Flyboy Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 5 hours ago, MtB said: Ah now THAT is one of my minor life ambitions, to see a fireball, or ball lightning. I am totally unconvinced it exists except in the imagination of us human beans. Has anyone here seen it for real? I've seen ball lightning over a house and the ball went slowly down the chimney pot, no bang and the house didn't seem to suffer any damage. A friend of mine who was a senior BA training captain told me once that he had ball lightning appear in the cockpit whilst flying. The plasma ball floated around for about 15 seconds then disappeared, no damage was caused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 16 minutes ago, Flyboy said: I've seen ball lightning over a house and the ball went slowly down the chimney pot, no bang and the house didn't seem to suffer any damage. A friend of mine who was a senior BA training captain told me once that he had ball lightning appear in the cockpit whilst flying. The plasma ball floated around for about 15 seconds then disappeared, no damage was caused. Is that not St Elmo's Fire. perhaps different from Ball lightening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo47 Posted July 20, 2022 Report Share Posted July 20, 2022 (edited) Fire alarm standards! I remember them well, painted red, with a button you had to.press (I think after breaking the glass cover) to summon the fire brigade. Lots of them in my part of East London well into the late 1960's when I moved away. Not too many telephones in the area then, either private or as call boxes. Edited July 20, 2022 by Ronaldo47 typos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanD Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 (edited) 6 hours ago, bizzard said: I didn't google it like IanD probably did. I've been up to the top viewing platform of the Telecom tower twice. Incredible view. The lifts are a bit frightening especially coming down, feels like it just drops with wind rushing past and you go all lightweight almost of your feet. It's closed to the pubic now. I didn't "Google it", I happen to know it was the iconic central feature of the Festival of Britain. And I don't think the Festival of Brexit which harks back to those golden days will come up with anything as memorable... 😉 Edited July 21, 2022 by IanD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightwatch Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 (edited) I remember from a long long time ago, when I were just a lad, all asleep in bye byes when there was an almighty bang. Seems we were, or our home was, struck by lightening. It obviously struck the Ariel and blew the telly up. Cleared the chimney of soot as well. Made a bit of a mess. Now I always unplug the ariel when there’s lightening in the area in which I am situated. Edited July 21, 2022 by Nightwatch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyboy Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 8 hours ago, bizzard said: Is that not St Elmo's Fire. perhaps different from Ball lightening. I don't think St Elmo's floats about, the ball stuff is something to do with plasma I'm told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john.k Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 The US military extensively investigated ball lightning in the 60 and 70s.............seems the balls are produced regularly by high power radars during fog.......the findings on the benign light ball type were released,no doubt the fireball and explosion type is still classified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 (edited) 17 hours ago, MtB said: Ah now THAT is one of my minor life ambitions, to see a fireball, or ball lightning. I used to see Fireball every week when I was a lad... 17 hours ago, MtB said: Edited July 21, 2022 by cuthound To remove a duplicate post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 (edited) 12 hours ago, bizzard said: I didn't google it like IanD probably did. I've been up to the top viewing platform of the Telecom tower twice. Incredible view. The lifts are a bit frightening especially coming down, feels like it just drops with wind rushing past and you go all lightweight almost of your feet. It's closed to the pubic now. When was a lad my parents took me up to the public viewing platform of the Post Office Tower when it first opened. Later I took my girlfriend (now wife) for a meal in the Butlins Restaurant in the Post Office Tower. Strange experience as the rotation was so slow and quiet that it wasn't apparent until you looked up from your plate to find the view had changed. Then In the late 80's I designed a replacement standby generator system for "the Stick" as it was known in BT, but a major reorganisation and promotion put paid to me delivering the project. Edited July 21, 2022 by cuthound Phat phingers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davem399 Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 Off topic, but I’ve also eaten in a revolving restaurant in Auckland, NZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted July 21, 2022 Report Share Posted July 21, 2022 17 hours ago, LadyG said: He might be thinking of the post office revolving restaurant tower. There is a restaurant in London called Skylon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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