Stitch

97' F-150 with 184,000 miles on it (including a trip down the ALCAN), still going strong. No major problems, still in great shape.

Sure... its all fun and games till this guy shows up...

So would the plural, as in a herd of them, as they sometime travel in packs; be Dependopotami?

From former 390th FS Boar to another, RIP brother...

I don't care who ya are, that's funny...

Because in some ways the press still thinks its the Viet Nam era and all military members are just mindless robotic baby killers that can't think for themselves who are just one tick away from the next Mi Lay massacre or similar type event. And because, and we all know the truth is very different, the only reason we join the military to start with is because we all to stupid to do anything else.

Survivor of Pearl Harbor attack (Bougainville, Pelileu, Okinawa and Korea) dies at 93. Semper Fi bro http://www.14news.com/story/25993779/survivor-of-pearl-harbor-attack-dies-at-93?utm_content=buffer8f84a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer For the record I know the use of Semper Fi by non-Marines is frowned upon and no I wasn't a Marine, the use of the term was meant with the deepest respect and gratitude for this man' service.

Fact. However, the on-the-ramp lower ranking wrench benders will give 100% to provide quality maintenance and fix the jet and get it back on status. Those guys just want fix the jet right the first time and not dick around doing "good enough" to meet some magical 8 hour fix rate established back in the 1980s where we tons of people and jets. Give em' the parts and time they need and it'll get done right the first time. It'll hurt but once problem areas are highlighted then steps can be taken to correct them. It's at the AMU (do we still have those?) supervision level where the stats and finger pointing game gets played.

You are correct sir. Big ass crack yes, but in one piece none the less. I never meant to imply that that those fuses were still serviceable; just still in one big ass piece. Take that Airbus euro-trash!

While pretty ho-hum for military pilots if you’re just in search of the ultimate $100 hamburger or perfect pancake on a Saturday morning this may fit the bill and make getting a civ medical a moot point see below: AOPA/EAA 3rd Class Medical Exemption AOPA and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) on March 20, 2012 submitted a request to the FAA that, if successful, would offer pilots an option of obtaining a 3rd class FAA medical or instead become educated on medical self-assessment and operate familiar aircraft recreationally using the driver's license as the baseline of health. Self educated: Take an on-line course on how to do a self-certified medical evaluation to be fit for flight prior to each ‘sortie’. Print and carry ‘certificate’ (which is good for like 3 years) from course as proof of course completion along with driver’s license in lieu of a FAA medical. Basically, if you can drive, you can fly non-commercial aircraft weighing less than 6,000 lbs. with 6 or less seats, VFR below 14,000 ft MSL at no more than no more than 250 kts. A similar process has been in place for about 10 years with the Light Sport and glider communities and there is NO hard core evidence that any accidents are medical related as a result of self-certification. UPDATE: As of 15 May 2014: Bill proposed in congress with strong bi-partisan support to make it law as the FAA is just sitting on the AOPA/EAA proposal. More info here: http://www.taainfo.org/thirdclassmedical.html http://www.aopa.org/Advocacy/Legislative-Affairs/General-aviation-pilot-protection-act.aspx

But they're all still in one piece. Way to go Boeing! Add to the fact they're in BFE Montana, should be tons of fun lifting them out of there and hauling them out.

One mistake Air Force = Referral EPR/OPR; which in turn means one's chances of continued service = ZERO. Gotta make those congressional mandated personnel cuts one way or another. Just like the early 90's post Cold War/Desert Storm cuts; same shit, different shovel.

Germans? Forget it, he's on a roll...

Yes, yes they are. You know its true.

Memorial for Shell 77 dedicated over the weekend, link.... http://www.krem.com/home/Deadly-KC-135-crash-victims-remembered-one-year-later-257810201.html Tyler's RV-8 finished and presented to his family... http://www.krem.com/home/Friend-of-fallen-Fairchild-airman-finishes-plane-project-257833241.html The plane's panel was changed out from steam gauges to glass, all work done by volunteers. Also, EAA chapter 79 also has a large KC-135 model, in Fairchild colors, with the boom deployed hanging in the "lounge". Tyler, and the whole crew, will be missed.

Ahhhh the Check of the month Club, cash for nothing but breathing! Heck yea. Big giant 2!

Thread bump. Local media reports the Navy Accident Report says the mishap was due to pilot error. First accident for the EA-6B training program in 40 years. (Have they really been around that long?) Tough day for our Navy Bros... EDIT: Lack of spelling skills. x2

Botanical Life Systems Maintenance Technology there’s a CCAF hiding there! Gotta think about post-military employment.

i was "tailflash guy" in my last squadron before retirement and if you can't 'outsource' the tailflashes I second what Whiskey said. Try and sell the idea to the Sheetmetal/Fab flight NCOIC as a 'training project' for newbies and perhaps a way to use up materials that would otherwise go to the scrap bin. If that don't work, you'd be amazed at what a case or two of beer will get you in the MX complex!

That same sort of thing happened at Kunsan 1984ish. Big fat Ammo SNCO was toughing out the old skool 1.5 mile run "fitness test" on a Friday afternoon and disappeared. After a quick check of the club, the Class VI and his dorm room they had a good laugh and blew it off till Monday morning when he didn't show up for work; then they got worried. Sometime Tuesday, an ROK security patrol found him dead in the bushes (STS) of an apparent heart attack. They figured he vapor locked and stumbled into the brush where he laid (STS) dead till he was stumbled upon. Crappy way to go.

Nickel in the Grass for a 7+ year Vietnam POW. RIP Brother. From vansairforce.net on 9 Jan 2014, Link: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=108462 One of the pioneers of RV [Van’s Aircraft, homebuilt experimental aircraft] formation standards and a founding member of the Blackjack Squadron, Wesley Schierman passed away this weekend. Wes, Marty, and Dick began flying their RV4s in close formation together in the late 80’s and expanded their group by developing a structured training program in the early 90’s that continues to this day. Over the years, nearly 50 fortunate aviators have been ‘patched’ to fly as Blackjacks. There are extraordinary people living ordinary lives among us... Attached is a copy of “A Bad Day at Son La" the personal story of Major Wesley D. Schierman, a 67th F-105D Thunderchief pilot, who was shot down over North Vietnam on August 28, 1965. Wes was captured and spent 7 1/2 years as a POW. After his release he returned to his civilian life as an airline pilot for Northwest Airlines. https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resi...nt=file%2c.pdf A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday at the Museum of Flight with a Missing Man formation by the Blackjack Squadron. The date of the memorial service has been finalized for noon on Sunday January 26 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle at Boeing Field The Silver Bracelet - Major Wesley Schierman http://nancysoasis.com/bracelet/silverbracelet.html Local Paper - Everett Herald http://www.heraldnet.com/article/201...er-Everett-POW EDIT: Added link to Vans Air Force dot net