contraildash

It's in the seat. You check it during the pre-flight.

I'm putting together a DVD for my UPT class, with our videos and stuff. Part of the project is a menu that you can click through the class roster and see a bio/assignment for everyone. Now the proper music is essential. (I feel like I'm stuck in the final scene of High Fidelity) I need something that kinda represents the airframe/mission/assignment (location). I just need a clip of a song, 15 - 20 seconds. Can be serious/not serious. Some are easy, such as using stereotypical Hawaiian music for the C-17 to Hickam. I've already gotten a few easy ones, but need help on the others. Here is an example (minus the name...security and all): FAIP_example.wmv So anyways, this is the list of my harder ones: KC-135 Fairchild C-17 McChord E-8 Robbins C-17 Charleston F-15E U-28 Hurlburt UH-1 FE Warren (thinking Tree Top Flyer for this) KC-130 Cherry Point (for our Marine) Just figured I'd see what y'all had to say...

Exactly

Hey I was right in my non-guessing statement! Wow...can't wait for my first door/window ticket when I get over there!

just make sure the windows are rolled up! :)

I know that in Germany it's illegal to leave your car unlocked or the windows rolled down. (been studying for my drivers test) Here at my base in the good ol U-S of A, I usually leave my windows cracked...nothing to steal in it, and if my car gets stolen on base...wow.

That so?

Well at least we had a/c... Seriously though, I am kinda bummed that I never got a flight in a Tweet...always heard it was fun as hell to fly. I highly doubt the Texan will last anywhere as near as long as the Tweet did.

Saw this on the news today...fell asleep while being tatooed on her face? I call BS. Thanks on the pilotwings thing...was gonna do a sweet photoshop of it and Tom Selleck...but it was late.

I dunno. I really think you might want our opinion before you try to rock this out on your chest: :)

Ok if they don't pass this thread... My wife has a pretty sweet tatoo on her hip and wants a few more. She keeps telling me to get one. The only tat I've seriously considered getting done is my family crest (since it's kinda cool). Here are two examples of the basic design. I'm not sure if I'd go with either one of these as is. Let me know what ya guys think though.

If we did have to take the rotator, would it be safe to assume that I'd still get to ship my car from Dallas? (yes I know what assuming does...)

Here's a question about getting there. I know there is a rotator from BWI direct to ETAR. Now I don't particularly feel like driving from Oklahoma to Maryland, but would still like to go direct. Is it possible to leave from a closer port call (DFW), go to BWI, and catch the rotator over? Looks like the most likely routing is just DFW to FRA (not sure on the layovers). Until I get my orders, the travel office isn't helping much. They do have a ton of folks PCS'ing so I can understand.

Respectfully remind them...that'd be the best answer. How to do that? Well it just depends. I'm not saying what I did was right or wrong, nor would I do it the same way. At the time I was just so taken back by what was going on that I didn't honestly know what to do...it was just so out of left field. At the time I wasn't obviously getting anywhere with the guy on my own, so I brought it up with my flight/CC..he then took me to the SQ/CC. And even though the sergeant was being very disrespectful to me, and as funny (to me) as my smart mouth was at the time, it wasn't appropriate for me as an officer to say that to a sergeant. Oh well. I got my stickers on time this year.

Other than that general 'hey I'm behind a mirrored window so I can treat you like shit' attitude I've had to deal with at our SFS building, I've had my share of 'run-ins' with our SF folks. But one will always stand out... In Colorado, as with many other states, your license plate stickers are good until the last day of the month they are issued in, for me this is the month of June. Well in my moving around between the dorms and my apartment, I had never gotten my renewal card. I was aware that my stickers were getting close to expiration, so I called up the DMV/tax office and took care of it over the phone. This was about three weeks before the end of June. Now I'm in the middle of phase two, double turning some days, so checking my mail kinda fell out of my cross check. A few Fridays later and I am going on my XC. I get to the gate, show my ID, and as I'm pulling away one of the guards yells out "STOP HIM...DON'T LET HIM ON BASE" so the second dude jumps in front of my car...hand on gun ready to draw. I'm really like WTF at this point. The first guy runs up to my window, banging on it as I'm rolling it down the yells in my face that my tags are expired and I cannot go on base. Shit, I call my SRO and he comes and picks me up at the visitors center (VC). The weekend goes by, I get stuck in Roswell NM with a broke T6, and my IP gives me a ride back to my car. I stop by the VC and call over to the SFS building to see what I can do to get on base. It was a painful conversation with the sergeant, but we came to the conclusion that since my car was showing up as registered in the government computer system, I could come on base. Ok cool. Monday morning: I drove on base, no problem, nothing was said about my tags. I usually parked in a lot right across the street from the squadron, but this lot also happened to be right next to the SFS building. Later in the morning I walked out to my car and found a ticket. The ticket was for expired tags, and there was also a nasty gram attached stating that I had to report to the Sergeant at Arms or something like that. Ok I thought, no big deal. My car IS registered, I just don't have the stickers yet. They know this. So I go back into the flight room and tell my flight commander about the ticket and the situation with my tags. Neither one of us thought it was a big deal, but I'd take care of it and keep him informed. I went over to SFS and asked to see the guy that gave me the nasty gram. Through the mirrored window the SF guy told me "stay exactly where you are...don't move" then two SF guys came out, with a dog even, and 'escorted' me to a small room, told me to have a seat at the table, and the guy with the dog stood in the doorway...presumably so I couldn't leave. He said nothing to me at all, even when I asked him what was going on. Then this master sergeant shows up. He starts grilling me about how I got on base, what was I doing driving a car with expired tags 'on his base'...'threatening everyone's saftey' I sh*t you not...that's the cr@p that was coming out of his mouth. Anytime I tried to talk he yelled and told me to shut up that I was lying about my phone conversation the night before, that I was a disrespect to the USAF. We're talking about fvcking registration stickers here folks!!! He kept asking me about how I got on base, all politeness went out the door and finally I said something about his people not doing their jobs is how I got on base. He got red in the face. I laughed, which didn't help. I mean it was absolutely nuts what was going on....beyond all comprehension. He then told me I had to see the OiC, but since the OiC wasn't there I could leave and they would call or come get me. Come get me? WTF? So I went back to the SQ and told my entire flight, studs and IPs, what just happened. My flight commander took me down to the SQ/CC (a Navy O5) and I told my story. Now our SQ/CC was fairly new, and I had never dealt with him at all, but what followed next won me over and I fill forever follow this dude into hell if he asked. He stood up, said let's go see what we can do about this and out the door he went, I had to run to catch up. He stormed across the parking lot, the street, and busted into the SFS building with a fury. Demanded to see the sergeant and any officers that were around. The sergeant came, with about 5 other SF dudes (show of force?), and my SQ/CC asked their side of the story, which hadn't changed, then tore into the guy. The long and short of it was "so stickers are more important than your government computer that shows he is registered? You are idiots." He told them, didn't ask, that I would be allowed on base. And I was. My stickers showed up in the mail two days later. I parked in that parking lot for the rest of phase two...bastards.

My Favorite:

zing! lol I can't find the post, but someone said it well earlier: "people shouldn't be getting paid $80 an hour to but doors on cars in an assembly line" (or something to that effect). Then we have a good portion of our enlisted force living under the poverty line. I agree with you...our damn priorities are jacked up. On the subject of unemployment, another post used the example of Eastern Airlines. If there's another BRAC round in the near future, (although, what the hell is left to be BRAC'd??) you can bet your britches that Vance will be up there again. Oh and they have a history of a union that strikes that caused all flying to stop for XX months??? Yeah the Local is going to have bigger problems than what they are currently on strike for: economically killing the town of Enid. But what do I care...I'll be PCS'd long and gone.

Other than the guy screaming like a cowboy from Brokeback Mountain at times...this is pretty sweet. Anyone ever seen the live in cockpit footage they do at the USAFA graduations?

These stories are great! I kept a monthly (and still going) journal starting with OTS. Maybe someday down the road I'll have something exciting to talk about, I doubt it'll top the stories here though, you never know! My old man was a helo pilot in the USCG for 25+ years. Didn't really talk about his early days till after he retired. I've gotten a few stories about flying a single engine helicopter out into the middle of a raging 'Nor Easter to rescue fishermen or pick up premature babies off Martha's Vinyard. Said he was just a scared sh*tless 26 year old LTJG and honestly thought on several occasions he wasn't coming home. This is back when the USCG's unwritten policy was "you have to go out...but you don't have to come back" for SAR. As I got older I remember mornings he'd come home from standing duty, said they flew "a rough one last night" and off to bed he'd go. Then you see a story on the news later that day about the USCG picking up some roughneck in the gulf with a severe head injury who died enroute. I can understand why he didn't talk much about the things he did....if he got sent out it wasn't because things were going well for someone. But on a more up beat note, the beer story was epic...that's stuff movies are made from (or should be) in my book! HiFlyer...glad you are here to share your lil bit of history with us...thanks a lot!

I've always enjoyed the Tucanos tearing it up in this video (3:40 is the good stuff):

2. They actually sell Chimay here in buttf*ck Oklahoma. I like the Blue. One more reason I'm looking forward to Ramstein!

I think NASCAR stepped in and put a stop to that happening... I still won't drink that beer. Women drink that stuff... Want hair on your chest? (and you don't want to go the route Discus takes) Stone's Double Bastard Ale. 10.5% ABV. Don't be a pu$$y..get a bomber. Enjoy. edited to un-edit censorship

Got this email today from Vizio: Dear Vizio Customer, After reviewing your email regards to your VIZIO TV, model #VW37L As for the power voltage, it is suitable for you to use in Germany. And you can purchase the cable in the local electronic store. Our Vizio TV mainly supports NTSC, while Germany supports PAL; so generally, it is not the best to use Vizio TV there. However there is some kind of converter that could transfer TV signal between PAL and NTSC. The converter is not so expensive, and you may find it in the local electronic store. Moreover, VIZIO TVs are designed for NTSC / ATSC/QAM broadcasting system, they may not display maximum quality with a TV signal transferred by a converter. Therefore, to ensure the best interests of customers, we always suggest them to use VIZIO in NTSC/ATSC countries. But if the customers don’t mind using Vizio TV by adding a converter; the Vizio TV may still have all functions with high quality. In addition, maybe you should consider the after sales service, if you purchase a new product, Our Vizio Company will give you a one year manufacture warranty but we only service you onsite nation wide mainly. Meanwhile, to meet the demand of the customers all over the world, we are trying to improve our technology to make our products be used and have freely service worldwide in the near future.

I'm 90% a beer guy. That said, I'm more of what they call "craft breweries" kind of guy. Tend to shy away from the typical big name American lagers. I will admit though, that American Ale wasn't that bad. I mostly like stouts, porters, darker ales, and there are quiet a few wheat and wit beers out there that I really enjoy. Being a Colorado resident, I've done many a brewery tour all up and down the front range and then some. (never been to the Coors one in Golden though...didn't care to go) Avalanche Ale will always be dear in my heart for topping off some great, and not so great, days at Breck. They have a damn good oatmeal stout, and the vanilla porter is yummy (yes I said yummy) Anything from Rogue, Stone, Sierra Nevada, and Ska breweries. If you ever go to Durango, CO, make sure you check out the Ska brewery. Those folks are really cool and I spent an entire afternoon there checking out the place and then drinking in their front lobby/bar. Sam Adams has only disappointed me once, and their summer ale is fricking awesome. Having spent a good portion of my life, and being my first real beer, I will always love anything from the Spoetzl brewery! 100th anniversary!!! Their black lager is pretty damn good...and great in burgers. I highly recommend that any beer lovers subscribe to Beer Magazine. (see below)

I used some Shiner Black Lager in my burgers tonight, fresh garlic, paprika, red pepper....lord it was awesome. I also drank several bottles as well...but beer has many a purpose!