Frank Timmons’ Blog

Recently I have been thinking quite a lot about planes and aviation. Many years ago I earned my Private Pilot License and an Instrument Rating, but it has been a long time since I did any real flying. These days I am rarely even a passenger on commercial planes, and I have yet to visit the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Perhaps because of my recent preoccupation with flying, I took special interest in the 19 May 2007 report on Pattaya City News of a plane crash here in Pattaya. The reporter identified the plane as a Cessna 152 trainer, though from the video it was clear that this was a much larger plane. It is actually a Cessna 206 Stationair, which is a quite nice 6 seat plane. I am quite sure I saw this tied down at the Pattaya Airport a few months ago when the kids and I attended the Pattaya Fly-in.

The plane was being flown by Lieutenant Batiwat, age 31. He was seriously injured in the crash, and of course I wish him a speedy recovery. Apparently he had no passengers on board.

The plane doesn’t appear to be too badly damaged, so hopefully they were able to recover the plane from the farmer’s field without inflicting more damage.

Reflecting on this accident, I was inspired to pull out my old Pilot’s Logbook and review some of my old flights. Over my brief flying career I logged 300 hours as Pilot in Command, and flew 11 different planes (all Pipers). I also managed to get some stick time in a Steen Skybolt, a Piper Cub, Cessna 150, 152, 172, and a 310 twin, but did not log this time as Pilot in Command. I did an Internet search to see the current status of each of the planes I had logged. I was quite surprised to learn that 5 of the planes had been destroyed in crashes, with a total of 9 people killed. I couldn’t find any information on one plane; it no longer exists, but there is no record of any accident. My guess is that it too was destroyed, but probably the accident didn’t require any investigation (i.e. no injuries, property damage, or violation of flight rules).

Realizing that half the planes I flew subsequently crashed caused me to reflect a bit on my own mortality. However, each of the reported accidents were caused by serious pilot errors. So I suppose that the planes I flew were never dangerous, but some of the Pilots who flew them certainly were.

I have recently become very attracted to the Velocity SE canard pusher homebuilt aircraft. As a teenaged pilot, and subsequently as an Aerospace Engineer, Burt Rutan was always my aviation hero, and I really liked his Long-Eze plane design. The Velocity is an updated version of his Long-Eze, and it is certainly a beauty.

I am also fascinated with recent advances in Diesel Engine technology (I am certainly pleased with my Isuzu D-Max), and so I was quite interested in the DeltaHawk V-4 diesel engine design. This engine, which is likely to be certified soon by the FAA, is designed to replace current aviation engines such as the Lycoming O-360. Velocity and DeltaHawk have cooperated to install a prototype DeltaHawk engine in a Velocity RG. I really love this combination, and I now find myself very excited again with airplanes and flying.

The Velocity SE can be built in around 1,500 manhours for approx. 3 million baht ($85,000 USD). Considering that this is a very strong and modern 4 seat IFR capable aircraft with a 1,000 mile range and cruise speed of nearly 200 MPH, this is quite a bargain. Unfortunately, this project is approx, 2.9 million baht over my budget, and I certainly don’t have a spare 1,500 manhours to spend laying up and sanding fiberglass composites. So, I suppose that this will remain in the realm of dreams, which is probably exactly where it belongs.

When I converted to Buddhism, I was determined to avoid materialistic desires and focus strictly on my family. The Velocity is the first project that has seriously challenged my personal pledge to avoid selfish desires. I supposed therefore I should be thankful that whereas my resolve has proven a bit weak, my limited financial resources have saved me from my materialistic desires.

Frank T.

A few nights ago I watched the famous Thai movie “Bang Rajan”. This movie, which was made in 2000, recounts the true story of the village of Bang Rajan, which heroically held off an invading Burmese Army for 5 months during the year 1767.

A historical account of the battle can be found on Wikipedia at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Rajan

An article on the film can also be found on Wikipedia at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Rajan_(film)

The movie is quite interesting, and surprisingly well made despite its very low budget. Oliver Stone saw the movie and was so impressed that he edited the movie and released it in the USA. I have never seen his version. My copy is the original, and unfortunately doesn’t have English subtitles. I found it quite difficult to follow the Thai dialog, which my wife explained was in “ancient Thai”. It did seem that they made a great effort to faithfully depict the customs of this historical period.

The water buffalo pictured above actually became quite famous in Thailand. It died shortly after the movie was released, after having made several publicity appearances around Thailand. The buffalo was given an elaborate funeral ceremony, which I suppose befitted his celebrity status.

Some have compared this movie with Bravehart (staring Mel Gibson). The movie is in fact quite violent, and at times is a bit difficult to watch due to the graphic nature of some of the battle scenes.

I did find it somewhat amusing when I realized that the Bang Rajan villagers wore their hair similar to mine, with close cut sides and a bit longer on top. I was wondering what they used for hair gel back in 1767 to get their hair to stand up. I am also wondering if my hair style should therefore be characterized as ancient, brave, heroic, or primitive.

The story of Bang Rajan is truly an important part of Thai culture and history. It serves to demonstrate the strength, resolve, dedication, and bravery of Thais. Unfortunately, it also reminds us of the failings of the Ayutthaya kingdom, which failed to provide support to the villagers. When Bang Rajan fell and was literally wiped out, the Burmese Army marched into Ayutthaya and completely obliterated the city, ending the Ayutthaya Kingdom and paving the way for the Chakri Dynasty and the establishment of Bangkok (Krung Thep) as the Siamese capital.

Frank T.

Like most Thai neighborhoods, our neighborhood has a number of vendors who make daily or weekly rounds selling various goods. We are visited every morning by a lady who delivers drinking yoghurt, and also a drinks vendor who sells various hot and cold beverages including coffee, hot chocolate, and a selection of flavored drinks.

This afternoon the kids and I decided to have some Thai Ice Cream. The day had been a hot one, as are most days here in Tropical Thailand. The Ice Cream Man drives a modest motorbike with a side car upon which is the stainless steel ice cream tank. The tank is a double walled tank, with ice in the outside chamber to keep the ice cream cold. The motorbike has a large beach umbrella to keep the sun off of both the vendor and his valuable ice cream.

Typical homemade Thai Ice Cream is a bit different from store bought varieties. I am certainly no expert on Ice Cream, but I find the homemade variety to be richer with a less sticky feeling in the mouth. I believe both the Coconut and the Chocolate flavors are made with coconut milk. The chocolate has a very light chocolate flavor and is quite good, though I personally prefer the coconut flavor.

The kids and I typically have our Ice Cream served in plastic cups. In typical Thai fashion, some sticky rice is put into the bottom of the cup, then scoops of Ice Cream are added. The ice cream is then topped with some small kernal dried corn and some condensed milk. This is a very refreshing way to cool down on a hot Thailand afternoon. Each cup of Ice Cream costs 10 baht.

A few days ago the kids and I were swimming at the neighborhood pool when I saw the Ice Cream Man drive by. He stopped just outside the pool fence and dismounted his bike. Turns out that he had driven over a screw which had punctured his very well worn rear tire. He took over my life guard duties for a few minutes while I walked home to get a tire pump from the house. Unfortunately, the tube refused to hold any air, so he had ride on the flat tire to the motorbike shop. Fortunately the bike shop is just a few dozen meters up the road from our village, so the wheel and tire survived quite well. Today the Ice Cream guy told me that the new tube cost him 130 baht (around $5 US), which is a significant expense for an independant businessman such as himself. The bike still had the same well worn tire, which I am sure will give many more weeks (or months) of service, given the perpetual slow speed at which our Ice Cream Man makes his daily rounds.

Thank You Mr. Ice Cream Man for your delicious and refreshing Ice Cream. Hope your daily rounds continue to be profitable and safe.

Frank T.

Thought I might share a few observations about my 9 month old Isuzu pick-up truck. It is an SLX 3.0 Liter 4 Door, with manual transmission, airbags and ABS. I also ordered the leather interior, so I wouldn’t need to worry as much about stains from the kids. Pictures are available in my Photo Gallery at  http://www.apichet.com/gallery2/main.php
 
Basically, I really enjoy driving this pick-up truck and would highly recommend it to anyone who would like economical, reliable, and safe daily transportation. It is suitable for a family of four, though fortunately we also have a 7 seat Chevrolet Zafira (a rebadged Thai built Opel) which Sopha uses to take the kids to school, and we use when we need to carry more people in relative comfort.

I had a Carryboy fiberglass deck lid installed on the truck bed, which provides a clean, aerodynamic appearance for daily driving, and can be raised electrically for carrying large items or to provide a covered seating area for taking the extended family on an outing. This lockable deck lid is wonderful for shopping trips, effectively converting the truck bed into a large trunk. The truck still looks like a pick-up truck, but functionally it delivers all of the convenience attributes of a 4 door sedan.

Unlike conventional pick-up trucks, the short bed 4 door seems to have a good front / rear balance. I would never begin to claim that the truck approaches the classic 50/50 weight balance of some sport cars, but the rear axle does have good loading and never seems light or lacking in traction.

My biggest disappointment in the truck was the performance of the suspension. On unimproved country roads or on uneven pavement at highway speeds, the shock absorbers seemed to be quite lacking in damping action, especially on rebound. Also, any large bump which tended to raise only one side of the rear axle would cause the truck to steer in the direction of the bump.

Installing a set of Gabriel G-Force 9 valve shock absorbers front and rear solved the suspension performance problems. If you are driving an Isuzu DMax, I would highly recommend upgrading the shocks with a set of Gabriels. I also installed a shock absorbing track bar on the rear axle, which combined with the new shocks has completely tamed the rear axle. The truck tracks in a straight line over all terrain, and is a complete pleasure to drive. Ride comfort is certainly comparable to our Chevrolet Zafira, not quite as soft as the Honda Accord 3.0L, but definitely better handling than the Accord. The taller seating position, large side view mirrors, and comfortable steering wheel position and controls provides a pleasant driving experience even on those long 8 hour drives to Udon Thani (12 hours if one is dumb enough to try the drive just before the New Years holiday).
 
The stereo / CD player is OK, but certainly would never satisfy a true audiophile. Of course, one must have realistic expectations, as this is an economical truck and not a luxury sedan. When my cash flow permits (which unfortunately might not be anytime soon), I plan to install sound damping insulation on the floors, cab walls, roof, and in the doors, along with a decent head unit, speakers, and amplifier. The truck has a standard Double Din dash opening, so I have the option of installing either standard Din or Double Din head units. The truck is certainly not noisy at highway speeds, and sound from the diesel engine can be barely distinguished from normal highway noise when running at cruising speed. However, the truck is not as quiet as a decent sedan, and some sound damping insulation should really help quiet the cab.

I have always liked driving diesels, and the Isuzu is no exception. The 3.0 liter Commonrail has loads of torque, and is fun to drive with the manual 5 speed transmission. Passing is quick and easy in 5th gear, and I rarely find a need do downshift. I get between 12.5 and 14.5 km / liter (29.5 to 34 miles / gallon) depending on type of driving. This truck is also sold as the Chevrolet Colorado (with slightly different body accents and trim).

These wonderful Thai built trucks are not available in the USA, but Chevrolet is now building a near identical Colorado in the USA. I don’t know how faithfully Chevrolet has executed this Isuzu designed truck in the USA, but I do know that they are not offering the Isuzu diesel engines. Such a shame, as the 2.5 liter and 3.0 liter engines are proven highly reliable and fuel efficient. Isuzu builds 16 million engines per year for many vehicle manufacturers. Too bad the US consumers are not offered a reliable, powerful, and fuel efficient engine option for their medium sized trucks and SUV’s.

There has been a rumour that Thai built trucks may soon be exported to the USA. Hope you folks get to experience some of these wonderful Thai built vehicles in the near future.

Frank T.