil in your products. You are killing animals and most importantly the environment. You are the bad guys, and everyone knows the bad guys don’t win.

Thank you for reading.

Your sincerely, Bradley and Logan.




They Replied. And this is what they wrote:

Hi Logan,

Thank you for contacting us with your concern about our purchase of palm oil.

Nestlé views the deforestation of rainforests as one of the most serious environmental issues facing the world today and we have repeatedly called for a moratorium on deforestation. It is estimated that destruction of the world's rainforest contributes to about 20% of greenhouse gases - more than the entire transport sector. And the growing use of bio-fuels, which we have vigorously condemned, is a serious factor in this destruction.

Regarding palm oil, we have:

In 2010, we joined forces with The Forest Trust (TFT), a global non-profit organisation, to ensure our supply chains do not contribute to the destruction of rainforests.  Nestlé is the first consumer goods company to become a TFT member. 

Reduced our use of palm oil globally by 42,000 tonnes over the past few years. Palm oil is not a major resource for us - we buy around 320,000mt annually which accounts for 0.7% of the world's production. 

At the end of September 2013:

-45 % of our volume can be traced back at least to the mill in the country of origin. 

-13% of our volume is Responsibly Sourced, meaning traceable to the plantation, RSG assessed, compliant or engaged in continuous improvement. 

-5% of our volume is fully compliant, meaning traceable to plantation level and fully compliant with our Responsible Sourcing Guideline requirements. 

-By September 2013, 100% of our palm oil was RSPO certified (Including 16% RSPO segregated and an estimated 84% in the form of Green Palm certificates). 

In Oceania, as a minimum, all the palm oil we use is covered by GreenPalm certificates, as we rapidly increase the proportion that is sustainable and traceable.  As at November 2013, all the palm oil we use in our locally made chocolate products is RSPO certified sustainable (segregated).

Once again thank you for taking your time to contact us and expressing your concerns. Should you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us again or for more information please visithttp://bit.ly/mKfPBy

As you have made contact with us we invite you to visit our websitewww.nestle.co.nz where you will find more information on new products, promotions, recipes and a resource centre dedicated to health and wellness.

At Nestlé, we welcome your comments, suggestions and feedback.  You can contact us via our website or ringing toll-free on 0800 830 840, and we will attempt to handle your enquiry promptly between the hours of 9am and 5.30pm, Monday toFriday, excluding public holidays.

Kind Regards,

Stephanie

Palm Oil Article

I believe I have Achieved LO 1 SUS 2016 because I have stated why sustainability is important for our future.
I believe I have Exceeded LO 2 SUS 2016 Because I have stated the impact on climate change.
I believe I have Exceeded LO 3 SUS 2016 because I have explained how and why a resource has to be sustained.

PHIL 2016 Poem=Picture

                         Humongous, Fast, Fatal

Scarily, Superly, Destructively

It is a giant steam roller

Lazily

Powerful

The Daytona 500

The Daytona 500

The door of the truck lowers down and reveals the fire breathing machine I’ll use to try and win this race. I start the engine. VROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! I roll out of the truck, the fans pour into the pit to see the roaring car. My 425 hp Plymouth Superbird runs to the garage quickly. My crew gas up and refit tyres onto my car. The special announcer, yells “ Drivers, start your engines!” Vroom!Vroom!Vroom!Vroom!Vroom! All the cars are screaming at the top of their pistons. The cars race out in order of qualification. I’m starting 30th of the 48 cars. The pace car, a 2014 corvette stingray, carefully leads us around the tri-oval . The green flag waves. “BOOGITY BOOGITY  BOOGITY BOYS!!” Shouts the commentator. The cars roar across the line. I’ve already passed 2 cars! It’s going to be a long race.

Lap 79

“ Alright boys, time to pit. We’ll grab some back tyres, 25 litres of fuel and 5 litres of water so he can survive the race.” Shouts my crew chief Dan Inman. I’m racing around the 2nd turn and someone blows a tyre! POOF! He starts rolling and I swerve just in time to avoid him and three others he hit. Bad news is, I end up spinning onto the infield. Dirt is flying everywhere. Dan see’s this and says “ Logan, you can take the yellow flag as an advantage to pit, then you could race out in front of the pace car.”  I get going again. I sprint into the pits. The squeaking sound of the tyre guns ring in my ears. Faintly I hear the sloshing of the water getting poured into the tank. GLUG GLUG GLUG! The pace car is coming around one last time. I get going at max pit speed to beat the pace car. It’s going to be close. I get past the pit and I gas it. I just beat the pace car. I rev the car as fast as it will go. Green flag!  I roar across the line. VROOM! I race around and around the tri-oval.

Lap 195, 6 laps to go.

I’m in second place. Right behind the 1979 Chevrolet Impala. I’m 3.56 seconds behind and gaining. 2 seconds, 1 second then, BANG! I blew a flat. I have to retreat to the pits. My team quickly change the tyre and off I go.

198, 3 laps to go.

I come out back in second because we were so far in front. I still have a bit to catch up. I roar around turn 1 I’m catching up. 3 seconds 2 seconds 1 second. As we cross the line onto lap 199, I pass him. I rev the car hard, I speed away but I realise I’m running out of fuel and the 88 is catching up. I gas it. Coming around turn 5. Across the line. White flag is out, final lap. Dan says to me, “ Come on Logan, one lap to go.” Turn 1, I slide to block Earnhardt jr, big mistake. I was to close now I am spinning. I start drifting and I get back on track just behind Dale jr. We come out of turn 2 and I gas it. Once again I get passed. Turn 3. I change from 5th gear to 6th. I fully pass Dale jr. Turn 5. Coming around the  final turn there is 13 centimetres between me and the 88. I see the checkered flag waving. I take the 1st place! I win the the Daytona 500!.

Art And What It Is

This is a poster on street art. It includes a picture from Shepard Fairey and the mysterious Banksey

Welcome to my very own blog for learning. I look forward to sharing my learning with teachers, my school, my family and friends anywhere.