User:Apterygial

I'm a university teaching assistant and former student from Adelaide, South Australia. I'm also a mad hiker and dog lover, a prose pedant (although I still need much improvement in that area) and research nut. Last year, I completed bachelor's degrees in Economics and International Relations from the University of Adelaide. As can be seen by my contributions, I love my motorsport, particularly Formula One, but I'm increasingly balancing that with my love of history.

A couple of years ago, I began work on my insane idea, an attempt at getting the eighteen race reports from the 2008 Formula One Season to either good article or featured article status, as well as the season article itself, and probably a list on the cars. The goal at the end of all of this was to qualify the articles for featured topic status. The response I got when I began was great, and a few other users (particularly Darth Newdar and Midgrid) pitched in and contributed some quality articles and other help. I've been a significant contributor to three featured articles and five good articles for the race reports. I'm not entirely sure where I stand on it now. It's something I wouldn't mind finishing, but I'm a little burnt out after writing several essentially identical (at least formulaic) articles. Instead, I've directed my efforts towards motorsport history, writing Rudolf Caracciola in August 2009, and 1906 French Grand Prix in early 2011.

I'm somewhat of a WikiOgre in that I often edit very little and then work very hard on a single article, before returning back into my cave. This means that unlike most users, I have very few edits to articles outside my top ten or so, and no interest at all in administrator-type activities such as WP:XFDs and vandal fighting, preferring to leave that to the people who thrive on dealing with trolls and seemingly endless arguments. I can copyedit and review articles on request, and have an alternate account for editing on public computers, Apterysock (literally a sock without wings).

According to Wiktionary, apterygial means "that [which] lacks limbs, fins or wings." This bird is not apterygial at all, nor is it an Apterygidae (kiwi), but another flightless bird from New Zealand, the kakapo. There are only about 120 still alive.

Did you know?

... that the air-tractor sledge (pictured), the first aeroplane to be taken to Antarctica, went without wings?
... that Force India's 2009 Formula One car, the VJM02, is painted in the colours of the Indian flag, but the team is based in England and neither of the drivers is Indian?
... that the Red Bull RB5 is among the first generation of Formula One cars to feature a Kinetic Energy Recovery System, which traps energy expelled while braking for later use?
... that British manufacturers refused to enter the first Grand Prix because they suspected the French organisers were using it as propaganda for their automobile industry?
... that Rudolf Caracciola once drove a car on public roads at 432.7 kilometres per hour (268.9 mph)?
... that on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, Leslie Whetter was accused of incompetence, "chiefly through lack of determination in character and failing to do his level best"?
... that Royal Navy surgeon Belgrave Ninnis attempted to revive a drowned sailor by, among other things, injecting brandy into his rectum?
... that Douglas Mawson was the sole survivor of the Far Eastern Party, enduring a month alone in the Antarctic and walking about 100 miles (160 km) to safety?
... that Xavier Mertz is suspected to have died as a result of eating dog liver?