iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

More from the tour. We saw the city, the mountains, crater lakes and much more. The area is beautiful.

VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I had some spare time on a work trip to Vancouver last weekend, and took a seaplane tour of the area. Absolutely spectacular.

The city of Vancouver seen from low altitude. Vancouver Harbour stretches into the background. The strut and float of a seaplane is in the immediate foreground .

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

A perfect half moon hung just over the tower as we waited for our gate last night

An airport ramp at night. A half moon hangs over the control tower in a dark sky. A 737 sits at its gate on the ramp.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

There are far worse things than having a radler on a Main river cruise on a very hot day

A table on a river cruise ship. A beer and menu are in the foreground. A river bank with buildings is in the distance, under a partially cloudy sky

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

A sentiment that unites substantially all of us

A blue shirt that reads "I love soccer but hate FIFA"

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Do not skip leg day if you want to climb the tower of the cathedral in Cologne. The view is worth it, though.

A river with city buildings on either side, viewed from a church tower. Part of the church is in the foreground on the right

Interior structure of the top of a cathedral spire viewed from below. Light comes through differently shaped openings.

The Cologne cathedral viewed from a nearby rooftop. Two spires reach into the sky, with the sanctuary on the left

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

A Dutch windmill that drives an Archimedes screw for pumping water, just outside Amsterdam. On this day, the water level was low enough that it didn't need to run. The operator was very friendly and answered questions from my tour group.

A Dutch windmill in the countryside, viewed from the back

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Amsterdam from the canals. The famous dancing houses make it seem like the city motto should be "I know a good foundation guy."

Water in the foreground goes under a low arched bridge. Houses line the street on either side of the bridge.

Several narrow buildings viewed from the water. The buildings are visibly leaning.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Frankfurt from the river Main. Apparently it's been nicknamed "Mainhattan" for its skyline.

The skyline of Frankfurt from the river Main. The riverbank is in the foreground with several skyscrapers behind,. against a blue sky with some high clouds

The European Central Bank building on the right, viewed from the river Main. The Frankfurt skyline is behind a bridge.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

This wasn't quite as close as the perspective makes it look but it was close enough that I was hoping the wing walker had his coffee this morning

Looking down the edge of a wing at another nearby airplane. The wingtips are close and a wing walker is watching as the airplane in the distance moves.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

I'm looking through the fuel system setup documentation (SID 97-3F, if you're wondering) for my airplane's IO-550, and it has this warning. Since there is a story behind every rule, I really want to know what happened at Continental back in the day.

A snip from an aircraft engine manual that reads "WARNING Do not smoke or expose the work area to ignition sources while performing this procedure. Work with clean hands, tools and shop towels." The phrase "Do not...sources" is highlighted.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Washington, DC this afternoon, with the sun very low on the horizon. I decided not to walk by the White House.

The Washington Monument, reflecting the yellow glow of the setting sun

The Lincoln Memorial, reflecting pool, and World War II memorial, viewed from the Washington Monument. The sites are in shadow as the sun sets behind them.

The Capitol building lit by the setting sun. Trees mostly without leaves to the left.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

I didn't know an AH-1 Cobra was something one could privately own. Another surprise from Red Bull Hangar 7 in Salzburg.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Red Bull Hangar 7 in Salzburg, Austria is something that should be on every avgeek's bucket list.

The P-51 Mustang named "Double Trouble" sits under a glass framed dome in the evening light. The airplane has yellow and black checkerboard patterns on its nose, and yellow and black swirls on the spinner.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Say what you want about Kansas - and there is plenty to say - but absolutely no one here is unsure of who John Brown is.

The mural "Tragic Prelude" in the Kansas state Capitol. From Wikipedia: "It depicts the abolitionist John Brown with a Bible in one hand, on which the Greek letters alpha and omega of Revelation 1:8 can be seen. In his other hand he holds a rifle, referred to as the "Beecher's Bibles". He is in front of Union and Confederate soldiers, living and dead, with a tornado and a prairie fire approaching. Emigrants with covered wagons travel from east to west."

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

The car where World War I started, displayed at the Vienna Museum of Military History. If you look carefully, you can see the bullet hole above the rear axle where the shot that killed Sophie, the Duchess of Hohenberg, passed through the body of the car.

A 1910s convertible car displayed in a museum. The car is open top with leather seats front and back, and a brown steering wheel on the right side. The car is displayed on reproduced cobblestones in front of a picture of Sarajevo.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Hapsburgs: "If we add 'Agustus' after our names on this giant monument, is that too on the nose?"

Looking up at the facade of the Gloriette at the Schönbrunn in Vienna. The inscription has the names "Iosepho II Avgvsto" and "Maria Theresia Avgvsta" above three large windows.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

The Red Bull DC-6 rotating on takeoff in Salzburg yesterday. The noise of the four radial engines cannot be mistaken for anything else.

The Red Bull DC-6 is rotating on takeoff at Salzburg Airport. The control tower is behind the airplane. The Alps are in shadow in the background with the soft evening light and clouds in the sky.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

Does your workplace have a Fly Your Airplane To Work Day? Mine does.

In the foreground, a single engine retractable gear low wing airplane is parked on a concrete ramp. Behind, the sun has risen and is behind scattered clouds, with blues, yellows and oranges visible. Crepuscular rays are visible between the sky and ground. A second, high wing, single engine airplane also sits on the ramp in the background.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

My fifth in person DEF CON is about to start. As usual, I wish I could be in three or four places at once

The pod-shaped DEF CON 33 human badge in green, yellow and gray

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

The mountain was definitely out yesterday as my flight climbed away from Seattle

The snow covered peak of Mount Rainier rises above a cloud base, with another layer of clouds above

The snowy peak of Mount Rainier rises above a thin layer of clouds and a lush, green valley.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Zealand and New Zealand. Getting to see both with my own eyes is living a charmed life.

The inner harbor of Copenhagen, on Zealand. Several docked sailboats are moores in front of colorful three and four story buildings on a sunny day.

Green vegetation under a blue sky with a few clouds, and some houses visible in the distance. A sample of New Zealand's beauty.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Cologne Cathedral earlier this week. I hadn't realized they started lighting the spires at night once again.

Cologne Cathedral from a distance, all lit up. The spires are also lit. A half moon is between the spires.

The face of Cologne Cathedral lit by the setting sun. Evening shadow is just starting to creep up from the bottom.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Köln, Germany, on Monday evening. The fog was incredibly thick that day, and provided this ethereal glow.

The front of the Cologne Cathedral, lit at night and viewed from a low angle. Street lamps reflect off of the wet plaza surface. The flood lights are scattering off of heavy fog, resulting in a glow in the sky around the cathedral.

Part of the Cologne riverfront buildings with the cathedral in the background. Restaurants in the foreground have their outdoor seating lit in red, but they are empty due to the cold. The sky has a diffuse glow from the fog scattering lights.

A wide angle of the riverfront shops, restaurants and hotels in Cologne. The spires of the cathedral are visible in the background. The night sky has a faint glow due to the thick fog.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Moonrise during a sunset flight

An aircraft's engine cowl and proeller are in the foreground on the right. There is a snow covered landscape with a small river. The sky is light blue to pink. The full moon is visible in the distance.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

My first flight of 2025 is in the books.

A light aircraft is parked in its T hangar. The engine, propeller and nose wheel are in the foreground. Another row of closed T hangars in the background. The evening sky, with blue becoming pink and orange, is between the rows of hangars.

Looking across an airport ramp. There is an evening sky, blue becoming pink and orange. The sun sets behind some clouds on the left hand side. The silhouette of the air traffic control tower is on the right.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Today, my beloved kitty Alice crossed the rainbow bridge. Her 17th "gotcha" day was just a few weeks ago. She lived a full life, and she made mine better every day. I will miss her dearly.

Alice, my calico cat, lies on her side on a bedspread. She is attacking a lacrosse ball by holding it between her front paws while she rabbit kicks with her back paws. She does this because everything is a cat toy.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

As Notre Dame cathedral prepares to reopen, here are photos I took on my last couple of trips to Paris. The scale of the reconstruction work is most apparent when looking at all the scaffolding and cranes from the side.

The south side of Notre Dame cathedral in the fall of 2023, viewed from the south bank of the River Seine. Scaffolding surrounds most of the structure while intensive repairs are underway. A large crane is also present as part of the reconstruction. A barge for construction debris is docked along the north bank.

Notre Dame cathedral and the River Seine, viewed looking southeast from Pont Saint-Michel, in the fall of 2022. Sunset is approaching, so the river is in shadow while the cathedral is in soft light. A large crane is in the background, and some scaffolding is visible next to it, due to the ongoing reconstruction following the 2019 fire.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Just a few of the aircraft on the ramp during totality of the 2024 solar eclipse. It was dusk, 360 degrees around.

Wispy high clouds in dusk-like dark blue to orange skies that are the result of a total solar eclipse. Multiple light aircraft are on the ramp.

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

I had a work trip to Brussels last month, and was able to visit Bruges and Antwerp too.

The Grand Place in Brussels, with the sun just peeking through clouds over the buildings

NATO headquarters in Brussels, under a blue partially cloudy sky and across a sunflower field

Bruges, Belgium, as seen from the Belfry of Bruges. A mostly cloudy sky is turning orange as the sun sets.

One of the Bruges canals as seen from a bridge, with flowers in the foreground

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VilePython @vilepython.bsky.social · 17/09/2024

I'm sure it means something that my Bluesky user number and my Slashdot user number both happen to be mid-300k. I have no idea what that meaning might be.