Claybird

Or C-20 almost as much as an AWACS? And I may have had 6-9 adult beverages tonight, but I did some looking through that spreadsheet and see nothing regarding the cost of actually putting a weapon on a tactical jet and deploying it to a bad guy's head, vs. what it costs to operate, say, a 757 that has a 2 hour flight and embarks 125 passengers that pay $200 apiece? I'm more or less making those numbers up, but just trying to put it in perspective that flying hours are costly whether you are operating a stealth fighter or a Sopwith Camel. But good old Robert McNamara was right, I see in that spreadsheet that it cost $0 to operate the F-111F. We should have built a million of those things and equipped everybody with them.

Crap, point taken. Better make that sound a little different before mama gets on the interweb.

I'll take your word for it Rainman, I think you have met the guy, I have not. What I know for fact is that she had a bunch of books autographed by Yeager that she had to send back to the lovely new wife, to prevent anybody else from possibly ever profiting one damned penny from good old Chuck's signature. Highly unfriendly letters that were sent out to all of the people who possessed these books. FWIW, she is the one in the middle and I think for 45 she still looks good dancing on a shithole bar.

No, lol, Cantil to be exact. BTW, her great uncle was married to Pancho Barnes, and she thinks Yeager is a dbag since he married his new wife.

The spectacularly high gravity might have something to do with the chubby cornfed chicks. That's why I found a Cali girl. But then again, she grew up halfway between Edwards and China Lake, so she knows a thing or two about noisy low flying aircraft.

There is a refueling track out in NW Iowa, and one a little bit south of me in Missouri. They were on a heading of roughly 080 basically halfway between those tracks, and I know some other people saw them still in formation a couple hundred miles east of here. Granted, that is not far in terms of jet aviation. I guess I was just curious why 3 C-17's would cross country like that, certainly makes sense if they were going to take gas from a single tanker.

Note to self, engage brain before talking/typing.

I'm from Iowa, and we may not have the market cornered on ignorant people, but I guarantee none of those morons would know the difference between that jet being at 500' or 5000'. If they had any appreciation of the important things in life, they would just be happy that any military aircraft they happen to look up and see is going to have US insignia painted on it. Only thing I ever see truly low level around here is Chinooks and Blackhawks, once in awhile probably a Peoria Herk up a bit higher. BTW, any C-17 types around here that were going cross country like this about 3 weeks ago? I had camera in the combine with long lens because we were at a farm with the only low-flying eagles that I normally get to see and my brother came on the radio asking what these 3 jets were.

Rainman, I concur, but every other day for the last month one of our esteemed Iowa representatives or senators is on the radio or issuing a press release about what a great asset the Des Moines Vipers are. Of course these hypocritical idiots were nowhere to be seen last Thanksgiving when that whole budget boondoggle that led to all these defense cuts happened in the first place. And I don't see them chopping foreign aid or welfare or $6000 toilets to put the budget in places the Constitution says it should be. Only .069% of the public actually knows the truth about all of that anyway.

Would these two lines have anything to do with it? You think these Congressmen who are having their pet National Guard squadrons mothballed are going to be happy to see a Hog or Viper come to their state and demonstrate how capable it is? Cynical of me I know...

Hmm. Strike Eagle or band? Let me make a few phone calls, I'll have to get back to you on that one

Guys, I am normally just a lurker here so take a rookie poster for what its worth. Most of you are USAF dudes, so a little perspective from the civilian side. I farm and live in flyover country, more or less. There are only about 3 airshows a year that can be driven to and home from in a single day, and the closest one is Quad Cities which is a 2 hour drive from my house. Trust me, there is no AF or Navy presence out here. (and they are axing the Des Moines Vipers..) I have literally dozens of family and friends who have gone to some of these events with me, and it is about the only exposure these taxpayers get to what you guys do. Sure, the Blues and Tbirds are pretty and draw the crowds. But I'm tellin ya, people get pumped up by fifteen minutes of a Mudhen or Super Hornet or Viper. The Hog demo with pyro? Pure awesomeness for somebody who has never been within 10 miles of a tactical jet. These are people that want to go back next year, and take their kids along too. And there is nothing inherently bad about the big jet teams, but their day is so scripted you can't stand around and talk to them about what they really do. I've met several of the single ship pilots and crews, even have a few BookFace friends from them. Walk up to an A-10 team booth with a Viper West Tshirt on and you can start a conversation right now! Anyway, I know the budget sucks, but don't forget about what impact there is on John Q. Sixpack the taxpayer who bought the jet and never gets to see what it does in any other situation.