00-07-14          0700    Morning routine.  …..

            I received a table from Gus that lists the major alloying elements wt %, balance Al.  It gives the weight percentages of elements present in each of the aluminium alloy types, with the remainder being aluminium.  Add up the listed percentages, and 100 less that amount is the percentage weight of aluminium.  It can be seen that the amounts are relatively flexible, but all within one percentage in the case of copper, and much less for the other elements.  The maximum amount of magnesium present is in the 7075-type alloy and that only reaches 2.9 percent.  The frame pieces are 7075 type alloy, and these would have all been covered by insulation material prior to the fire.

(Clarification:)    In order for the metal to have been the source of the elements in the beads, the metal would have had to have burnt to release the elements.  This would have required extremely high temperatures that would have melted the aluminium skin.  That did not happen.  Plus, the question would be what would have caused those extremely high temperatures?

            With Vic GORMAN this morning, had a discussion with Gus SIDLA over the Sky Scan.  SIDLA again explained the Sectioning method and stated that it involved the grinding off of successive layers of the bead, finally leaving it only as a pile of grindings in the sink.  Vic finally said that he agreed with performing the tests (Sky Scan) and that he would recommend it to Insp. LATHEM.  SIDLA stated that GERDEN is being non-committal about the test.

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            Vic GORMAN and Neil FRASER came in this morning to do an inventory check, and Linda GRAY was with them to do the paperwork.  It lasted part of the morning and all afternoon.  They went over everything, checking numbers on every item and even went through all of my unlocked desk drawers and lockers.  We haven’t done that on Ident Sections for many years.  It seems rather strange that he would be checking the numbers on the very cameras that he himself had been using, as if I would want to alter them.  We ended up in a very loud and strong disagreement over equipment, particularly what I use regularly and still have a need for.  This included the digital video camera and the video-editing suite.  The suite ended up going back to the lab, even though I have numerous tapes to be copied to VHS.  These tapes include the various trip tapes and the seawater test footage, plus some taken here in the hangar, both in digital and Hi8.  In total, it is over a dozen tapes.  This was explained but was not accepted. I was accused of hoarding equipment, whatever that means!  There was no prior discussion of the matter; the equipment was just pulled, as if he was fulfilling an agenda.  I had to retrieve the digital video camera and a quartz light from the pile.  This camera is my only means of playing the digital tapes, and they have to be downloaded to the computer.  One of the still frame digital cameras was taken for Coastal Watch, even though the camera is not suitable for outdoor photography in a wet sea spray environment.  As far as hoarding, that is strange as I only just received the editing suite from the back room where Helene has spent the past year copying tapes.  Once again, it shows a lack of knowledge of what is going on here in the Hangar.  It really makes one wonder, especially since my reports have had to route through him to reach Insp. LATHEM! 

            So why did he present himself to undertake the inventory audit in this manner?  I suspect that he thinks he is reflecting the attitude of upper management.  His comment was that the file is over and there is only housekeeping left.  Taking away the equipment is one sure way of telling me this and it’s an attempt to warn me off, even though we have an outstanding issue regarding the very cause of the fire that started this file.  GORMAN and I have had some discussions over this subject, and we seldom have ever agreed.  I take his actions as an attempt to tell me to back off from the file, that it is over, and that nothing more is to be done on it.  I think that he certainly feels he reflects the thoughts of management, and I suspect that he does indeed reflect their feelings.  This file is no longer the source of accolades, but instead is a burden to management.  Tall ships are now in the limelight and they take priority over this file.

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