bagasticks

I'll be working the booth for Uncle Garmin all week, drop by for loot. .

I dont support gov't involvement in many things but they have already prevented the weak airlines from sinking and that has further hurt the industry. deregulation has kept ticket prices down. . at the cost of airlines losing money. bottom line is airline tickets have to go up in price and the weak swimmers need to drown in order for the industry to turn and regulation could. . .and i stress could facilitate that. who knows, maybe it will signify the return of hot flight attendants in miniskirts and go-go boots. .

you're right, i was refering to the G3, M20, and G36. . you can get into an RV pretty cheap (although i aint spending 100k on a homebuilt unless i built it and it has G900X installed)

all of your points are valid, i made the rec of a low time engine due most new aircraft owners not having the resources to deal with that can of worms. . .i should have stated that i would not buy an aircraft with less than 250 hours on the engine either. BTW, i'll be out that way (BAB) next week to see you guys. .

I fly corporately for an avionics manufacturer on the side and get the priviledge of flying a variety of GA planes to tradeshows/demos and my favs are as follows: -Mooney Ovation 2, it's fast and has looooong legs -Cirrus SR22 G3, same as above, just dont get slow on short final -RV8, flies like a baby-doll and great fuel burn. . -G36 Bonanza, Cadillac and anyone can land it well (even my zero time wife), terrible fuel burn though -North American Navion, army tank that is light on the controls and very comfortable of course i could afford to own none of the above at a half mil per (except the Navion). . .so here is my list of affordable fun planes: -Luscombe Model 8, metal frame, excellent fuel burn, agile, easy/cheap to maintain, relatively fast -Super Decathlon, one shouldnt be able to so easily scare another human for this cheap (be careful of the wood spar inspections) -T28 Trojan, the most affordable way to have a real radial warbird, tricycle gear, less than 200k if you shop around -Yak 52, simple, aerobatic, plentiful, cheap, pretty fast, metal Finally, as an A&P IA with about 15 years of messing with the above mentioned (both breaking and fixing), i will list the absolute must do's if you buy an airplane: -have an IA do a pre buy inspection (research all AD's and make sure log books are complete) -get one with a fresh annual so you have time to get acquainted with it before it drops dead -research maintenance requirements (some airplanes cost as much as 2-3k total to annual) -unless you need it, just get a VFR certified plane (keeps it much simpler) -make sure the engines are low time SMOH unless you want to turn around and drop 25k -research accident history, some things are acceptable some are not. -if it's dope/fabric. . .buy carefully as it is expensive and time consuming to refurbish (the right way)

Didnt read through all 16 pages (so if they're already mentioned i apologize) but here are some to keep you busy on that 179 to the suck. . .in order of badassedness. . Thunderbolt! -Robert Johnson, 27 kills in the Jug with the Wolfpack, absolute favorite book. . Pak Six - G.I. Basel, -105 driver 1967, CGO perspective on flying hairy combat, awesome short read! Fighter Pilot - Robin Olds - self explanatory. . . .excellent read. Misty - Compilation of short stories from the Hun (FAC'ing it up). 100 Missions North - Ken Bell, -105 driver Phantom Over Vietnam - John Trotti, USMC F4 dude When Thunder Rolled / Palace Cobra - Ed Rasimus, -105's & Phantoms, both good reads Cheating Death - George Marret, Skyraiders & CSAR (read: huge f-ing stones) Chickenhawk - Robert Mason, UH1's Vietnam, read it cover to cover in a few days. . crazy s**t

If you squint your eyes it could be a HARM or SHRIKE. . . . . .

Thats like a new category of dork for the Jim Rome show. . . . . "Karaoke Guy" fits in between "Softball Guy" and "Corvette Guy", and err. . . . ."Eagle Guy"

and we dont have any calls to make anymore. . .CPDLC FTW. .

Erich Hartmann donated 12 aircraft back to mother earth over the course of 352 aerial victories. . . none were from enemy fire. even the best pilots have bad days. . It drives me crazy the way people within our own community are so quick to crucify an aviator for making a mistake, especially when its an isolated incident not charaterstic of one's ability. I'm going to go out on a limb and state that everyone that has been flying for any length of time has made an error/decision at some point that could have been fatal. The sun shines on an old dog's ass every now and then . Looking at this guy's pedigree, i suspect he is a solid pilot/officer that had a real bad day (it clearly could have been worse). .

i suspect he'll still get to do some "load. . . . mastering"

my fav is when bone drivers state: "maintain heading and we'll do a fighter turn to rejoin" only to roll out 69 miles behind, "any chance you can start a left turn?"

when dealing with competent tanker dudes that take initiative, you are right. . .(before you flame, i'm an 11 yr tanker dude). many dudes have been poisoned by the altus kool-aid and operate in this little box. The station keeping procedures and terminology that have been implemented with the -56 are a joke straight from her majesty's finest. I've seen guys in the AOR that will not deviate from the anchor points in the box to drop dudes off closer to their working area, stay out of a cloud, etc. because "thats not what they teach at altus, or IAW the queen's guidance" these same guys wont deviate from a tech order AR speed to refuel a fat hawg or bone either.. micro-managing where dudes want to stack is not my concern, so long as they deconflict w/me and other flights and dont get me violated (sts), they can fly upside-down and backwards if they want.

throw her in a disco-belt and PT gear and turn her loose at the deid. . . . .

see: 56-6714 art.#381 about a third of the way down. . didnt eject, well atleast not physically. i believe the jet is on sticks at beale. . http://www.blackbirds.net/u2/u2local.html

subsitute dodge ball for football. the hail-damaged kids did pretty well at gym football. .

enlisted marine, enlisted AF, ots, AFRC cockpit, ANG cockpit. . . take care of your current career, network, get your education, advance. There are 10 way to skin this cat, and dont take advice from folks who didnt have the sack to do it for themselves. . pm me if you want any specific advice. .

I got out of the marine corps pretty much sleaved on my left arm and took a little grief in OTS and some ribbing in UPT but pretty much as long as it's not obscene or offensive, your good to go. . .since i've entered the AF i think they have cracked down on visible ones so i wouldnt get on on your neck or anything crazy like that. . I have had some shoe clerks bust my balls at the dirty a few times too but you know how that goes. . .

that is a good read. . . another is "Misty" a compilation of stories from dudes with big brass clackers flying Hun Fast FAC's. . . http://www.mistyvietnam.com/book.html