Every picture tells a story, and rekindles fond memories, which can lead into many related stories. But allas, I digress.
I an not a Victorian, (Syney sider actually) but I remember, a long time ago, when I was "very young", that I had the pleasure, as a cadet, of "visiting", on "numerous occasions", YSBK, YSSY, YSCN and YSRI.
One "night" on a memorable visit to YSSY, we were briefed on how pilots get around an airport at night, by the then senior ground staff supervisor at YSSY. The centrepiece of his "presentation", was the YSSY version of THIS !.
![[Image: attachment.php?aid=291]](http://auntypru.com/forum/attachment.php?aid=291)
This actually IS the "old" YMEN light board !!
Anyway, us kids were seated, the lights were dimmed, and "the board" came to life !
A lengthy and detailed explanation followed, with every set of lights turned on and off in turn, so that we could see, and gain an understanding of, everything.
Later, we were driven around the airport in a small bus, following an airport contol car, around the hangars, down the taxiways, "one" of the runways, around the perimeter track etc.
We stopped at the end of one runway, (not the active obviously !!) the head guy grabbed the microphone on the radio in the car, and low and behold, the "tower" then "turned on" the lights, "just for us".
Such "power" did a bunch of very highly impressionable 13 to 14 year olds have back then ! (Makes you wonder if modern kids would even be interested enough to go though). Pardon, I degress yet again.
Anyway, the threshold lights were red (just like on the board) when we looked at them, and when we walked around the "end of the keys" we were not amazed to see that they were green on the other side (just like on the board). The lights down the sides of the runway were all white (just like on the board), etc, etc.
But then (with torches set "on") we filed off, down a dirt path to the "approach lights".
Anyway, you "get the picture". I have digressed enough.
The "point" of the photograph of the "YMEN board", in the context of the present day, is to show the "perimeter track" (brown in the photograph).
Enough said, (for now).
I an not a Victorian, (Syney sider actually) but I remember, a long time ago, when I was "very young", that I had the pleasure, as a cadet, of "visiting", on "numerous occasions", YSBK, YSSY, YSCN and YSRI.
One "night" on a memorable visit to YSSY, we were briefed on how pilots get around an airport at night, by the then senior ground staff supervisor at YSSY. The centrepiece of his "presentation", was the YSSY version of THIS !.
This actually IS the "old" YMEN light board !!
Anyway, us kids were seated, the lights were dimmed, and "the board" came to life !
A lengthy and detailed explanation followed, with every set of lights turned on and off in turn, so that we could see, and gain an understanding of, everything.
Later, we were driven around the airport in a small bus, following an airport contol car, around the hangars, down the taxiways, "one" of the runways, around the perimeter track etc.
We stopped at the end of one runway, (not the active obviously !!) the head guy grabbed the microphone on the radio in the car, and low and behold, the "tower" then "turned on" the lights, "just for us".
Such "power" did a bunch of very highly impressionable 13 to 14 year olds have back then ! (Makes you wonder if modern kids would even be interested enough to go though). Pardon, I degress yet again.
Anyway, the threshold lights were red (just like on the board) when we looked at them, and when we walked around the "end of the keys" we were not amazed to see that they were green on the other side (just like on the board). The lights down the sides of the runway were all white (just like on the board), etc, etc.
But then (with torches set "on") we filed off, down a dirt path to the "approach lights".
Anyway, you "get the picture". I have digressed enough.
The "point" of the photograph of the "YMEN board", in the context of the present day, is to show the "perimeter track" (brown in the photograph).
Enough said, (for now).
