BILL'S HOBBY LINKS PAGE
Last updated July 1, 2009
This page is under construction and will have my commonly used links
This page is meant to be a place I can easily come to in order to link to sites I refer to often in my non-radio interests, but I will make this page public on my website in case you also find these links to be interesting or useful. My non-radio interests include
MOTORCYCLE FROM MY PAST: Here is a page devoted to the Honda CT90 and similar small trail bikes from Honda. When I was a teen I had the predecessor Honda CT200 90 cc trail bike, one of the first in Canada around 1965, and happily explored the logging roads of Vancouver Island. Here is a specific page on the CT200
AIRCRAFT: especially civil transports and airliners, Canadian and US military aircraft and their designators e.g. F-5, C-130, etc. Some websites regarding designations: Missing numbers, for example what happened to F-13? Canadian military a/c designations Duplications in the US Series CAF Official Site with Photos
CANADIAN AERO INDUSTRY, especially what is happening with airlines and cargo lines.. Go to www.yyznews.com for frequent digests of aviation news mostly re airlines operating in Canada, and Canadian manufacturers. www. aviation.ca
AIRFIELDS, INCLUDING AERO CHARTS AND NAVAIDS: Skyvector.com for online aero charts of the US. Runway Finder.. an integration of maps and photos brings you to airports in the US and parts of Canada. Airnav
AIRFIELDS ABANDONED AND HISTORICAL especially abandoned ones in North America. Abandoned and Little Known Airfields. This very large site covers much of North America with maps and photos. I am most interested in abandoned and converted military airfields. There are many of them in the United States and quite a few here in Canada. Pennfield Ridge in New Brunswick is a completely abandoned former military field, and also in NB, the airport at Miramichi is partially unused, being downscaled from when it was CFB Chatham. Just across the border in Maine is the former super SAC base, Loring AFB, that is pretty much abandoned. And how about US Naval Air Station Argentia in Newfoundland, another major airfield lying abandoned. These are just examples in our area. Here are some other sites I go to regarding airfields and air charts as well: Listing of Airfields Open/Closed (in the US SW/SC states), Alabama WWII Army Airfields, Arizona WWII Army Airfields, California WWII Army Airfields, Colorado WWII Army Airfields, Kansas WWII Army Airfields, Texas WWII Army Airfields, Defunct WWII US Army Air Force Fields. Strategic Air Command.com , Joe McCusker's Air Force Base List. Scott Murdoch's database of WWII US Army Airfields and what became of them. Global Security has a section on facilities, other sections too. Globemaster Military Aviation is similar. Also www.RCAF.com for historical information on Canadian air stations home and abroad, and also on radar stations (see below)
RADAR CHAINS ACROSS CANADA: present and former Radar chains across Canada: Pinetree, Mid-Canada,
FLIGHT SIMULATOR... I enjoy this in a very rudimentary way, but am in the middle of a simulated flight to cover all the military airfields of North America, as well as all the major civil ones as well. I have not "flown: since August 2007 and my plane is currently sitting in Northern Utah!
Simulated Air Traffic Control... go to VATSIM and its Canadian component VATCAN I use this for its real world information.
AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS AND TRACKING: Halifax International A/P Flytecomm (track individual flights or check all flights at a particular airport) FlightAware (similar but has map output) Aeroseek Flight Explorer AirportMonitor is a unique online display of airplanes flying in and out of several different US airports... fascinating!
SHIPS: I have a residual historical interest in the tugs, liners, ferries and cargo ships of the BC Coast, and in ships of the Canadian Navy. Also the dreadnoughts, battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers, aircraft carriers of the world's navies, again mostly historical. Here is a site giving the naval ship classifications of the US Navy. Always interested in seeing the cruise liners coming into Halifax, and listening to the harbour traffic on the scanner. Here is a site about a program to see a radar like display of ships: Ship Plotter
RAILWAYS OF NORTH AMERICA, present and past: I am more interested in the system, the rails, present and abandoned, than I am in the rolling stock and engines. Abandoned Railroads.com Even though I live in Nova Scotia I am most interested in the logging railways of Vancouver Island, and also in the Kettle Valley Railway and Victoria Vancouver & Eastern in British Columbia. Cycling the Kettle Valley Railway. Here is a great site with lots of Maritimes rail history: ROCA Archives. I have several of these wonderful atlases showing active and abandoned rail lines: SPV Railroad Atlas of North America is actually a set of atlases that together now cover all of the US plus Atlantic Canada and British Columbia/Alberta.
ASTRONOMY, in the sense that I do look at the sky and like to know which planets are visible, and also do watch for the space station and space shuttle when up. In order to check what planets are visible I usually use a program on my computer that is good for centuries to come, but for the latest on where the International Space Station is, or the shuttle, and will I be able to see them, I go to Heavens Above, a site that you can customize to your own location. Why not watch for the next Iridium flare in your location!? Here is NASA's sightings site.
Novels in the JACK RYAN UNIVERSE (novelist Tom Clancy) see Wikipedia Ryanverse I have read this series of very large novels several times. Hunt for Red October is just one in the series.
Novels from LINCOLN AND PRESTON (their website) such as Relic and Reliquary. I have read this series several times.
I also have accumulated the HARDY BOYS books, nothing special, and also many National Geographics, back to 1919, and Whitakers Almanacs from Britain.
MUSIC from the top 40 era. I have a good collection of the oldies, and like to know about the singers and groups. I am not a musical snob, and am quite eclectic.... disco is fine with me, and I think Celine Dion is a good singer! I also enjoy some classics and country... Oldies Music Fifties Web (not just music) OldiesList (links, including to radio online) Oldies Radio Online (list/links) KRTH Los Angeles CJCH Halifax. This one contains great content from Vancouver station C-FUN in the sixties as well as other Vancouver historical and modern radio happenings: Vancouver Radio Museum.
REALITY TV shows about nothing in many cases.... Big Brother is the best example of nothingness, but I do watch Survivor and Amazing Race as well, which are a little less about nothing! And of course Hell's Kitchen. I keep track on Reality News Online.
MOVIES: When I watch a movie I do like to look up things like "what else was that actor in?" or where was this filmed? I often go to www.imdb.com for information. I do have favourite movies and my memory is bad enough that there are quite a few that I have watched several times! I confess to wanting to have on DVD the complete James Bond and the 30+ Disney animated classics and other selected Disney movies. List of Disney movies Wiki List of Disney animated and partially animated movies. Another Disney List animated. Excellent Wiki list of "all" Disney feature films, animated and live action
Interested in importing a new or used vehicle from the states, click here.
WEATHER: In the hurricane/tropical storm season I keep track of what's coming I go to the National Hurricane Center (US) and sometimes the Canadian Hurricane Centre.
BRITISH ROYALTY: Here's a strange one I know.... the British royalty... lines of succession, etc. Do you know the first 20 in line for the throne? Also the system of peerage and nobility in the United Kingdom. Let's see: King, Prince, Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron, Baronet, Knight of an order, Knight Bachelor.. that's the order... I like for some reason to know for example what the courtesy title of the eldest son of a marquess would be! Another on . Official site of the British Monarchy Unofficial site re the British Monarchy (Etoile) - I like this one for the line of succession.
ORDERS, MEDALS AND DECORATIONS of Canada and the British based countries, and am a member of the Orders and Medals Research Society in the UK. Some sites: The Orders and Medals Society of America -- my father was member #4 of this one. Military Collectors Club of Canada. Honours (decorations and medals) of Canada, at the Governor General's site. Dept of Veterans Affairs Medal Page
Where I am from: Qualicum Beach, BC Parksville-Qualicum Beach News
This list is not complete... just done on the spur of the moment and have run out of time.... more to come... and will organize better.