History Friday

[Clark Griswold]

1 hour ago, Lawman said:

That's some cool stuff right there.

Kinda reminds me of the early mothership fighter concepts that were tried in the early days of the Cold War.

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Yup - very interesting indeed.  Another favorite of the Herc variants out there is the JC-130 recovering CORONA canisters and Fulton recovery system volunteers

Pick up happens at 1:50.

Follow on:

I see clips from the Air Force of previous years from when we didn't stress out and weren't ruled by yes men who avoid risk because flying airplanes and doing the mission is secondary to MICT, TMT, etc... I can't imagine the AF of today being able to even conceive of doing cool shit like this.  

We're going to catch in mid-air space canisters and balloons floating cables to pull dudes off the ground / water and winch them into the plane, no sweat.

I think the ORM score for this is about 69,000,000 which may require waiver.

 

Edited September 12, 2016 by Clark Griswold
minor

[Danger41]

^That is the coolest thing I've ever seen.

[guineapigfury]

My favorite part is the guy doesn't even take off his flight cap before he gets skyhooked.

[SuperWSO]

I'm not sure which topic to put this under so...

I'm amazed this hasn't come up yet, but on Sep 16, the Air Force celebrated its 69th birthday.  How has this not been a topic? If I was still in a bag wearing squadron, I'd already have "AF 69" patches on order and be able to retire off the profits. Since I'm in ABUs, I'll challenge someone to do me a favor. I'll take at least 2 and display them next to my 50th anniversary patches, just to throw off the SARC.

[Switch408]

Saw this gem the other day...

[Lawman]

Saw this gem the other day...

Well done


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[busdriver]

It isn't Friday, but 46 years ago today a task force of helos, prop aircraft and Special Forces raiders took off, blacked out and off comm under the cover ESCORT and SEAD, a distraction provided by the largest carrier night operation of the Vietnam war, and penetrated into North Vietnam to a target less than 25nm from Hanoi, arguably the densest integrated air defense then in existence.

[Steve Davies]

On 21/09/2016 at 2:21 AM, Switch408 said:

Saw this gem the other day...

You've been 96'ing. Try facing the other way. Much more fun.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Steve Davies

[snoopyeast]

This song was found in a box of papers in the squadron.  Also in this box was some stuff from Castle AFB and a manual on how to be an AC in SAC.

 

In 1974, Mr. Elmer W. Martin Jr. penned "The Ballad of the -135", and it was just as appropriate for 1984 as it was ten years before.  To the tune of "This Old House".

The Ballad of the -135

This old tank won't last much longer,
This old tank won't fly much more,
Aint got time to load much water,
Aint got time to trim all four;
Aint got time to pour the oil
That keeps running out all four;
Aint gonna need this tank much longer,
Aint gonna pass the gas much more.

This old tank won't take the water,
Struts are leaking, tires poor,
Keep getting scratches on the windows,
Holes are showing 'round the doors;
Rudders creaking, cables wearing,
Corrosions eating up the floor;
This old tank won't last much longer,
Push it through that phase just once more.

Radar screen just sits and flashes,
Doppler seldom works much more;
Sextants all have 90 C.E.s,
HF sounding mighty poor;
TACAN sits there sad and spinning,
Center reads us one by four;
This old tank won't fly much longer,
Red  X showing more and more.

But the parts keep right on coming,
And they cannonball for more;
And those ghostly orders echo-
"Put her up again once more!"
As the B-1 lands the last time,
And it's crew looks out the door;
There's the tanker there to meet them,
It will get them home once more.

No this tank won't fly much longer,
No this tank won't fly much more,
But you know it will fly however,
Or that's how SAC sees the score.
So keep those maintenance troops a pushing
Round the clock, or maybe more,
'Cause this bird has got a mission,
Can't buy a late time anymore.

So the next time you must fly her,
Gently push up one through four;
As you carefully check the EPeRs,
Push the water switch once more;
And as the overrun passes 'neath you
And you pull her up once more,
Thank God it won't fly much longer,
And pray you'll land once more!

 

Edited December 9, 2016 by snoopyeast

[panchbarnes]

Just saw this image on a different website and the message immediately resonated with me.  You don't have to be an 11F to appreciate the mindset described here.  IMHO, regardless of your job title, this attitude is what separates a leader from a manager and a bro from a back-stabbing careerist.  Each person may acquire this level confidence at different stages in life, but once you've gained this self-confidence, "positive aggression," and the burning desire to be better, you just know you are good to go with whatever goals you set in life, in or out of the military.

 

 

[Duck]

How many AF leaders today would request a demotion in order to help fight the war? Most guys today want to get promoted so they can avoid it.


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[matmacwc]

Why read it:

 

[Clark Griswold]

Sub-orbitial T-38 concept.  

Talons in Space: Northrop's N-205 Proposal

 

[matmacwc]

I had the F'ing airplane depressurize at 30K because the student pulled the throttle to idle, very uncomfortable.  And they wanted it in space!!!

[Clark Griswold]

6 hours ago, matmacwc said:

I had the F'ing airplane depressurize at 30K because the student pulled the throttle to idle, very uncomfortable.  And they wanted it in space!!!

Ouch.

The proposal was supposed to only need a 25% modification to the A model, I imagine it was whole new pressurized section and the rocket motors in lieu of the jets.  That seems a little too good to be true but whatevs, it was an awesome idea from a different time... 

 

[SurelySerious]

Why read it:

 

He's got some great lines throughout the episode. You just have to look past the 18 minutes about the skynet projector hmcs...although it's probably not much worse in an ejection situation than what we've actually got in JHMCS.

[zrooster99]

Gents, I wanted to take the opportunity to honor a friend and this seemed like the most appropriate location.  Please relocate, if not.  My good friend and mentor died just a few hours ago.  Though not Air Force, he was a life long aviator, Navy Fighter Pilot, and warrior.  He was an A-4 driver in Vietnam and was hit over South Vietnam and severely injured when he ejected over the South China Sea.  My friend, Navy Lt Rocky Kranz, died today of liver cancer.  Here's a toast...

Edited April 9, 2017 by zrooster99

[Clark Griswold]

55 minutes ago, zrooster99 said:

 ..Here's a toast...

For your friend, fare well heading west...

[zrooster99]

Thanks for that!  Got me choked up for a minute...

[ClearedHot]

16 hours ago, zrooster99 said:

Gents, I wanted to take the opportunity to honor a friend and this seemed like the most appropriate location.  Please relocate, if not.  My good friend and mentor died just a few hours ago.  Though not Air Force, he was a life long aviator, Navy Fighter Pilot, and warrior.  He was an A-4 driver in Vietnam and was hit over South Vietnam and severely injured when he ejected over the South China Sea.  My friend, Navy Lt Rocky Kranz, died today of liver cancer.  Here's a toast...

Terrible news.

I've known Rocky for many years, he was quite the character and remained connected to aviation through a group of remote control aviators in NW Florida.  The group of "Old Guys" were my heros, most were former military with incredible stories of service to their country.  I wish you all could have met them...Dr Jack who lied about his age to enlist and serve in Korea, he used his GI Bill to complete Dental School and raised six kids almost entirely on his own, his wife died shortly after the sixth child was born.  He was so proud that he got all six through college.  There was another character named Ugo Ferrari who served 28 years on active duty and another 24 as a government civilian developing weapons. And there was Rocky who dealt with the injures form being shot down for the rest of his life but never asked for special treatment.  He was gruff but would do anything for anyone.  Rest easy gentlemen.

Edited April 10, 2017 by ClearedHot

[Stitch]

On 4/10/2017 at 4:25 AM, ClearedHot said:

Rocky...  Dr Jack...  Ugo Ferrari...    Rest easy gentlemen.

Them      

[Stitch]

It's not Friday but...

Today, April 18th, marks the 75th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. Sixteen B-25B Mitchell bombers, led by Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, took off from the USS Hornet in the early morning daylight on an assignment to strike the heart of Tokyo just five months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. Although the raid inflicted a rather minor level of physical damage on Japan, it gave a much-need boost to morale in the U.S. and to the warfighters.

Eighty men volunteered and participated in the raid, and all but three crew members initially survived the mission. Eight airmen were captured by the Japanese in China, and three were later executed. Fourteen full crews, except for one crewman who was killed in action, returned either to the United States or to American forces.

The raid played a major role in developing America’s perception of airpower and aviation. But it will also be remembered for its daring, and for the courage of the crewmembers who volunteered to risk their lives for the country they loved.

Today, at the National Museum of the US Air Force, retired Lt. Col. Richard Cole, Doolittle’s co-pilot and sole surviving Doolittle Raider, will conduct the traditional “Goblet Ceremony” honoring those Raiders who died the previous year by overturning the Goblet belonging to retired SSgt. David Thatcher.

Let's all remember and salute the Raiders, their historic, mission and continue to preserve the legacy of the Greatest Generation.

To the Raiders!   

 

[ClearedHot]

The words below were stolen from a friend, yesterday started the execution phase of Operation Eagle Claw.  If you have never read about what they did it is well worth researching how these braves folks had the "guts to try."

"Somewhere around today, in 1980, three MC-130E from the 1st SOS departed Diego Garcia BIOT bound for Masirah Island, Oman. After a brief, 7 hour, flight we would arrive to find two big wooden boxes with stuff dropped off by a C-141 a day or so earlier.

In those boxes were tents, cots, and air mattresses seemingly left over from European theater of operations in WW2. Have you ever tried to drive a wooden tent stake into the hard surface of a desert island?

The ever resourceful E's converted one of the boxes into an outhouse, so we did at least have that going for us.

And so the adventure began."

 

[DirkDiggler]

On 4/19/2017 at 8:32 AM, ClearedHot said:

The words below were stolen from a friend, yesterday started the execution phase of Operation Eagle Claw.  If you have never read about what they did it is well worth researching how these braves folks had the "guts to try."

"Somewhere around today, in 1980, three MC-130E from the 1st SOS departed Diego Garcia BIOT bound for Masirah Island, Oman. After a brief, 7 hour, flight we would arrive to find two big wooden boxes with stuff dropped off by a C-141 a day or so earlier.

In those boxes were tents, cots, and air mattresses seemingly left over from European theater of operations in WW2. Have you ever tried to drive a wooden tent stake into the hard surface of a desert island?

The ever resourceful E's converted one of the boxes into an outhouse, so we did at least have that going for us.

And so the adventure began."

 

I always considered myself extremely lucky and felt very humbled to have been trained by some of the guys who flew this mission.  Getting to listen to their stories first hand during sims was always an awesome experience.

[zrooster99]

On April 10, 2017 at 1:25 AM, ClearedHot said:

Terrible news.

I've known Rocky for many years, he was quite the character and remained connected to aviation through a group of remote control aviators in NW Florida.  The group of "Old Guys" were my heros, most were former military with incredible stories of service to their country.  I wish you all could have met them...Dr Jack who lied about his age to enlist and serve in Korea, he used his GI Bill to complete Dental School and raised six kids almost entirely on his own, his wife died shortly after the sixth child was born.  He was so proud that he got all six through college.  There was another character named Ugo Ferrari who served 28 years on active duty and another 24 as a government civilian developing weapons. And there was Rocky who dealt with the injures form being shot down for the rest of his life but never asked for special treatment.  He was gruff but would do anything for anyone.  Rest easy gentlemen.

Yeah, I'm the former VP and current safety officer of the RC club.  Rocky taught me everything I know about RC...  Knew Ugo before he died too.  Thanks for the words.  Like you said, Rocky was gruff as hell, but had a big heart.

Edited April 21, 2017 by zrooster99
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