Alpharatz

A couple three years ago I was taking some photos from the aft end of a skydiving rigged turbo-prop i.e. no seats in back and a milk crate for me. As the last jumper cleared the hatch to my left the pilot banked hard left and I found myself staring out the open hatch. There was however a seat-belt which I had dutifully buckled. I foolishly was not wearing a parachute. I was on the last exposure and it "startled" me so badly that I advanced right past the stop...tore the film out of the can and broke the advancer. .........."Hey, sorrrreeee, I'm hungry"...............

The only type of incident that you people describe that I know of personally was between a pilot and a boom...didn't end too well.....But really, the homo-erotic fantasy (panic?) in these comments is "a little worrisome"....Oh, well...things change....just don't wreck one of my jets winking at #2 or something...... ..............Lt. the crew chiefs are demanding nitrile gloves...and spray down that door handle....................

Well, since the discussion is about Master's degrees....From reading some of these comments there's a Masters (at least) in abnormal psych floating around in here somewhere.....I've got a copy of "Sex and the Aviator" (video isn't too good)....Naval flight surgeon addresses some of these "issues" but not quite at this detail. ............He kept using the word gentlemen, pretty old fashioned....................

Used to stay in the old Continental Hotel (home of the world's biggest Wurlitzer organ) and depending on the room you might as well have been trying to snooze on the center-line of Via Espania. Those 2AD fighter drags were fun and challenging. At least there was no jet lag. Not that unusual in the old KC for everyone but the Nav to be at least half asleep esp. at night headed east....

No, I was so shocked by the mention of CHROME DOME that I started to free associate. Actually I always thought of C-D as at least partially a tripwire type operation, not just see the world and never land....Buffs are cool but think of the PIC time you could spread around with a -17. "is the trim on that thing up for basketball?"

Yeah, you could roll a live aboard package onto a C-17.....Load a herd of spare pilots into the back and set them to orbiting over Thule until the motors run out of oil..........RTB Goose...rinse... repeat.....You would have to re-name it "CHROME DRONE" ...........OR I suppose "EQUATOR DRONE"..................... ........Who forgot the cards?.......................

Well, find the magazine at the library and read the article. You'll be OK...there's no test

Fairly long article about the rise of China. Starting to look like the MFWIC's could be on the right track avoiding more disasters in the sandbox and looking at China as a real threat. Might be that 10-15 years down the line we may need the fancy yet expensive...stealthy...software intensive...able to go drone in a flash....recoverable on a carrier in a pinch? like the F-22 and the F-35. Not to forget the NEW TANKER. Nice to have some words out of the University of Chicago

Oh No !!!? are you OK? need an ambulance? maybe a wrecker? Yet to continue posting thru such an ordeal .......................and through it all he e-mailed......................

No time to spare...get the A-10 line up and running again and sell the Germans all the planes they can afford. Charge them a nice fee for the upgrade training.....throw in a few weapons as a teaser......probably want to buy some tanks too. If they aren't eager to defend their territory, who is? .................we must defend Frankfurt........anything to save Crazy Sexy...............oop's "they"

I knew it was a mistake to screw with the internet this morning. I mean, really...if a so called senior NCO has time for this.... then he/she/it should be instantly put to something useful like swapping tires on the line, or gassing up planes, or picking up FOD for C....sake. Now this alleged "commander".....he/she/it should be fired. I am beginning to think (mostly from reading Baseops) that USAF could easily take a 2-3% (5?) cut at the higher personnel levels. I was thinking of printing this and showing it around but no one would be surprised because it's pretty bad in the corporate world too....self licking BS. ...Hint to management. Here's a song you might not like.."nothing can stop the Army Air Corps"...

Yikes!!!! this crowd might be a little too excitable to mention Clam-shell holsters ........................bearded, of course.....................

At least they are rigged with snatch proof holsters.......I think......

ProSuper makes some good points. Why would you want to buy 100 over-sized bug smashers with a single engine..a propeller..marginal armour...possibly air re-fuelable (with a C-130?)...slow if not impossible to deploy any distance. No doubt the same amount of maintenance effort for a fraction of the strike power. Might as well have a helicopter gun ship. Buy something big with lots of room for bombs..bullets..armour..gas AND packed with all of the drone electronics needed for tactics and doctrine as it develops. Ideally you could deploy a whole flight remotely. Once the pilot hops in the "backseater" might be anywhere. (hey..It's the future..I don't like it either) ................Lieutenant, that perfume is enchanting...now go fetch my flak jacket......

Out guzzling with the neighbors last night...They barely know what the USAF is much less an F-35..SO no support there...I figure that my Congressman and Senator are at roughly the same level..They however are in a position to write checks.. F-35 Kaputski, I would bet on it F-22 need quite a few Drones Yike's ...drones Oh well, It's the wave of the future What would be wrong with re-starting the A-10 line? Get all of the A-10 operators together, decide on changes etc. etc. I don't know enough about it... USAFE Kaputski A REQUEST....could we get a couple of generals to join forces and call a stop to dicking with boots..T-shirts...sleeves...patches...(more ranting) I mean, really........

Well, um...bit embarrassing here....I was actually thinking of two beautiful babes..form fitting flying suits...BUT no accounting for taste....read a few of the "more obscure" passages in St. Exupery?...single seat fighter....Anyway PBR's latest screed got the boot...As far as multi versus single place airplanes....Large ego's working alone can come up with some interesting decisions..small ego's maybe worse...esp. when worn out..hungry...shot up....sometimes two minds (or more) are better than one..Probably going to be a moot point....The greatest stick in the world will turn out to be some brilliant computer genius who ravages the whole system from his basement munching on Cheetos. Or somebody on the night shift in Vegas. .........don't jabber too much...nice make-up...friendly....

Rainey, why don't you sneak back a few topics and help PBR with his paper? He could use some expertt assistance. ...................and keep "touching stuff" out of it. It ain't proper.........

And think of the OER fodder "responsible for directing construction of two Pyramids and one Ziggurat in undisclosed location" "brought Ziggurat in under budget" (oops....is that good?) "Located..designed...constructed one Sphinx in Central Asian location" "fashionably overbudget and late" ...............The Sphinx may be artistically mis-placed...but I deserve to be a general........

So what got written on the wench? Poetry....start of a novel....apology to the commander? ............I hope never to bring discredit to my unit....Her's maybe.............

I know, Rainy...I know. "I could keep up with the 97's" blah, blah...but hey you don't have to be bitter. ...............Idle!...Speed brakes!.....flaps!!.....GEAR!!!....Ach! Scheiss!!............

I had a Yamaha RD-350 that was a pretty fast runner when it wasn't fouling plugs. Was headed out into the sticks at a good rate when I passed a panel truck...started to lean into a left sweeper and couldn't turn. Put the bike into the ditch between a tree and a section of ARMCO. The guy in the truck stopped got out and leaned over my supine (prone?) carcass and I recognized him as one of the known crazies in town but hey, he scurried off across the road and they called the Sheriff who rolled me into the back of his station wagon and off to the local sawbones for stitches. I was extremely lucky....bell rung...cut over eye..not a drop of beer on board. The kickstand was down..never retracted on contact (If you happen to have an old RD..watch out). Now I have my old Superglide. I stay off of high speed high density roads...watch the cross traffic..take a riders course once in a while PRACTICE braking and counter steer and honestly, will probably get it again sometime. I usually wear a helmet gloves etc. Don't race on the street..watch out when riding in a group unless you really trust them...careful with the cerveza. At one time you got points on the AFOQT if you rode a bike. Bikes are hard to give up....the poor mans airplane.

Jabbering recently with one of my pals about carrying pistols...for once we both agreed...Unless you are among friends pulling a pistol in public instantly makes you the enemy to L.E. A pistol is little comfort when things are heavy...A 12 bore is more comfort. If you have been drinking and pull the roscoe...you are likely "cooked". Inevitably when you carry it all the time you will drop it in front of the kids in your hurry to the beer cooler...TV to watch CSI etc. And laST..OVERALL oops It's a pain in the ass...Just be a good witness if you can. If you drive in Western Europe and need something to worry about..worry about being killed in traffic. Which reminds me..as an aside..If you are 25 y.o. and worried about retirement..you are not properly focused. .............Why you would haul Bluebirds to Europe is a mystery to me.......Condolences to those who knew the victims.....

"Panzer Leader" by Heinz Guderian. First person account of tank warfare in WWII by the General who led them. Fascinating account of tactics and strategy including air support. Guderian seemed to "get it" when he dealt with the Luftwaffe. Anyway..it's better than I describe it. Would have been an interesting man to converse with assuming you weren't on the business end of one of his panzers. If you've ever been to Koblenz, Bitburg etc. that's where he operated. I guarantee he wouldn't have been making any stupid "videos" for the entertainment of his troops. ...........We need adult supervision on the bridge. Page the Master Chief....and hurry!!!...

I've read your reply over a "few" times and still have no idea what it means. Must be the Budweiser...I would switch the cap from pocket to pocket to spread out the wear on the braid...when it got too bad I would trade for a new one at the entrance to the nearest O' club

Bring back the F-111 and the SR-71......back of the bar paintings and the days before personal "call-signs" Watch out there.....where compulsiveness treads....mania soon follows. For example, I am developing an all encompassing hatred for bicyclists.....but I don't mention it twice a day............just fooling