MKopack
-
Posts
392 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
15
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Blogs
Downloads
Wiki
Posts posted by MKopack
-
-
Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Congo. I'll bet that's a fun deployment...
I'm sure that there's a strategic political "big picture" reason that this makes sense, but somehow I see more "bad things" than "good things" coming from this.
U.S. sends troops to Uganda to help fight Lord's Resistance ArmyREPORTING FROM WASHINGTON AND JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA -- President Obama is deploying about 100 special operations troops to Africa to help target the leadership of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a notorious rebel group that has been entrenched in a stalemate with the government of Uganda for more than two decades.
In a letter notifying Congress on Friday, Obama said the first small team of U.S. “combat-equipped” advisors arrived in Uganda on Wednesday.
Over the next month, the remaining U.S. troops will be sent to surrounding countries, including South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Congo.
The goal of the U.S. mission is to assist regional African forces in removing Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and other commanders of the group “from the battlefield,” the letter says.
On the good side though:
Bet that's some good stuff.
-
"'Don't make me look like a girl,' said U.S. Army Sgt. Cordell."
Dude, if you are having your eyebrows threaded (?), plucked, or shaved, that ship has already sailed - no matter what they look like.
I probably shouldn't be so harsh, I'll bet Patton had his eyebrows "shaped" back during WWII as well. Probably discussed the styling with his staff over appletinis...
-
1
-
-
Looks good. I don't want to read much though, mine's on preorder...
-
I don't pretend to know the full answer, but I know part of it: FAA certification of parts.
I worked for a company who produced captive screws. They did pretty well, and are doing good business, even in today's market. The owner said that he had been approached about producing some parts for aircraft, but he declined because the FAA certification process was so long, expensive, and paper-laden.
When I was going to A&P school back in the early 90's we worked on a customer's Cessna 150 as a group "lab project". She reported that she needed a new generator, and one of my partners (former AF and former Ford dealership tech) took one look at it and said, "Easy, it's an alternator off a mid-80's Escort," and quoted the part number out of his head. We looked it up and it was the same PN with a "-A". The only differences we could find were the "FAA PMA Approved" tag, and the difference between $65 at the dealership and $500+ from the aviation supplier... And on top of that, while an A&P isn't authorized to open a generator case, as I recall her original generator may have been repaired with $10 worth of diodes.
Never been a pilot, who knows, maybe one day. My eight-year old is ready to go though. He took an EAA "Young Eagles" flight on Saturday in a sharp little RV-7.
-
I was there with an AH-1 Cobra for static display in the Heritage/Warbird section and would like to pass along a first-hand discription from Tim Brill, a long time aerobatics instructor at RTS:
I saw the photos of the restored UH-1 that jumped in to transport victims to local hospitals after there were delays on the roads, and read that a local resident flew along to direct the flights. LoneWolf mentioned "good people in the world" and it seems there were quite a few at Reno that day.
-
Have many friends that were at the races today, including two that were in the grandstand directly behind the impact point, both were uninjured, but have reported on a really terrible scene. Still awaiting status from several others. Reports from those there say that a following pilot reported an apparent mechanical failure with the Galloping Ghost prior to the accident.
-
On the MilitaryTimes.com forum, the writer of post #214 suggests that the CCM wishes he could have that (first) e-mail back--truer words never spoken.
I guess there's always a chance that this could be a "teachable moment", but there's probably just as good a chance that he's now sitting in the corner of a mental bunker, wearing a helmet, declaring victory and thinking that there are so many left to educate about the contamination of their precious bodily fluids...
-
Carnival cruise it ain't.
The least luxurious cruise in the world: North Korea launches its first liner (where cabins are shared and the ship is rusty)By Rose Parker
Last updated at 5:56 PM on 1st September 2011
The liner is rusty, the cabins are cramped and the Captain's Table is a help yourself buffet. But though the surroundings are less than glamorous, North Korea hopes to launch itself into the world of cruising with aging liner the Mangyongbong.
All aboard: The dock at Rason is run down with pot holed roads and dirt tracks down to the port.
The former cargo ship set sail on its maiden tour yesterday carrying about 130 passengers from the rundown port of Rajin, near the China-Russia border.
Some 500 North Koreans, about half dressed in dark workers clothes and the others in office and traditional attire, waved off the ship in a choreographed performance on the pot-holed dock.
The spectators waved North Koreans flags and fake flowers, and let off a blast of paper fireworks to mark the occasion. Carnival music blared from two minivans with speakers on their roofs.
Before the launch, vice mayor Hwang Chol-nam of Rason City, of which Rajin port is a part, gave a speech lauding the venture as part of the region’s push to attract tourism.
Hwang hailed his city’s rule which allows any nationality to visit the area visa-free. They must, however, arrange the trip through a designated tour companies. Mobile phones must be left behind in China.
'Any country, people from America, Japanese, Singaporean can come to Rason, that’s the reality today, and that’s the same for the Kumgang special economic zone,' he said.
The 9,700 tonne vessel then departed on its trial voyage, destination the scenic Mount Kumgang resort near the South Korean border.
During the 21-hour overnight cruise, which traced the length of North Korea's east coast, some passengers slept on wooden bunkbeds while others were assigned mattresses on the floor. Simple meals were served cafeteria-style on metal trays.
On board entertainment; A waitress dances as a North Korean man sings karaoke.
A plaque on board commemorated a 1972 tour of the boat by North Korea’s founder, late President Kim Il Sung, and bright red posters emblazoned with his sayings decorated the walls.
Officials have promised a 'more luxurious' ship capable of carrying up to 900 passengers, perhaps next year. The goal is to bring as many as 4,000 visitors a day from Rason to Mount Kumgang during the peak summer season, up from some 500 per week now.
Cabin class: Foreign journalists bunker down for a night's sleep on the Mangyongbong
-
Tired of hearing of privileged football players at major colleges getting free educations, thinking that the world owes them something, and constantly in trouble? Here's the complete opposite...
61-year-old Vietnam vet makes the cut as a small-college kickerBy Nick Bromberg
At an age when many start thinking about retirement, Alan Moore is restarting his football career.
Moore, a 61 year-old Vietnam veteran, will kick this fall for Faulkner University, a small Christian school in Montgomery, Ala., 43 years after his initial college career was cut short by Vietnam. When he takes the field against Ave Maria on Sept. 10, Moore will be the oldest player ever to take the field for a four-year university.
From Los That Sports Blog:
Moore was only able to play his freshman year at Jones County (Miss.) Junior College before heading off to Vietnam for 11 months [in 1968]. Watching a football game in 2009 inspired him to purchase footballs, build goal posts in his daughter's back yard, and practice kicking.
Last year Moore was turned away in an attempt to try out for Jones' team but did end up making the team at Holmes (Miss.) Community College after being referred by the head coach's aunt. Ironically, he made an appearance for Holmes against Jones County.
Moore is the first sexagenarian football player on record at any level. George Blanda was 48 when he retired from the NFL after his career as a quarterback and kicker. In 2004, 39-year-old Tim Frisby successfully walked on at South Carolina as a wide receiver. "Pops" Frisby was also a veteran, spending time as a U.S. Army Ranger in the first Gulf War.
-
Another accident today:
The 127th Wing based at Selfridge release the following statement:"Today at approximately 1:30 p.m. at the Selfridge Air Show, wing walker Todd Green who was flying on John Mohr's Steerman aircraft, when he fell off the plane as he attempted to transfer from his aircraft to a helicopter. He fell about 200 feet to the ground. Green has been taken by MedStar ambulance to Mt. Clemens General Hospital. More information will be released as it becomes available."
-
And also one lost in an aerobatic mid-air in South Jersey. Here's part of the article from Philly.com (some of which much have been lost in the translation from whatever they speak there...)
Witnesses said the pilot who died was a 71-year-old "passionate" flyer from Voorhees who had logged more than 3,000 miles. They said he often flew with his wife and loved spending time with his two sons, daughter and grandchildren.At the Traildragger Inn, a pilots' hangout next to the airfield, witnesses said they were shocked, some screaming, as they watched the older man's plane, a Lancair IVP, clip the other plane near the tail, slicing the YAK-55M. They believe the planes collided about 2,800 miles high. Some relief followed as they saw a parachute emerge.
-
Frank Buzze
Colonel, USAF, Ret.
January 14, 1923 - August 19, 2001
Pilot Ready To Fly Again--Lt Frank C. Buzze, 2255 Milton Ave. Syracuse, NY, grins as he assures the Flight Surgeon that only the airplane suffered in his crash landing. Damaged by ground fire, the North American F-51 "Mustang" was brought in for a skillful landing by Lt Buzze after a strafing and bombing mission over enemy lines. It was the second mishap for the 27 year old pilot that day. On his first mission, several hours earlier, a 50 caliber tracer bullet entered the bottom of his aircraft, coming to rest against a metal pressure container in a seat life raft pack on which Buzze was sitting. The unperturbed pilot went on to fly a third mission the same day, returning without incident. Said Buzze, "My luck's getting better." He has flown 25 missions on rocket, machine gun and bombing strikes against the North Koreans in F-51 "Mustangs" from this air strip a few miles behind the front lines.
Date Shot: 8/4/1950 VIRIN: HF-SN-98-07263
Via: http://www.18thfwa.org/naturalCauses/frankBuzze/frankBuzzeFS.html
Frank Buzze completed 100 successful combat missions in F-51 Mustangs over Korea, flew another exciting fighter-bomber combat tour in F-100s over Vietnam, then went on to complete a long and successful Air Force career before settling into a well-earned retirement in Florida as a full Colonel.
Following is an extract of the description of a day in the life of a fighter pilot in Vietnam by John Wheeler on May 14, 1967 for the San Antonio, TX, Express-News.(AP) Da Nang, South Vietnam
“As the sleek fighter rolled in for another strafing pass, its doom already was a fact. The neat row of machine gun bullet holes marked the points where steel-jacketed slugs had punched through to the vital innards of the American Jet.
One by one, red lights winked on, an uncompromising announcement of the plane’s death throes. “Flight Control Fail” “Fire Warning” then “Aft Section Overheat.” Colonel Frank C. Buzze of Solvay N. Y, felt the stick between his knees freeze-up. Then as more warning lights snapped on, Buzze heard his wing man radio “You’re on fire Dusty 71” Buzze, pushed his radio transmit button and called back, “Roger, Dusty 71 - punching out”.
He pre-armed, then fired his ejection seat. He was tumbling through space above a Communist strong point along North Vietnam’s supply line into the South. The peaceful looking jungle below was crawling with enemy troops. Their natural hostility for American airmen had not been diminished by the bombing and strafing attacks just carried out by Buzze’s flight of Super Sabers. At this point in any other war, Col. Buzze would have been almost certain of being captured or killed. He certainly could not have expected the scores of warplanes which saturated the countryside around him to hold off the enemy troops.
Although there were helicopter rescues during the Korean War, there has never been anything like the “Jolly Green Giants”. The ‘Jolly Greens’ as they are called with near reverence by US combat pilots, had rescued more than 500 downed crewmen in North Vietnam, Laos and South Vietnam. The cost to members of the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron had been about 40 killed, wounded or missing. About 10 choppers had been lost. Hundreds of medals have been hung on the chests of the rescue team members. Others had been pinned on the American flag-draped coffins bound for the United States.
“Jet Pilots, a pretty individualistic lot, will argue about almost anything” one squadron commander said. “But the sure way to start a fight is for someone to bad mouth the Jolly Greens”. No one does.
Colonel Buzze wasn’t thinking of rescue as his parachute opened, even though alert aircraft were already flashing news of his fate. At Da Nang, a HH3C chopper and a flight of A1E Skyraiders were already being launched. The shock of the chute opening had ripped two panels out of the orange nylon canopy when it blossomed over his head, and Buzze was worried about getting onto the ground alive. As he neared the ground, bullets began whizzing by his head as the Communist soldiers opened fire. More panels ripped away and Buzze dropped heavily into a bamboo thicket. One of the first things he heard were many voices shouting what appeared to be commands. Then the firing died down.
Armed with only a pistol and a hunting knife, Buzze began moving away from the voices, hoping to find an area where the Jolly Greens could pick him up. Buzze accepted as fact that one would come. Minutes later the Skyraiders arrived and Buzze flashed a mirror signal through an opening in the jungle canopy. A Skyraider pilot spotted the mirror’s flash and wiggled his wings to let Buzze know that he had been seen. The Skyraiders began rolling in one by one to ‘sanitize’ the area… dropping napalm and anti-personnel bombs around Buzze and shooting up the area with 20mm shells. The attack was in the nick of time, for Buzze heard the searching enemy troops closing in from all directions. Minutes later the unmistakable noise of helicopter’s thumping blades announced the arrival of Jolly Green 56. The pilot in the camouflaged helicopter spotted a pen gun flare fired by Buzze, and stopped right over the downed colonel. The Communist troops opened up with everything they had.
Another helicopter was already on the way with more fighter-bombers racing ahead of it. They tried to keep a box of fire around Buzze to screen him from the enemy troops. But some of the enemy troops were already inside the box with him. As one crashed through the jungle close by, Buzze dove under some fallen bamboo to hide. The soldier came within a few feet and called out in broken English “American Pilot, me Communist soldier”. The searcher missed seeing his quarry and moved on down the hill. Buzze began working his way up the hill. He scrambled from hiding place to hiding place during the bomb and rocket passes. A second Jolly Green whirled into position. But again the firing was too intense. Finally it was forced to go back to Da Nang.
“Rescue from the air seemed impossible.” Buzze remembers thinking. It appeared senseless to expose any further rescue crews to the terrible gunfire. Jolly Green 56 took it for several minutes while the crew tried to get a rescue line down to Buzze. But they had to abandon the try and turned back toward Da Nang. Capt. Angelo Pullara, of Lubbock, TX, the pilot, was dead and Capt. Jerrold D. Ward, the co-pilot was wounded. Jolly Green 56 had done the best it could - and more. Buzze started thinking about holing up until night and then trying to walk out”. But he had no water and concentration of enemy in the dense jungle were formidable foes.
More aircraft joined the ‘Sanitation Brigade’ as others ran out of bombs and rockets or approached “Bingo”, the point where they had only enough fuel to get home. For Buzze and his would-be captors, the violent drama went from a nearly unbearable peak to still higher levels as the minutes turned into hours. But for the pilots, isolated in their cockpits, there was almost a ho-hum tone in their radio conversations.
The forward air controller (FAC) - said in a monotone: “He should be just under us now. Paste that ridge line again, please” A Skyraider pilot replied with: “Okay, we’re attacking the gun positions now.” The Rescue commander: “Uh, Roger.” And from another pilot: “Twenty-five Charlies (Communist troops) at 10 o’clock.” He might have been ordering a beer for all the emotion in his voice.
The FAC said: “I have the pilot in sight. But the Jolly Greens can’t get to him right now.” An F-100 pilot came on with: “Okay, two bombs apiece on this run.” Control said: “Please don’t send another Chopper into the area until we sterilize it some more. The pilot has left the ridge and is 100 yards down on the north side into the valley where we were putting the napalm.” “Okay, use more nape and wipe ‘em out good”. Another call: “Okay, Saber 82, get right down on those trees so you don’t miss and hit the pilot”. “I can’t see the pilot flashing his mirror any more. He probably is in another footrace with the troops.”
Control came back with: “No more strikes until we find him again. He may have been ‘scarfed up’ (captured).” Agonizing minutes of uncertainty and then another monotone: “There were two flashes below the ridge, near the smoke.” “I’ve got the pilot in sight. This from Jolly Green 37, the third rescue helicopter. “Uh, Roger, can you get him?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. I think it’s pretty safe. The area’s bombed out.” Jolly Green 37, commanded by Capt Robert L. Powell of Framingham, MA. with his co-pilot, Maj. Powell Moore, scanned the area below for enemy while mechanic SSgt John Rogerson and para-rescueman Airman David Slinger got ready for the rescue attempt.
Command: “Want to give it a try?” “I’m trying right now”. A few minutes and Jolly Green 37 added: “I think we’ve got a good chance if you work over the area real well.”
Fighters again began rolling in to saturate the ground around Buzze with everything they had. “Hit west of the chopper and north of the smoke. Jolly Green’s getting fire.” The tension was building in everyone’s voice now.
“This is Jolly Green 37. I’m going to try for a pick-up now.” Then, from control: “If we don’t make it this time, I recommend that we discontinue.” The voice was flat.
“I’m hit. I’m hit - Hits, hits, hits.“ This from Jolly Green 37 who was being raked by automatic weapons fire as he lowered the rescue seat into the jungle. Despite the fire, he stayed over the colonel. “Come on, baby,” someone radioed in encouragement. “Put some fire on the north side of the chopper. I saw some rifle flashes there.”
Then the triumphant shout, “We got the boy!” The airwaves were jammed immediately with “Yippees” “Yahoos” and cries of “Good Work!” were exchanged between the choppers, the Skyraiders, fighter-bombers and control.
Buzze recalled later that as the rescue seat was being winched up to the chopper, “I took off on a wild ride before I knew it. I was at the chopper’s door and whisked inside safe, happy and relieved.” “But most of all I was humbled by the raw courage, self sacrifice, and determination shown by every one of those who fought to get me out.”
Frank Buzze was offered the big shot of whiskey reserved for all rescued airmen. It was four hours and twenty minutes since all those red lights had flashed on in Buzze’s F-100 cockpit.
-
1
-
-
Plenty of reflective belts, but no DADT outfits or show tunes. How could that ever be entertaining? I need my "jazz hands" for god's sake!?!
(Understand that they're a Missouri ANG band based at Whiteman and that the lead singer now calls Nashville home.)
-
Looks like they posted it. Well played.
Glad to see it was posted, and shocked to see mine was s well (that might be a first...) What would Robin Olds do?
-
“No U-2s in the Air Force in fiscal year ’15,” said Lt. Col. Rick Thomas, the Air Force’s Global Hawk functional manager
I've heard that the guy with the desk next to his, the Air Force’s Global Hawk nonfunctional manager, has a much busier job. 'I don't know if we'll ever get this thing to work..."
-
1
-
-
"Zee dridecker ist nosesittin!"
Even during WWI the Dr.I was notorious for its shallow cockpit (front to back) and the poor "guns to face" relationship during noseovers and crash landings. A good number of German pilots suffered serious, or even fatal facial and head injuries from the gun butts in otherwise survivable crashes.
Amazing that it just came to a stop there on the prop and wingtip. I understand that once they helped the pilot out, he helped to pull the tail down, and they pulled the bird off of the strip.
-
Back during the 90's I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Chuck Sweeney at an airshow.
The retired Major General had flown the observation and instrumentation aircraft "The Great Artiste" during the Hiroshima mission, and then three days later he piloted "Bockscar" that dropped the Fat Man bomb on Nagasaki.
He was a big bear of a guy that was happy to talk about all of his experiences, but just as interested in playing and talking with all of the kids at the show. Just a great guy to everyone there, until a young reporter from a local media outlet decided, after a couple of general background questions, to try and score some points and get the big soundbite for that night's news,
"Do you ever regret dropping the bomb on all of those innocent people?"
(Really close to a direct quote)
In the blink of an eye that old Grandfatherly guy was once again the Major sitting in his B-29. His answer was short, sharp and really harsh and while the reporter didn't get a soundbite that he could use that night, he did learn a lesson, and probably did have to change his shorts... Turning back to all of us as the reporter I believe actually ran away, a big smile came over his face, and he said, "So, what were we talking about?"
-
Interesting. Turkey's military has always served as a secular counter to the normally more Islamist government (and have never been hesitant to remove the government when has become too religious). Over the past several years, the power has shifted towards the government, and this may be a sign of Turkey becoming even less secular. Future will show what this means for us in the region.
-
While it's great to see that the replica is being restored, and it's not quite as bad as the C-38 Talon, here's another web article that was written even without the benefit of a wikipedia fact check.
Nieuport 28 ≠ SPAD any more than T-38 = C-38.
Airmen to repair historic SPAD replicaby Staff Sgt. Ashley Hawkins
633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
8/1/2011 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Airmen from the 94th Aircraft Maintenance Unit will repair the Nieuport 28 replica aircraft, which was destroyed in a storm earlier this year.
Winds from the storm launched the Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés replica, or SPAD, 100 feet from its display pole into a truck May 24....
-
Did he go off the left edge of the runway to avoid hitting his lead?. What are the options an F-16 pilot has when leaving the runway? Is it normal to eject or stick with it?
Have friends that tell me that their plan is to eject if they leave the runway at much more than normal taxi speed. 16's have a tendency to do this while going cross country:
79-0377 at Nellis in 1984 (?). The hole in the canopy was where they extracted the pilot, and the aircraft was rebuilt to fly, and crash (MacDill '88), and be rebuilt to fly again.
-
Was the first responder actually in an old VW Bug?
-
From talking with a friend (non-mil type) that saw it happen, it sounds as if he was chased through the landing...might be more to the story. Who knows what happened, i'm sure we'll be able to read all about it in our safety shops. Glad to hear the pilot is OK.
Am hearing from a non-mil friend as well that there likely was a 'contributing cause'. He was able to detail it from "rumors" heard after the fact at the show (not that that's anything to go by) but has at least one photo that seems to corroborate.
Glad to see photos of the pilot stepping out of the cockpit safely.
-
-
Dr. Rich Sugden's North American FJ-4B Fury went off the same runway and is apparently now sitting next to the 16. Reportedly little or no damage on the second one.
Bad juju, time to try another runway.
(Edit - add photo)
Marine Corps Raptors?
in General Discussion
Posted
All of the Harriers (FAA Sea Harriers and RAF GR.3's) had previously been flown off the Atlantic Conveyor, but the ship went down with six Wessex and four of the five Chinooks that were being carried. The only Chinook to survive was "Bravo November" that has now served in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan with four of her pilots being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
You're right that a deck full of Phantoms and Buccaneers on the Ark Royal would have made the Falklands a completely different campaign. STOVL adds quite a bit of flexibility, but usually at the cost of capability.