MOW
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Posts: 5,822 
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Retired: USAF, Civil Service
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Post by MOW on Oct 29, 2011 19:34:38 GMT 9
That was great :green-beer brought a smile to my face that one did. |
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Post by Jim on Nov 6, 2011 11:57:56 GMT 9
From Capt Brownshoes (27th FIS)
For the aviators among us…
++++++++++++++++++
An important piece of history.
Joe Kittinger is not a household aviation name like Neil Armstrong or Chuck Yeager. But what he did for the U. S. space program is comparable. On Aug. 16, 1960, as research for the then-fledgling U. S. space program, Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger rode a helium balloon to the edge of space, 102,800 feet above the earth, a feat in itself.
Then, wearing just a thin pressure suit and breathing supplemental oxygen, he leaned over the cramped confines of his gondola and jumped--into the 110-degree-below-zero, near-vacuum of space. Within seconds his body accelerated to 714mph in the thin air, breaking the sound barrier.
Description: cid:0FFC9B0EA378456D82A8A699D011595C@RSMPC
After free-falling for more than four and a half minutes, slowed finally by friction from the heavier air below, he felt his parachute open at 14,000 feet, and he coasted gently down to the New Mexico desert floor. Kittinger's feat showed scientists that astronauts could survive the harshness of space with just a pressure suit and that man could eject from aircraft at extreme altitudes and survive.
Upon Kittinger's return to base, a congratulatory telegram was waiting from the Mercury seven astronauts--including Alan Shepard and John Glenn. More than four decades later Kittinger's two world records--the highest parachute jump, and the only man to break the sound barrier without an aircraft and live--still stand. We decided to visit the retired colonel and Aviation Hall of Famer, now 75, at his home in Altamonte Springs, Florida, to recall his historic jump.
FORBES GLOBAL:
Take us back to New Mexico and Aug. 16, 1960.
Joe Kittinger: We got up at 2 a. m. to start filling the helium balloon. At sea level, it was 35 to 40 feet wide and 200 feet high; at altitude, due to the low air pressure, it expanded to 25 stories in width, and still was 20 stories high!
At 4 a. m. I began breathing pure oxygen for two hours. That's how long it takes to remove all the nitrogen from your blood so you don't get the bends going so high so fast. Then it was a lengthy dress procedure layering warm clothing under my pressure suit. They kept me in air-conditioning until it was time to launch because we were in the desert and I wasn't supposed to sweat. If I did, my clothes would freeze on the way up.
Description: cid:490CB5A27DF241D3880FB5BCBB50FCEA@RSMPC
How was your ascent?
It took an hour and a half to get to altitude. It was cold. At 40,000 feet, the glove on my right hand hadn't inflated. I knew that if I radioed my doctor, he would abort the flight. If that happened, I knew I might never get another chance because there were lots of people who didn¹t want this test to happen.
I took a calculated risk, that I might lose use of my right hand. It quickly swelled up, and I did lose use for the duration of the flight. But the rest of the pressure suit worked. When I reached 102,800 feet, maximum altitude, I wasn't quite over the target.
So I drifted for 11 minutes. The winds were out of the east. What's it look like from so high up? You can see about 400 miles in every direction. The formula is 1.25 x the sq. root of the altitude in thousands of feet. (The square root of 102,000 ft is 319 X 1.25 = 399 miles)
The most fascinating thing is that it's just black overhead--the transition from normal blue to black is very stark. You can't see stars because there's a lot of glare from the sun, so your pupils are too small. I was struck with the beauty of it. But I was also struck by how hostile it is: more than 100 degrees below zero, no air. If my protection suit failed, I would be dead in a few seconds. Blood actually boils above 62, 000 feet.
I went through my 46-step checklist, disconnected from the balloon¹s power supply and lost all communication with the ground. I was totally under power from the kit on my back. When everything was done, I stood up, turned around to the door, took one final look out and said a silent prayer: "Lord, take care of me now." Then I just jumped over the side.
Description: cid:8D6C17CC90B64320AB073AC9BAF60764@RSMPC
What were you thinking as you took that step?
It's the beginning of a test. I had gone through simulations many times--more than 100. I rolled over and looked up, and there was the balloon just roaring into space. I realized that the balloon wasn't roaring into space; I was going down at a fantastic rate! At about 90,000 feet, I reached 714mph.
The altimeter on my wrist was unwinding very rapidly. But there was no sense of speed. Where you determine speed is visual--if you see something go flashing by. But nothing flashes by 20 miles up--there are no signposts there, and you are way above any clouds. When the chute opened, the rest of the jump was anticlimactic because everything had worked perfectly. I landed 12 or 13 minutes later, and there was my crew waiting. We were elated.
How about your right hand?
It hurt--there was quite a bit of swelling and the blood pressure in my arm was high. But that went away in a few days, and I regained full use of my hand. What about attempts to break your record? We did it for air crews and astronauts--for the learning, not to set a record.
They will be going up as skydivers. Somebody will beat it someday. Records are made to be broken. And I'll be elated. But I'll also be concerned that they¹re properly trained. If they're not, they're taking a heck of a risk.
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Post by Jim on Mar 15, 2012 8:45:25 GMT 9
- From Ted Feasel, a 27th FIS Driver................. The Old Sarge Subject: Fw: F-16 dead stick landing "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way." -- George Herman "Babe" Ruth Here's the F-16 dead stick into Elizabeth City, NC: A fairly short RWY for jets, (about 6,000 ft long), but qualifies for an "Emergency landing field" in the grand scheme of US aviation. You'll probably have to watch the video several times to appreciate how intense the situation and how busy the pilot was all the way to stopping on the runway. Very apparently, the pilot was one-of-four F-16s in a flight returning to their base, (most probably from the Navy Dare bombing range south of Manteo), and the F-16 in question had already reported a "Ruff-Running Engine" to his flight leader before the start of the video. A few comments not readily apparent are: - The whole episode, from start-to-finish only takes about 3 1/2 minutes! - The video begins as the flight is being followed on radar. The flight leader asks for the Elizabeth City tower UHF freq which is repeated as 355.6 and the entire flight switches to that freq: Just one-more-task for the pilot to execute in the cockpit as he reports that his engine has QUIT. He has to activate the Emergency Unit (EPU) to maintain electric and hydraulic power. This unit is powered by Hydrazine: (the caustic fuel that Germany created in WW II to power their V-2 Rockets and their ME-163 rocket fighters among others.) Thus, the last call about requesting fire support after the jet is safe on deck, and pilot breathing easy. - Meanwhile, back in the cockpit, the pilot is busily attempting to "Re-light" his engine: (Unsuccessfully, of course) while tending to everything else. - The video is taken using the Head-Up-Display (HUD) camera which also has a voice recorder. - The HUD is a very busy instrument, but among things to notice are the 'circle' in the middle which represents the nose of the aircraft and where it is 'pointed': "The velocity Vector". - The flight leader reports they are 7-miles out from the airport and at 9,000 ft altitude. Since the weather is clear and the airport is in sight, this allows for adequate "Gliding distance" to reach a runway with the engine OFF. Rest assured, jet fighters glide sorta like a rock. They don't enjoy the higher lift design of an airliner like that which allowed Sullenburger to land in the NY river. - Coming down 9,000 ft in only 7-miles requires a helluva rate of descent, so the pilot's nose remains well below the "Horizon" until just prior to touching down on the runway. The HUD horizon is a solid, lateral bar, and below the horizon, the horizontal lines appear as dashes. You'll see a "10" on the second dashed line below the horizon which = 10-degrees nose low. - Radio chatter includes the flight leader calling the tower and the tower stating runway 10 with wind 070@5MPH + altimeter setting of 30.13: yet another step for the pilot to consider. - The flight leader calls for the pilot to jettison his external fuel tanks and asks another pilot in the flight to "Mark" where they dropped.. The tower later tells the pilot to land on any rwy he chooses. - Pilot reports "Three in the green" indicating all three gear indicate down and locked which the fligh t leader acknowledges. - You will hear the computer voice of "Bitchin'-Betty" calling out "Warnings". More confusing chatter when none is welcome or even necessary. (That's "Hi-Tech" for ya.) - The pilot has only ONE CHANCE to get this right and must also slow to an acceptable landing speed in order to stop on the short runway. You'll see Black rubber on the rwy where "The rubber meets the road" in the touchdown area. Note that during rollout, he gets all the way to the far end which you can see by all the black skid marks where planes have landed heading in the opposite direction. OK: That's more than ya probably wanted to know, but you have to appreciate the fine job this guy did in calmly managing this emergency situation. He is a "USAF Reserve" pilot and those guys generally have plenty of experience. That really pays off. The pilot just saved about $20+m at his own risk.......Great job! Note the breathing rate on the hot mic. See if you can keep all of the radio transmissions straight. Probably the coolest sounding voice in the whole mix is the pilot of the engine out aircraft. www.patricksaviation.com/videos/SUPERGT/3384/ For those not familiar, the EPU (Electrical Power Unit) provides hydraulic and electrical power in event of failure of the engine, electrical or hydraulics. The EPU is powered by Hydrazine which decomposes in to hot gasses as it passes across a catalyst bed or engine bleed air (if available). The hot air passes through a turbine which drives the emergency hydraulic pump and generator through a gear box. |
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Post by lindel on Mar 15, 2012 12:00:36 GMT 9
Very impressive landing. Good to see our pilots are worth the airplanes we give them to play with.
Very cool customer, but I'd expect nothing less out of America's finest.
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Post by Jim on Jul 12, 2012 1:49:47 GMT 9
some have seen this before- but look again anywaysThe original beautiful aircraft!!!!!!!!!! Attachments:filename (237.19 KB)
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Post by Diamondback on Jul 12, 2012 4:27:48 GMT 9
I quit with this final B29 page. Looks like some were olive drab from the photos which is something I have never seen. DUY, the first batches and the XB and YB prototypes were finished in 2-tone--then it was found that skipping the paint and polishing the bare metal saved weight and let 'em go a little farther and faster. --DB one of our resident Boeing Bomber Nuts |
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Post by pat perry on Jul 12, 2012 6:07:27 GMT 9
some have seen this before- but look again anywaysThe original beautiful aircraft!!!!!!!!!! Have received that one in emails several times. Always good for another look at beauty! Hey MOW: Just had a thought. Can you make it possible for an attachment to open up in a new window rather than on the same page? Its often takes a while to reload the page after you get done looking at the attchment.
Also, is it possible to load more than one attachment per post or is 1 per post hard-wired into the program?Thanks, Pat P. |
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MOW
Administrator
Owner/Operator
Currently: Offline
Posts: 5,822
Location:
Joined: September 2003
Retired: USAF, Civil Service
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Post by MOW on Jul 12, 2012 8:51:17 GMT 9
Hey MOW: Just had a thought. Can you make it possible for an attachment to open up in a new window rather than on the same page? Its often takes a while to reload the page after you get done looking at the attachment.
Also, is it possible to load more than one attachment per post or is 1 per post hard-wired into the program?Thanks, Pat P. Attaching a file vs photo as Jim did with the .pdf will always download and ask what you want to do with it i.e. Open In or Save As. Attaching a photo will always automatically open in a new window on the same page. I don't think we can change that, but I'll check into it. As for using the Attachment feature it only allows 1 per post. I don't think that can be changed either, but I'll check. |
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Post by Jim on Dec 27, 2012 4:37:34 GMT 9
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Post by Jim on Jun 29, 2013 9:08:06 GMT 9
This should beat the pilot incentive program from the '80s- a 250.00 A-2 flight jacket that hadn't been issued in 40 years.. The Old Sarge
Air Force Offers Fighter Pilots $225,000 To Stay In
A dollar short and 33 years late. They could do like earlyVietnam Years, just refuse to accept resignations of Regular Officers.
A couple of years ago, Max Moga who was Ops Off of the 90th F-22 sqdn in Alaska told me he had more airplanes than pilots, that most of his pilots were leaving when their commitment was up. Their bitch was over worked, and all the horse crap that they had to put up with. PJ
On Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 10:32 AM, Dick Guild <reguild@gmail.com> wrote:
YGBSM! Are you kidding me!?
Air Force Offers Fighter Pilots $225,000 To Stay In
The pilots must extend their contracts for nine years
By Jeff Schogol, Staff writer , AF Times
The Air Force is opening its wallet to keep more fighter pilots for a longer period of time, even as the service faces serious budget cuts that may continue for years.
About 250 fighter pilots are eligible to receive a $225,000 bonus in exchange for a nine-year commitment under the latest change to the Aviator Retention Pay program, said Lt. Col. Kurt Konopatzke, chief of rated force policy. Pilots can take half the money up front in a lump sum payout of $112,500, minus taxes. The rest is paid out over the nine years of the contract.
Previously, fighter pilots could only sign up to five-year contracts for bonuses of $25,000 per year, so now they can receive nearly twice the amount of money to stay in the Air Force, Konopatzke said. Other aviators also are eligible for the retention bonus, but for contracts of no more than five years, at up to $25,000 per year for a maximum of $125,000.
Fighter pilots who have completed 10 years of service after pilot training have until Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, to decide whether to sign a nine-year contract, Konopatzke said. The Air Force hopes about 162 fighter pilots — 65 percent of those eligible — will take the new option. That would cost the Air Force about $36.675 million, with a payout this fiscal year of $18.337 million.
The reason the Air Force is being so generous is that it has a current and projected shortage of fighter pilots, Konopatzke said. Last year, the Air Force allowed fighter pilots to take half of their retention bonus up front if they extended their contracts for five years.
As we started looking at the data through FY 13 and in the out years, we realized that the shortage hasn't gone away, and as a matter of fact, as we look at our projections, we think that shortage is going to continue for the next several years, he said.
That led the Air Force to up its offer.
In April 2012, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, then a three-star general, told Air Force Times the pilot shortfall was because instructor pilots had been needed for combat missions, limiting the number of pilots coming through the training pipeline.
In years past, we couldn't execute all of our peacetime training flying hours that was a requirement because we were deployed too much, Carlisle said at the time. We're trying to get that balance right. As things draw down, and hopefully to some extent the downrange flying decreases, we'll increase home-station flying hours and concentrate on that.
The Air Force also has a retention issue with fighter pilots, Konopatzke said.
The fighter pilots in FY 12 took slightly less than their other rated counterparts who were eligible for the bonus: 60 percent vs. 65 percent, he said. Why they're doing that, honestly is anecdotal evidence, I don't want to speculate on why they're electing to not take the bonus and separate.
The option for fighter pilots to sign nine-year contracts comes with slightly more than three months left in the fiscal year. The delay is due to the automatic spending cuts that took effect in March, known as sequestration, Konopatzke said.
Forced to cut money from its budget, the Air Force had to figure out what special pays it could offer this fiscal year, he said.
The Air Force leadership had to take a look at where those cuts would come from and which programs we would have to either cut or not, he said.
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Post by Jim on Jun 29, 2013 9:14:04 GMT 9
This should beat the pilot incentive program from the '80s- a 250.00 A-2 flight jacket that hadn't been issued in 40 years.. The Old Sarge
Air Force Offers Fighter Pilots $225,000 To Stay In
A dollar short and 33 years late. They could do like earlyVietnam Years, just refuse to accept resignations of Regular Officers.
A couple of years ago, Max Moga who was Ops Off of the 90th F-22 sqdn in Alaska told me he had more airplanes than pilots, that most of his pilots were leaving when their commitment was up. Their bitch was over worked, and all the horse crap that they had to put up with. PJ
On Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 10:32 AM, Dick Guild <reguild@gmail.com> wrote:
YGBSM! Are you kidding me!?
Air Force Offers Fighter Pilots $225,000 To Stay In
The pilots must extend their contracts for nine years
By Jeff Schogol, Staff writer , AF Times
The Air Force is opening its wallet to keep more fighter pilots for a longer period of time, even as the service faces serious budget cuts that may continue for years.
About 250 fighter pilots are eligible to receive a $225,000 bonus in exchange for a nine-year commitment under the latest change to the Aviator Retention Pay program, said Lt. Col. Kurt Konopatzke, chief of rated force policy. Pilots can take half the money up front in a lump sum payout of $112,500, minus taxes. The rest is paid out over the nine years of the contract.
Previously, fighter pilots could only sign up to five-year contracts for bonuses of $25,000 per year, so now they can receive nearly twice the amount of money to stay in the Air Force, Konopatzke said. Other aviators also are eligible for the retention bonus, but for contracts of no more than five years, at up to $25,000 per year for a maximum of $125,000.
Fighter pilots who have completed 10 years of service after pilot training have until Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, to decide whether to sign a nine-year contract, Konopatzke said. The Air Force hopes about 162 fighter pilots — 65 percent of those eligible — will take the new option. That would cost the Air Force about $36.675 million, with a payout this fiscal year of $18.337 million.
The reason the Air Force is being so generous is that it has a current and projected shortage of fighter pilots, Konopatzke said. Last year, the Air Force allowed fighter pilots to take half of their retention bonus up front if they extended their contracts for five years.
As we started looking at the data through FY 13 and in the out years, we realized that the shortage hasn't gone away, and as a matter of fact, as we look at our projections, we think that shortage is going to continue for the next several years, he said.
That led the Air Force to up its offer.
In April 2012, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, then a three-star general, told Air Force Times the pilot shortfall was because instructor pilots had been needed for combat missions, limiting the number of pilots coming through the training pipeline.
In years past, we couldn't execute all of our peacetime training flying hours that was a requirement because we were deployed too much, Carlisle said at the time. We're trying to get that balance right. As things draw down, and hopefully to some extent the downrange flying decreases, we'll increase home-station flying hours and concentrate on that.
The Air Force also has a retention issue with fighter pilots, Konopatzke said.
The fighter pilots in FY 12 took slightly less than their other rated counterparts who were eligible for the bonus: 60 percent vs. 65 percent, he said. Why they're doing that, honestly is anecdotal evidence, I don't want to speculate on why they're electing to not take the bonus and separate.
The option for fighter pilots to sign nine-year contracts comes with slightly more than three months left in the fiscal year. The delay is due to the automatic spending cuts that took effect in March, known as sequestration, Konopatzke said.
Forced to cut money from its budget, the Air Force had to figure out what special pays it could offer this fiscal year, he said.
The Air Force leadership had to take a look at where those cuts would come from and which programs we would have to either cut or not, he said.
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Post by pat perry on Jul 13, 2014 10:46:21 GMT 9
To Bobski from a pilot friend - Pat P.
Military Pilot Tribute Or...
In Victory You Deserve Champagne, In Defeat You Need It!
As we get older and we experience
the loss of old friends, we begin to realize that
maybe we bullet proof Pilots won't live
forever, not so bullet proof anymore. We ponder...if I were
gone tomorrow did I say what I wanted to my Brothers. The
answer was no! Hence, the following few random
thoughts.
When people ask me if I miss flying, I
always say something like, Yes! I miss the flying
because when you are flying, you are totally focused on the
task at hand. It's like nothing else you will ever do
(almost). But then I always say, However, I miss
the Squadron and the guys even more than I miss the
flying.
Why you might ask? They were a bunch of
aggressive, wise-ass, cocky, insulting, sarcastic
bastards in smelly flight suits who thought a funny thing to
do was to fart and see if they could clear a room.
They drank too much, they chased women, they flew when
they shouldn't, they laughed too loud and thought they owned the
sky, the bar, and generally thought they could do everything better
then the next guy. Nothing was funnier than trying to screw with
a buddy and see how p----d off they would get. They flew planes
and helos that leaked, that smoked, that broke, that couldn't
turn, that burned fuel too fast, that never had autopilots
or radars, and with systems that were archaic next to
today's new generation aircraft. All
true!
But a little closer look might show that every guy in the room
was sneaky smart and damn competent and brutally handsome!
They hated to lose or fail to accomplish the mission and seldom
did. They were the laziest guys on the planet until challenged
and then they would do anything to win. They would fly
with wing tips overlapped at night through the worst weather
with only a little red light to hold on to, knowing
that their Flight Lead would get them on the ground
safely. They would fight in the air knowing the
greatest risk and fear was that another fighter would
arrive at the same six o'clock at the same time they
did. They would fly in harm's way and act
nonchalant as if to challenge the grim reaper.
When we went to another base we were the best Squadron
on the base as soon as we landed. Often we were not welcomed
back. When we went into an O'Club we owned the bar. We were
lucky to have the Best of the Best in the military. We knew it
and so did others. We found jobs, lost jobs, got married,
got divorced, moved, went broke, got rich, broke
something and the only thing you could really count on
was if you really needed help, a fellow Pilot would
have your back.
I miss the call signs, nicknames, and the stories behind them.
I miss getting lit up in an O'Club full of my buddies and watching
the incredible, unbelievable things that were happening.
I miss the Crew Chiefs saluting as you taxied out the
flight line. I miss the lighting of the afterburners,
if you had them, especially at night. I miss the going
straight up and straight down. I miss the cross
countries. I miss the dice games at the bar for drinks. I
miss listening to BS stories while drinking and laughing
till my eyes watered.
I miss three man lifts. I miss naps in the Squadron with a
room full of pilots working up new tricks to torment the sleeper.
I miss flying upside down in the Grand Canyon and
hearing about flying so low boats were blown over. I
miss coming into the break hot and looking over and seeing
three wingmen tucked in tight ready to make the
troops on the ground proud. I miss belches that could
be heard in neighboring states. I miss putting on ad hoc
Air Shows that might be over someone's home or farm in
far away towns.
Finally I miss hearing DEAD BUG being called out at the
bar and seeing and hearing a room of men hit the deck with
drinks spilling and chairs being knocked over as they
rolled in the beer and kicked their legs in the air,
followed closely by a Not Politically Correct Tap
Dancing and Singing spectacle that couldn't
help but make you grin and order another round!
I am a lucky guy and have lived a great life! One thing I know
is that I was part of a special, really talented bunch of guys
doing something dangerous and doing it better than
most. Flying the most beautiful, ugly, noisy, solid
aircraft ever built. Supported by ground troops committed to
making sure we came home again!
Being prepared to fly and fight and die for America. Having a
clear mission. Having fun.
We box out the bad memories from various operations most
of the time but never the hallowed memories of our fallen comrades.
We are often amazed at how good war stories never let the
truth interfere and they get better with age. We are lucky
bastards to be able to walk into a Squadron or a Bar
and have men we respect and love shout out our names,
our call signs, and know that this is truly where we
belong. We are Pilots. We are Few and we are
Proud.
I am Privileged and Proud to call you Brothers.
Push It Up! & Check SIX!
(Author Unknown)
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