HuggyU2

"The Road to Wings",... or as it was nicknamed "The Road to Toast". ... the proverbial coffee blowing through my nose.

Who's Stanley Cup?

Bravo, HiFlyr! Of no surprise: we're still being used as the "low orbit satellite comm link" for UHF. As for "The Ravens", what a great book. Weren't Butch Hinkle and Bill Williams both Ravens too? And I think we had Al Henderson's family out here a few months back to give them tours.

Wilco. They will also post it on http://www.markdashgraziano.com It hasn't been updated much in the last day or so, but it will be.

HiFlyer, You need to step it up a notch on the stories, and start writing abou the U-2. Or are you saving the best for later???

A bunch of us showed up at his memorial and missing man flyover today at Edwards, in the hangar by TPS. We got together the night before with a bunch of his old Grand Forks, U-2, and TPS buddies, as well as his fiancee. It was good to talk to all of them. I hope to make the Arlington event.

How long have you been in the USAF? There's an AFI out there that covers this. Reference it, note that it says you may not wear them around your neck, and obey the AFI. Questions?

Seems like a lot of folks here know Dash, so check this out: www.markdashgraziano.com The site will grow, so check back. There's a lot of photos his friends are going to put on there. Story: we had a change of command about a year ago. Big, outdoor CoC. Dash is scheduled to fly that day high, i.e. in the space suit. After a U-2 pilot gets suited up, they put him in the big bread van with 2 lazy boy chairs in the back, and transport him to the U-2. Well, Dash decides HE can drive the van, and convinces the airmen to let him do it. So, in full space suit, on his portable O2 system, he goes driving to his jet. On the flightline, he drives right by the Wing CC, CV, OG/CC, et. al... They look up and see a guy driving a GOV, on the flightline, in a space suit. CV looks at OG and says something to the effect of "is this the new standard?". Needless to say, after the CoC, Dash got his ass chewed by the OG/CC. Can't remember the repercussions, but they went away with time.

It's 0614 on the West Coast, and I just got woken up to the news. I hired Dash into the U-2. I was there when he earned his "Dash" callsign (stands for Dumb Ass Shot Himself) on the Rod and Gun Club pistol range. He really is a "mad scientist". I'm tired of funerals for pilots I know.

LA press is reporting 1 fatal, 1 injured,... for whatever that's worth.

... plus his flight suit top zipper is WAY too low. And is that a blue pen in his pocket?? NO ONE should be signing AF documents in blue ink. And while we're at it, that F-16 in the background is not painted in authorized-and-appropriate colors.

It really doesn't matter where you park, as long as you get on the field. You're going to walk the entire ramp multiple times anyways just to look at everything. There's no event quite like Oshkosh.

I read the first 10 or so posts, and just went straight to "reply". I don't know Col Kwast. But I met him a few years ago when he was OG/CC at Laughlin. Super high speed and very impressive based on my short 2 days on his base, and talking with him in the office. That was echoed by a number of the IP's I spoke to. Seems to be one of the those guys that picks up details quick, and sleeps 4 hours per night. The first thing I noticed when I met him, he only had Senior Pilot wings on as an O-6. Although he didn't go to UPT directly after commissioning (he got delayed two years to go to Harvard), it kind of hit home that this guy was moving quick. His reputation is that he's a very good pilot and flight lead; his background is impressive; smart; charismatic maybe;... bottom line, he might actually be an O-6 that deserves to be there. Shocking. That said, I'm going to hold my opinion on his CoC. "The scoop" doesn't seem to fit this rising star. Let's see how his wing does over the next 12 months, and judge him based on that. Again, didn't read the thread, but the CoC is an important event, and it's also there for the benefit of the troops. Yes, I dread standing in formation too. Certain "pain" will be endured by us, but so be it. I'm guessing a guy like Col Kwast minimized the BS and got down to business. Additional "fluff" is often the push from well-meaning (or brown-nosing) staff members.

I'm pretty sure the first flight of the N-156 prototype was in March, not April, 1959. First deliveries didn't occur until the 1961-ish time frame.

I'll be there again, flying in. Wouldn't miss it. There's an IFR slot reservation system you can use too, but can't remember much about it.

Well, I guess that about covers the Eagle issue at Tyndall... Sorry I opened my pie-hole.

Noted. However it's a bit beyond "rumor control" when the local congressman and the Wing CC comment on it. And while EvilEagle has certainly been an accurate poster in the past,... and his input is needed on this subject..., your assessment that what is posted on Baseops.net is more accurate than what is in the media certainly isn't backed up by past postings in other areas: let's just look at MC-12, assignment drops, and UAS' to start with, shall we?

According to the first article, "officially", the timeline is 2013, with a push to move it to 2010. The second and third article imply it's a bit more of a done deal, based on the Wing CC's email, and the local congressman's reaction. http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/03/...aining_031309w/ http://gcacnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/tynda...awdown-set.html http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/41272357.html

The last Eagle is scheduled to leave Tyndall by 1 Oct 2010, and some are saying they could be gone by June 2010. With 14 months left, I'm sure they could squeeze another class or two in, but I don't know.

Now, they should take their bodies,... with the huge hole through their skulls,... and freeze them in a 1000# block of ice. Then, drop them on the beach via helicopter with note saying "From the USA with love,... BTW don't mess with US flagged vessels". The ensuing "melt" will be priceless. Nice shooting, guys.

Touche, monsieur! If you only knew...

Very sad. At least he was running with Big Dog Cary. That guy is a larger than life individual. I don't know Nort Nelson, but if he runs with Big Dog, he's got to be an ok guy.

3 flights. 1st one, you climb VFR to about ~11,500' for flt char/stall-&-falls/etc... Sorties 2 & 3 you only go to 3000'.

Shack!: Iron Eagle's I through IX are awesome!!!!

The Land of the Not-Quite-Right.