Reporter’s diary

Press, 28 April 1984, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Old theme THE END-OF-TERM social for the Workers’ Educational Association’s “wider horizons” programme featured a special artist. Phyllis Hughes, a livelyminded and youthful 90-year-old, delivered a humorous monologue on “women’s . rights.” It was taught to her by her grandmother. So what’s new? Biggest aeroplane A READER, Mr T. J. Forde, has taken issue with reports that the United States Air . Force’s Lockheed C 5 Galaxy — two of which have visited Christchurch in the last week — is the world’s biggest aircraft. It was, once, but that distinction apparently now belongs to the Soviet Union’s Antonov An 400, N.A.T.O. reporting name, Condor. Although little detailed information on the Condor is publicly available, it is thought to be, over all, about *5 per cent larger than the CSA

Galaxy. It has a wingspan of 74 metres (243 ft comI pared with the CsA’s 67 metres (222 ft In spite of this, the Condor’s maximum payload is no greater, at an estimated 120,000 kg, than the 120,065 maximum load of the Galaxy, according to the United States Depart- > ment of Defence. The Galaxy is also still the • world’s biggest aircraft at present in service. The Condor is still undergoing flight development testing. “Initial operational capability” is ’ not foreseen before the mid I to late 1980 s, according to , the 1983-84 edition of I “Jane’s All the World’s Airt craft.” : Ski-ing sale J SKI JACKETS will be a i “no-no” for browsers at the ■ Canterbury Ski Association’s i annual sale of new and used i ski equipment in the mem- / bers’ stand at Riccarton ) Racecourse on Sunday r morning, May 6. As part of L stringent security measures,

no-one will be allowed into the members’ stand wearing a ski jacket. The thinking behind the ban is that noone will be able to put on a ski jacket and walk out as if it were his or her own. The sale, the biggest of its type in the South Island, will be run this year by the Tekapo Ski Club. More than 3000 items were offered last year, together with professional advice. The proceeds benefit the C.S.A. in its racing coaching, ski fitness, and disabled skiers’ programmes, and the training of ski patrollers. Tour de farce SOCCER FANS may take some consolation from the news that one team has managed to have a more disastrous tour than the New Zealand “all whites” in Singapore. The Argentine side, San Lorenzo, having lost all, of its matches on a Centrtf American tour, was stuck without enough money to get home and had to

scratch about for an unscheduled fixture to raise the cash. Its problems were caused by a shady tour promoter, who vanished with all the gate takings, leaving the hapless players with a hotel bill, no money, and no idea where they were due to play next. Room at the top A CHINESE couple were being driven to Hong Kong Airport after visiting relatives, and their taxi-driver was lamenting the flight of business people from the colony. “Are you leaving, too?” they inquired politely. “No,” replied the cab driver. “When everyone else goes I will be the governor.” Conservation A SIGN on public lavatories in the Craigieburn Forest Park reads: “Keas eat 100 paper — so keep the door closed.” | —Peter Comer