Aircraft pics

[mockingbird812]

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Internet photo of an Air Guard KC-135 crew trying to kill themselves buzzing Wake Island. Try a stunt like that in the regular Air Force and your career is over.



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SOLL II capable?

[427TJ]

Yeah Sam, they wish.

Found a nice evening shot of a pair of F-117s northbound over Saudi during Desert Storm. Hard to believe the F-117 is no longer in service. Remote-piloted drones are the future of aerial warfare. Cheaper too. No more Buck Rogers, no more Wild Blue Yonder.

[mockingbird812]

KC-135 actually has a SOLL II mission, but then again they would be doing the low levels at NIGHT !!

[ANDY M]

Bill, just out of curiosity, where is the ash tray in the F 15 cabin?

[427TJ]

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Bill, just out of curiosity, where is the ash tray in the F 15 cabin?

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Just flick'em on the floor.

The KC-135 had ashtrays! I just missed the smoking era--it was banned in 1987-88 just as I entered flight school. Old-timer KC-135 guys in my squadron said it could get pretty smoky in the cockpit if everyone lit-up. (During two-hour touch-and-go practice sessions in the airbase traffic pattern they'd open the pilot's cockpit side windows to vent-out the smoke--yes at 180 knots on downwind. There was just enough airflow to suck the smoke out while not causing a tornado blast in the cockpit.) The nicotine would stick the cabin pressurization outflow valves and cause cabin pressure problems even several years after smoking onboard had been banned. If you looked at the valves located in the main wheelwell on your preflight walk-around they were still nicotine-stained after almost ten years.

[Chevy454]

[ QUOTE ]
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Internet photo of an Air Guard KC-135 crew trying to kill themselves buzzing Wake Island. Try a stunt like that in the regular Air Force and your career is over.



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One of my wife's family was on Wilkes Island (part of Wake Atoll) during the infamous stand @ the kick off to WW2 in the Pacific...Marine Cpl. Johnny Johnson...he was featured as one of the 5(?) survivors who returned to Wake for the History Channel special. I've read a couple books on the subject, and listen to Johnny any chance I get...the guy is literally still as sharp as a 2 headed tack, on any subject, past or current...I could listen to him for HOURS, and have many times. Sad thing is, most of his knowledge is lost on his family, as they think he's too "long winded"...it actually shocks him that I take interest in what he has to say.

His stories about his imprisonment in China are heart wrenching...it's nearly incomprehensible the sacrifices that have been made for this country, by individuals like Cpl Johnson and others.

[L72COPO]

Rob, bring him to Collinsville next year. I would love to talk to him.

[Chevy454]

Don: he's in St. Louis a lot it seems like, I wanna say he's got family there, or another home maybe? I'll have to ask him...he lived in St. Louis for years I know, at the edge of the *old* SLou campus. Matter of fact, right after WW2 my grandfather went to mortuary school in St. Louis, and rented a room downtown...turns out Johnny owned the apartment/house! Odd that 2 guys from Themiddleofnowhere met up in downtown St. Louis!!

[mockingbird812]

Stopped by the flight line (Williams Gateway - formerly Willams AFB) for lunch today and saw these two black beasts lurking...

[427TJ]

Looks like either Beale AFB birds or Holloman birds that were once used by F-117 pilots for proficiency. The Beale 38s are used by the U-2 guys for proficiency. That was a fun jet!